It was early morning, October 23, 1999 in Taucamarca, Peru. A farmer had prepared the milk powder for the school children’s breakfast. He was unaware of the fact that he had accidentally mixed a small amount of a pesticide into the milk powder. The farmer intended to use the pesticide to kill rats and stray dogs. Meanwhile, the last stragglers arrived at school and a group of children brought in the bag of powder to make up their morning meal. The older children mixed the milk powder, and when it was ready, everyone sat down to eat. Half an hour later, as they started their lessons, some of the children began to vomit. Desks were pushed over as others had convulsions, and the small schoolroom became a nightmare.

Pesticide use is a significant global issue today because almost three million tons of pesticides are currently used worldwide, and wherever there is farming, there is pesticide use. Pesticides, which include bactericides, baits, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, lures, rodenticides, and repellents, are any substances or mixtures of substances used to destroy, suppress or alter the life cycle of any pest. They work by physically, chemically or biologically interfering with a pest’s metabolism or normal behavior. Pesticides also have an extensive history with the use of first-generation pesticides, derived from minerals and plants, dating back to 500 BC when sulfur was used to control pests. Second-generation pesticides, developed in laboratories, initiated from the creation of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane. Helping to prevent malaria, it quickly became the world’s most popular pesticide. Entomologist Paul Mueller, its creator, even won a Nobel Prize for its discovery in 1948. Although some agricultural experts oppose implementation of alternative methods of pest control because food production will sharply decrease, alternative means of controlling pests should be implemented because food production will be maintained, drinking water safety will be improved, and overall human and animal health will be improved.

Of course, as information indicates, some agricultural experts oppose implementation of alternative methods of pest control because food production will sharply decrease. Mike Holcombe, author of the article entitled “Methyl Bromide—a Not-So-Slow March into Oblivion,” suggests that many people see the loss of pesticides as devastating, and there are no one-for-one replacements for them. He continues by stating that Methyl Bromide was given a congressional extension to be phased out in the year 2005 instead of 2001 because agriculture in the United States, the breadbasket to the world, would most likely collapse without this essential soil sterilant. Holcombe concludes by insisting that the Clean Air Act and the Food Quality Protection Act would take away the nation’s most effective pest control weapons (n.pag.). Dana Joel Gattuso, author of the article entitled “Understanding the Benefits of Pesticides,” adds that the science community agrees that the risks from eliminating pesticides are much greater than the risks of pesticide exposure. Gattuso continues by declaring that banning or restricting pesticides would hurt the poor far greater and would severely raise prices on fruits and vegetables. Gattuso concludes by saying that thirty million Americans spend at least sixty percent of their income on food, and an increase in prices would seriously hurt them economically (n.pag.). As research shows, some agricultural experts oppose implementation of alternative methods of pest control because food production will sharply decrease.

However, as studies reveal, alternative means of controlling pests should be implemented because food production will be maintained. Nikki van der Gaag, author of the article entitled “Pick Your Poison,” comments that “World hunger is not caused by food shortages: the world today produces more food per person than ever before. People are hungry because they are too poor to buy the food available, not because there is not enough” (n.pag.). She continues by stating that big corporations want to maintain pesticide use strictly because pesticides brought the agro-chemical business thirty-one billion dollars in 1998. She concludes by contending that other ways of farming are just as productive as farming with the use of pesticides (n.pag.). J. Robert Hatherill, author of the article entitled “Safer Modes of Pest Control,” adds that society today is reevaluating the use of pesticides, and clearly, alternative solutions of pest control must be utilized. He concludes by revealing that the estimated proportion of United States food supply lost to pests is thirty-seven percent today, six percent higher than it was in 1940, a time when far fewer pesticides were being used (n.pag.). Donella H. Meadows, author of the article entitled “Our Food, Our Future,” insists that there is strong evidence that organic methods of farming can produce just as much food as farming with pesticides. Meadows continues by noting that the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit research facility, conducted a study that showed organic farming was equally profitable to farming with pesticides. She concludes by pointing out that John Haberern, president of the Rodale Institute, says that they have scientifically proven that organic agriculture works (n.pag.). As data proves, alternative methods of farming are just as productive as farming with the use of pesticides.

More importantly, information shows, drinking water safety will be improved. The article entitled “New EPA Regulations are Only Hope for Clean Water,” published in the Atlanta Constitution, states that the nation is facing high levels of water contamination which are not rectified. The article continues by noting that water pollution comes from applications of chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides on farmlands. The article concludes by pointing out that the Environmental Protection Agency believes, over forty percent of the nation’s lakes, rivers, and streams are not clean enough for swimming and fishing because of pollutants like pesticides (n.pag.). Gregory L. Poe, author of the article entitled “Maximizing the Environmental Benefits Per Dollar Expended: an Economic Interpretation and Review of Agricultural Environmental Benefits and Costs,” believes that one of the leading sources of contamination of public and private supplies of water is agricultural pesticides. He continues by asserting that “Nationwide, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has detected the presence of 74 pesticides in groundwater in 38 states” (n.pag.). Poe concludes by pointing out that a study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture projects that nearly fifty-four million people could be negatively affected by agricultural contamination of groundwater (n.pag.). Payal Sampat, author of the congressional testimony entitled “Global Access to Safe Water,” comments that over two-thirds of water samples at the Central Columbia Plateau aquifer, which lies under Washington and Idaho, contained multiple pesticides. Sampat continues by stating that “The United States Geological Survey detected two or more pesticides in groundwater at nearly a quarter of the sites sampled across the United States between 1993 and 1995” (n.pag.). Sampat reiterates that the nation needs to find alternatives to pesticides to combat the growing water pollution problem (n.pag.).

Bettina Boxall, author of the article entitled “California and the West; Group Says Chemicals in Water Supply Exceed Limits,” suggests that water contamination from pesticides is a substantial problem in California. She continues by declaring that forty-six of California’s fifty-eight counties have pesticides in their water. Boxall concludes by observing that the California Public Interest Research Group claims that there are pesticides in water serving 16.5 million people in California (n.pag.). Peter Fairley, author of the article entitled “Water Utilities Join Environmental Group’s Assault on Herbicides,” adds that water works are facing the burden and costs of eliminating pesticides from drinking water. He continues by emphasizing that water utilities are fed up with doing the costly job that simply eliminating pesticides and herbicides would do. Fairley concludes by pointing out that the “American Water Works Association president Bevin Beaudet says that reducing or eliminating the amount of pesticides and herbicides before they get into the source water is the best way to ensure that drinking water is safe” (n.pag.). The article entitled “AWWA Plan Attacks Water Contamination,” published in WaterWorld, a journal dedicated to water industry news, points out that the American Water Works Association states, more than 170,000 miles of this nation’s waterways do not meet federal water quality standards in part due to contamination of pesticides. The article reiterates that clean drinking water starts with a clean water source (n.pag.). As research reveals, the less that pesticides are being used, the less water contamination occurs.

Most importantly, studies prove, overall human and animal health will be improved. Dorothy Myers, author of the article entitled “Cotton Tales,” declares that ten percent of all fatal injuries in developing countries can be attributed to pesticides. She continues by stating that Uzbekistan has seen a sharp increase in birth defects caused by intensive pesticide use. Myers concludes by noting that Endosulfan is a highly toxic pesticide used in West Africa but banned in many countries (n.pag.). Maritza Rojas, author of the article entitled “Pesticide Exposure in a Farming Village in Venezuela—a Developing Country,” adds that a study in Venezuela shows that illness was higher in people who had a greater exposure to pesticides. She continues by observing that pesticides in Venezuela caused a significantly high number of cases of eye irritation, drowsiness, weakness, visual failure, and sweating. Rojas concludes by confirming that because of pesticide use, many individuals may be at risk for developing chronic problems like cancer, reproductive disorders, and immunological disorders (n.pag.). Glenn Hess, author of the article entitled “Physicians Call for Restrictions Against the Use of Chlorpyrifos,” states that recent studies show that the pesticide chlorpyrifos, found in over eight hundred household products including bug sprays and flea collars, is directly toxic to the brains of mammals. He continues by pointing out that on April 13, physicians wrote a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency administrator Carol Browner. The letter demanded that chlorpyrifos be banned in residential areas (n.pag.). The article entitled “The Five Worst Environmental Threats to Children’s Health,” published in the Journal of Environmental Health, states that “Many classes of pesticides have been shown to adversely affect the developing nervous system of experimental animals” (n.pag.). The article goes on to assert that birth defects in babies have been linked to parental exposure to pesticides. The article concludes by noting that the development of certain cancers in children has been associated with pesticides (n.pag.).

van der Gaag points out that the World Health Organization estimates that over three million people are poisoned and 200,000 die from pesticides each year. She continues by noting that pesticides are not just causing rare accidental deaths but have become part of the environment. She concludes by commenting that “Pesticides also travel long distances: the polar bears, seals, birds, and the Inuit people who live in the Arctic have some of the highest recorded levels of chemical contamination in the world, even though they are thousands of kilometres away from where the chemicals are used” (n.pag.). Hatherill adds that an estimated thirteen percent of fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States may contain banned pesticides at high levels. He goes on to observe that the leading cause of fish kills in the United States is pesticide runoff. Hatherill concludes by pointing out that some recent studies show that trace levels of multiple pesticides can induce abnormal thyroid hormone levels, which diminish mental abilities and enhance aggressive behavior (n.pag.). Meadows adds that “Twenty million American children age five and under eat an average of eight pesticides a day” (n.pag.). Meadows goes on to observe that in the United States, an estimated sixty-seven million birds die from pesticide exposure each year. She concludes by stating that “The average apple has four pesticides on it after it has been washed and cored; some apples have as many as 10” (n.pag.). The article entitled “Pesticides, Policies, and Parents,” published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, contends that in Canada, parents are not going to tolerate pesticides anymore. The article adds that children are drawn to lawns and apple trees and are thus exposed to higher concentrations of dangerous pesticides. The article concludes by stating that “Given a choice between a dandelion lawn and the risks of pesticide exposure, parents know what they’d rather have their children live with” (n.pag.). As data indicates, the use of pesticides damages or kills living organisms.

Consequently, as information has proven, alternative methods of pest control should be implemented because food production will be maintained. Alternative methods of farming are just as productive as farming with the use of pesticides. More importantly, drinking water safety will be improved. The less that pesticides are being used, the less water contamination occurs. Most importantly, overall human and animal health will be improved. The use of pesticides damages or kills living organisms, as research has indicated. If alternative means of controlling pests were implemented because food production will be maintained, the global economy will remain as stable as it is today. The purity of drinking water across the globe will be vastly improved if alternative methods of pest control were implemented. If alternative methods of pest control were implemented because overall human and animal health will be improved, people and animals will rest assured, knowing that their lives are no longer as much in danger.

In the pandemonium that ensued at the Peruvian school, one teacher rushed out to fetch parents from their homes and fields. They hurried to the school and carried their children, staggering to reach the nearest town. But it was one-and-a-half hour’s walk away. Twenty-four children died, and twenty more needed hospital treatment all because of an inadvertant error involving a dangerous pesticide. Alternative methods of pest control should be implemented because food production will be maintained, drinking water safety will be improved, and overall human and animal health will be improved.

Works Cited

• “AWWA Plan Attacks Water Contamination.” WaterWorld 16.7 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Boxall, Bettina. “California and the West; Group Says Chemicals in Water Supply Exceed Limits.” Los Angeles Times 27 Oct. 1999. 11 Nov. 2000 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb=pesticides>.
• Fairley, Peter. “Water Utilities Join Environmental Group’s Assault on Herbicides.” Chemical Week 159.32 (1997). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• “The Five Worst Environmental Threats to Children’s Health.” Journal of Environmental Health 60.9 (1998). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Gattuso, Dana Joel. “Understanding the Benefits of Pesticides.” Consumers’ Research Magazine 83.2 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Hatherill, J. Robert. “Safer Modes of Pest Control.” World and I 15.5 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb=pesticides>.
• Hess, Glenn. “Physicians Call for Restrictions Against the Use of Chlorpyrifos.” Chemical Market Reporter 257.18 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Holcombe, Mike. “Methyl Bromide—a Not-So-Slow March into Oblivion.” Pest Control 68.1 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Meadows, Donella H. “Our Food, Our Future.” Organic Gardening 47.5 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Myers, Dorothy. “Cotton Tales.” New Internationalist 323 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• “New EPA Regulations are Only Hope for Clean Water.” Atlanta Constitution 14 July 2000. 11 Nov. 2000 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb=pesticides>.
• “Pesticides, Policies and Parents.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 163.2 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Poe, Gregory L. “Maximizing the Environmental Benefits Per Dollar Expended: an Economic Interpretation and Review of Agricultural Environmental Benefits and Costs.” Society and Natural Resources 12.6 (1999). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Rojas, Maritza. “Pesticide Exposure in a Farming Village in Venezuela—a Developing Country.” Archives of Environmental Health 54.6 (1999). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• Sampat, Payal. “Global Access to Safe Water.” FDCH Congressional Testimony 12 Oct. 2000. 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.
• van der Gaag, Nikki. “Pick Your Poison.” New Internationalist 323 (2000). 11 Nov. 2000 <http://ehostvgw4.epnet.com/ehost1.asp=pesticides>.