Why Sustainable?
Pesticides and Chemical Fertilizers in Water Supplies
In the US, about 1 billion pounds of pesticides are applied annually. A recent report by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the US Geological Survey (USGS) looked pesticides in streams and groundwater. Pesticides were detected in 94-97% of streams and 50% of shallow groundwater. Although the pesticide levels were below human-health benchmarks in the majority of water samples, the long-term effects of small amounts of pesticides, especially on children, is largely unknown (2). The threat posed on wildlife by these pesticides is more alarming. In agricultural and developed areas, roughly 40-80% of streams contained levels of pesticides that exceeded aquatic life benchmarks.
(charts from USGS report “Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Ground Water” http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3028/)
Chemical fertilizers can also a problem because they will degrade the soil’s natural fertility if they are applied in excess (3). Often, once a fertilizer is applied, the soil becomes degraded, which necessitates the application of more fertilizer, thereby further depleating the soil. A similar scenario occurs with pesticides as the pests develop resistances to various chemicals, requiring that larger and larger amount of pesticides be applied in order to be effective (4).
Health Effects of Pesticides
Although the effects of chronic exposure to small quantities of pesticides are still unknown, the effects are evident among farm workers who are regularly exposed to higher levels. Immigrant farm workers are hardest hit by pesticides, because they have less protection under job safety laws and they are often unaware of the legal recourse available to them. A report by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) documented 1,156 cases between 1998 and 1999 of illnesses caused by exposure to pesticides in California alone (5). These pesticides effected workers in many ways including respiritory problems, nervous system effects, skin problems and birth defects (5). In addition, 18 people have died in California due to the pesticide Methyl Bromide (6).
Birth defects possibly due to pesticides
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References:
(1) USGS report “Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Ground Water”
Full report http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2005/1291/pdf/circ1291.pdf
Fact sheet http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3028/
(2) Beyond Pesticides http://www.beyondpesticides.org/news/daily_news_archive/2004/04_26_04.htm
(3) IFPRI article “Integrated Nutrient Management, Soil Fertility, and Sustainable Agriculture: Current Issues and Future Challenges” http://www.ifpri.org/2020/briefs/number67.htm
(4) Food First http://www.foodfirst.org/media/opeds/2000/4-greenrev.html
(5) NIOSH report http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/pesticides/pdfs/IJOEH-7-4-Das.pdf
(6) “Methyl bromide poisoning devastates farm workers’ health” http://ventana.sierraclub.org/conservation/regional/methyl_bromide.shtml
