Some Effects of Pesticides of our Environment

Some Effects of Pesticides of our Environment

Pesticides are toxic chemicals intentionally manufactured to be released into the environment. Though each and every pesticide is formulated to kill a certain pest, very large percentage of pesticides reach destinations other than their target. They enter the air, water, sediments, and even end up in our food. Pesticides contaminate the air, ground and water when they run off from fields, escape storage tanks, are not discarded properly and especially when they are sprayed aerially.

Air

Pesticides are also found in rain, ground water, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans – all the water bodies. There are four major ways through which pesticides reach the water: drifting outside of the area of where was sprayed, leaching through the soil, being carried as runoff and accidental spill. Studies have shown that pesticide concentrations exceed those allowable for drinking water in some samples of river water and groundwater especially in developing countries.
Soil
The use of pesticides decreases the general biodiversity in the soil, study has shown. If there is no chemicals in the soil there is a higher soil quality, and this allows for higher water retention, necessary for plants to grow which eventually lead to better yield and organic foods.
Plants
Nitrogen fixation, which is necessary for the growth of many large plants is hindered by pesticides that can be found in soil. This leads to a large decline of crop yields whether we know it or not. Application of pesticides to crops that are in bloom can kill honeybees and other insects, which act as pollinators. This creates a decrease in crop pollination and reproduction in the long run.
 Animals
Animals may be poisoned by pesticide residues that remain on food after spraying. An application of pesticides in an area can eliminate food sources that certain types of animals need, causing the animals to relocate, migrate, change their diet, or starve to dead and extinction. Poisoning from pesticides can even make its way up the food chain; for example, birds can be harmed when they eat insects and worms that have consumed pesticides. Lizards for example die from ingesting insects killed by pesticides

Birds
There is evidence that birds are being harmed by pesticide use as well. Some types of fungicides used in farming are not only slightly toxic to birds and mammals, but may kill off earthworms, which can in turn reduce populations of the birds and mammals that feed on them. Another way they are affected is that some pesticides come in granular form; birds and other wildlife may eat the granules, mistaking them for grains of food. A few granules of pesticide are enough to kill small birds. Herbicides may also endanger bird populations by reducing their habitat.
Aquatic Life

Fish and other aquatic biota may be harmed by pesticide-contaminated water. Application of herbicides to bodies of water can cause plants to die, diminishing the water's oxygen and suffocating the fish. Repeated exposure of some pesticides can cause physiological and behavioral changes in fish that reduce populations, such as abandonment of nests, decreased immunity to disease, and increased failure to avoid predators. Recently mercury has been found in fish and this is traceable to chemical activities of human.

It is my believe that as we increase awareness and consciousness on the negative effects of pesticides on the environment, that the relevant authorities would take steps to formulate more stringent laws aimed at protecting the environment for the future generations. Thank you