Research Paper on pesticide

 Research Paper on pesticide

A pesticide refers to any substance or a mixture of substances that are used for preventing, destroying, repelling or controlling any kinds of pests in the environment. There are various types of pesticides classified according to the role they play. They include herbicides which kill weeds, insecticides for insects, fungicides to control rodents, mould and mildew while rodenticides to incapacitate or destroy rodents. The other pesticides entail bactericides to kill bacteria and larvicides for larvae.

Insecticides are used in the controlling of insects which are viewed as pests in the ecosystem. The most common forms of insecticides include organochlorine, organophosphorus and carbamate compounds. Organochlorine insecticides include elements such as chlorinated ethanes, cyclodienes and other elements of chlorinated compounds like Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) (Roberts, James & Williams, 2015). Such insecticides control a variety of agricultural pests which in most cases destroy crops in the fields. It is used in the field by spraying or dusting the affected areas with the chemicals to help control the pests. On the other hand, organophosphorus insecticides are the most toxic compared to the other types. They affect both the insects and mammals that come in contact with the pesticides. They include parathion, paraoxon and tetram. The carbamate insecticides include carbaryl and aldicarb which are commonly used in the control of pests. The mode of application for the three types of insecticides is by spraying and dusting on the crops infested with insects.

The active ingredients available in the mentioned insecticides include nicotine, imidacloprid, abamectin and Methoprene. The other active ingredients are fenoxycarb, pyriproxyfen, cyolite and Bacillus thuringiensis. Other elements such as hexakis, progrargite, diflubenzuron, dicofol and amitraz also encompass the active ingredients in the insecticides. These are the chemical elements that make it possible to incapacitate, kill or control the numerous insects by attacking the nervous system hence inhibiting the normal cell functioning.

The four cornerstones of xenobiotic pharmacokinetics refer to the main process of living things such as absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (Franklin, 2015). Insecticides utilize the absorption process in killing organisms as the harmful chemicals get into the body of the undesired pests through the method hence causing its death. Once the insecticides have been sprayed or made to come in contact with the pests, they ingest the hazardous chemicals which could hinder the normal functioning of the body thus causing death. Insects such as caterpillars, beetles and grasshoppers have mouth parts that enable the chewing process. Once the insecticide is sprayed on the plants or areas they traverse in most cases, these insects ingest the poison by eating the poisonous leaves. The nervous system of the insects is disrupted by the presence of foreign elements in the body of the insects. Since the active ingredients in the chemicals are strong and hazardous, the insects do are all wiped away leaving the area free of pest infestation.

The active metabolites of insecticide ingredients include both elements and chemicals that enable them to control pests in the environment. They include imidacloprid, malathion and acephate among many others. The active ingredients influence the metabolism of the pests by creating a reaction to the xenobiotic system once they come in contact with the insecticide (Roberts, James & Williams, 2015). The reaction influences the other metabolic elements leading to the death of the unwanted insects. The reaction occurs as a result of the available enzymes in the cells of the organisms. Thus, the absorption process in the xenobiotic system is highly affected by insecticides compared to metabolism and excretion. The poisonous chemical causes an imbalance in the cell physiology of the targeted insects hence affecting the role and production of enzymes and other significant processes.

All pesticides pose a health risk to both the people and the environment where it is used. The active chemicals present in the insecticides makes them harmful to the ecosystem. For instance, high doses of DDT in the environment is toxic to both human and animal life. The continued use of the insecticide resulted in peregrine falcons producing very fragile eggshells that did not hatch for they broke on the way. Such threatened the existence of the birds in the future. Besides, fish and other aquatic animals also are affected when organochlorine insecticides are washed into rivers. The insecticide is highly dangerous because of its prolonged lifespan once released in the environment (Han et al, 2018). They are highly resistant to metabolic breakdown both in animals and humans due to the complex compound elements forming the insecticides.

The use of the three forms of insecticides can result in toxicity following its biotransformation once in the environment. Since the pesticide is resistant to the metabolic breakdown that would have otherwise led to the absorption of the chemicals, it possesses a health risk in the ecosystem. Thus, it is not safe to use the insecticides in large quantities than necessary as a way to reduce the risks. There is a need to take precaution and follow the stipulated regulations when using the chemicals to avoid safety concerns.

References

Franklin, M. R. (2015). Xenobiotic Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and excretion. Principles of Toxicology: Environmental and Industrial Applications.

Han, W., Tian, Y., & Shen, X. (2018). Human exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides and the evaluation of their potential toxicity: An overview. Chemosphere, 192, 59-65.

Roberts, S. M., James, R. C., & Williams, P. L. (Eds.). (2015). Principles of toxicology: Environmental and industrial applications (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley