Residual effect of pesticides and safety measures

1. Residual effect of pesticides
& safety measures
Submitted by-
DIKSHA SINHA
BAC/M/PLPATH/001/2017-18

2. Global level of agrochemical consumption
& use

3. Environmental & Health Hazards
Environmental hazards
Adverse effects on
• Soil
• Water
• Air
Health hazards
• Risks on human health caused by
occupational exposure or from
residues in food & drinking
water.

4. Negative impact on Soil health
• Kills beneficial organisms
• Damage the natural texture of soil
• Alters the pH
• Increases soil toxicity
• Decreases soil quality
• Residual effect

5. Effect on water
• Water becomes unfit for drinking
• The run-off of agrochemicals in water bodies can
increase algal growth and cause eutrophication.
• Polluted water leads to death of fish and other aquatic
animals.
• Excessive use of agrochemicals leads to groundwater
contamination.

6. Effect on air
• Pesticides can contribute to air pollution
• Pesticide drift occurs when pesticide particles
suspended in air are carried by wind to far off places.
• Low relative humidity and high temperature favour
more spray evaporation.
• The polluted air is inhaled by humans and cause
different diseases.

7. Adverse impact on Human health
• Direct effect
ingestion
direct skin exposure
• Indirect effect
through contaminated air or water
biomagnification in the food chain

8. Residual effect of fungicides
• The prolonged presence & persistence of fungicides in agricultural soils and
crop harvests can cause adverse effects to soil organisms and consumers.
• Fungicide residues that get into surface & ground water poses threat to the
biodiversity & functioning of aquatic ecosystems.
• Pesticide residues generally remain in top 15cm layer of soil which is also
the region of greatest soil microflora activity. This favours interaction of
pesticide residues with the flora of soil ecosystem.

9. Persistence & accumulation of fungicides in soil
• The fate & behaviour of fungicides in the environment is influenced by the
properties of:
a.) the chemical (ability to bind to soil, susceptibility to degradation), and
b.) environmental factors (soil type, rainfall, topography, agricultural management
practices).
• The 2 most commonly used inorganic fungicides, Cu and S are structural elements
& thus do not breakdown in the environment.
• The persistence (or rate of breakdown) of organic fungicide compounds is related
to their chemical structure ( like molecular weight, strength of chemical bonds,etc.)

10. Safety Measures
• Operator protection
* Wear protective clothing and protective gloves when handling the chemicals.
* Don‘t eat, drink or smoke during application
* Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after work and before meals.
• Environmental protection
* Don’t contaminate surface water or drains with chemicals or used containers.
* Strictly follow the instructions on label for storage in original container &
disposal.

11. References
• Damalas, Christos A. and Eleftherohorinos, Ilias G. Pesticide Exposure,
Safety Issues and Risk Assessment Indicators. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public
Health 2011, 8, 1402-1419.