Advanced Toxicology

Mr. Jones, age 37, is the CEO and owner of Jones Farm. He inherited the farm from his father and resides in the family home there with his wife Jane, age 35, and 4-year-old daughter, Angel. The Jones Farms is a large producer of various fruits, vegetables, and grains. Through trial and error, Mr. Jones, found a local company that produces an insecticide containing chlorpyrifos to be the most economical and effective insecticide for his crops. This insecticide has been used for almost 7 years at the farm for every crop produced. With easy access to this insecticide on the farm, it has been commonly used for pest control within their large home as well.

Being proud owners of the crops grown on the farm, the Jones family often take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables available for their own table. Their consumption of the farm’s harvest has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted their finances. The Joneses and their toddler, Angel, enjoyed fresh fruit and vegetables from the farm throughout the day.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones have recently grown increasingly concerned about their daughter’s development. They have noticed that Angel seems to still be having a hard time with potty training despite being 4 years old. She has not picked up on basic colors and animals sounds that her preschool peers have almost mastered. Angel’s preschool teacher has mentioned that all children learn at their own pace but has voiced another concern with Mr. and Mrs. Jones regarding Angel’s motor skills development. While Mr. Jones appears relatively healthy, both he and Mrs. Jones frequently experience migraines which they attribute to the stress of everyday life and finances. Mrs. Jones often experiences nausea and even vomiting along with migraines.

After reading the case study and researching chlorpyrifos, respond to the following discussion points:

Identify how the family members could have been exposed to chlorpyrifos.
Identify the exposure pathway of chlorpyrifos.
What organ systems were affected by the chemical?
What observable acute and chronic effects could be produced from exposure to the chlorpyrifos? What effects were observed in the case study? How and why are the effects different in the individuals? (i.e., what individual profile factors can affect toxicity?)
How could exposure to the chemical be avoided?

The paper must have a minimum of two pages, not counting the title and reference pages. Utilize at least three credible references, one of which may be the textbook.