Organophosphates

Organophosphates are a class of chemicals (specifically esters of phosphoric acid), many of which act as neurotoxins. Organophosphates are created primarily through reactions between phosphoric acid and alcohol, a process that has been used since the middle of the 19th century. Used as pesticides and chemical weapons, they are among the most toxic substances to humans and other vertebrates. They have been used on an industrial scale as pesticides and on a smaller scale for therapeutic purposes. Organophosphates have also been used as a weapon by some military forces and one form, sarin, was used in a terrorist attack on the subways of Tokyo in 1995, which led to numerous deaths and thousands of injuries. Contact with organophosphates at a low level may have negative ...