How Harmful are Pesticides to the Environment?
How Harmful are Pesticides to the Environment? Pesticides are commonly used outdoors to rid your lawn and garden of weeds and certain insects, like grubs and aphids. Though some pesticides and forms of pest control services like Terminex can be beneficial in decreasing the populations of harmful or destructive insects, others can be damaging to the environment and cause all sorts of problems. Studies have shown that pesticides can be extremely unsafe, particularly when they run off into waterways, which can cause both short and long term damage to people and the environment. Pesticides can also inadvertently kill living things that they are not intended to. As a whole, pesticides do provide some benefits, but they are also known to harm the environment and the plants and animals that it contains.
Pesticides are particularly damaging when they are introduced into rivers, streams, and other bodies of water. This can occur when the pesticide leaches through the soil where it is applied, when it's accidentally spilled into the water, when water run off is contaminated, or through "pesticide drift." Pesticide drift happens when sprayed particles move, or drift, to another area. In waterways, millions of fish are killed by pesticides each year, and other aquatic life also suffers the consequences of pesticide-contaminated water. Pesticides are also known to add to air pollution as a result of pesticide drift, and some even play a role in harming the ozone layer and contributing to global warming. Additionally, pesticides have a resistance to breaking down over time, meaning that their effects can continue over a long period of time.
On a smaller scale, when you use pesticides on your lawn, there's a good chance that they will have unintentional effects on other living things. A good example of this occurs when people spray their yard to eliminate a destructive insect, but end up destroying a beneficial one as well. Because all pesticides contain ingredients that are toxic to a particular plant or animal, other living things are certain to be affected in some way. Indirect effects are common with pesticides, and many non-targeted plants and animals are harmed or destroyed each year.
Humans can also be adversely affected by pesticides, and this has led to many people making lifestyle changes. Pesticides are behind many people's decision to switch to organic products and practices, especially where diet is concerned. The number of people demanding pesticide-free, organic food has increased sharply in recent years as more information has been uncovered about the health risks associated with pesticides.
While pesticides do offer some benefits, such as controlling damaging pests, and they are all regulated by the government, they have still been proven to harm the environment. Plants, animals, and people have all suffered negative effects due to the use of pesticides, in spite of government regulations. Studies show that pesticides can be a dangerous addition for lawn and garden care, on both big and small scales.
