A History Of Pesticides

Download or read book A History of Pesticides written by Graham A Matthews and published by CABI. This book was released on 2018-09-14 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this fascinating book, Graham Matthews takes the reader through the history of the development and use of chemicals for control of pests, weeds, and vectors of disease. Prior to 1900 only a few chemicals had been employed as pesticides but in the early 1940s, as the Second World War raged, the insecticide DDT and the herbicide 2-4-D were developed. These changed everything. Since then, farmers have been using a growing list of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides to protect their crops. Their use has undoubtedly led to significant gains in agricultural production and reduction in disease transmission, but also to major problems: health concerns for both users of pesticides and the general public, the emergence of resistance in pest populations, and environmental problems. The book examines the development of legislation designed to control and restrict the use of pesticides, the emergence of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the use of biological control agents as part of policy to protect the environment and encourage the sustainable use of pesticides. Finally, the use of new technologies in pest control are discussed including the use of genetic modification, targeted pesticide application and use of drones, alongside basic requirements for IPM such as crop rotations, close seasons and adoption of plant varieties with resistance to pests and diseases.

Download or read book Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1993-02-01 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the pesticides applied to food crops in this country are present in foods and may pose risks to human health. Current regulations are intended to protect the health of the general population by controlling pesticide use. This book explores whether the present regulatory approaches adequately protect infants and children, who may differ from adults in susceptibility and in dietary exposures to pesticide residues. The committee focuses on four major areas: Susceptibility: Are children more susceptible or less susceptible than adults to the effects of dietary exposure to pesticides? Exposure: What foods do infants and children eat, and which pesticides and how much of them are present in those foods? Is the current information on consumption and residues adequate to estimate exposure? Toxicity: Are toxicity tests in laboratory animals adequate to predict toxicity in human infants and children? Do the extent and type of toxicity of some chemicals vary by species and by age? Assessing risk: How is dietary exposure to pesticide residues associated with response? How can laboratory data on lifetime exposures of animals be used to derive meaningful estimates of risk to children? Does risk accumulate more rapidly during the early years of life? This book will be of interest to policymakers, administrators of research in the public and private sectors, toxicologists, pediatricians and other health professionals, and the pesticide industry.

Download or read book Banned written by Frederick Rowe Davis and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2014-11-28 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rachel Carson’s eloquent book Silent Spring stands as one of the most important books of the twentieth century and inspired important and long-lasting changes in environmental science and government policy. Frederick Rowe Davis thoughtfully sets Carson’s study in the context of the twentieth century, reconsiders her achievement, and analyzes its legacy in light of toxic chemical use and regulation today. Davis examines the history of pesticide development alongside the evolution of the science of toxicology and tracks legislation governing exposure to chemicals across the twentieth century. He affirms the brilliance of Carson’s careful scientific interpretations drawing on data from university and government toxicologists. Although Silent Spring instigated legislation that successfully terminated DDT use, other warnings were ignored. Ironically, we replaced one poison with even more toxic ones. Davis concludes that we urgently need new thinking about how we evaluate and regulate pesticides in accounting for their ecological and human toll.

Download or read book DDT and the American Century written by David Kinkela and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2011-11-07 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praised for its ability to kill insects effectively and cheaply and reviled as an ecological hazard, DDT continues to engender passion across the political spectrum as one of the world's most controversial chemical pesticides. In DDT and the American Century, David Kinkela chronicles the use of DDT around the world from 1941 to the present with a particular focus on the United States, which has played a critical role in encouraging the global use of the pesticide. Kinkela's study offers a unique approach to understanding both this contentious chemical and modern environmentalism in an international context.

Download or read book The Future Role of Pesticides in US Agriculture written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-11-02 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although chemical pesticides safeguard crops and improve farm productivity, they are increasingly feared for their potentially dangerous residues and their effects on ecosystems. The Future Role of Pesticides explores the role of chemical pesticides in the decade ahead and identifies the most promising opportunities for increasing the benefits and reducing the risks of pesticide use. The committee recommends R&D, program, and policy initiatives for federal agriculture authorities and other stakeholders in the public and private sectors. This book presents clear overviews of key factors in chemical pesticide use, including: Advances in genetic engineering not only of pest-resistant crops but also of pests themselves. Problems in pesticide useâ€"concerns about the health of agricultural workers, the ability of pests to develop resistance, issues of public perception, and more. Impending shifts in agricultureâ€"globalization of the economy, biological "invasions" of organisms, rising sensitivity toward cross-border environmental issues, and other trends. With a model and working examples, this book offers guidance on how to assess various pest control strategies available to today's agriculturist.

Download or read book Pesticides written by Graham Matthews and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-15 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last five decades pesticides have undoubtedly helped toincrease agricultural production and control vectors of disease,however the environmental impact of long term agro-chemical use hasbeen cause for concern along with the effects on human health. In Pesticides, Graham Matthews begins by looking at thedevelopmental history of pesticides, and how crop protection wasachieved before they were in use, how pesticides are registered foruse and what happens to pesticides in food and the environment.Pesticide application and operator safety is investigated and thefuture of pesticides in light of the development of geneticallymodified crops is explored. Provides commercially important information for theagro-chemical industry Addresses all aspects of public concern relating to humanhealth and the environment, including spray drift, bystander,resident and worker exposure Looks at the future of pesticides in light of the increasingprevalence of genetically modified crops Collecting together the most recent research in the area in asingle volume, this book is a vital resource for agriculturalscientists, agronomists, plant scientists, plant pathologists,entomologists, environmental scientists, public health personnel,toxicologists, crop protection personnel and all those involved inthe agrochemical industry and government pesticide registration andlegislation.

Download or read book Toxic Drift written by Pete Daniel and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2007-04-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following World War II, chemical companies and agricultural experts promoted the use of synthetic chemicals as pesticides on weeds and insects. It was, Pete Daniel points out, a convenient way for companies to apply their wartime research to the domestic market. In Toxic Drift, Daniel documents the particularly disastrous effects this campaign had on the South's public health and environment, exposing the careless mentality that allowed pesticide application to swerve out of control. The quest to destroy pests, Daniel contends, unfortunately outran research on insect resistance, ignored environmental damage, and downplayed the dangers of residue accumulation and threats to fish, wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Using legal sources, archival records, newspapers, and congressional hearings, Daniel constructs a moving, fact-filled account of the use, abuse, and regulation of pesticides from World War II until 1970.