Disaster Focus: Use of pesticides and chemicals for Growing Crops in India and its impact on Human Health and fertile Soil

The term pesticide includes a variety of compounds including pesticides, fungicides, pesticides, rodenticides, molluscicides, nematicides, plant growth regulators and more. Pesticide production began in India in 1952 with the introduction of the BHC plant near Calcutta, and India is now the second largest pest producer in Asia after China and ranks 12th in the world in 1999. There has been continued growth. in the production of state-of-the-art pesticides in India, from 5,000 metric tons in 1958 to 102,240 metric tons in 1998. In 1996-97 the demand for pesticides was estimated at Rs. 22 billion (USD 0.5 billion), which is 2% of the global market. The pattern of pesticide use in India is different from that of the rest of the world. in India 76% of the pesticides used are pesticides, compared to 44% worldwide. The use of herbicides and fungicides is not so difficult. The main use of pesticides in India is for cotton crops (45%), followed by paddy and wheat.

Significant benefits have been gained from the use of pesticides in forests, public health and the domestic sector – and, of course, agriculture, India’s main economic sector. Production of food grains, which amounted to 50 million tons in 1948-49, had increased nearly four times to 198 million tons by the end of 1996-97 from an estimated 169 million hectares of permanent cultivated land. This result is achieved through the use of high-yield seed varieties, advanced irrigation technology and agricultural chemicals.

Bad effect on Human health

If pesticide credits include improved economic power in terms of increased food and fiber production, as well as the correction of animal-borne diseases, then their withdrawal has had a devastating effect on human health and the environment. There is now overwhelming evidence that some of these harmful chemicals may be present in humans and other species as well as unwanted adverse effects on the environment. Pesticides can cause short-term health effects, called acute effects, as well as chronic side effects that may occur months or years after exposure. Examples of harmful health effects include itchy eyes, pimples, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and death. Examples of known chronic effects are cancer, birth defects, birth defects, immunotoxicity, toxicity and developmental disorders, and endocrine system disorders.

Some people are even more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides. For example, infants and young children are known to be more susceptible to the toxic effects of pesticides than to adults. Farmworkers who apply pesticides are also at greater risk because they receive more exposure.

Immediate health effects from exposure to pesticides include irritation of the nose, throat, and skin that cause fever, itching and biting as well as rashes and blisters. Nausea, dizziness and diarrhea are also common. People with asthma may have more severe reactions to other pesticides, especially pyrethrin /pyrethroid, organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. In many cases, pesticide signals mimic the symptoms of the flu or the flu. Since pesticide-related diseases appear to be similar to or similar to other diseases, pesticide poisoning is often less well-known and less reported. Immediate symptoms may not be bad enough to prompt a person to seek medical help.

Children are at greater risk of exposure to pesticides because their organs, nervous system, and immune system are still developing. Children also cannot get rid of toxins and remove pesticides. Excessive exposure to growth can cause permanent damage.

In addition to being at high risk for pesticides, children’s behavior and physical activity make them more susceptible to pesticide exposure than adults. Most pesticide exposure occurs on the skin and children have more skin in their size than adults. Children have a higher respiratory rate and therefore inhale airborne pesticides that travel faster than adults. Children also use more food and water equally – and the remains of pesticides – than adults. With their increased contact with the ground, grass and playgrounds, children’s behavior also increases their exposure to pesticides.

Pesticide effect on the Environment

Pesticides can pollute soil, water, turf, and other vegetation. In addition to killing insects or weeds, pesticides can be harmful to other organisms, including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and unintentional plants. Pesticides are usually a class of highly toxic pesticides, but herbicides can be harmful to the uninitiated.

Pesticide effect on Groundwater

Pesticides can reach the surface water by flowing through treated plants and soil. Water pollution by pesticides is widespread. The results of a comprehensive set of studies conducted by the U.S. The Geological Survey (USGS) on major rivers across the country in the early to mid-90s yielded remarkable results. More than 90 percent of the water and fish samples from all streams contain one, or more, several pesticides.

Pesticide effect on soil fertility (beneficial soil microorganisms)

Complex treatment of the soil with pesticides can cause the number of micro-organisms in the soil to decrease. According to geologist Dr. Elaine Ingham, “If we lose both germs and fungi, then the soil deteriorates. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has effects on the world’s microbes, such as the overuse of antibiotics. Indiscriminate use of chemicals may work for a few years, but after a while, there are not enough beneficial organisms in the soil that can absorb nutrients”. Pesticide sprays can hit the target plants directly, or they can flood or slip away from the treated area and contaminate the air, soil, and unintended vegetation. Another pest erosion occurs during each pest. The chemicals we use to improve plant growth can actually damage the soil system, kill or cause the pressure of mutations in soil organisms that all other organisms in the ecosystem need to survive.

Plants, for example, rely on a variety of insecticides in the soil to convert nitrogen into nitrates, which plants can use. Common landscape pesticides interfere with this process: triclopyr blocks bacteria in the soil that convert ammonia into nitrite.

Pesticides are often regarded as a quick, easy, and inexpensive solution for weed and pest control in urban events. However, the use of pesticides comes at a high cost. Pesticides have polluted almost every environment. Residues of pesticides are found in soil and air, and in surface and groundwater  in all countries, and the use of urban pesticides contributes to this problem. Pesticide pollution poses a serious threat to the environment and to unintentional pests from beneficial bacteria in the soil, insects, plants, fish, and birds. Contrary to popular belief, even herbicides can cause serious environmental damage. In fact, weed killers can be a problem especially because they are used in large volumes. The best way to reduce pesticide contamination (and the damage it causes) in our area is to do our part to implement safe, chemical-free (including weed) control measures.

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