Pesticides and Their Movement Surface Water and Ground Water

Abstract

Pesticides are poisons designed to kill pests such as rodents, insects, weeds and fungi. Pesticides are, by their nature, toxic chemicals; since many pesticides may potentially leave residues on foods available for human consumption, there is much concern regarding the potential health risks of pesticides in the human diet. Pesticides used in agriculture to control pests, such as insects, weeds, and plant diseases, have been subject to considerable legislative, regulatory, and consumer scrutiny over the past few decades. Pesticides, with their high degree of toxicity, constitute a very important group of target compounds in environmental samples. Those presentnin waters may have an agricultural, domestic or industrial origin, the most harmful effect being their inclusion in the so-called “nutritionchain” (Vinas et al., 2002). Many common pesticides contain potent neurotoxic chemicals that attack and disable portions of the nervous system and brain. The use of pesticides in commercial agriculture has led to an increase in farm productivity (Guler et al., 2010). Pesticides also present environmental concerns including water and soil contamination, air pollution, destruction of natural vegetation, reductions in natural pest populations, effects upon non-target organisms including fish, wildlife, and livestock, creation of secondary pest problems, and the evolution of pesticide resistance (Winter, 2004). Many pesticides were used on a global scale from the 1950s to the mid-80s, most of which are stable and persistent in the environment (Barra et al., 2001). The use of pesticides in agriculture is necessary to combat a variety of pests that could destroy crops and to improve the quality of the food produced. The advantages and disadvantages of pesticide pollution controlling technique are determined by many factors, which require a comprehensive evaluation method adopted in the evaluation of pesticide pollution controlling techniques. Exposure to high levels of pesticides can cause a range of acute, fluand malaria-like symptoms including headaches, weakness, nausea, respiratory distress, convulsions, coma, and death, accounting for an estimated 20,000 fatalities per year (Jiang and Wan, 2009; Guler et al., 2010). In a recent USEPA summary report defined vulnerability applied to risk assessment as a four component system: (1) susceptibility or sensitivity of the human or ecological receptors; (2) differential exposures of the receptors; (3) differential preparedness of the receptor to withstand the insult from exposure; (4) differential ability to recover from these effects. All of these components are pertinent to systems undergoing development from the fetus