It is held every year on December 3 International Pesticide Day, which was first announced in 1998 by the International Coalition of the same name. The date was not chosen by chance, but in order to once again emphasize the tragedy of the disaster that occurred in 1984 as a result of the explosion at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in India. The result of the explosion was the release of a deadly gas – methyl isocyanate – into the environment. This led to more than 200,000 deaths and half a million cases of serious illness in the years after the accident.

The purpose of this event is to draw society’s attention to the problems that occur due to the production and exploitation of toxic chemical compounds. This day is held under the slogan: “Pesticides are the hopelessness of civilization.” Environmentalists around the world hold rallies and protests to remind once again that pesticides and other dangerous substances accumulate in the environment, are deposited in the bodies of people and animals, negatively affecting health. According to WHO statistics, approximately 2 million cases of pesticide poisoning are recorded every year in the world, mostly during various technological processes.