Disadvantages of pesticides and genetically modified foods essay examples

Pesticides are chemical components that are used to repel or kill pests from crops. They are highly effective in pest control allowing farmers to harvest their crops without being attacked by pests. However, research has shown that there are many disadvantages for using pesticides which overrun the advantages.

During application, pesticide vapor and spray get into the environment and affect the applicant through inhalation of the chemical vapor. This can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma and upper respiratory infections. Pesticide operators should therefore wear protective clothing such as gloves, overalls and masks. Untargeted crops surrounding the sprayed crops and water bodies also get affected during application.

Pesticides are also known to remain in the plants long after application. This residue easily finds its way into food when plants are consumed by humans. Other areas that get easily contaminated include ground water and surface water bodies. Fish and other water plants may die in extreme cases of contamination. Plants also develop resistance to regularly used pesticides, with time these pesticides become ineffective. Pests also play an important role in the ecosystem, when they are eliminated, the biodiversity is affected adversely.

Genetically modified foods are characterized by alteration to the genetic makeup of the crop. This is usually done to improve the crops yield, reduce maturity time or increase resistance to disease. GMO’s were made to achieve a positive impact in society but there are several negative impacts associated with it. One of these impacts is that altering the genetic configuration of a living organism may trigger mutation to an organism not fit for human consumption. Consumption of GMO’s also causes to allergies as some of the alterations are new to our body systems.