Insecticide is a chemical used to kill the insects that consume plants. While locusts and other insects can be very destructive to food supplies, insecticides can carry harmful health effects, are detrimental to the environment and can even stunt plant growth. Fortunately, several efforts are underway to develop insecticides that are effective against the harmful insects and harmless towards the plant, animals and humans. Does this Spark an idea?
Health Effects
Health effects of insecticide on humans depends on the type of insecticide used. DDT was a popular insecticide from the 1940's that inflicted widespread harm on birds. This insecticide has also been linked to the rise in Parkinson's Disease. This insecticide has been banned, but some farms continue to use it.
The insecticide dichlorvos can cause skin problems when it has prolonged contact with the skin. This insecticide acts as an irritant and can cause dermatitis. The ester phosphates found in dichlorvos can also be toxic after prolonged exposure. This type of toxicity can lead to nervous system disorders.
Two other insecticides that cause health problems are lindane and methoxychlor. Excessive consumption of lindane is known to cause liver and kidney disorders. Excessive consumption of methoxycholor has been linked to reproductive disorders.
Plant
When used properly, insecticide can be very helpful to plants by preventing insects from feeding on these plants. However, excessive use of some insecticides can be phytotoxic to plants and can stunt growth.
Insects
Insecticides are designed to reduce the number of insects that can feed on the plants. Some insecticide is designed to kill insects, while other forms of insecticide destroy the insect's ability to reproduce or prevent the insect from growing. Unfortunately, many of the harmful insects develop resistances to insecticides.
Runoff
Insecticide often ends up in areas where it is not intended, since insecticide is often delivered from crop dusters and wind can push the insecticide spray in undesirable directions. Insecticide does not immediately leave the area where it is sprayed. Over time, insecticide accumulates and can merge with other chemicals to form more harmful chemicals. These chemicals can end up in the water supply and can cause adverse health effects to humans. However, some forms of insecticide do not harm other species.
Animals
With some forms of insecticide, it is difficult to control which animals are harmed. Small mammals, birds and helpful insects are sometimes killed by insecticide, and larger wildlife and fish can also be adversely effected. In addition to the harmful effects of direct contact, insecticide can end up in the food of humans.
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