5 Harmful Effects of Pesticide Use

FactoidFactor Ranked #65 in Gardening FOLLOW Pesticides contain dangerous and dealy chemicals. Using these substances may have risks to your health and to the environment.

5 reasons not to use pesticides, Pesticides unfortunately are very common and are used to get rid of pest, insects, and bugs that may live or feed on plants. Pesticides are substances commonly synthetic and are composed of hazardous chemicals to ensure the death of the bugs. Insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides are all classified as pesticides. Generally used by farmers in mass amounts, pesticides are sprayed all over their crops by small planes, hand held blowers, tractors, spray bottles and cans. Pesticides are harmful to yourself and the environment.

1. Pesticides Can Cause Hazard Conditions In Water Pesticides are commonly sprayed at the ground soil after harvest to keep the area clean of insects until planting again. This sprayed pesticide may travel down through the soil and reach the water bank below. This is harmful because after a rain shower, the harmful chemicals travel through the ground to nearby lakes, rivers, and streams. As an effect, this may kill living organisms in these bodies of water such as fish, frogs, and worms. In addition, this leaves the body of water as a hazard to ones health, leaving swimming, or any contact with the water potentially dangerous and unsafe.

2. Pesticides Are Harmful To Your Health Pesticides that can harm humans are used in vast amounts around the globe Pesticides can harm so many aspects of the human body including damage to the lungs and central nervous system, failures of reproductive organs and dysfunctions of the immune system, endocrine system, and exocrine system, as well as potential cancer risks and birth defects. According to the Toxic Release Inventory program, out of the 27 most used pesticides 8 of these can cause pregnancy issues, and approximately 150 million pounds of just those 8 pesticides are used every year. The Library of Medicine states that 15 of those most common pesticides can cause gene problems, and 350 million pounds of those are used yearly.

3. Risks Are Higher For Children

Adults have stronger and healthier immune systems, which may protect us from these hazardous chemicals. But the thing is that the immune systems of children are in the process of becoming stronger and at the moment they are vulnerable to viruses, diseases, and you guessed it- the dangerous chemicals in pesticides. If you have small kids you know that actions like lying on the floor, crawling on the floor, putting toys in their mouths, and smelling unfamiliar objects are common. Well if you use pesticides at home or in your yard and your child goes outside to play, chances are he/she may inhale these chemicals, and since their immune systems are completely developed they are far more vulnerable to the health risks mentioned above.

4. Pets Can Also Have Major Health Problems

If you have a pet and use any form of pesticides, the risks for their health are greater too. Like children, most pets immune systems arent as strong as adult humans and health problems are far more likely. Pets such as cats and dogs like to go out side roll in the grass, eat grass and plants, and maybe even sleep or nap in the yard. These are times where they inhale these toxic substances and especially dogs are more vulnerable to getting cancer due to these chemicals.

5. Pesticides Weaken the Earths Atmospheric Layers In addition to personal health issues, pesticides can damage the earths atmospheric layers. When sprayed, some chemicals escape and rise up into the air. When hitting atmospheric layers, they weaken them and this can cause many harmful effects. Some include Extreme weather changes, the Earths vulnerability too sun rays and radiation, Strong rays from the run hit the earth increasing temperatures and melting lands of ice and glaciers. This can result in flooding and rise in sea level. When the earths layers are weak, serious damage can be done to the world.

Pesticides can be sold anywhere and most likely you have a bottle or two in your home. Next time you spray these on weeds think about the above and consider the negative results of using that spray. Pull those weeds out the old fashion way, you get a bit of a workout, you help keep the earths layers a little

stronger and you and your family a little more healthier. Think about the environment and the organisms in it, protect them and protect yourself.

Sources: Pesticide.Org , Earthcares.Org , Greenpeace.Org

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are pesticides harmful to people?

Environmental Epidemiology & Toxicology In addition to harming pests, many pesticides can also harm people. The harmful effect of a pesticide depends on the strength or toxicity of the chemical ingredients, the amount and the length of time of the pesticide exposure and the way it enters the body. Reading the label and following directions can prevent many pesticide-related illnesses.

Are pesticides harmful to people or the environment?

WNV & EEE Q&A Effect on human health is one of the primary factors considered in regulation of pesticides. Pesticides that can be used for mosquito control have been registered for use by the EPA. When these products are used according to their label directions, they should not pose an unreasonable risk to human health.

How do pesticides harm people?

Frequently Asked Questions Pesticides can enter the body through the lungs, digestive system, or skin. Depending on the pesticide, health effects can be immediate or they can occur after years of low-level exposure. Symptoms of acute poisoning can include headaches, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, changes in heart rate, muscle weakness, respiratory paralysis, mental confusion, convulsions, coma, and death.

Are pesticides harmful to ones health?

CHO - Ottawa Lawncare Care Grubs Nematodes Merit Weeds Herbi... Pesticides are among the most widely used chemicals in the world, and also among the most dangerous to human health. They are a leading cause of poisonings here in Canada and have been estimated to account for thousands of deaths each year globally. Pesticides can also cause chronic health effects due to both acute poisonings and from chronic long-term exposure. Many studies have documented adverse health effects on humans.

How are people exposed to pesticides?

CHO - Ottawa Lawncare Care Grubs Nematodes Merit Weeds Herbi... Pesticides can enter a persons body by three possible routes: by the lungs, by the mouth or through the skin. Spray applications of pesticides increase the chance that the applicator and by-standers may inhale fine droplets. Lawn care pesticide residues may also be tracked into

the home. Children are more likely to be exposed by inadvertent ingestion of pesticide residues on objects in their environment. (Toronto Public Health - Playing it Safe)

What symptoms should I watch out for in my child if she/he has been exposed to harmful pesticides?
Frequent Questions | Response to 2005 Hurricanes | US EPA Children are more vulnerable to immediate or long-term health effects of pesticide exposure. Symptoms can often be mistaken for other causes. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1212 if your child has any of these symptoms: vomiting or diarrhea, persistent headache, visual difficulties, problems with memory or concentration, dizziness, confusion, seizures, difficulty walking, shortness of breath or wheezing.

How do you control bugs and disease without using harmful pesticides?
Frequently Asked Questions A catalog of beneficial insects and biological mold control products is available. They are not as expensive as one might think, and the health benefit being pesticide free is great! We practice and teach PESTICIDE FREE, "clean" vertical gardening. We have an excellent "Good Bug, Bad Bug" laminated color photo guide for insect identification (#PP104)

Can any common pesticides that I can buy be harmful to the soil food web?
Lychees Online - Lychee Fruit, Trees, Products & Info YES. The most harmful common pesticide that many home owners use 'weed and feed' is the most damaging to the soil food web. Do not use any pesticide with Atrazine. Back to Top

Is UV light harmful to people?

FAQ about UV Light Air Purification Prolonged, direct exposure to UV light is harmful to all living organisms, including people. However, the American-Lights system has been designed with safety in mind. There is minimum exposure to people. This provides for safe operation and maintenance.

Can people use pesticides on their own property?

WNV & EEE Q&A Individual property owners can use over-the-counter mosquito controls on their own property without a license, including adulticides applied to trees, shrubs and other upland vegetation,

and larvicides applied to "enclosed" waters, i.e., dumpsters, old tires, birdbaths or other breeding sites not connected to any waters of the State.

What are pesticides?

CHO - Ottawa Lawncare Care Grubs Nematodes Merit Weeds Herbi... The term "pesticide" refers to chemical substances that are biologically active and interfere with the normal biological processes of living organisms deemed to be pests, whether these are noxious plants or weeds, insects, mould or fungi. (Toronto Public Health, April 2002). A pesticide is anything used to kill weeds, insects, plant diseases and other unwanted living things. They include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides.

Is ozone harmful to people?

Air Ionization Frequently Asked Questions about ionizers Ozone can be explained as "natures cleaning agent". If the pollutants are high, it is necessary for the ozone levels to increase proportionally. The National Weather Service issues OZONE ALERTS for heavy smog or pollution in the air. Many ionizer manufacturers downplay the ozone levels in ionization. The OSHA laws set specific limits for exposures to ozone (.04 parts per million is unhealthy). Pentex ionizers emit levels of .01 parts per billion, virtually undetectable!

CAN PEOPLE BE EXPOSED TO LEVELS OF RADIOFREQUENCY RADIATION AND MICROWAVES THAT COULD BE HARMFUL?
OET -- RF Safety FAQ's Studies have shown that environmental levels of RF energy routinely encountered by the general public are typically far below levels necessary to produce significant heating and increased body temperature. However, there may be situations, particularly workplace environments near high- powered RF sources, where recommended limits for safe exposure of human beings to RF energy could be exceeded. In such cases, restrictive measures or actions may be necessary to ensure the safe use of RF energy.

Are the chemicals harmful to people or pets?

FAQ Any chemical, even salt or caffeine, in a large enough dose can be harmful. The amount of mosquito control chemicals that come out of the mosquito trucks and aircraft are not harmful to humans or pets. As with any chemical, it is always a good idea to keep exposure to a minimum. For this reason, children should not be allowed to follow the mosquito trucks as people often did in the 1940s and 1950s. Pets usually are repelled by the high pitch of the machine.

Can enzymes be harmful if you take too many?

digestive enzymes: food enzyme supplements support nutrition... When speaking about digestive enzyme formulas, no. As active protein molecules, the enzymes do not accumulate in the body. They impart enzymatic activity that lasts anywhere from one to four hours and then they are eliminated from the body or the proteins are broken down and the amino acids are used for other purposes. As with any herbal or nutritional supplement, evaluation of amounts and over consumption should be determined on an individual basis. [back to top]

Are lice harmful?

head lice No, actually they are not. They are annoying, they itch, they eat blood like a mosquito, defecate on your scalp, and they are disgusting...but they are not harmful.

Is it harmful to animals?
head lice We have not tested it on animals. Head lice (for whatever reason) only live on humans. They can be carried or transmitted by animals but they cannot live on them for more than a few days. Since this is the case, we have not tried it on animals nor do we recommend it...you can try it at your own risk if you like.

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