Advantages and Disadvantages of Agrochemicals ?

The advantages of
agrochemicals can be seen in the reduction of pests and the increase in crop yeald. The
use of agrochemicals is quite advantageous. For instance; they increase yield, making
the crops grow faster and bigger, and since these chemical are quite affordable they are
cost effective. Nevertheless, the use of agrochemicals also has disadvantages. The
reduction of pests can also be deemed a disadvantage of agrochemicals because if there
are residues that are left on the crops, they can harm humans as well.
INTRODUCTION- A pesticide is a material used to kill or reject a pest. Pesticides have
disadvantages and advantages. They are able to restrain pests, but it can also kill other organisms
as well. Not only do they affect animals but they can effect us, as humans. A pesticide is a
biological, physical, or chemical agent used to kill plants or animals that are harmful to people.
The name pesticide is generally applied only to chemical agents. Examples of different pesticides
are known as, herbicides nematicides and rodenticides. There has been concern regarding the
effects of chemical pesticides on human and on the environment.
ADVANTAGES - The advantages of pesticides are; to improve crop quality and supply and
greatly improved Human health around the world. Pesticides improve crop production and
harvest productivity. Pesticides also prevent diseases found in fresh fruits and vegetables as well.
Chemical pesticides now go through thorough and expensive test before government registration
and release. Pesticides sprayed onto crops can be washed off. So it is very rare to get poisoned by
vegetables you eat. Poisonous and possible health effects have been verified. New types of
pesticides makes the use of herbicides or fertilizers possible and there is no damage to the crops.
Now many fruit and vegetable growers use fewer pesticides to protect their crop from pests, so it
is better for the farmers health. With the use of pesticides more crops grow on our land. The
more crops we grow on our land, the more we can gain from exporting our produce to other
countries.
DISADVANTAGES- The disadvantages of using the pesticides are; for instant,pesticides cause
a number of pollution problems through spray drift on to surrounding areas direct contamination
of users or the public and as residues on food. "The World Health Organization" (WHO)
estimated in 1999 that 20,000 people die annually worldwide from pesticides poisoning
incident.However, many consumers are concerned about the effects of pesticide residues in
foods, especially for infants, whose systems have weaker resistance levels to poisons than adults.
Another disadvantage is that pesticides can be cause cancer for anyone who are often expose the
pesticides. In 1986, the US issued a report that the chemical could also cause birth defects.
Humans are often exposed to pesticides usually as a result of exposure, such as accidental
inhalation, on the job. Concerns have been made for farm workers in other countries. The
protective safeguards are not enough and their health is being threatened by the continued use of
pesticides that are known health hazards. That is why people that using or applying the pesticides
should be very careful on handling the chemicals. Proper attire is required on handling the
pesticides.
CONCLUSION- In Conclusion there are many disadvantages and advantages to pesticide use.
The main disadvantages to pesticides is that they are very hazardous to your health if used
incorrectly. We know that many people have concerns about the uncertain effects of pesticides.
However, we really need pesticides for the growth of our economy. We need fruits and
vegetables to live and sometimes weeds, pests and other diseases make it harder for us to get
proper nutrition. Now a days, there are hazardous chemicals in everything from shampoo to
toothpaste. We cannot avoid the use of chemicals in everyday products. Yet, we can make
Abstract- The use of pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture has grown dramatically over
the past 30 years. Currently, approximately 600 active pesticide ingredients are used, but
adequate toxicologic data are available for only approximately 100 of these. Environmental
exposure of humans to agrichemicals is common and results in both acute and chronic health
effects, including acute and chronic neurotoxicity (insecticides, fungicides, fumigants), lung
damage (paraquat), chemical burns (anhydrous ammonia), and infant methemoglobinemia (nitrate
in groundwater). A variety of cancers also have been linked to exposure to various pesticides,
particularly hematopoietic cancers. Immunologic abnormalities and adverse reproductive and
developmental effects due to pesticides also have been reported. The health effects associated
with pesticides do not appear to be restricted to only a few chemical classes. Therefore, enhanced
efforts are needed to control or eliminate human exposures wherever possible. Research also is
needed to better characterize and quantitate the adverse effects of agrichemicals on human
health.
Effects of Pesticides on Human Health
Introduction
Pesticides are designed to kill and because their mode of action is not specific to one
species, they often kill or harm organisms other than pests, including humans. The World
Health Organization estimates that there are 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning each
year and up to 220,000 deaths, primarily in developing countries. The application of
pesticides is often not very precise, and unintended exposures occur to other organisms in
the general area where pesticides are applied. Children, and indeed any young and
developing organisms, are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides. Even
very low levels of exposure during development may have adverse health effects.
Pesticide exposure can cause a range of neurological health effects such as memory loss,
loss of coordination, reduced speed of response to stimuli, reduced visual ability, altered or
uncontrollable mood and general behavior, and reduced motor skills. These symptoms are
often very subtle and may not be recognized by the medical community as a clinical effect.
Other possible health effects include asthma, allergies, and hypersensitivity, and pesticide
exposure is also linked with cancer, hormone disruption, and problems with reproduction
and fetal development.
Definition: Chemicals used in agriculture. These include pesticides, fumigants, fertilizers, plant
hormones, steroids, antibiotics, mycotoxins, etc
Health effects of pesticides -may be acute or delayed in workers who are exposed.
[1]
A 2007
systematic review found that "most studies on non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia showed
positive associations with pesticide exposure" and thus concluded that cosmetic use of
pesticides should be decreased.
[2]
Strong evidence also exists for other negative outcomes from
pesticide exposure including neurological, birth defects, fetal death,
[3]
and neurodevelopmental
disorder.
[4]
According to The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 9 of the 12 most
dangerous and persistent chemicals are pesticides.