Background Information
Atrazine is one the most widely used pesticide in the United States used for commercial farming. It’s purpose as a pesticide is to limit the weeds and unnecessary plants that would take nutrition from the crops that the farmers are trying to grow. Atrazine is supposedly known for increasing crop yield up to six percent according to a cost benefit analysis, but in other more in depth studies the only increase crop yield by one percent (Ackerman 1). Currently “the wet years as much as 7% or more of total Atrazine applied can be lost to surface water sources”, according to the prompt of the assignment. Meaning 7% of Atrazine goes into Americans water sources.
What to do With Atrazine
With the significant data behind how Atrazine is bad for the health of America, I feel as if it should be banned. In this paper I will back my stance up with facts about the effects of atrazine in the water, how long Atrazine remains in the environment, the impact
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of Atrazine on groundwater, and the effects on animal and human health. I will use data from Ackerman, Cornell Journal and the EPA to back up my opinion that Atrazine should be banned in America. Water Supply Effects of Atrazine According the Ackerman’s article The Economics of Atrazine, Atrazine is the pesticide that is most commonly found in the water sources. Europe, who has banned Atrazine for multiple years, still finds Atrazine in the water supply. Having Atrazine in the water can lead to different types of cancer and is a huge endocrine disruptor (Ackerman 2). According to EPA, they did an in depth study of over 30 community water sources and found no risk to human health. But they have received over 150 areas of concern since 2003. Currently the website says that it is an on going process. Currently no regulations have been set up to stop the Atrazine going into the water sources after a study in 2007, but since 2013 the case has been back up and still going under review (EPA). Atrazine Remains Both Germany and Italy, major corn producers, banned Atrazine in 1991.
The effects in their crop yield did not suffer, but their drinking water still has remains of Atrazine (Akerman). When Atrazine gets in contact with soil it stays on the surface for weeks. It then goes into deep layers where it can stay for years. When it is a wet year, the rain can take the sitting Atrazine and the Atrazine stored in the soil from years before and drain it into the drinking supply (Cornell). So even with the ban for Atrazine countries still have the effects in their water.
Human and Animal Impact
The human effects of Atrazine vary from who is preforming the studies, but the animal effect of Atrazine is extremely clear. A study with frogs with extremely low level of exposure resulted in hermaphrodism. Many studies have shown similar result with male sex organs producing less sperm when Atrazine is present (Ackerman). No studies can currently conclude that Atrazine in drinking water can result in cancer (EPA).
Overall With the many negative and long lasting effects of Atrazine and how it does very little for an increase crop yield, I believe the chemical should be banned from the United States. This may change the current farming industry temporarily, but I feel as if the EPA needs to focus on the multiple countries like Germany and Italy that are doing just fine without Atrazine in their crop production. The long term effects of having Atrazine in water, and the fact that one wet year could increase the amount of Atrazine in the water supply is an unnecessary risk to be putting American Citizens in for little to no benefit in the farming industry. Citations EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, Web. 16 Sept. 2015. An Evaluation of Atrazine. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health 13.4 (2007): 437-45. Web.
The pesticide DDT banned in 1987 was a detrimental to the environment leading to it to be banned in 1987. DDT remains in the soils for a long period of time. The chemicals affect the ecology of the soil and water run off causing contamination of livestock and native animals and aquatic species. Studies indicated a range of human health impacts from DDT including cancers, infertility, miscarriage and nervous system impairment. The social and economic impact of DDT use in viticulture was significant.
Pesticides in ground water seems to be a continual problem with people nowadays, because they think that the pesticides don't soak into the ground water. They believe that when a pesticide is sprayed on a plant, the leaves are what pick up the pesticide but thats false, the roots pick up the pesticides which proves that the pesticides have to soak at least a few feet into the ground.
Hayes et al. 2002. Hermaphroditic, demasculinized frogs after exposure to the herbicide atrazine at low ecologically relevant doses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99: 5476–5480.
...s are dangerous and toxic. Despite the precaution taken in supplementing these chemicals into water, there still exists the probability that these hazardous chemicals will be reproduced by reactions with bodily fluids in areas where they may cause harm to the individual. The production of these chemicals is outlined in the previous section on Chemistry.
Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic belonging to the chemical class of benzisoxazole derivatives. The chemical designation is 3-[2-[4-(6-fluoro-1,2-benzisoxazol-3-yl)1-piperidinyl]ethyl]-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one. Risperidone is used to treat certain mental/mood disorders (such as schizophrenia,bipolar disorder, irritability associated with autistic disorder). This medication can help you to think clearly and take part in everyday life. Risperidone is rapidly and well absorbed after oral administration and has high bioavailability.Metabolism is catalyzed by the liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) system, particularly by CYP2D6 and CYP3A4.9-OHrisperidone has a similar pharmacologic profile and potency as risperidone11;
To help keep crops from being destroyed, conventional farmers use many methods such as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Nearly 1 billion pounds of these chemicals are used every year (“pesticides”). Because of this excessive use, some scientists express concern that using artificial chemicals in the farming process could produce unhealthy crops. People who ate it over a long period of time could suffer from degraded health and stunted growth (“Organic Foods”). For example, in 1989, the EPA banned the use of Alar which was a chemical used to ripen apples (“Farming, Organics”). This chemical proved to be carcinogenic after causing tumors in mice after several laboratory tests (“Organic Food”). As a result of these findings there was a dramatic increase of the sales for organic food (“Organic Food”). Another study found that Atrazine (one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States) has the potential of being carcinogenic and reducing sperm counts in males (“Organic Food”). This was further proven when evidence was found that chemicals u...
Use of pesticides & other fertilizers infuse nitrogen oxide into the water bodies acidifying the water which kills the plants and aquatic animals living in
Herbicides are extensively used in agriculture, sanitation, gardens and weed control. Terrestrial and aquatic environments are mainly polluted by indiscriminately used agriculture products [1]. They contaminate the food chains and display toxic effects in animals and the human population. In the last 60years, atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6- isopropylamino-s-triazine) has been one of the most extensively used herbicides in agriculture and roadways, which has been considered as an endocrine disruptor, causing adverse effects on reproductive function mainly by altered sex hormone levels and gonadal abnormalities [2-6]. Possible intera...
This book was focused on the concern of pesticides that industries, along with us as individuals, have been dumping (both knowingly and unknowingly) into water. Carson was concerned that the chemicals which the farmers spread on their fields, and even the chemicals we use in our homes (among others), in the end, might come back around and harm us. The beginning of the book tells a story of a place, that was once so beautiful, turned dead and ugly due to a “strange blight that crept over the area” and destroyed everything. Later in the book, she goes on to explain that chemicals, particularly one known as DDT, are the major cause of environmental damage and the near extinction of many bird species. The book states that pesticides have a long life-span when exposed to the environment, affecting it negatively for many years. It also discusses how these pesticides can inadvertently affect people. She uses the example that people sometimes use pesticide to kill mosquitoes. These mosquitoes might then be eaten by a fish, which is then eaten by a bird, which is then eaten by mammals, including humans. There is also the concern that pesticides can be lethal when someone is exposed to them multiple times over a long-term period. Although the direct exposure to the chemical at the time of application may not harm you, there is a chance that the chemical may build up in body fat, leading to high levels of toxins in that person....
However, many argue that the potential health risks associated with residue left on produce outweigh any of the benefits pesticide usage generates. In contrast to anti pesticide theorists, this paper will outline the stakeholders in pesticides, and the safety, health, and economic benefits associated with pesticide usage. These benefits include a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Some fruits and vegetables have also been proven to protect against certain cancers.
Spring brings many things. A host of these are very desirable, especially for those of us who have been cooped up in our homes for the past several months. How many of us have feverishly wished for a favorable weather forecast so that we can plant flowers, ride bikes, walk dogs, orchestrate lawns, and listen to chirping birds? Yet, spring also brings us a medley of a different sort-a toxic soup of chemicals. Much of this soup isn't thrust upon us from the outside; disturbingly, we choose to expose ourselves, our children, our neighbors, and our pets to these harmful chemicals. In 2013, Americans spent over $700,000,000 on pesticides (cumulatively weighing over sixty-five million pounds) for use on their lawns alone (1). One would think that properly informed humans wouldn't make such unhealthy and selfish decisions.
Household chemicals were created for a reason, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be harmful to your health. For instance, pesticides used on household lawns are now proven to cause neurological disorders. These include depression, mania, learning disorders, A.D.H.D, immune system defects and memory problems. Not proven yet, but the same chemicals play a big part in leading research for the c...
Instead of using pesticides in farming a better alternative would be biological control. This is when a natural predator is released into the crop growing area as a result the number of pests can be reduced.
When a person is exposed at an early age, there can be developmental delays, motor skill dysfunction, and behavioral disorders. Women who are pregnant are more susceptible to the side effects of pesticides, due to their already stressed out bodies. Pesticides can be passed from mother to child through breast milk, and through the skin when pesticides are absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream, ultimately affecting the mother as well as the fetus. Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicide in the United States today, “Now researchers in Indiana are finding that a rare birth defect called’gastroschisis’ shows up more among babies conceived when atrazine levels are high” (Schafer, 2011,
Professional audience: Toxicology is a multidisciplinary, scientific field, which studies the hazards and adverse effects of xenobiotic agents on biotic components of the ecosystem. These biotic components include, but are not limited to the following: humans, animals, and plants. More importantly, the field of toxicology is also used to construct preventative measures, treatment, and other amelioration strategies relative to the adverse health effects and the agent(s) being analyzed. The field of toxicology has evolved from a science focused on poisons