The Effects of Pesticides on the Ecosystem

Pesticides are meant to eliminate undesirable animals such as insects which harm crops. These chemicals that were thought to be helpful have had some very undesirable effects on the environment through a variety of different means.

Absorption

• Absorption is when the pesticides fuse with soil particles. This can reduce the effectiveness of the pesticide, as the soil molecules can overpower that of the pesticides. As a result farmers must spray more than they would like, which at times can cause plant damage. If a farmer changes the type of pesticide plants can become further injured by the release of the old pesticides absorbed into the soil, as the two different types react to each other.

Volatization

• This term refers to the changing of a solid or liquid into a gas. A pesticide can change into a gas as a result of a variety of environmental factors including air movement, high temperature or low relative humidity. This gas can then travel with air currents, causing harm to animal species or even humans when they breathe in these toxic fumes.

Runoff

• This refers to the movement of water on a sloping surface. Pesticides that have yet to be absorbed in the soil can be caught up in this movement of water, and if the water makes its way to a main water source, the water can become contaminated and cause harm to both humans and animals.

Leaching

• When pesticides move through the soil as opposed to the surface, the process is known as leaching. If a pesticide is not fully absorbed into a soil particle or dissolves in water, it will be more prone to leaching. As opposed to the pesticide moving on the surface through runoff, it will instead move through the soil. The hazardous effects of leaching are the same as runoff.

Uptake

• When an animal consumes water or plants holding pesticides, or a non-target plant does, it is known as uptake. This injures both, an obviously undesired characteristic of pesticides.