Use+of+Pesticides+and+Fertilizers

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Pesticides and Fertilizers are two products of the Green Revolution that have become a crutch for farmers. If they abandon these technologies they fall behind the competition, if they don’t then they pollute the rivers, and deteriorate the soil. In some places like the dust bowl or the Nile (after the Aswan high dam) have no choice but to use fertilizer because of the lack of topsoil. This dependency is the economic portion of fertilizers and pesticides. All in all, farmers are soiled if they do, soiled if they don’t.
 * - Introduction**

- **Evolutionary resistance (Environmental)  ** As you spray a crop, nest, or other possible place for an infestation for pests the pests die. They either are eliminated completely or most of the survivors are resist. Should the latter occur than the survivors will breed back to previous dangers numbers. What has occurred is a second wave though this time the pests are resistant to whatever pesticide you have used. The ability of an organism to come back from being "controlled" by pesticides depends on the time it takes for the organism to be born and then reach breeding stage again. Take the AIDS virus for example, it breeds so quickly a person need to take a cocktail (many virus inhibiting drugs) each day. The person would also need to vary the cocktail each day so that the virus is unable to adapt to the cocktail. Although no pests breed as quickly as AIDS every once in a while the pesticides used must be strengthen because the pests it must control have become resistant. As with AIDS cocktails can control an infestation far better than a single pesticide can, though cocktails cost much more than a single pesticide and each individual pesticide has its own side effects. Though side affects that virtually every pesticide shares are the abilities to destroy populations of helpful insects such as worms which irrigate the soil or ladybugs which consume pests in a more direct way than pesticides ever could. The stronger pesticides such as DDT have been known to assist in diseases such as cancer. Possible alternative []

Groundwater is naturally purified when it seeps through the soil as the contaminates are usually left in the soil. When fertilizers and pesticides seep into the soil they contaminate the groundwater. The groundwater flows up through springs and contaminates rivers, lakes and oceans that it flows into. Some cities that have little to no natural water rely almost entirely on their groundwater. If the groundwater is polluted these cities have no choice but to take the health risks. - **human (and animal) health risks (Ethnic)** Pesticides are intended to have health risks otherwise they couldn't kill the bugs they intend to. Most medical problems occur on children whose bodies haven't matured yet. Medical issues mainly result from the high strength pesticides because of their strength. Most problems from pesticides are “birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time." (EPA) However to cause damage a person must be exposed to these pesticides whether dermal, inhalant, or oral. To deal with these risks, remember too wash fruits or vegetables before consuming them, don’t spray pesticides while the kids are around, and remember to hold your breath while spraying pesticides. To avoid the unneeded spreading of pesticides farmers are urged not to spray the pesticides immediately before a large storm where the wind and rain will wash away the drifting pesticides into nearby lakes and streams. By making cocktails improperly with pesticides a foolish producer will mix two chemicals that react with one another causing the two chemicals to separate into components, heat up, expand or otherwise. For this reason every pesticide has a list of chemicals it should not be mixed with. Some pesticides with separate into individual chemicals on their own so momentary shaking is required before use.
 * - Groundwater pollution (Ethnic) info on Groundwater- []**

Fertilizers have less direct health risks, instead of the poisons which exist in pesticides affecting the wrong species chemicals that are meant to help plants grow harm the animals around the plants. For example metals are commonly used in inorganic fertilizers. Inorganic fertilizers are far cheaper than their more economical counterparts. Some problematic chemicals in fertilizers are arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Fertilizers have also been known to carry small levels of dioxins. Arsenic is infamous as a poison because it restricts the protein thiols. Cadmium is incredibly toxic even in small quantities, and is usually found in industrial environments. Since Cadmium occurs in most zinc ores, if zinc is used in a product Cadmuim is probaly there too. Lastly lead is the famous toxic metal that China use to use in its toys.

Another alternative for industrial ferilizer- []

- **bioaccumulation** Bioaccumulation is when a poison such as the above arsenic, cadmium, and lead accumulate in an organism causing damage to the organism’s natural structure. This is why even in small percentages, poisons in fertilizers can cause many health problems.

Vocabulary: Bioaccumulation- when a poison accumulates in an organism causing damage to the organism’s natural structure arsenic- a poisin that restricts the protein thiols Cadmium- an incredbly strong poisin that is product of zinc production Cocktail- A mix of poisins to stop evolutionary resitance Evolutionary Resistance- the ability an organism has to adapt geneticly a resistance to pesticides or other toxins Link to quizlet: []

"Arsenic." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . "Cadmium Poisoning." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . "DDT : An Introduction." //Chemistry at Duke//. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . "Health Problems Pesticides May Pose | Pesticides | US EPA." //US Environmental Protection Agency//. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . "Metals in Fertilizers: Risk Assessment: Minnesota Dept. of Health." //Minnesota Department of Health//. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. []. [] []