Crop Dusting and Pesticides

Jeanine Stank

jstank@lhup.edu

Pesticide: A chemical used to kill pests, usually insects (www.websters.com).  Can repel or attract pests, including weeds, birds, mammals that are considered annoying.  Most pesticides are poisonous (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/pesticides).

Pesticides can turn out to be very dangerous and even deadly if not handled properly.  The problem with pesticides and crop dusting has become an ever increasing problem.  There are many different types of pesticides along with many uses for each.  The most common types of pesticides I came across are probably the most broad, giving just a brief overview of the purpose of each.  Little do we know, there are pesticides all around us, Pesticides in the home, in the air, the foods we eat, just to name a few.  And it's important for us to know What is a pesticide? and how we can Understand the label!.  There are different make-ups of pesticides, meaning some stay in the atmosphere for a longer period of time thus causing more damage, and some that can be easy washed away or degraded.  Those that stay in the atmosphere for prolonged periods of time are called POP's or Persistent Organic Pollutants.  Out of all the POP's there is a certain group called the "Dirty Dozen" which poses the most harm and the US has signed the Convention of Persistent Organic Pollutants in May 2001 which tries to eliminate or reduce their production (www.epa.gov/oppfead1/international/pops.htm). 

Pesticides and Food

The EPA must do studies on all pesticides before being released to companies so that you the consumer can buy them.  Once the EPA has made their decision they will license/register that product along with strict directions on the label  (www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/govt.htm).  To make older pesticides meet today's standards the EPA is reviewing them again to make any changes necessary.  In 1996 the Food Quality Protection Act was signed to ensure that products met certain standards, and now the old products have to be revised and meet these standards by 2006. 

Pesticides that remain on foods are called residues and there is a certain amount allowed by the EPA to be left on fruits, vegetables, grains as well as other foods that is considered safe for consumption (www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/stprf.htm).  If the levels of tolerance are higher than those set, then that product is seized by the government.  To set this tolerance level, certain characteristics need to be evaluated such as, the toxicity and break-down of the products within the pesticide, how much and how often the pesticide is used and the amount of residue left on the food by the time its ready to be sold in stores (www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/stprf.htm).  Some other agencies involved with this process include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well as state enforcement agencies.  The EPA is working hard to make the environment a safer place and increase human health.

Infants and children are among the most sensitive to the pesticide problem due to many reasons including, the development and maturing of their internal organs, children eat/drink more than adults and their risk to ingest pesticides increases, and children are exposed to more dangerous situations (playing on the floor, in the yard, putting things in their mouths, etc.).  Also, if pesticides contaminate the body during a "critical period" than it could cause serious developmental/biological problems.  Some of the most common foods children ingest pesticides from are: apples, apple juice, orange juice, tomatoes, sugar, eggs, pork, beef and chicken. This information was obtained from www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/pest.htm

The top 10 tips to protect your children from pesticides (http://www.epa.gov/oppfod01/cb/10_tips/index.html):

1. Always store chemicals out of reach of children                                                                                                                                                    2. Read the label first                                                                                                                                                                                               3. Keep children/pets away from areas where pesticides recently applied                                                                                                                 4. Properly reclose the container                                                                                                                                                                              5. Never transfer pesticides from one container to another                                                                                                                                        6. When applying insect repellant read directions carefully first.                                                                                                                                 7. Get your home tested for lead based paints and other dangers.                                                                                                                             8. Ask about lead when buying/renting a home.                                                                                                                                                         9. Get your child tested for lead.                                                                                                                                                                            10. Wash children's hands, toys, bottles frequently.

Organically Grown:

Foods that have not been exposed to any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, growth stimulators and regulators such as hormones.  These foods have also been stored/shipped without additives, preservatives or food irradiation.  There is a three year period that must take place before the land and crops can be considered organic to make certain that all synthetic fibers have been removed.  This also goes for livestock (wild game, poultry, fish, and other non-plant life), to be considered organic, only organically grown feed can be given.  Our dairy cattle have been raised this way for years, waiting a year before their milk can be certified (www.supreme-greens-msm.org/organically-grown.htm).   Some of the different methods used are crop rotation, cultivation, mulching, soil enrichment (http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/foodsafety/az1079.html).  One major down fall to owning an organic farm is price, both for the farmer and the consumer.  According to Gina and Charlie Collins, farmers wanting their farm to be certified it costs about $2,500 (The Arizona Republic), and that's not something to be talked about lightly.  Organically grown foods are safer for the environment and for human consumption. 

There are many animals that have become endangered due to pesticide use, a few I will discuss are the Condor, the Bald Eagle and the Brown Pelican, Salmon, and Steelhead fish.  The Condor, a symbol of pristine (The Bird Site: California Condor) has been the topic for discussion for quite some time now.  Their extinction began around the Ice Age when mammals started disappearing, and in turn lead the condor to start disappearing as well because much of their food was from large mammals.  However, many scientists believe that poison from lead bullets, being shot, DDT, and habitat changes played a huge part in their evaporation.  The birds are in captivation and recently been re-released into the wild in California (The Bird Site: California Condor).  The Bald Eagle has no single cause to their extinction, but it's no coincidence that this was happening during a period of increased DDT and other pesticide usage.  The pesticides would be consumed by smaller animals/birds off of plants and such and would then be eaten by the Eagle.  The pesticides effected both adult and baby birds.  Many times their shells would be too weak to withstand the period of incubation and would be crushed.  Those that weren't crushed often did not hatch due to the high levels of DDT.  Also, in dead adult Eagles they have found large levels of DDT in their fatty tissue and gonads, resulting in infertility.  Awareness was raised and in 1940 the Bald Eagle Act was passed (History of the Bald Eagle).   When this chemical is consumed in the body of the Brown Pelican it affects the birds calcium metabolism, resulting in the same

problems as the Bald Eagle with baby birds (Brown Pelican).  There are still problems with pesticides and the Brown Pelican because their main source of food is fish, which can become contaminated when pesticides run off into the water.  As of January 2004, U.S. District Judge, John Coughenour from Seattle banned 38 commonly used pesticides along rivers and streams where the endangered salmon and steelhead reside.  No-spray zones will be enforced in Washington, Oregon and California.  This ban will prohibit the EPA from spraying (aerial) within 100 yards and ground spraying within 20 of streams and rivers that inhabit salmon and steelhead (The Oregonian).  The judge also ordered the EPA to mark "may harm salmon or steelhead" warnings on lawn and garden chemicals.  This will keep pesticides out of streams and still leave farmers with alternatives to protecting their crops according to Salmon Advocates (The Oregonian).    

For a bit of history and the problem with pesticide

Bibliograpy:

Abgrall, Mary & Misner, Scottie.  May 1998. Part of Food Safety Tips, College of Agriculture, The University of Arizona.                  http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/foodsafety/az1079.html received Nov. 1, 2004.

Alligood, Leon. The Tennessean. Some Fear Drift from Aerial Spraying. p. 1B 3rd Edition April 26, 2004

Burke-Rojas, Joe. The Oregonian.  Judge Upholds No-spray Zones Near Rivers. p. B05 Sunrise Edition May 19,2004

Klein, Lambert. Think Healty-Coral Core. www.supreme-greens-msm.org/organically-grown.htm Received Oct. 28, 2004

Nkruman, Wade.  The Oregonian. Parks Weed Out Pesticides.  p. C01 Sunrise Edition Sept. 29, 2004

Raven, P.H. & Berg, L.R. 2001. Environment. 3rd Edition. Harcourt College Publishers, Philadelphia, PA.

Snyder-Fehr, Kerry. The Arizona Republican.  Fogging Irks Farmers, Chemicals Concern Organic Growers. p. B3 Final Chaser Edition Sept. 17,2004

10 Tips to protect Children from Pesticides and Lead Poisoning in the Home http://www.epa.gov/oppfod01/cb/10_tips/index.html Received Nov. 10, 2004

California's Threatened and Endangered Species: California Brown Pelican. Brown Pelican Received Nov. 10, 2004

Pesticides and Food: Why Children May be Especially Sensitive to Pesticides. www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/pest.htm Received Nov. 1, 2004

Pesticides and Food: How the Government Regulates Pesticides. www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/govt.htm Received Nov. 1, 2004

Regulating Pesticides. www.epa.gov/oppfead1/international/pops.htm Received Oct. 28, 2004

Setting Tolerances for Pesticide Residues in Foods. www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/stprf.htm Received Nov. 1, 2004

Going, Going, Gone? The Bird Site: California Condor Received Nov. 10,2004

www.websters.com Received Oct. 28, 2004

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticides  Received Oct. 28,2004

History of the Bald Eagle Received Nov. 10, 2004