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Environmental and Health Effects of Insecticide

Insecticides are chemical compounds which are often used to destroy the insects that infect plants. Most frequently, insecticides are used against pests that infest cultivated plants and also to eradicate disease-carrying insects. Despite their various useful qualities, insecticides have been found to have numerous side effects and health risks.

  1. Effects of Insecticides on Animals

    • Insecticides often damage other creatures in addition to those for which they were intended. Small mammals, rodents and birds are generally more easily affected by the use of insecticides as compared to other animal species. These small species often consume plants sprayed with insecticides, with results that are often fatal. Aerially sprayed insecticides may drift on the wind to nearby ponds and lakes, thus causing adverse effects among aquatic fauna. A once-popular insecticide called DDT was eventually found to be the cause of severe damage among plant and animal species. Over the years, the use of DDT has been banned in most of the countries like the U.S., U.K. and India. However, the chemical is still used in certain other countries.

    Effects on Plants

    • Despite the fact that insecticides are intended to promote plant growth by killing the insects that destroy them, excessive and frequent use of insecticides often stunts plant growth. According to an experiment conducted by D. Stewart, Department of Zoology and Entomology, West Scotland College of Agriculture, Glasgow, it was found that the overuse of insecticides on plants proved to be phytotoxic, thus adversely affecting the growth of the plant.

    Health Risks of Insecticides in Humans

    • Studies conducted have found that insecticides cause various serious health dangers in humans. According to a study conducted by the Research Institute of Industrial Hygiene and Air Pollution, University of Montreal, it was found that acute poisoning from insecticide exposure can lead to various health hazards such as dizziness, diplopia (double vision), involuntary contraction of muscles and increased lacrimation (shedding of tears). The research also concluded that overexposure to insecticides like dichlorvos can cause various skin irritations such as dermatitis, and can cause nervous disorders. Lindane and methoxychlor are two insecticides which can result in liver and kidney disorders in humans, and may sometimes also result in reproductive problems.

    Other Risks from Insecticides

    • Apart from these hazards from insecticides, frequent overuse of insecticides may also result in air pollution. Carbon compounds present in the insecticides accumulate in the stratosphere and can contribute to global warming. Also, excessive use of insecticides over time often make the farmland infertile and unusable for further cultivation as the chemicals accumulate in the surface soil layer.

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