Pesticides: Uses and TypesBenefits

Chapter 12

APES January 2007

General Facts about Pesticides

Went from zero sales in the 1950’s to 33 billion for 2.6 million metric tons 1999.

90% of all pesticides worldwide are used in agriculture or food storage and shipping.

General Facts about Pesticides

Wealthy countries consume ¾ of the pesticides.

Developing countries 7-9% growth a year

Developed countries 2-4% growth a year

Pesticide Types

Inorganic pesticides Natural organic pesticides Fumigants Chlorinated hydrocarbons Organophosphates Carbamates Microbial Agents and Biological

Controls

Inorganic pesticides

•Contains arsenic, copper, lead, or mercury.

•Highly toxic

•They may be leached out of the system by water, wind and erosion...

•Essentially indestructible

•neurotoxins

Natural organic pesticides

Have a narrow target range and a very specific mode of action;

Are slow acting; Have relatively critical application times; Suppress, rather than eliminate, a pest

population; Have limited field persistence and a short

shelf life; Are safer to humans and the environment

than conventional pesticides; Present no residue problems

Natural organic pesticides

Extracted from plants Nicotine from tobacco Turpentine Phenols Rotenone from the roots of deris and

cube plants Aromatic oils from conifers

Fumigants

Small molecules Gasify easily Penetrate rapidly Used to sterilize soil Prevent decay Stop rodent or insect infestation of grain

supplies Extremely dangerous for workers who apply

them.

Fumigants

Dibromochloropropane

Fumigants

Carbon tetrachloride

Fumigants

Carbon disulfide

Fumigants

Ethylene dichloride

Fumigants

Ethylene dibromide

Fumigants

Methylene bromide

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Organochloride is another name for them

Synthetic organic insecticides Inhibit nerve membrane ion transport Block nerve signal transmission

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Fast acting Highly toxic Persist in the soil for decades Bioaccumulate in the food chain Stored in the fatty tissues of some

organisms

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

DDT Chlorodane Aldrin Dieldrin Toxaphene Pradichlorobenzene lindane

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

DDT

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Chlorodane

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Aldrin

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Dieldrin

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Toxaphene

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Pardichlorobenzene

Chlorinated hydrocarbons

lindane

Organophosphates

Outgrowth of nerve gas used in WWII. They inhibit an enzyme called

cholinesterase, essential for removing excess neurotransmitter from synapses in the peripheral nervous system.

Extremely toxic to birds, mammals, and fish…single drop is lethal.

Only last hours or days in the environs. Dangerous for workers to apply them

Organophosphates

Parathion Malathion Dichlorvos Dimethyldichlorovinlyphosphate tetraethylpyrophosphate

Organophosphates

Parathion

Organophosphates

Malathion

Organophosphates

Dichlorvos

Organophosphates

Dimethyldichlorovinylphosphate

Organophosphates

tetraethylpyrophosphate

Carbamates

Share organiphosphate properties of: mode of action Toxicity lack of environmental persistence low bioaccumulation

Extremely toxic to bees

Carbamates

Sevin

Carbamates

Aldicarb

Carbamates

Amniocarb

Carbamates

Carbofuran

Carbamates

mirex

Microbial Agents and Biological Controls

Living organisms used in the place of pesticides.

Link to cornell

Pesticide Use and Types

EPA Data

World Data EPA

10 years of data EPA

Look up use of each pesticide