Week Seven
Lesson 7: Introduction to Pesticides & The Effects
What are chemicals and pesticides?
- Chemicals are substances that are artificially created.
- Pesticides are a form of chemicals that are meant to kill, control or repel specific pests.
- This can include aquatic or terrestrial plant/animal life: insects, rodents, fungi, weeds, bacteria, and other microorganisms.
- Many pesticides have herbicides and/or insecticides in them. Herbicides are another type of chemical, but targets unwanted plant life such as weeds, while insecticides target varieties of bugs.
- Most pesticides are effective, but still are risky to use. The purpose of these chemicals is to eradicate a certain type of living organism, but at the same time, can pose as a threat to the environment, humans and pets. It may be beneficial in some ways, but isn't the safest effective solution out there.
What are types of pesticides that people use?
- Before using pesticides, many people identify which pest they need to get rid of. Depending on the pest, some pesticides are more effective than others. Using the wrong ones can be harmful, and be a waste of time and money.
- Reading product labels can help if needed, but you should still know the risks and the outcome of using chemicals.
- Some types of pesticides that people use today are:
- Herbicides: inhibits growth or kills unwanted plant life such as weeds
- Insecticides: controls or eradicates insect population
- Natural pesticides: many people assume natural pesticide is safe, because it is "natural". Natural pesticides may be derived from plants, but they are still chemicals, meaning that they can still be as toxic as other forms of pesticides.
- Neem oil: this is a very popular natural pesticide. It is found in the seeds of tropical neem trees, and inside those seeds is neem oil. It has been found to gradually inhibit insect development. Neem oil has low toxicity to humans, but is very effective against many insects. Using it's pure form is one of the safest methods to control insects, but today, it is being mixed with other synthetic substances in pesticide products.
- Repellents: also very common, and widely used. (a.k.a. bug spray) They are designed to repel pests, by smell or taste. Often, this type of chemical is sprayed... so when the targeted insect comes near the sprayed area, it usually doesn't like the taste or smell, and goes away.
- Foggers: used large areas, and kills insects once it comes in contact with the pesticide out in the open.
How do these chemicals impact humans and the environment?
- Widespread use of chemicals such as pesticides have impacted the world in good and bad ways. Pesticides can cause immediate and long term health effects on both the environment and humans.
- Pesticides actually have helped diminish past agricultural disasters. But since they have been continuously used in food production, people are exposed to low levels of pesticides.
- Using insecticides may target certain insects, but they can also unintentionally harm beneficial
pollinators such as bees, dragonflies and butterflies.
- Pesticides can also cause excessive runoff, and problems in soil, water and air. Due to runoff, these chemicals travel to other places and they negatively affect the organisms & plant/animal life in the process.
- Pesticides can be a threat to people as well. Farmers and their families, are at higher risk than anyone else. But really, anybody can be affected.
- When sprayed, pesticides can enter the body through your eyes, skin, nose and mouth. These toxic chemicals can leave residue on produce, and can stay inside the food we eat. If there is runoff into open water, it can contaminate our water supply as well as fish and other seafood.
- So, there are many dangers of pesticide use and exposure.
Pros & Cons
Ted Ed Video
<--- Watch this video on the left to learn about benefits and negative impacts that pesticides have today, and what it has done in the past... So do we really need pesticides?
Primary article:
Mahmood I, Imadi SR, Shazadi K, Gul A, Hakeem KR. Effects of pesticides on environment. InPlant, soil and microbes 2016 (pp. 253-269). Springer, Cham.
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