Pesticide

A pesticide is a chemical, or sometimes biological agent such as a virus or bacteria, used to control, to repel, to attract, or to kill pests, which are organisms, including insects, weeds, birds, mammals, fish, and microbes, that compete with humans for food, destroy property, spread disease, or are considered a nuisance. Pesticides are usually, but not always, poisonous to humans.

Dangers of Pesticides

There are claims that pesticides present some danger to humans when used to control weeds or insects on food crops. This is one basis for the organic food movement. All food crops including many fruits and vegetables such as apples, peppers, celery, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries contain residual pesticides after being washed or peeled. These residues, permitted by (US) government safety standards, are regulated under set tolerance levels and are considered safe based on average daily consumption of these foods by adults and children. These consumption levels are based on scientifically sound risk assessment models that require pesticide manufacturers to produce extensive toxicological and residue research data in order to test pesticides prior to their registration for use on a particular food crop in the US.

Related Topics:
Food - Crop - Organic food - Apple - Pepper - Celery - Cherries - Grape - Nectarine - Peaches - Pear - Potatoes - Red raspberries - Spinach - Strawberries - Residual pesticide

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Besides human health risks, pesticides also pose dangers to the environment. Non-target organisms can be severely impacted. In some cases where a pest insect normally has some controls from a beneficial insect predator or parasite, an insecticide application can kill both pest and beneficial. The control insect almost always takes longer to recover than the pest. Applications for adult mosquitoes, for example, may temporarily depress mosquito populations, but cause a larger population in the long run, by damaging controlling factors.

Related Topics:
Beneficial insect - Predator - Parasite - Mosquito

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One of the earliest discovered problems in pesticide use was that pests can and do eventually evolve to become resistant to the chemicals. When sprayed with chemicals, most pests will be entirely susceptible. However, not all pests are killed; some with slight variations in their genetic make-up are resistant and therefore survive. Natural selection will ensure that the organisms with resistant genetic make-up survive, and eventually the pests will become entirely resistant to the pesticide. Unaware of how to deal with this problem, farmers often increase their use of pesticides, causing further problems. When resistance is not a problem, pesticides in general are highly effective for controlling pests if the other disadvantages are taken into account.

Related Topics:
Evolve - Natural selection

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Another less known trouble the environment faces as a result of pesticides are known as ?'persistent organic pollutants?' (POPs). POPs continue to poison non-target organisms in the environment and possibly increase chances to humans of disruption in the endocrine system, cancer, infertility, and mutagenic effects, although very little is known about these ?long-term chronic effects? yet.

Related Topics:
Persistent organic pollutants - Endocrine system - Cancer - Infertility - Mutagenic effects

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Misuse of pesticides can cause pollinator decline, which is a food supply issue.

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