Pesticides and Human Health in California Essay

In a website that goes against the use of Pesticides, Rachel Carson discouraged pesticides to the public in 1962 by saying that there were many harmful effects to not only the environment, but to people as well. Researchers that agreed with Carson found that “In May 2010, scientists from the University of Montreal and Harvard University released a study that found that exposure to pesticide residues on vegetables and fruit may double a child’s risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that can cause inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in children” (toxicaction.org). The parents of Ponder agreed with this statement because they do not want their children to encounter the harmful effects of pesticides. They stood their ground and argued that using a pesticide for a short amount of time in Ponder was not worth the health effects on people that would last a very long time. They didn’t want the Safeion residue on peaches to enter the human body system because they want to prevent any health hazards to the people, especially the children and future generation, of

The concept of what is humane and what isn’t, plagues our world and easily influences what our society needs. The war on chemicals sparks a stimulating debate, which is splitting our populace directly down the middle. In the environmental book, Silent Spring, Rachel Carson presents a one-sized argument in which she states that pesticides are one of the roots of environmental ruin. Carson deeply advocates the control over pests by limiting the use of pesticides, which she is truly certain that the chemicals are doing more detriment in our world rather than aiding her. Although there is little to no praise directed towards pesticides, the chemicals ensure an imperative purpose that could war outweigh the liabilities.

It is also shown that pesticides are partly responsible for the rising cancer rates and birth defects among children (“Pesticides”).

The use of pesticides has been very harmful for humans. In Daniel Pepper’s “The Toxic Consequences of the Green Revolution,” it states that in India because of the excessive use of pesticides, people have gotten cancer, along with stillborn children and kidney failure. With these serious illnesses, it gives more body to the argument.

Pesticides have caused more talking points than most other food related topics. Pesticides are dangerous chemicals sprayed on to the crops to kill off any and all pests and bugs. Exposure to pesticides can cause diseases and illness to any organic being that come into contact with it. The University of Colorado conducted a study that shows exposure to a common pesticide causes the person to develop Parkinson's disease. Many are against the uses of pesticides.

Pesticides may poison non – target species either directly or through accumulation in the environment since it have biological activity (Peter Brown et al, 1996). The continuous used and direct usage of pesticides will contaminate the environment mostly water due to its active ingredient. Olivier Austin (2012) predicts that a significant proportion of the pesticide may remain in the soil and discharge to drains and spread to surface waters after periods of rainfall.. To conclude, for country that wanted to applied pesticide for their agriculture sector, they must acquire approval from registration scheme.

“Americans used about 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides in 2007, the most recent year for which data are available, including products targeted against insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), molds (fungicides) and other species such as rats and mice” (Weeks). Neonicotinoid pesticides are constantly being sprayed into our environment and have been shown to benefit agricultural health in their own ways. Over the past years neonicotinoid pesticides have been used to shield our crops from harmful insects, weeds and molds; and on other occasions they have also been used to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. However, public health experts along with some health and environmental advocates state that pesticides can actually increase the risk of human health and environmental problems. It is important that the Environmental Protection Agency does not condone the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. These

The way we grow and consume our food nowadays has changed so much from previous years. Technology and biotechnology have played a big role in today’s food production and agriculture. Biotechnicians have come up with different ways to make sure that our food doesn’t consist of any pests when we eat out of it. They have come up with a chemical pesticides they we can spray in our fruits and vegetable to be safe from any pests to penetrate the food. Pesticides in general are known as a substance that can eliminate insects or any other organism that may destroy plants or crops. Many people use pesticides for many reasons they use it around their house, and usually use it for their garden. That’s why farmer’s now spray chemical pesticides all around their crops, so their crops don’t get damage from any pests. Farmers in the past would usually lose a lot of crops during harvest season, because of all the pests that are found in their crops. The government and scientist are now promoting the use of chemical pesticides in crops so we can have a pests free vegetables, but do we really know what is being put in these chemical that are being spray in our food. The government should be more concern to inform the public of what is being put in our food. We should be able to have the both sides of the story, are they hiding any information that they don’t want us to know. Are we missing any information that we should be told?

Food is one of the most essential things that the human body needs in order to function and coordinate to its fullest potential. There are many sources of food and while some people choose to have different dietary lifestyles, majority of them gather their food from different grocery stores, farmers markets, and/or personal cultivations. Diet plays a major role when it comes to food choices and today there are more food choices than ever before. The variety of choices can sometimes confuse the consumer in the choosing the healthiest product. However, the recent introduction of organic products seems like the right alternative to the high processing meats and high doses of pesticides in conventional fruit and vegetables. Yet, these products will cost up to three times more than regular products. Over the past couple of years the public has become more aware of the dangers and consequences that pesticides do to the body. Pesticides have been used on crops and land in order to prevent damage to the production of crops. While pesticide usage is nothing new to the public, the evolution of such has made almost impossible for the standard human to understand the complexity of the chemical bonds. The continuous adaptations of pest to the chemical composition of the pesticides have increased the need for stronger and complex chemical bonds. Unfortunately for the public the stronger the pesticide the higher the odds that it will remain in the food that is delivered at local stores or

Pesticides are prevalent in many societies, they are used on crops to ward off insects and other nuisances, in homes to kill rodents, and in gardens to remove weeds. It is interesting that humans are continuously exposed to chemicals that are literally used to kill other living things. Despite the fact that many studies have shown that certain chemicals in pesticides have adverse side effects, pesticide use remains so common place that most people are exposed to pesticides on an almost daily basis. There are many classes of pesticides, like organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids, and each class of pesticides effects humans differently. In the empirical article “Organophosphorous pesticide exposures and sperm quality,” Melissa Perry, et al. look at the association between urinary organophospophorous (OP) pesticide metabolites and the concentration and motility of sperm.

Everyone needs food to survive and without food one will die. Food in it natural state supplies energy for our bodies by supplying vitamins and carbohydrates. Over a span of decades, the world has seen an alarming increased with the use of chemicals in food. From pesticides being sprayed on crops, antibiotics used on poultry, and hormones being injected or given to the cattle expose unsuspecting consumers to contaminants that become part of their bodies. For examples, let’s focus on pesticides and GMOs (Genetically modified organisms); some pesticides and herbicides used on the food we eat have been identified as human or animal carcinogens. Pesticide, substances meant for attracting, and then destroying pests and are used as plant

For centuries, pesticides have been used in agriculture to increase the production of high-quality crops by controlling diseases' vectors. Recently, they are increasingly used worldwide but its severity is much pronounced in the third world countries. Among commonly used pesticides, organochlorine and pyrethroids are used in agriculture, medicine, and industrial fields. The extensive application of pesticides has a negative effect on the environment particularly water. Owning to overspray and drain of pesticides from fields into water bodies, it can be easily contaminated. Moreover, it is generally known that aquatic animals and fish may uptake these compounds present in drainage water and in phytoplankton then bioaccumulation (Arnot and Gobas, 2004).

Pesticides have become increasingly popular in modern agriculture to assist farmers and field workers in the maintenance of crop health and to minimize the risk of large financial loss. In South East Asia, where agriculture is one of the leading sources of income for the rural population, pesticides are a necessity to be able to produce a large crop yield year-round and keep their product at a relatively low cost. Because of the low governmental regulation towards environmental policy in the region, low quality and high toxicity pesticides are often applied without much knowledge or regard for their effects on human health and the surrounding environment to which they are applied. The improper usage of pesticides has contributed to the pollution of surface water, air, and soil, along with posing a significant threat to the health of the surrounding communities. This paper describes the impact that pesticide use has on human health and the environment in these regions, as well as the societal complications that often arises with regulation.

To begin, organic does not provide the health benefits associated with it; Lomborg states, "…there are few, if any health benefits of organic foods" (Lomborg). The ever-expanding organic industry believes that if pesticides are not used on produce and other types of food, there will be lower levels of pesticides in one’s body, and in turn, the body is not tainted with truly taboo toxins. Unfortunately, this is a flawed way of reasoning. Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests; they are vaccines for plants. The main objective of pesticides is to prevent crops from being destroyed. If a farmer’s crops are destroyed, their yields may range from inadequate to nonexistent. Scarcity of food, due to lack of yields, is something the world cannot afford to have; pointedly with 49 million Americans already struggling to put food on the table (Dosomething.org), not to mention other developing countries whose hunger rates are even higher than those of the U.S. Likewise, scarcity, on a planet whose population is already 7 billion, and is increasing steadily is not permissible, unless humanity wants to sacrifice quality of food in favor on quantity. This is where conventional food comes in. Conventional food does not make tradeoffs. These foods are produced using pesticides. Some view this as a downside, however the pesticides used are safe for consumption and are managed by the United States Department of Agriculture; Lomborg asserts, “…already well-regulated pesticides” (Lomborg). Through the use of pesticides, farmers are lessening their chances of their crops being destroyed, thus decreasing the risk for inadequate yields. This in turn ensures that mankind and his future generations are able to sustain and prosper, just though the use of pesticides.

For human toxicity, estimates of pesticide residues show that food intake results in the highest toxic exposure, about 103-105 times higher than that induced by drinking water or inhalation (Margni et al. 2002). Farm workers in the Indian tobacco fields were found to have multiple pesticide residues above acceptable daily intake (ADI) in their blood consisting of 63% methomyl, 56% thiodicarb, 62% cypermethrin; 49% imidacloprid, 32% methamidophos and 27% endosulfan (Dasgupta et al. 2007). Measurement of total dose through dietary intake provides better estimates of human exposure to pesticides. A study conducted showed that the average total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and Benzene hexa chloride (BHC) consumed by an adult were 19.24 mg/day and 77.15 mg/day respectively, fatty food being the major source (Kashyap et al. 1994). In another study, the average daily intake of HCH and DDT by Indians was reported to be 115 and 48 mg per person respectively, which were significantly higher in