JoSS: Joy of Sharing Science No: 3

Pesticides are taking innocent lives!
impossible due to high cost,
lack of recent studies, and
lack of proficiency in this
research area.
Especially during the
treatment with pesticide
sprays, there stands a 25%
chance of these chemical
compounds may hit or
volatilize to a non-target
species such as other
vegetations and beneficial soil
microorganisms. Within a few days, it is
estimated that 80-90% of these chemicals
may contaminate other abiotic
substances such as air, soil, and the
range of spreading within those days may differ from a yard to hundreds of
miles. Herbicides undergoing ester-formulation stand a higher chance of
becoming a lethal threat towards vegetations after volatilization due to vapor
energy sufficient. Other than causing health problems in non-target plants,
these pesticides may also cause sublethal problems in aimed plants due to
high exposure. One of the common examples of these herbicides is Phenoxy
herbicides since they are able to drift further away from the target and injure
other vegetations. Those chemicals possess a lethal threat towards species,
especially endangered ones. Those popular pesticides caused worldwide
problems since some samples from the Arctic contain residues. “However,
only recently has it been established that volatilization and vapor-phase
transport are important in the dissipation of even the so-called “nonvolatile
pesticides,” and other organochlorine compounds. Pesticides range in
volatility from fumigants, such as gaseous methyl bromide, to herbicides with
vapor pressures below 10-8 mm.” (Farmer)
The Hazardous Effects of Pesticides on the Soil Microorganisms
The use of pesticides in the long-term has resulted in serious damage to soil
ecology which has led to harming and altering beneficial/plant probiotic soil
microflora as well as general soil microorganisms. This has also resulted in
weathered soils losing their ability to sustain enhanced production of
crops/grains on the same land.