Raising vegetables without pesticides ensures a healthy harvest for people and the planet.
Pesticides and insecticides have long been used to keep bugs away from plants. Although it might seem like an easy solution for dealing with pesky insects that might otherwise kill a tomato plant or field of corn, the chemicals contained in pesticides can have devastating effects on the environment and on human health. These pesticides can also stay in the soil and water for years after their use is discontinued, causing harm for decades. Does this Spark an idea?
Harm to Children
Children can suffer if their mothers are exposed to pesticides during pregnancy.
Many studies have shown that pesticides are particularly harmful to children and unborn fetuses, affecting them more than adults. The Kids For Saving Earth website cites a study conducted in Michigan and Iowa which showed that women who were exposed to multiple pesticides had an increased chance of giving birth to a child with a cleft palate, and another study in Norway shows that baby boys of farmers who use pesticides have increased incidence of malformed reproductive organs. The Environmental Protection Agency says children's high sensitivity to pesticides may be caused by the fact that they are still developing and that pesticide exposure has more dramatic effects on children due to their smaller size.
Increased Risk of Cancer
Pesticides that keep grass free of insects can also increase humans' risk of cancer.
According to the Toxics Info website, many studies indicate that pesticide exposure increases the likelihood of developing cancer. The World Health Organization reports that farmers who use certain pesticides have rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma six times higher than that of the normal population, and dogs exposed to pesticides also have an increased chance of developing the same cancer. People who work on or live near golf courses also have a significantly higher chance of developing cancer, according to the University of Iowa, due to exposure to pesticides used to keep the greens free of insects. Also, Environmental Health News states that children exposed to pesticides in utero have a higher chance of developing leukemia, a cancer that affects white blood cells.
Environmental Damage
Frogs that live in areas affected by pesticides can be born with deformities.
Pesticides often find their way into rivers, streams, soil and other places where they can damage the earth and its inhabitants. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service states that recent studies revealed "one or more pesticides were detected more than 90 percent of the time in water," causing damage to fish and other amphibious creatures. The presence of pesticides in nature is also believed to have contributed to the decline of frog populations, as there are now 23 amphibian species on the endangered list. Frogs exposed to pesticides are also more likely be born with deformities, such as extra or missing limbs. People who eat fish from pesticide-laden waters also increase their odds of suffering a related problem, as the fatty tissues of fish absorb high quantities of toxins.
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