Pesticides and the Environment

Overview

Pesticides are developed to allow for the sustenance of crops and food production. Agrochemicals, when overused or misused, cause harm to the ecosystem and public and environmental health. Pesticide introduces toxins into the systems of targeted pests to ensure control of their attack on crops or animals. The plants and animals absorb the active chemical ingredient of the pesticides to ward off the attacks from the insects that limit their production and health. The goal of pesticide use is to eliminate the pests specifically designed depending on the action they propagate. Pesticides could be formulated as encapsulated granules, dust powder, granules, oil miscible liquid, soluble concrete, or water-dispersible powder. Pesticides come in many forms, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and acaricides (Prakash & Rao, 2018). In most cases, pesticides are made from toxic products depending on the targeted organism; they must be well stored as they harm both pests and humans. Occupational exposure to poisonous pesticides among farmers is during their application and storage. Accidental exposure occurs when spraying pesticides and failing to wear protective gear—using faulty machines. People may be exposed to harmful pesticides when they consume foods contaminated with pesticide residues. Pesticides can contaminate water and animals consumed by humans.

The main active ingredient of the pesticide and how it is used

Pest control is affected by the active chemical ingredient in pesticides. Various active chemicals depend on the target pest control and toxicity levels. Pest control chemicals have different modes of action. The most common active ingredient chemicals in pest control include glyphosate, abamectin, pyrethrum, and bifenthrin. Round-up contains the active chemical glyphosate, which is absorbed by the plants, thus killing the food source for pests such as ants, cutworms and fire ants. The weeds act as a source of food for the pests. Glyphosphate is non-selective and kills all plants in contact with it (Valavanidis, 2018). It has a high kill rate with broad uses in agricultural, horticultural, and weed control. It is used in several herbicides to control pests such as ants.

The four cornerstones of xenobioticpharmacokinetics and how the pesticide works in the targeted organism

Four cornerstones exist of xenobiotic pharmacokinetics distribution, absorption, excretion, and metabolism. Glyphosphate is absorbed by plants that are a food source for the pest, causing them to die. The result is the starvation of the insect as they lack food. It acts on the weeds within 3 to 4 days of contact. During this period, it creates a domino effect in killing the entire population of pests that come in contact with the affected pest. The Glyphosphate spreads through contact, killing all the weeds and reducing the population of the pests (Valavanidis, 2018). While the results are not instant after application, Glyphosphate has a residual effect by creating a protective barrier on the soil long after application. It takes 2 to 4 days for the targeted plants to succumb.

Metabolites of the pesticide, toxicity, and lifespan

Glyphosphate is an active plant killer. The pests, such as cutworms, are starved when the active ingredient acts upon the weeds. The death of the weeds causes a significant reduction in pests across the fields. As a result, the herbicide is in depletion of the pest population. Glyphosphate affects plants by killing their protein pathways. The conductance of the Glyphosphate ion creates toxicity through the inhibition of shikimic acid in plant pathways (Seralini, 2020). Glyphosphate inhibits plants from making certain proteins crucial to their survival. It spreads throughout the plant systems down to the roots poisoning their absorption pathways. Within 2 to 4 days, the weeds will stop absorbing nutrients, killing them and starving the pests to death. Its active-acting properties enable the weeds to carry the active ingredient for a long, affecting their availability to the pests. The Glyphosphate is absorbed in the soil. The residual effects on the pests are due to their long-term action on the soils after application.

Pesticide safety for the ecosystem and the effects after application

Pesticides are instructional and intentionally applied in homesteads and agricultural fields. The main impact of these pesticides is to kill the specific pests that it is designed to kill. Round-up is highly toxic to plants. The pesticides that contain gylphosphate are designed to have high toxicity effects, allowing for easy application and handling of the products. High toxicity could harm both plants and human life. Handlers of pesticides with roundups are advised to wear protective masks during application to avoid the active ingredient from coming into contact with the skin (Van Bruggen et al., 2018). After application, it is essential to wash hands thoroughly. The applicant must then wait for the leaves to dry before assessing the application area. Round-up effectively keeps thrips, cutworms, bugs, and aphids off plants.

Roundup pesticides have been used to sustain crop production. Abamectin pesticides do not contaminate crops since they do not absorb them. However, it is exceptionally lethal to bees and water plants such as algae. Following the instruction when applying adjacent areas with bees and bodies of water is essential. The pesticides can be washed off by runoff contaminating the earth’s water making it unfit for human consumption. The washed-out water in the drainage systems not only kills organisms but also threatens the survival of those in water bodies. Besides, the agrochemicals will be responsible for altering the genetic makeup of the animal cells. The overuse or misuse of pesticides causes harm to the ecosystem, the public and the environment. Depending on the duration and mode of exposure, they can lead to adverse health status, including dermatological, neurological, carcinogenic, respiratory, and endocrine effects. Occupational, accidental, or intentional exposure to such chemicals can lead to hospitalization. It is essential to follow the instructions on the labels to sustain its use in farming practices. The excessive use of such compounds could alter the soil composition when leached into the soil by the rains (Seralini, 2020). The introduction of new chemical compounds into the ground reduces soil quality.

Conclusion

Pesticides are essential in agriculture as they kill any pests that may destroy crops; therefore, using such pesticides can increase crop yield, thus increasing the human food supply. Also, pesticides can kill pests in our homes, such as rats and cockroaches. They can also destroy vectors such as mosquitoes, thus preventing us from some vector-borne diseases. Pesticides continue to be vital for societies. Its benefits are associated with controlling pests in agricultural production and everyday home use. The public and farm workers must be trained and informed by pesticide companies on their application and instructional dosages to avoid unintended exposure. Paying close attention to label instruction helps reduce cases of misuse and exposure. Also, companies need to label pesticides to avoid occupational exposure correctly.

References

Seralini, G. E. (2020). Update on long-term toxicity of agricultural GMOs tolerant to roundup. Environmental Sciences Europe, 32(1), 1-7.

Prakash, A., & Rao, J. (2018). Botanical pesticides in agriculture. CRC press.

Valavanidis, A. (2018). Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide. Scientific Reviews.

Van Bruggen, A. H., He, M. M., Shin, K., Mai, V., Jeong, K. C., Finckh, M. R., & Morris Jr, J. G. (2018). Environmental and health effects of the herbicide glyphosate. Science of the total environment, 616, 255-268.