What type of effects can systemic pesticide exposure cause?

Systemic pesticide exposure can lead to serious health effects, including cancer and reproductive issues, because these pesticides are absorbed into the plant or animal tissues and can affect various biological systems. When systemic pesticides are ingested or come into contact with living organisms, they can interfere with normal cellular processes and disrupt hormonal balance, which may result in harmful outcomes such as tumors or birth defects.

The other choices reflect different types of health effects but do not encapsulate the severe and long-term risks associated with systemic exposure to pesticides. Skin irritation and allergic reactions, for example, are more localized effects typically associated with contact pesticides rather than systemic ones. Similarly, symptoms like fatigue and temporary headaches or gastrointestinal problems might occur, but they do not indicate the profound, long-lasting consequences that systemic pesticide exposure can bring. Therefore, the option highlighting cancer and reproductive issues appropriately emphasizes the critical nature of systemic effects.