Week 8: Air and Water Pollution, Climate Change and Ozone Loss - Assignments -environmental - Essay Example

Pesticide Pollution Affiliation: Pesticide Pollution Pesticides as pollutants are known to affect land as well as waterbodies. This could be insecticides, fungicides or herbicides. The effects have been adverse and quite well spread. They have been found to affect my area thus causing major harm to wildlife and humans. Running water carries the chemicals from commercial fields or gardens into water bodies which act as water sources for human consumption and domestic use. According to Levine (2007), some of the effects that pesticides have are:When pesticides get into the soil it kills the microorganisms found in the soil.

These microorganisms are responsible for all activities that increase the quality and finesse of the soil. This ranges from air circulation in the soil to soil texture thus their death results in poor air circulation and texture. The resulting effect is that the soil does not have the capacity to retain water and carbon dioxide needed for healthy plant growth. The microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi also add nutrients to the soil. These nutrients are important for the growth of any plant.

At times these nutrients are replaced by fertilizers but the regular use of these cannot be successful and is not recommended over a long period of time. At times the plants come to maturity and are harvested but they often lack taste and nutrients and are harmful for consumption due to the fact that they might contain traces of pesticides.Pesticides have been known to cause the death of animals such as bees which are pollinators which play a crucial part in agricultural food production. This interference causes the death of many plants and animals.

Some pesticides such as Atrazine have been known to interfere with the fertility of male humans as well as frogs. This effect causes dire consequences for both humans and wildlife. This has led to its ban in most of the European Union countries since 2004. It has also been found that pesticides affect the health of those it comes in contact with and at times increasing chances of them acquiring lifelong diseases by as much as 70%. An example of such a disease is Parkinson’s disease. In children, exposure to pesticides is known to increase their chances of acquiring life threatening terminal diseases such as leukemia and brain cancer.

At times they are born with defects if their parents were exposed to pesticides before giving birth to them.Effects of Pesticides in and Around Fort Myers, FloridaFort Myers, Florida borders the Atlantic ocean. The ocean and other surface water sources are subject to chemical pollution from pesticides and fertilizers according to an official from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Although Fort Myers has no superfund sites, some of the pesticides that are used in the coastal farms end up in the water sources causing eutrophication, the end result being the death of marine organisms due to suffocation.

In Fort Myers, the authorities establish pollution in the marine environment by checking the growth rate of oysters or the deposition of shells in ocean. The deposition of shells in oysters is determined prior to and after exposure to pesticides. When it happens that the oysters brings forth smaller quantity of shells then definitely there is pesticide in the water. The opposite happens in the event that no pesticide is in the water. In many Florida, the authorities have put in place laws and guidelines that regulate the use of pesticides.

However much is left to the users to take precautions while using the pesticides. Some hazardous pesticides such as Atrazine have been prohibited while others are recommended to be used by certified applicators. Use of organic food and methods of planting have been recommended to avoid pollution from pesticides. ReferencesLevine, M. (2007). A Toxic Time bomb in Our Midst. Connecticut, USA. Greenwood Publishing Group.