Toward Safer Use of Pesticides

• Published in: Bioscience 1970-04, Vol.20 (8), p.459-464
• Main Authors: Moats, Sheila A., Moats, William A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adverse effects; Chemical hazards; Cost efficiency; Diseases; Fish; Insecticides; Pesticides; Plant diseases; Poisoning; Toxicity
• ISSN: 0006-3568; 1525-3244
• DOI: 10.2307/1295154

About 300 pesticide chemicals with very diverse properties were reported to be in use in 1966. Some are inherently more hazardous to fish and wildlife and to man than others. Highly toxic organophosphate insecticides are very hazardous to agricultural workers since they allow little margin for carelessness or misuse. Human illnesses and deaths from pesticides could be reduced by substituting less toxic compounds where they will serve the purpose. Reported injurious effects of pesticides to fish and wildlife result mainly from a limited number of organochlorine insecticides, especially DDT and related compounds. Heavy applications of DDT to control Dutch Elm disease have been shown to cause severe losses of birds in the area of application. Use of the less toxic pesticide, methoxychlor, or sanitation, to control the disease, can reduce or eliminate the hazards to birds. Environmental contamination by organochlorine insecticides is of concern because these compounds can be, and have been, biologically concentrated to injurious levels in a number of cases. Levels harmless to adults can adversely affect hatchability of eggs of birds and fish. There is considerable evidence linking environmental contamination with DDT and derivatives to reproductive failures in certain species of hawks and eagles, resulting in sharp declines in numbers. In many instances, alternative pesticides are available, which may be used with substantially less hazard to man and his environment.