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Title Use of Pesticide

Description Pesticides are chemical substance that are used to control pests. The use of pesticideshas become an environmental issue because it has adversely affected the livingthings and the environment. Residues of pesticides can pile up in the water systems,suspend in the air, and easily enter human body or absorbed by plants.

History andcauses

Human have been utilising pesticides to kill pests since 2000 BC. In 2007, more than5.2 billion pounds of pesticides are used by the world to protect the plants from

pests.

To replace biological pest control method:

Farmers prefer chemical pesticides over biological control because the later needslonger time to take effect. Also, biological control cannot kill the entire pestpopulation.

To control and kill pests:

Pesticides are used to control and kill the number of pests not only in agriculturalfields, but also in homes, lawns, forests and so on. Without pesticides, crops willeasily get attacked by diseases, hence decreasing the food source.

Impact on the

environmentPesticide drift is the term used to describe the situation whereby the pesticides are

being drifted away from intended area by wind or water.

Air pollution:When the pesticides sprayed by agricultural aircraft to the crop fields are blown bywind, it will cause air pollution. The pesticides particles will suspend in the air andcontaminate the air. When humans breathe in these particles, it may pose a threat tohuman as 17 pesticides have been identified to be most likely human carcinogen, 48pesticides are known as potential endocrine disruptors.

Water pollution:

Pesticides will run off from agricultural fields by rainwater into nearby lakes, riversand seas, contaminating the water sources and then leading to water pollution. Thesechemical pesticides will adversely affect the marine life. It may kill the main

producer in the sea which is the phytoplankton, thus affects the food web in the sea,causing imbalance sea ecosystem.

Case study Great Barrier Reef Case Study:o Cause: Farming activities in the Queensland is harming the Great Barrier

Reef. The farmers apply pesticides to their farms to reduce the pests.o Process: When there is heavy rain, the residues of pesticides will run off to

the Great Barrier Reef. These run offs into Great Barrier Reef are harmful tothe marine life especially coral reefs.

o Effects: Pesticides will alter the chemical composition in the barrier reef andincrease the manmade chemical in the barrier reef, causing death to the coralreefs as they are very sensitive to the changes in the environment. Theincrease in nutrient levels in the sea are also often related to the use ofpesticides. This will cause increase in population of crown-of-thorns starfishwhich is a coral eating starfish, which further decrease the population ofcoral reefs.

Solutions the

problem andtheir success

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area:

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area are declared in 1975and 1981 respectively. The declaration has raised public awareness towards the GreatBarrier Reef.

Reduce pesticides in the reef:Project catalyst, a partnership between the WWF and the Coca-Cola Foundation, has

introduced a more precise pesticide application. It has significantly reduce thenutrient pollution by 60% and herbicide pollution by 95%.

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References

Gbrmpa.gov.au. (2014).Differences between the Marine Park and the World Heritage Area -

GBRMPA. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/heritage/great-

barrier-reef-world-heritage-area/differences-between-the-marine-park-and-the-world-heritage-

area2 [Accessed: 11 Apr 2014].

Gbrmpa.gov.au. (2014). Crown-of-thorns starfish - GBRMPA. [online] Retrieved from:

http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/animals/crown-of-thorns-starfish [Accessed: 11 Apr

2014].

Sitemaker.umich.edu. (2014).Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef: Pollution. [online] Retrieved

from: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/gc2sec7labgroup3/pollution [Accessed: 11 Apr 2014].

wwf. (2014). Sustainable farmers. [online] Retrieved from:

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/oceans_and_marine/priority_ocean

_places/great_barrier_reef/solutions/sustainable_farmers/ [Accessed: 11 Apr 2014].