Effects of pesticides on environment

Effects of pesticides on air, water and soil and how to stop this

1. Effects of Pesticides on Environment By Umair Rasool Azmi

2. What are Pesticides Simply we can say the chemical substances use to control insect pests and weeds.

3. What happens to Pesticide after application Pesticides have ability to contaminate every part of the e nvironment.

4. Air Pollution Caused by Pesticides Pesticides can spread by Volatilization Blown by winds into near-by areas. F actors affecting spreading of pesticide in the air Weather conditions at the time of application Temperature Relative humidity Ground spraying produces less spread than aerial spraying.

5. Water Pollution Caused by Pesticides There are three major routes through which pesticides reach the water. During spray e.g. in rice. M ay percolate, or leach, through the soil. It may be carried by the water as runoff. After contaminating the water it makes lot of problems Killing under water life. Reduce the quality of drinking water. Reduce the amount of water available for cultivation. Altering the physical characteristics of water bodies. Insecticides are typically more toxic to aquatic life than herbicides and fungicides.

6. Soil Pollution Caused by Pesticides Soil Contamination A ffect soil micro-organisms. Decrease soil fertility. Affect plant growth.

7. Effect of Pesticides on Plants Reduce nitrogen fixation. Pesticides can kill bees and decline the pollinators due to which crop pollination is effected.

8. Pesticides can eliminate some animals essential food sources. Earthworms digest organic matter and increase nutrient content in the top layer of soil. Pesticides have harmful effects on growth and reproduction on earthworms. Pesticide exposure can be linked to cancer, liver damage, birth defects and developmental changes in a wide range of species Effect of Pesticides on Animals

9. Bioaccumulation If any individual continuously consume contaminated food it will accumulate in the body up to a toxic level, this is called bioaccumulation.

10. Biomagnification Increase in concentration of a pollutant in food chain.

11. Resistance development When pesticide use long period of time, some pest become resistance to the pesticide. Because of resistance development pest control becomes difficult

12. Minimizing Pesticide Pollution Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Select Pesticide Carefully Follow label directions Consider Soil Characteristics Apply only recommended dose of pesticide Do not apply pesticide when there is heavy rain in the forecast. Dispose pesticides wastes properly