For our final assignment in our Environmental Health Science class we had to select a topic of environmental health significance and perform a comprehensive literature review on it. For my topic, I wanted to look at how organophosphate pesticides in our drinking water affect the human nervous system. I looked at scholarly sources such as PubMed and ProQuest, after some searching I narrowed my topic down more focusing on neurological impacts. I learned how organophosphate pesticides inhibits acetylcholinesterase, causing excess acetylcholine and overstimulation of nerves, with effects ranging from muscle twitching to convulsions or coma. I found that agricultural communities face higher levels of exposure due to runoff contaminating wells and surface water. 

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I wanted to highlight the widespread contamination across water sources globally and the serious risks to human health and ecosystems. I wanted to proposes mitigation strategies such as stricter pesticide regulations, public education, and improved water treatment infrastructure. By connecting historical context like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring with modern research, the assignment underscores how pesticides support food production but also pose neurological risks, making stronger safeguards essential.

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