Fungicides: Why They Are Bad for Human Health

     Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill, control, or repel insects, plant diseases, weeds, rodents, and germs. (Most pesticides are used in agriculture production, to killing pests found on hundreds of different crops including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereal grains.) All these foods form a good majority of North America’s diet, and the majority of these foods consumed contain pesticide residues. Pesticides are also used to get rid of unwanted pests in homes, schools, and parks. All of these chemicals are especially harmful to children because they can routinely come in contact with various pesticides through their distinctive diet and play activities. Water and apple juice are proven to

What has been brought to light in recent years is the effects of these chemicals on the body’s immune response. By introducing these toxic chemicals into the body, the potency of the immune system is compromised. More commonly than not, the body’s magnificent defense system will kick in and destroy foreign invaders but all it can take is an overwhelming amount of chemicals to slow or even shut down the body’s response systems. A large amount of these types of chemicals introduced into the body at one time would be considered acute toxicity and could even cause death. Additionally, a small amount of these poisonous substances brought into the body over a long period would be considered chronic toxicity and can have detrimental effects on the body’s natural response (Hoernschemeyer 55-57). This information is startling enough to want to make a change from conventionally grown food to pesticide-free organic

However, pesticides are used to control pests, which include insects, mice and other animals, unwanted plants (weeds), fungi, or microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Often misunderstood to refer only to the insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides (that control weeds), fungicides (that control fungi), and substances used to control other pests. In addition, because many pests tend to travel between farms, resistance to pesticides can evolve at an inefficient rate. Farmers can increase the economic efficiency of chemical use by adapting integrated pest and resistance management practices, such as rotating crops and pesticides, reducing reliance on a single pesticide, adjusting planting and harvesting dates, scouting fields, and using more benign, and biological control

The effects of these pesticides are not killing the bees instantaneously but impairing their behavior and development. However, some pesticides are very lethal since the honey bees do not even go back to their hives and most of them die after ingesting small amounts of these chemicals from plants that have been sprayed with them. These pesticides clearly have a huge role to play in CCD, given that bee farmers in organic gardens have not reported this phenomenon. According to Timbrell (2002), the pesticides reduce the immunity of bees and are therefore susceptible to literally all kinds of pathogens. A dissection of the dead

whether sprayed or planted, it can wreck havoc on the ecosystem and the bees. Depending on the chemicals, it can either affect their memory, navigation skills, foraging, and even reproductive success. With these factors combined, these catastrophic qualities can lead to workers getting lost and starving to death, leading the rest of the colony to also die.

One pesticide in particular, called neonicotinoid, a new class of insecticides chemically related to nicotine that is used on farmland, is known to have a negative impact on bees and is likely the main cause for CCD. Neonicotinoids were thought to have had a low toxicity level with a low rate of harm towards many insects, but research shows that it is toxic to bees even when exposed to a small amount; it targets their brains, affecting their ability to navigate to and from food sources and disrupting their ability to learn and memorize routes. This diminishes their potential and stops them from doing their job, or even killing them, which has undoubtedly already taken its toll on the bee

As scientists and beekeepers keep on looking into the situation that they are all facing, one conclusion is definite, pesticides do have a lethal effect on the bees. Some symptoms that would lead to a bee’s death would be the weakened immune system, disrupted digestion, and the result of the brain failing. In Science Magazine, an article was written about oh the European countries have been effected by the decrease of bees, “Confused honey bees huddled trembling outside

Pesticides are heavily used by golf courses, as it is the same case with some parks and schools. Consumers face issues of pesticide exposure in water and food residues. For example, 94% of herbicide atrazine is found United States drinking water which is always tested by USDA. Therefore, the widespread and long term exposure to pesticides has got so many tremendous ecological effects over the years, starting from weed and pest resistance up to environmental contamination (Hakeem et al, 2017). Excessive intake of pesticides may perhaps lead to acts of biodiversity destruction. Numerous birds, aquatic animals and organisms are all under the risk of harmful and hazardous pesticides to their living. Pesticides are becoming concern of sustainability both global and environmental stability. It has been discovered that pesticides should be recovered from all Major River and water bank systems, and even from all groundwater streams. This is because residues from pesticide chemicals usually linger in the soil and they can spend there dozen years (Carson & Rachel, 2002). Pesticide chemicals enter and get lodged into fish bodies, reptiles, birds and wild and domestic animals. Frequent use of pesticides damages most fertile agricultural lands through harming the useful soil microorganisms, insect species and worms that limit pest populations naturally and

These pesticides are dangerous to them as they lead to death, disorientation, and diminished immune systems. Obviously death for this underrated Meta species is a natural occurrence just like it is to many others, but too much of it can lead to unbalanced populations and colony declines as they will become less and less self-sustainable. This not only harms the bees themselves but cripples industries and other species that depend on bees in some way which is a lot. Disorientation leads to the bees getting lost and never returning to the colonies so they wander around mindlessly lost. This makes colonies decline. Diminished immune systems are also a problem as not only do they have to worry about what our “safe” chemicals do to them but they also have to face the microscopic threat of bacteria, viruses, amoebas, fungi, and parasites. This leads to even greater declines for colonies as the chemicals and lack of self-sustainability makes them incredibly prone to get these illnesses. With all these things working in conjunction against the bees the can very easily go extinct this century if nothing is

Pesticides and herbicides have been cause for concern ever since environmentalist Rachel Carson first brought them into the spotlight in the 1950’s, but they still continue to threaten various species on the planet such as bees today. Tim McDonnell, a conservational and environmental specialist and report, states for Mother Jones that extremely dangerous pesticides called neonicotinoids are quickly taking a toll on the bee population. In addition, the New Agriculturist remarks that these hazardous chemicals kill bees very slowly so they are granted enough time to return home and ultimately affect their entire hives which means many, many more bee deaths. Pesticides are incredibly deadly to bees, especially since they have the power to take down entire hives with only one member coming into contact. Parasites also contribute to the scary decline in the number of bees.

To begin, Pesticides are used to kill insects and unwanted bacteria that destroy the growth of crops. Everyone becomes directly or indirectly affected by these chemicals. Unfortunately, society came up

While they rarely lead to deaths in bees, several pesticides have been directly linked to the change in development in bees such as pesticides with

“Pesticides become a problem when farmers spray crops to control insects that might eat their plants. When honey bees arrive to pollinate, they’re exposed to harmful chemicals” (Save the Bees 17). Tragically, pesticides do not discriminate, and harmless insects often fall victim to these toxic chemicals. When scrounging for pollen amongst crops caked in pesticides, bees often become coated in the chemicals and eventually end up carrying them back to their colonies. Unsure of exactly how many of these chemicals wind up in the hive; scientists conducted extensive research on the topic. “Jeffery Pettis in 2010, drew comb and wax samples from beehives in 23 U.S. states, finding an average of six different pesticides in each and as many as 39” (Volk 34). This evidence clearly indicates that, because it is being stored in the hive for extended periods of time, it is having a longer, more potent effect on bee populations. However, the severity of the effects of pesticides found in the hives is debated. In some instances, where pesticides were discovered in the wax or pollen of a hive, researchers discovered “almost all were found at levels below what is lethal to honey bees” (Kaplan 7). That being said, other experts have proven that, although nonlethal, small amounts of pesticides still have a detrimental impact on the health of bees. In one study done by the University of Maryland, it was discovered that “Sublethal doses of the pesticide imidacloprid - one of the neonicotinoid group of pesticides - were found to make honey bees more susceptible to the gut parasite Nosema” (Kaplan

Nevertheless, the repeated use and in many cases subletales doses of these substances throughout years has caused problems, such as its accumulation in the different products of the beehive and develop resistance of the

One concern about pesticides and herbicide usage is the amount of residues left on the end product of crops sprayed with the chemicals, and their effects on human health. (Williamson, 2007, p. 184). However, these effects are closely tested and levels are strictly regulated to ensure there is no danger from possible pesticide residues. Since 1910, many rules, regulations, and agencies have been formed to monitor the safety of the pesticides and herbicides used in conventional farming. These chemicals must meet specific safety standards in order to be registered for use, and regulations on levels of each product safe for use are also put in place. (Tafel et al.,2007, p.184). All pesticides are rigorously examined to ensure they have no significant effects on human health, or the environment. The residues in the food chain are closely monitored, and regularly tested, to ensure they are below legal limits. In a recent survey of residues