How herbicides work on humans. Effects on the Human Body of Pesticides: Detailed Instruction. Herbicide toxicity and the environment
Our reader Elena from the village of Vishnevka, Minsk region, contacted the editorial office with such a question. After harvesting from acres, she treats them with a special chemical agent against weeds every few years. Before buying the next package, I looked on the Internet to find out what, where and how much. And she discovered that in the United States, a gardener sued an agrochemical company: they say that constant contact with a roundup-max product from the manufacturer Monsanto led to the development of cancer.
He used it up to 30 times a year. Twice accidentally exposed to this chemical and became seriously ill. As compensation, he was awarded a lot of money. And there are hundreds of such victims who suspect that the manufacturing company “deliberately withheld information about the dangers of the herbicide”! Elena, like many other owners, also processes her gardens with this drug. "It is very dangerous?" - the villager is worried.
Roundup is positioned by some sellers as "the safest herbicide, which, if applied in accordance with the instructions, is not hazardous to humans and the environment." Whom to believe?
Elena Yakimovich, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Deputy Director for Science, RNDUP "Institute for Plant Protection", explains that pesticides are highly toxic substances that, at high concentrations, can really specific action per person. Moreover, all drugs that are currently included in State Register plant protection products, undergo mandatory biological, environmental and toxicological expertise. The drug has been added to it, which means that it can be used both by private owners (not all names) and in the farms of the republic. There are about 30 glyphosates (including Roundup) in the register. And all of them can be used in agricultural production. But one must understand that in the fields of agricultural enterprises they cultivate large areas, they follow the technologies. Owners are also not prohibited from using them on personal hundred square meters. Another thing is that it is much more environmentally friendly, albeit more difficult, to fight weeds in the garden not with the help of chemical protection, but "hand-to-hand" - armed with a hoe, scythe, shovel.
But what about the information that the use of plant protection products can cause cancer?
- If such data are scientifically substantiated, doctors decide to exclude them from the State Register. There were cases when more toxic drugs were eventually replaced by less toxic ones. With regard to security. Any tool has instructions that must be strictly followed, using gloves, respirators, glasses, and a hat. When processing is carried out, and no matter what you are processing, you need to wear clothes made of thick fabric, closed shoes. Do not try to make the solution more concentrated to ensure that all weeds or pests are killed. After processing, you should wash your face, rinse your mouth, take a shower. Because a large amount of the drug accumulates in a person on the face, armpits.
Scientists remind: roundup is a continuous action herbicide, all plants die from it. Therefore, glyphosate must be applied very carefully so that it does not fall on the leaves of flowers, trees, bushes, beds with vegetables. Can the herbicide accumulate? The drug is low-toxic. In the soil, it quickly loses its activity, in the plant it decomposes into its constituent elements within a month.
By the way, glyphosate is a herbicide that is widely used all over the world to control perennial weeds. And among herbicides, it ranks first in production. And it doesn't matter what the name is - roundup, tornado or hurricane, the active ingredient is one. Today, a tender is being held in our republic for the purchase of plant protection products, herbicides. Depending on the group of drugs, the concentration is most often won by either domestic or Russian drugs.
Is it possible to grow large volumes of products in modern fields without the use of herbicides?
- On the forums on the biological protection system, organic farming, the following opinions are also heard: let's not use chemical preparations, this guarantees the receipt of absolutely pure products,- Elena Yakimovich gives an example. - But for many crops, if the plants are not treated with herbicides, agents against weeds, diseases or pests, yield losses can range from 20 to 80, even 100 percent! If we talk about sugar beets, then they were once weeded by hand. Now we use herbicides, insecticides, fungicides. The same goes for corn and cereals. There are fruit and vegetable crops, in the cultivation of which it is difficult to do without chemical protection means. Modern machines are being invented today, which may one day "push back" chemistry.
REFERENCE "SG"
Glyphosates became widely used in the 90s of the twentieth century. Thanks to them, scientists say, the infestation of perennial weeds in the fields has decreased 6 times.
Pets are as much a part of our life as a garden or a summer cottage. It is imperative that they feel comfortable on the site. This applies not only to dogs, cats and hamsters, with which children like to tinker, but also ducks, geese, goats, cows and other animals raised for food and earnings. Today we are going to show you methods of weed control that are safe for your pets.
From the article you will learn:
- 1 What are the dangers of gardening for pets
- 2 Animal-friendly herbicides found in every home
- 3 Notes
What are the dangers of gardening for pets
Pets in the garden are often endangered due to the use of modern chemical fertilizers, means from garden pests and herbicides. What can you do, because potent means have to be used not only by farmers to obtain crops on an industrial scale, but also by ordinary gardeners: The ecology leaves much to be desired, the climate is changing, and as a result, pests and diseases attack poor plants from all sides.
Our job is to keep our pets safe. Isolation of animals during the processing of the site can help here, and careful monitoring of the feed - God forbid, the weeds from the pickled part of the garden will get into food for animals and poultry. We had such precedents and nothing good came of it, believe me.
Chickens, ducks, goslings and piglets are relatively easy to track and monitor. But what if it is difficult to keep track of the animal? For example, what to do if a little york or your favorite German shepherd who ran out into the country yard decides to eat grass? There are two ways out: do not let your pet go for walks in an unsafe place, which is difficult in itself, or use means that are safe for animals.
Animal-friendly herbicides found in every home
There are a number of traditional weed control methods that can be used without fear of living creatures:
Vinegar works as a herbicide
you need to apply the vinegar treatment several times.
On a note
Any of the following folk remedies for weed control can be safely combined with each other. For maximum effect, simply mix them together. If the mixture is thin and you will be using a sprayer, add a little soap or detergent.
Our pets are our friends. The main thing is that our work on the site does not harm them. Using simple products found in every home can help you make animal-friendly herbicides. They are less expensive, just as effective, and much safer than the chemicals available in stores.
I have been gardening for 40 years. He had experience in farming, applied in the field. In recent years, I have been growing plants only for the family, using mainly organic technologies. But I'm not afraid of herbicides - when they get overwhelmed, I use them. At the same time, I do everything possible so that the drug does not harm the quality of my products, and so that soil microorganisms do not suffer. I will share my experience of using herbicides on a personal plot without harming the ecology of the garden.
All garden stores have dozens of herbicides for gardeners on the shelves.
To start...
There are dozens of herbicides for gardeners on the shelves in all garden shops. They are sold out in huge numbers, but they are not always applied correctly. Therefore, my notes are needed by those who bought and will buy herbicides. I hope that after this article, the harm from the drugs used will be less.In stores for farmers, the "August" company alone offers 55 types of the most modern imported herbicides for all harmful weeds - for all crops, in 5 liter cans. And all this is bought up and applied in the fields near your homes.
I am no less worried than any gardener that next to my small potato field farmers are replanting potatoes on the same land every year and tons of herbicides are poured out with a tractor sprayer. All living things have been killed in the earth. Nobody checks the products for the content of residual herbicides.
So in any case, the harm to the environment from the small ampoule of herbicide you apply will be minimal. Therefore, I ask the fanatical "naturalists" after reading this article not to bother me; my task is to teach interested summer residents to do everything according to science and intelligence.
Science does not stand still, and modern herbicides are hundreds and even thousands of times less harmful to the environment than those that were used 20-30 years ago. Therefore, if a "naturalist" scares you on the Internet with "harmful chemistry", check if he is talking about old, discontinued preparations and whether he knows anything about new and less harmful herbicides.
What are herbicides
For myself, I divide herbicides into two classes.A larger group - those that are introduced into the soil, are in it for several months and, being absorbed through the roots, suppress weeds. It is more dangerous to use them: if you exceed the dose and you add them from year to year, for example, under, then in subsequent years on this site it may not grow and.
The second group is drugs that are absorbed through the leaves... I love them more: getting into the environment, they quickly (usually in a couple of days) are destroyed and do not bring significant harm to the environment.
Least environmentally harmful herbicides
To begin with, I will introduce you to at least four herbicides that cause minimal harm to the environment. Contains the active ingredient metribuzin (700 g / kg). Used for planting potatoes.
"Lapis lazuli". Photo from the site agroopttorg.com
This is perhaps the only soil and root herbicide that I sometimes use on my own. The drug is a modern, low-toxic, inexpensive, commercially available, applied in very small doses. In the soil, it quickly breaks down to harmless products, does not oppress potatoes (tomatoes) at all and completely destroys most of the weeds.
Naturally, I will not use it on the beds near the house with early potatoes. But on the field, when you plant more than 30 buckets of potatoes and use a lot of bedding manure, then with biting midge, sow thistle, wheatgrass you ruin your health, crawling on your knees through the beds. Therefore, I have developed a very gentle technology for the application of the herbicide in my field.
Double belts with wide row spacings (according to the Mittlider scheme.)
I plant it shallowly into the furrows, mulch with manure on top, cover it slightly with earth and cultivate the soil with Lapis Lazuli using a hand sprayer. This is how planting potatoes looks like:
Now about the secrets of my technology. I spray only double tape 40 cm wide, the herbicide does not get on the row spacing of 100 cm. This row spacing is quickly overgrown with weeds, which I cut down with a trimmer line a couple of times a season. It turns out that my processing area is reduced by three times- accordingly, and I reduce the dose of the herbicide three times.
More precisely, for the first time I reduce the dose by a factor of 6: I spray immediately after landing at half concentration. This is enough to completely suppress the shoots of biting midge, chicken millet and many other weeds.
In three weeks when the potatoes sprout and the shoots of evil rhizome weeds (such as sow thistle, wheatgrass) appear, I go through the second time and apply the herbicide again in half the concentration, but not throughout the field, as farmers do, but only in places where seedlings of perennial weeds have appeared by directing the spray towards them. Thus, the harm to the ecology of my site from herbicides I reduce by five times... After double cultivation, there are no weeds in the furrows, in the row spacing they are trimmed with a trimmer:
In addition, there are many times more organic matter in my soil than a farmer's. And I plant all potatoes every 7-10 days. And it is known that it is the soil biota that adsorbs and processes all the residual pesticides in the soil, and they do not get into cultivated plants. Thus, the harm from "Lazurite" in my field - both for the crop and for the soil animals - is close to zero. And in practice, I see that the next year, cabbage and beets, planted after potatoes, grow great.
There are a lot of earthworms in my soil. After all, thanks to the herbicide, I can add a lot of organic matter. Weeds grow on 70% of my area and act as green manures - I mow them, enriching the soil organic matter no harm to plants.
Approved for use on landings and on. Contains clopyralid, a substance similar in class to vitamins, which is very quickly destroyed in the soil without causing any harm to it.
The drug is modern; unlike glyphosate, it acts selectively. Completely destroys malicious root-sprouting weeds (thistles, sow thistles). It successfully suppresses ragweed, mountaineers, chamomile, dandelion and some other weeds and does not affect lawn grasses or strawberry leaves. Here are industrial plantings of herbicide-treated strawberries:
The drug should be used only on weed seedlings, choosing warm weather, when the leaves are actively breathing, the stomata are open, and the herbicide quickly penetrates the leaf. "Lontrel" is quickly destroyed by atmospheric oxygen and sunlight, and does not accumulate in the soil.
I used it on old plantings of strawberries after harvest, on plantings of fodder beets and onion sets. He strictly followed the instructions, and the weeds were always completely suppressed, and the cultivated plants did not suffer, and small animals were preserved in the soil.
"Weeded"
"Lontrel" is also used for lawns, but it is better to use the more reliable and effective combined preparation "Propolol" on cereal-planted lawns.
It is a highly effective postemergence herbicide for the control of dicotyledonous weeds in lawn crops. Active ingredients: dicamba + chlorsulfuron.
The spectrum of herbicidal activity: yellow sow thistle, tenacious bedstraw, pink sow thistle, blue cornflower, common pickle, shepherd's purse, odorless chamomile, bindweed, field yarrow, white marrow, medium starweed and more than 100 types of weeds. The herbicidal effect is manifested on the 8-10th day, the complete death of the weeds - within 3-4 weeks. Has no aftereffect.
This is a combined drug; its first part - dicamba - is similar to “Heteroauxin”: very small concentrations sharply increase cell growth with subsequent death of the plant. Not dangerous for animals. The second part - chlorsulfuron - blocks the synthesis of weed enzymes.
"Propolol" is environmentally friendly, as it is used in very small doses and quickly degrades. A perfect lawn can only be obtained with a herbicide.
But this tool has another property that I discovered for myself: it multiplies the action of glyphosate if applied together. It is worth diluting the usual "Roundup" and adding "Propolol" to the solution (doses according to the instructions) - such a mixture kills on the spot both the hard-to-eradicate horsetail and the unkillable dodder. So we come to the most popular herbicide ingredient, glyphosate.
Glyphosate and preparations based on it
We, summer residents, have already become accustomed to drugs based on glyphosate (Roundup, Tornado, Hurricane, Agrokiller and many others). They kill almost any weed. Treatments should be carried out only during the growing season (on green leaves), isolating cultivated plants growing nearby (for example, covering them with a film). Glyphosate degrades quickly in the soil, so it can be applied shortly before new plantings.I rarely use this herbicide. Not because the "naturalists" intimidated me with his mythical harm to the environment. I just do not carry out continuous tillage from weeds. The native weeds are my friends. I am not afraid of them, as long as they do not obscure the cultivated plants. But some perennial rhizome weeds are my enemies. And the main enemy is creeping wheatgrass.
Glyphosate, taken in the smallest doses, kills wheatgrass when sprayed in September, on the warm, sunny days of Indian summer. In the spring you will not find a single blade of wheatgrass.
More some tips for those who want to clear the area of all weeds
Preparations of the glyphosate group are highly effective only if when the weeds have a sufficiently developed above-ground mass... Therefore, before spraying, it is important to wait for the full emergence of shoots of annual weeds with a good vegetative mass - the growth of wheatgrass up to 10-20 cm (with 3-5 leaves), the formation of good rosettes of leaves of perennial root-sprouting weeds (sow thistles, thistles and others).
The effect is enhanced in September due to the fact that the movement of the herbicide increases along with the seasonal outflow of storage substances into the root system. However, the drug does not affect the weeds that germinate after treatment, so a properly treated area may become overgrown after a while. True, these will be mainly annual plants.
Preparations of the glyphosate group are effective when the weeds have a sufficiently developed aboveground mass.
The effectiveness of herbicides is largely influenced by weather conditions... In sunny weather, favorable for the growth and development of plants, the penetration of drugs into them increases, with cool weather it weakens, and the death of weeds, respectively, accelerates or slows down.
In hot or windy weather, drugs should be applied only when absolutely necessary, in the morning and evening hours. Not recommended do this job with abundant dew, reducing efficiency chemical treatment... It should be borne in mind that in hot dry weather, damage to the leaf surface of neighboring plants is possible even with vapors of the drug.
Against annual cereal and dicotyledonous weeds, it is recommended to use Roundup and its analogues at the rate: per 100 m² - 40 ml; against perennial weeds - 60 ml. The most economical treatments are in areas that are simultaneously littered with annual and especially difficult to eradicate perennial weeds. Where there are seedlings of only annual weeds, it is cheaper to destroy them using a conventional hoe (pruning) or loosening when hilling.
Experts write: "There are many formulations based on glyphosate in every country, there are at least 100 of them in the world. I think that today the sales of glyphosates exceed $ 3 billion, the market is growing rapidly ..." In ordinary garden stores, there are up to a dozen bottles of glyphosate on sale at different prices, with different trade names and different percentages of the active ingredient (from 24% to 60%). I'm buying liter pack with the highest possible herbicide content... Then it is cheaper and more reliable.
To completely reveal the secrets of glyphosate, I will cite an excerpt from an article by scientists: “There is N-phosphonomethyl-glycine, so to speak,“ classic ”. And there is a diammonium salt of phosphonomethylglycine; isopropylamine salt, which is produced by most Chinese manufacturers; potassium salt; trimethyl sulfonium salt, a derivative of trimesium. All of these forms are also referred to as glyphosates. However, preparations based on trimmesium (Hurricane 480) have improved toxicological characteristics. One of the most active preparations of N-phosphonomethyl-glycine "Touchdown" (name on the US market) of the "Syngenta" company contains 60% of the salt of trimesium glyphosate and glyphosate trimethylsulfonium salt with 10-29% of a wetting agent.
Potassium salts of glyphosate are also highly active, for example, Hurricane Forte from Syngenta, which contains 44.7% potassium glyphosate, up to 20% substituted amines and carbohydrates. Traditionally, Monsanto glyphosate formulations are highly active.
Let's summarize. Whether we like it or not, herbicides are sold and used by gardeners. I use them very rarely and in the most gentle way. Products for grandchildren are grown on their own organics, without pesticides and mineral water. But when my back hurts, on large areas with malicious weeds I fight not with a hoe and a shovel, but with the most modern herbicides, which contain a high-quality active ingredient and harmless adhesives. And not a single worm in my field suffers from this.
Many people worry about pesticides in food.
Pesticides are used to protect crops from weeds, rodents, insects and microbes. This increases the yield of fruits, vegetables and other crops.
This article focuses on pesticide residues found on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables purchased from grocery stores.
It also examines the most common types of pesticides used in modern agriculture and the question of whether exposure to pesticides is harmful to the human body.
What are pesticides and how are they dangerous?
In the very broad sense pesticides (agricultural pesticides ) Are chemicals used to combat any organisms that can harm crops and food stored in stores or people's homes.
Since there are many types of potential pests, there are several main types of pesticides. Some examples are given below:
- Insecticides- destroy insects and their eggs, which destroy and pollute the grown and harvested crops.
- Herbicides- destroy weeds to increase crop yields.
- Rodenticides- are used to protect crops from rodents and diseases carried by them.
- Fungicides- are necessary to protect the harvested crop and seeds from fungal rot.
Development of management methods Agriculture, including the beginning of the use of pesticides, increased yields in modern agriculture, first two, and soon eight times, starting in the 1940s.
For many years, the use of pesticides was practically not regulated by any authorities. However, the effects of pesticides on the environment and human health began to come under stricter control after the publication of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring in 1962.
Today, pesticides are under much closer scrutiny by government and non-government organizations.
An ideal pesticide would kill targeted pests without causing any side effects to humans, non-target plants, animals or the environment.
In most cases, the pesticides used are close to this standard. However, they have their drawbacks and their use affects health and the environment.
Conclusion: Pesticides are aimed at destroying pests without harming humans and the environment. Pesticides have evolved over time, but none of these products can provide complete pest control without side effects.
Types of pesticides
Pesticides can be synthetic, which means they are created in industrial laboratories, or organic.
Organic pesticides (biopesticides) are naturally occurring chemicals that can also be reproduced in laboratories for use in organic farming.
Synthetic pesticides
Synthetic pesticides are designed to be resistant, have good time shelf life and be easy to distribute.
They are also designed to effectively control targeted pests while still being of low toxicity to non-target animals and the environment.
The types of synthetic pesticides include:
- Organophosphates- insecticides that affect the nervous system. Some of them have been banned or restricted in use due to their dangerous toxic effects.
- Carbamates- insecticides, which act on the nervous system in the same way as organophosphates, but they are less toxic, since their effect is faster.
- Pyrethroids also affect the nervous system. It is a laboratory-created analogue of the organic pesticides found in chrysanthemums.
- Organochlorine pesticides, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), have been largely banned or restricted due to their harmful effects on the environment.
- Neonicotinoids- insecticides used to protect leaves and trees. These pesticides are currently being tested by the US EPA for bee safety.
- Glyphosate also known as Roundup, is an agricultural herbicide used to grow genetically modified crops.
Organic pesticides or biopesticides
Organic farming allows the use of biopesticides, or naturally occurring pesticides produced by plants.
There are too many types of biopesticides to cover in this article, but EPA has published a list of registered biopesticides.
In addition, the USDA maintains a national list of approved synthetic and banned organic pesticides.
Here are some examples of important organic pesticides:
- Rotenone- an insecticide used in combination with other organic pesticides. This toxic chemical is produced naturally by several tropical plants as an insect repellent and is extremely toxic to fish.
- Copper sulfate destroys fungal diseases and some weeds. Although classified as a biopesticide, this pesticide is industrially manufactured and can be hazardous to humans and the environment at high concentrations.
- Horticultural oils- pesticides based on oils of various plants with the effect of repelling insects. They differ in their composition and potential side effects. Some can also harm beneficial insects, such as bees.
- Bttoxin produced by bacteria and is effective against certain types of insects. Bt toxin is synthesized in several genetically modified plant species.
This list is not exhaustive, but it illustrates two important concepts.
First, “organic” doesn't mean “pesticide-free”. Rather, it refers to specific types of pesticides that occur naturally and are used in place of synthetic pesticides.
Secondly, “natural” does not mean “non-toxic”. Organic pesticides can also harm your health and the environment.
Conclusion: Synthetic pesticides are created in laboratories. Organic pesticides or biopesticides are created in natural conditions but can be reproduced in the laboratory. Although, naturally, they are not always safe for humans and the environment.
How is the level of pesticides in food regulated?
There have been many studies done to find out what level of pesticides is dangerous.
Some of these included measuring pesticide levels in people who were accidentally exposed to large amounts of pesticides, testing on animals, and studying the long-term health effects of people who use pesticides while at work.
All this information is pooled to find the safe exposure limit for pesticides.
For example, a small dose of a pesticide that causes even the mildest symptoms is called an “exposure threshold”. “Subthreshold impact level” means no adverse impact and is also sometimes used.
Organizations such as World organization Health, European Office of Safety food products The USDA and FDA use this data to determine the safe exposure limit.
To ensure complete safety, they set a limit that is 100-1,000 times lower than the exposure threshold and the subthreshold exposure level.
As a precaution, pesticide regulations set the acceptable levels of pesticides in food well below hazardous ones.
Conclusion: Several regulatory bodies are setting limits for the harm from pesticides in food. These restrictions are very cautionary, setting the level of pesticides many times below the smallest doses that could cause harm.
How reliable are the safety margins?
A criticism of pesticide safety limits is that some pesticides - synthetic and organic - contain heavy metals such as copper, which build up in the human body over time.
However, a soil study in India found that the content of heavy metals in the soil does not increase due to the use of pesticides, being equal to the content of metals in the soil not treated with pesticides.
Another criticism is that the subtle, permanent effects of pesticides on the human body cannot be determined by the types of research currently in use.
Therefore, constant monitoring of health indicators in people who come under strong exposure to pesticides is of great importance to establish a safe level of pesticides.
Violations of these security levels are rare. A US study found pesticides in excess of the threshold in 9 samples from 2,344 national products and 26 samples from 4,890 imported products.
In addition, a European study found that pesticide levels were exceeded in only 4% of 40,600 different products in 17 countries.
Fortunately, even when the amount of pesticides exceeds the established limits, it rarely causes any damage.
A review of data collected over decades in the United States found outbreaks of disease caused by pesticides in food. However, this was not caused by the usual use of pesticides, but by their misuse by some farmers on rare occasions.
Conclusion: The amount of pesticides in food rarely exceeds safety thresholds and is usually not harmful. Most diseases caused by pesticides are the result of accidental misapplication.
High concentration of pesticides and its harm to the human body
Both synthetic and organic pesticides cause harmful health effects in doses higher than those commonly found in fruits and vegetables.
In children, accidental exposure to high concentrations of pesticides can cause cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism.
A study of 1,139 children found that children with high levels of pesticides in their urine were 50-90% more likely to develop ADHD than children with low levels.
In this study, it was unclear if the pesticides found in the urine were caused by food or environmental influences such as proximity to agriculture.
Another study found no negative health effects of 350 babies born to women with higher urinary pesticide levels during pregnancy compared to mothers with low pesticide levels.
Research on organic pesticides used in horticulture has found that the use of rotenone causes Parkinson's disease at an older age.
Both synthetic and organic pesticides have led to an increased incidence of cancer in laboratory animals.
However, small amounts of pesticides in products do not cause any complications.
One review of numerous studies concludes that the chances of cancer being caused by certain amounts of pesticides in food are less than one in a million.
Conclusion: The harmful effects of pesticides associated with accidents or working conditions can cause some neurotic diseases and cancers. However, small amounts of pesticides in food are unlikely to be harmful.
How many pesticides are in food?
The World Health Organization has created a comprehensive, accessible overview of pesticides in food.
One study found that 3% of Polish apples have a concentration of pesticides that exceeds the permissible level of safety.
However, this concentration is not high enough to harm, even children.
The level of pesticides in foods can be reduced by washing them under water and preparing and processing these foods.
One study found that pesticide levels in foods could be reduced by 10-80% when used different methods cooking and processing food.
In particular, rinsing with tap water (even without special soap or detergents) reduces the harmfulness of pesticides by 60-70%.
Conclusion: The concentration of pesticides in conventional products is almost always below the acceptable level. This concentration can be reduced by washing and cooking.
Are organic foods lower in pesticides?
Not surprisingly, organic produce has a lower concentration of synthetic pesticides while still providing lower levels of synthetic pesticides in the body.
A study of more than 4,400 adults showed that subjects who use organic products have lower levels of synthetic pesticides in their urine.
However, organic products contain more biopesticides.
A study of organic pesticide-grown olives and olive oil found elevated level biopesticides such as rotenone, azadirachtin, pyrethrin, and copper fungicides.
Organic pesticides also have negative environmental impacts that, in some cases, are even worse than those of synthetic substitutes.
Some argue that synthetic pesticides may be more harmful because they have longer term shelf life and can last longer in the body and the environment.
This is sometimes true. However, there are several examples of organic pesticides that last as long or even longer than synthetic pesticides on average.
There is also the opposite point of view, which is that organic pesticides are usually less effective than synthetic pesticides, which forces farmers to use them more often and at higher doses.
However, studies show that synthetic pesticides sometimes exceed the permissible levels by 4% or less, while the levels of rotenone and copper are consistently above the permissible safety limits.
In general, the potential harm from synthetic and organic pesticides depends on the specific pesticide and its dose. However, both types of pesticides are unlikely to cause health problems at low concentrations in food.
Conclusion: Organic food contains fewer synthetic pesticides, but more organic pesticides. Biopesticides are not safer, but both types of pesticides are safe at low concentrations in foods.
Are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Contained Less Pesticides?
GMOs are cultivated plants whose genetic code has been modified to enhance their growth, diversity and natural resistance to pests.
Historically, to create varieties with the best characteristics among the wild plants, only the most suitable for agriculture were selected and grown.
This form of genetic selection has been used to create all of the plant and animal foods in our world.
This selection has led to changes that have occurred over many generations, but the exact reason why plants adapt so well to new conditions is still unknown. Although plants are selected for certain characteristics, their genetic changes remain unknown to growers.
Genetic engineering accelerates this process using scientific methods to give a particular plant a certain genetic characteristic and to benefit from it. The expected result is known in advance, as in the modification of corn, which has acquired the ability to produce BT toxin to protect against pests.
Because genetically modified crops are more resistant, they require fewer pesticides for successful farming.
While this does not make our food healthier, the amount of pesticides in it is very low. GMOs can reduce the harmful effects of synthetic and organic pesticides on the environment and humans.
Many comprehensive reviews of human and animal studies conclude that there is no evidence that GMOs are harmful to health.
There are some concerns that because genetically modified crops are resistant to glyphosate (Roundup), it is increasingly being used for weed control.
In addition, some studies have shown that high concentration glyphosate may promote cancer in laboratory animals. Although this concentration was significantly higher than the concentration in GMO-containing products and the concentration of glyphosate when exposed to the environment and people working with this toxic chemical.
After a review of numerous studies, the actual safe doses of glyphosate have been determined.
Conclusion: There is practically no need for pesticides to grow GMOs. This reduces the harmful effects of pesticides on farmers and people living near farms.
Should you avoid foods containing pesticides?
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that eating lots of fruits and vegetables makes our bodies stronger and healthier.
This is, of course, true whether the product is conventionally grown or organic nitrates, genetically modified or not.
Eating homemade foods can have environmental benefits, but this depends on the growing methods used on the individual farm. If you prefer to buy food from farmers, first ask about their pest control methods.
Conclusion: Low concentration of pesticides in food is safe for health. Buying homemade products does not guarantee pesticide-free.
Outcome
Organic foods contain less synthetic but more organic pesticides.
In addition, the concentration of synthetic and organic pesticides in food is well below the lowest concentration likely to harm humans or animals. Therefore, the danger of pesticides to human health is very low.
What's more, numerous studies suggest that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables has many health benefits.
Try to rinse food before use, but don't worry about pesticides.
Weed control agents (herbicides) - specifically glyphosate - must be applied with indirect risks in mind, Dutch scientists said in Science on June 1.
First, according to the authors, it is not the glyphosate itself that is toxic to humans, but the additives to it. Different manufacturers may deviate from the original formulation when making the same glyphosate-containing chemical. This happened with the most popular herbicide Roundup, which began to be produced by several companies instead of one as soon as the patent expired.
Secondly, herbicides can accumulate in the topsoil. So, in Europe, about 45% of arable land is polluted with glyphosate and its derivatives. The authors of the article fear that it can penetrate from there into the groundwater, as well as lead to the death of soil bacteria. It is not yet known how severely this could affect the ecological balance.
In addition, the authors of the article urge to take into account the social costs of the use of glyphosate - in particular, the need for dialogue with environmental organizations that would like to completely ban organophosphate herbicides.
Note that glyphosate (N- (phosphonomethyl) -glycine) was discovered in 1950, but its ability to kill weeds did not become known until 20 years later. In 1974 it went on sale under the brand name Roundup and quickly entered agricultural use. Until 2000, the herbicide patent was owned by the Monsanto corporation, a monopoly in the field of agrochemistry.
Glyphosate is just as toxic to cultivated plants as it is to weeds. This circumstance severely limited its use. However, in the mid-1990s, the same Monsanto developed genetically modified crops of corn, soybeans and cotton that were resistant to it. Including in connection with their appearance, the production of glyphosate has grown 15 times over the next 20 years - from 56 million kg in 1994 to 826 million kg in 2014. Today Roundup is considered the most popular agricultural chemical.
Recall that glyphosate blocks the synthesis of vital amino acids through the so-called shikimate pathway. In animals and humans, this pathway is absent, therefore it is believed that this herbicide is non-toxic for humans.
However, experts do not yet have a consensus on how safe it is in the long term. Thus, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) assures in its 2016 report that glyphosate is harmless to the extent that it gets into agricultural products. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggests that organophosphate herbicides, even in trace amounts, can provoke cancer - in particular, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, so far this is only a hypothesis: the latest research has not revealed a relationship between the use of glyphosate and malignant neoplasms.
We also note that many environmental non-governmental structures are seeking to ban glyphosate. It is noteworthy that the same public organizations are usually fighting against genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and herbicides.
Dutch scientists correctly point out the indirect risks from the use of glyphosate, which are now practically ignored. However, the public, inflated by pseudo-ecologists, is fighting not with these risks, which have yet to be analyzed in detail, but with fictitious horror stories about the deadly danger of herbicides.
In turn, representatives of Monsanto and other biotech giants are aggressively promoting glyphosate-containing chemicals, assuring their complete safety. All this creates an unhealthy atmosphere of cross-blackmail between the agrochemical lobby and environmental activists.
The current situation is somewhat reminiscent of the excitement around GMOs: those interested do not want to even hear about possible risks, while exalted opponents of genetic engineering scare the common man with walking mutants. The real costs and dangers of growing transgenic plants elude both sides of the conflict.
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