Negative Effects of Agricultural Chemicals and Pesticides in the USA - Case Study Example

Negative Effects of Agricultural Chemicals and Pesticides in the USA Table of Contents Introduction 2. Health Effects on humans3. Environmental Effects 4. Effects on Soil and Crops 5. Effects on animals 6. Positive effects Agricultural Chemicals and Pesticides 7. Conclusion Abstract In the contemporary society, agricultural chemicals and pesticides are slowly shifting from being beneficial to being harmful. Agricultural chemicals and pesticides include plant growth regulators, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and other agricultural chemical compounds used in plants and animal disease control. Most of them control diseases from pests and rodents that intrude agricultural products. Most chemicals and pesticides, such as DTB, were banned in the United States after confirmation of their harm on man and the environment. Even so, some new forms of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides have been reintroduced in the market. This paper explores the negative health effects of these chemicals on humans, environmental effects, effects on soil and crops, and the effects on animals. It also slightly touches on the positive effects agricultural chemicals and pesticides that make them so necessary in the twenty-first century. Negative Effects of Agricultural Chemicals and Pesticides in the USA 1. Introduction The use of agricultural chemicals and pesticides generates considerable controversy in the American society. When used in small quantities, the chemical are beneficial in pest control and plant growth. However, its rampant use, guided by the saying, “if little is good, a lot more will be better”, has several drastic effects. Pesticides are toxic substances, which kill weeds (herbicides), insects (insecticides), fungus (fungicides), rodents (rodenticides), released deliberately into the environment to exterminate living things. People not only use them in agricultural fields, but they have also found their way into homes, parks, forests, and virtually everywhere that pest control is essential. Although they have their benefits, agricultural chemical and pesticides have several negative effects on a wide variety of areas. 2. Health Effects on humans Agricultural chemicals and pesticides have disastrous effects on Americans. The number of deaths and chronic-related illnesses that arise from the use of pesticides continues to increase by the day (Aktar, Sengupta, Chowdhury, 2009). Although a large segment of the population face the effects of pesticides, high-risk groups include people such as agricultural farm workers, and sprayers, who are in direct contact with the chemicals. They often handle toxic solvents and raw chemicals directly. Mild effects of the chemicals include headache, seizures, and nausea. Chronic diseases are more common in these people than in the general population. Other effects, which mainly result from mutations because of the chemicals, include cancer, reduced intelligence, immune repression, hormone disorder, reproductive abnormalities (Ranjendran, 2011). In the end, it may result in fatalities if preventive measures are not taken on time. Employers must device measures to protect their staff from the harmful effects of agricultural chemicals and pesticides. Even though, despite measures taken to protect humans from the adverse conditions of toxic material, small levels still effect people and may occur in the long-term. 3. Environmental Effects Pesticides and agricultural chemicals contaminate water, soil, and air. Although it eliminates harmful pests, it seeps into the soil and water bodies, and spreads in the air. As a result, there are adverse environmental effects, which are an indirect target. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed surface water contamination in several river basins in the country (Aktar, Sengupta, Chowdhury, 2009). There were several pesticides in samples of water and fish, which surpassed guidelines for safety of aquatic life. Groundwater contamination is also a common environmental effect, which involves considerable costs in the cleanup process. Concerning air, pesticide drift often spreads over a wider location than the original target and air pollution is the inevitable result. The USGS confirms that pesticides are present in the atmosphere in all sampled regions of the USA (Aktar, Sengupta, Chowdhury, 2009). The effect is the death of non-target plants and animals that suffer the indirect negative effects. 4. Effects on Soil and Crops Agricultural chemicals and pesticides directly result in soil contamination. Runoff and leaching causes the movement of harmful chemicals in the soil. It often declines the level of beneficial microorganisms from the soil, which help in soil fertility and robustness. Soil degradation directly affects crops, which rely on soil fertility for their proper growth. Little amounts of chemicals for a limited period is okay, but the overuse over a long period eliminates microorganism that live in the top layer of soil, and this eventually causes soil infertility (Ranjendran, 2011). Reduction of biodiversity in the soil eliminates the natural process of mineral restoration in soil. The chemicals and pesticides interfere with soil conservation measures and the contamination they cause may last for years. In addition, there is the risk that it may interfere with bees, and other insects that help in pollination of crops. This is also a major contributor of poor yield in crops, which results in threats such as food security. 5. Effects on animals The compounds in agricultural chemicals and pesticides pollute the tissues of plants and animals (Carson, 2002). Animals largely rely on plants for their diet and hence they can ingest the harmful compounds indirectly. In addition, dumping of toxic wastes in water bodies, or seepages from agricultural land eventually mix with water in rivers and lakes, and this contaminate fish and other aquatic animals. According to The US National Academy of Sciences, the DDT metabolite DDE results in eggshell thinning (Aktar, Sengupta, Chowdhury, 2009). In addition, it has significantly reduced bird populations such as the bald eagle that ingest fish from pesticide-infested water bodies. In addition, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documents 74 plants in danger of extinction from the threat of chemicals, specifically glyphosate ((U.S. EPA Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, 1986; Aktar, Sengupta, Chowdhury, 2009). 6. Positive effects of Agricultural Chemicals and Pesticides Even so, agricultural chemicals and pesticides still have some positive benefits that mean they will continue to be in use in the future. Significant benefits include tremendous improvement in productivity in agriculture, forestry, and public health (Carson, 2002). It has increased food and yield production and decreased the incidences of crop loss and failure. They also improve the quality of food. The high concentrations of antioxidants and dietary constituents in apples and blueberries in the US food products serve as protectants against cancer and heart illness (Lewis Et al, 2005). In public health, insecticides have reduced the number of pests in American houses, which cause deadly diseases such as malaria. In addition, they protect surfaces such as wooden posts from pests and are beneficial in the maintenance of lawns and sports pitches. Despite all these associated benefits, the challenges that agricultural chemicals and pesticides present are a threat to the society. 7. Conclusion In conclusion, agricultural chemicals and pesticides have drastic effects on humans and the environment in damaging ways. There is a serious need to juggle the risk-analysis of the use of chemicals and determine whether their benefits are more important than their negative effects. There is need ensure a maximum margin of safety and ensure a pragmatic use of chemicals, which considers scientific arguments, and not just their commercialization. Although it provides an immediate and economical solution for pests in farms and the urban environment, the long-term effects are harmful and endanger plant life, the environment, and future human generations. Currently, the financial benefits of their use far outweigh social concerns, and this gap should be reduced as much as possible to promote a safe America. Finally, there is need for education and awareness for farmers, sprayers, and the general population on the dangers of pesticides. References Aktar, W., Sengupta, D., Chowdhury, A. (2009). Impact of pesticides use in agriculture: their benefits and hazards. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2009 Mar; 2(1): 1–12. DOI:  10.2478/v10102-009-0001-7. Carson, R. (2002). Silent Spring. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Lewis, M. and Jamie, R. (2005). Blueberries in the American Diet. Nutrition Today, 40(2):92. Ranjendran, T. (2011). Pesticide Application and its Adverse Impact on Health: Evidences from Kerala. International Journal of Science and Technology, Volume 1 No. 2, August 2011. Read More