Fact of the Day: 02/12/2021
Have you ever seen any foods that say they were grown using pesticides? Have you wondered what pesticides are used for? According to the USDA, pesticides are used to “reduce yield losses to pests” (“Fertilizers & Pesticides” par. 10). Some examples include, “herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, usually [applied] through spraying the fields” (“Fertilizers & Pesticides” par. 10). Are pesticides safe? The answer is no. According to CPR.org, acute effects (short-term effects) include, “stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and death . . . Examples of known chronic effects are cancers, birth defects, reproductive harm, immunotoxicity, neurological and developmental toxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system” (“Pesticides and human health” par. 1). Pesticides, in addition, are especially harmful to infants and young children, whose bodies are still developing, and to farmworkers who are exposed to the pesticide when applying it (“Pesticides and human health” par. 2). However, despite these drawbacks, pesticides are still used to reduce the presence of crop pests, and it is likely you will find products grown with pesticides in your grocery store. When you buy such products, make sure to wash them well in order to avoid as many pesticide side effects as possible.
Reference(s):
- https://www.pesticidereform.org/pesticides-human-health/
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/fertilizers-pesticides/
Fact Author: Durga I.
Fact Editor: Ace
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