Pesticide: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:25, 22 March 2025

Substances used to eliminate pests

Overview[edit]

A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Pests can include insects, plant pathogens, weeds, mollusks, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes, and microbes that compete with humans for food, destroy property, spread disease, or are a nuisance. Pesticides are used in agriculture, public health, and industry.

Types of Pesticides[edit]

Pesticides are categorized based on the type of pest they control:

Insecticides: Used to control insects.
Herbicides: Used to control unwanted plants or weeds.
Fungicides: Used to control fungal problems like molds and mildew.
Rodenticides: Used to control rodents such as rats and mice.
Bactericides: Used to control bacteria.
Larvicides: Used to control larvae.

Mode of Action[edit]

Pesticides work through various mechanisms to control pests. Some disrupt the nervous system of insects, others inhibit photosynthesis in plants, and some interfere with the reproduction of pests. The mode of action is crucial for understanding how to use pesticides effectively and safely.

Application Methods[edit]

Pesticides can be applied in several ways, including:

Spraying: Using liquid formulations applied with sprayers.
Dusting: Applying dry formulations as dust.
Soil treatment: Incorporating pesticides into the soil.
Seed treatment: Coating seeds with pesticides before planting.

Environmental and Health Impacts[edit]

While pesticides are beneficial for controlling pests, they can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Pesticides can contaminate soil, water, and air, leading to biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption. Human exposure to pesticides can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact, potentially causing acute or chronic health issues.

Regulation and Safety[edit]

Pesticides are regulated by government agencies to ensure their safe use. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for regulating pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Safety measures include proper labeling, usage instructions, and restrictions on certain chemicals.

Alternatives to Pesticides[edit]

To reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, alternative pest control methods are being developed, such as:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools to manage pests sustainably.
Biological control: Using natural predators or parasites to control pest populations.
Cultural practices: Crop rotation, intercropping, and other agricultural practices that reduce pest incidence.

Related Pages[edit]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Cropduster spraying pesticides.jpg|thumb|A specially-designed airplane spraying pesticides over a field]]
+{{Short description|Substances used to eliminate pests}}
-A '''pesticide''' is a [[chemical]] that is used to kill or prevent small animals (or organisms) which are considered to be unwanted. These organisms are called [[pest]]s. Some of these pests that people do not want are [[insects]], [[microbe]]s that destroy [[plant]]s, and other things that affect humans in a bad way and it may kill humans too. Many pesticides are [[poison]]ous, and are bad for not only the organisms they kill, but for humans too. A pesticide also affects the environment
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
-and the atmosphere.
-The [[Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants]] lists chemicals that are very hard to destroy, or very [[toxic]]. In total, twelve chemicals are listed. Nine of them can be used as pesticides.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pops.int/|title=Stockholm Convention - Home page|website=www.pops.int}}</ref><ref name="Gilden RC, Huffling K, Sattler B 2010 103–10">{{cite journal |author=Gilden RC, Huffling K, Sattler B |title=Pesticides and health risks |journal=J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=103–10 |date=January 2010  |pmid=20409108 |doi=10.1111/j.1552-6909.2009.01092.x |url=}}</ref>
+==Overview==
+A '''pesticide''' is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Pests can include insects, plant pathogens, weeds, mollusks, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes, and microbes that compete with humans for food, destroy property, spread disease, or are a nuisance. Pesticides are used in agriculture, public health, and industry.
-== Types of Pesticides ==
+==Types of Pesticides==
-There are different types of pesticides for getting rid of different pests.
+Pesticides are categorized based on the type of pest they control:
-* [[Herbicide]]s kill weeds
-* [[Insecticide]]s [[kill]] insects that eat [[plant]]s and [[crop]]s
-* [[Fungicide]]s [[kill]] any bad [[fungi]]
-== Effects of Pesticides ==
+* '''[[Insecticide]]s''': Used to control insects.
-Pesticides are used to kill pests, but many are bad for human health. They may [[pollute]] water, and go into [[river]]s, [[lake]]s, and [[pond]]s. This will cause [[acid rain]], and organisms living in the water can get sick and die, because the water where they live has more [[acid]].
+* '''[[Herbicide]]s''': Used to control unwanted plants or weeds.
+* '''[[Fungicide]]s''': Used to control fungal problems like molds and mildew.
+* '''[[Rodenticide]]s''': Used to control rodents such as rats and mice.
+* '''[[Bactericide]]s''': Used to control bacteria.
+* '''[[Larvicide]]s''': Used to control larvae.
-[[Pesticide runoff]] is very bad for [[animal]]s, especially [[amphibian]]s.
+==Mode of Action==
+Pesticides work through various mechanisms to control pests. Some disrupt the nervous system of insects, others inhibit photosynthesis in plants, and some interfere with the reproduction of pests. The mode of action is crucial for understanding how to use pesticides effectively and safely.
-== Alternatives ==
+==Application Methods==
-In many cases, there are alternatives to the use of (chemical) pesticides. These include:
+Pesticides can be applied in several ways, including:
-* Use of [[genetic engineering]]
-* Release of other organisms to control the pests, such as [[predator]]s or [[parasite]]s. That way, [[duck]]s can be used in [[rice]] fields to act against [[snail]]s, for example
-* Some foods can be processed and used to control certain [[pest]]
-* Use of [[polyculture]]s, that is growing many different crops together, rather than just one crop.
-==References==
+* '''Spraying''': Using liquid formulations applied with sprayers.
-{{reflist}}
+* '''Dusting''': Applying dry formulations as dust.
-{{stub}}
+* '''Soil treatment''': Incorporating pesticides into the soil.
-[[Category:Poisons]]
+* '''Seed treatment''': Coating seeds with pesticides before planting.
-[[Category:Gardening]]
+==Environmental and Health Impacts==
+While pesticides are beneficial for controlling pests, they can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Pesticides can contaminate soil, water, and air, leading to biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption. Human exposure to pesticides can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact, potentially causing acute or chronic health issues.
+==Regulation and Safety==
+Pesticides are regulated by government agencies to ensure their safe use. In the United States, the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) is responsible for regulating pesticides under the [[Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act]] (FIFRA). Safety measures include proper labeling, usage instructions, and restrictions on certain chemicals.
+==Alternatives to Pesticides==
+To reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, alternative pest control methods are being developed, such as:
+* '''[[Integrated Pest Management]] (IPM)''': Combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools to manage pests sustainably.
+* '''Biological control''': Using natural predators or parasites to control pest populations.
+* '''Cultural practices''': Crop rotation, intercropping, and other agricultural practices that reduce pest incidence.
+==Related Pages==
+* [[Agriculture]]
+* [[Environmental science]]
+* [[Toxicology]]
+* [[Public health]]
+[[Category:Agricultural chemicals]]
+[[Category:Pest control]]
+[[Category:Environmental impact]]