The use of pesticides in the United States and around
the world is a highly controversial topic. Each year about 2.6 million
pounds of pesticides are used in the United States, primarily for agricultural
purposes. Because of their widespread use, pesticides are found in our
water, air, soils, and food. There are a wide variety of different types
of pesticides used for different purposes and each has a set of hazards
to human health and the environment.
Pesticides are used to target specific species that
are damaging agricultural crops. However, species that are not specifically
targeted are also harmed. Pesticides are taken up from the soil and
the water by organisms, accumulated in their fatty tissues, and passed
up the food chain. DDT is a good example of how highly persistent pesticides
can be. DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, yet concentrations
of the chemical are still found in the tissues of various species of
wildlife as well as in human tissue. Some scientists believe that pesticides
are responsible for the increased incidence of cancer in humans.
Scientist have been studying the health effects of
pesticides to humans for years. Although they have not been able to
identify chemical pesticides as the single cause of cancer, there have
been suggestions that pesticides do contribute to higher incidences
of cancer. This is a highly debated issue. Despite the feared human
health effects, DDT has reduced the number of fatalities from malaria
around the world by more than a half and many farmers claim that they
could not survive financially without the use of chemical pest control.
As you can tell, the debate over pesticide use is very
complicated and highly controversial. As a result of the controversy
and the growing evidence that pesticides may be harmful to human and
environmental health, farmers and scientist are looking into alternative
methods for pest control (see the "Going Organic" issue scenario
for a discussion on alternative pest control practices).
