What you need to know about Pesticides
What are pesticides?
A pesticide is a poisonous chemical or mixture of chemicals
that is produced or manufactured for preventing, repelling,
or killing any pest.
Pests are living organisms that occur where they are not
wanted or that cause damage to
crops or humans or other animals. Examples include, insects,
mice and other rodents, unwanted plants (e.g. weeds), fungi
and microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.
“Pesticides" is a general term that includes insecticides
(for insect control), herbicides (for weed control), rodenticides
(for rodent control), fungicides (for control of plant disease
fungi), miticides (for mite control), as well as wood preservatives,
disinfectants, products that control algae, etc.
Where can pesticides be found?
All of these common products may contain poisonous chemicals
intended to kill pests:
- Cockroach sprays and baits
- Insect repellents for personal use.
- Rat and other rodent poisons.
- Flea and tick sprays, powders, and pet collars.
- Kitchen, laundry, and bath disinfectants and sanitizers.
- Products that kill mould and mildew.
- Some lawn and garden products, such as weed killers.
- Some swimming pool chemicals.
 Pesticides
can be found in large amounts on commercial farms. Some of
these pesticides may have expired or are no longer used by
the farmer and could possibly leak out of their old containers
and drums that it is stored in. It is estimated that many
thousands of tons of expired pesticides are scattered throughout
Africa.
How can you get exposed to pesticides?
Some pesticides are more harmful than others. Pesticides
can enter the body through:
- Contact with skin and eyes
- Accidental Swallowing
- Breathing
- Eating food which contains pesticides
What health problems are associated with exposure to pesticides?
Pesticides can cause harm to humans and animals because they
are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living
organisms. Overseas studies have shown that young children,
have an increased risk of getting leukaemia or sarconomas
if they live in a home where pesticides are often used, either
in the home or garden. Childhood brain cancer has also been
linked to the use of some pesticides. Symptoms of short-term
exposure to
pesticides include: dizziness, vomiting and nausea, headaches,
difficulty sleeping, skin rashes, muscle twitches and pain,
flu-like fever and breathing difficulties. Exposure to a high
concentration of pesticide could result in death.
Long term exposure to pesticides can lead to more serious
and permanent damage including: cancers, brain damage in children,
lowered IQ, permanent kidney damage,
Most pesticides persist in the environment for a long time
and can continue to have harmful health effects long after
they have been applied.
Other problems with pesticides
One of the most notorious pesticides used to control pests
is a chemical known as DDT.  Althougth
banned in many countries, DDT is still used in South Africa
to control malaria spreading mosquitoes. However, DDT is non-biodegradable
and builds up the food chain and has been linked to breast
cancer.
DDT and other pesticides kill many organisms besides pests.
In applying chemicals to large areas, entire ecosystems are
affected. Some pests also become resistant (genetically) to
some pesticides making the pesticide useless. These pests
pass their genes to later generations. Therefore stronger
pesticides are needed, continuing the cycle. Pesticides also
kill natural predators that may kill the pest population.
Examples of pesticides poisonings
The World Health Organisation estimates that every year 20
000 people die worldwide from pesticide poisoning, out of
an estimated total of 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning
which take place every year worldwide.
Only 10% of pesticides in use today have been adequately
tested for their health risks.
Between 1962 and 1971 during the Vietnam War, U.S forces
sprayed millions of gallons of plant killing pesticides on
Vietnam. One of the chemicals used, known as Agent Orange,
contained the very poisonous dioxin, TCDD. Vietnam estimates
more than a million of its people were exposed to the spraying,
which it blames for tens of thousands of birth defects including
mental and physical handicaps.
On October 1999, at least 26 schoolchildren, some as young
as four, died in a remote Andean village after eating breakfast
cereal apparently contaminated by insecticide. Legal action
was taken against the pesticide company, Bayer.
On May 3, 1991, Anaversa, a pesticide
formulation plant exploded and burned in a densely populated
area of Carboda, in the state of Veracruz. Over 1300 residents
were evacuated and 221 were treated by the Red Cross for poisoning.
Thirteen neighbours who lived or worked on the block facing
the blast site had died of diseases that suggested lethal
contamination. The first to die was a year old baby of leukemia.
What to do in the case of an accident:
Stop contact with the pesticide! In cases of skin
contact, remove contaminated clothes, wash exposed areas
with plenty of mild soap and water In cases of eye
contact, flush with clean water for 15 minutes and seek
medical aid Be sure you know what you were exposed to,
for how long, and where it came from See your doctor
or go to an urgent care facility if needed Have the
label (or at least the full name) of the pesticide to help
in diagnosis and treatment
How to avoid exposure to pesticides
In the home: clean up food spills immediately; store
foods attractive to pests in sealed containers; block up any
entry points for pests to enter the home; and buy pesticide
free foods; wash vegetables thoroughly before eating.
In the garden: Use non-poisonous products; pull weeds
out by hand; use traps, parasites and natural predators such
as ladybugs; use compost and mulch to improve soil health
and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers; use plants
that repel insects, for example basil, chives, mint, garlic,
marigolds, and chrysanthemums, when mixed in with other plants,
help keep pests away.
Safe substitutes
- A number of non-toxic substances can be used to repel
insects. Generally, they are herbs
 or
spices that have a strong smell. Powdered chill pepper,
garlic, peppermint, bay leaves, cloves, citrus oil, lavender,
rosemary, tobacco, peppercorns, and cedar oil can repel
various types of insects.
- For specific house pests, try these solutions:
- For ants: sprinkle powdered red chill pepper, paprika,
dried peppermint, or borax where the ants are entering.
-
For beetles: Kill manually when you see them.
-
For cockroaches: Mix by stirring and sifting 1 ounce TSP,
6 ounces borax, 4 ounces sugar, and 8 ounces flour. Spread
on floor of infested area. Repeat after 4 days and again after
2 weeks.
- For fleas: Feed pet brewer's yeast.
- For fishmoths: Air clothes well in the sun; store in airtight
containers, scatter sachets of lavender, cedar chips, or
dried tobacco in with clothing. Epsom salts also repels
fishmoths.
- For rats and mice: Prevention is the best cure. Seal all
entry points (openings/holes)
and storage containers properly. Cover rubbish. Buy a cat!
- For termites: Any wooden parts of the house should be
at least 18 inches off the ground, as subterranean termites
cannot tolerate being exposed to air and light.
- For slugs and snails: pour half a cup of black caffeinated
coffee on the pests
- For weeds: Spray vinegar on to the leaves of larger weeds.
Make sure to coat the leaves evenly. This works best on
hot, sunny days. The weeds should die within two weeks.
 An
easy all-purpose garlic spray for repelling insects from
plants in your garden, can be made by mixing ½ cup of finely
chopped garlic with 500ml water. Let this mixture sit for
an hour. Strain out the garlic, pour into a spray bottle
and spray your plants.
For more information contact :
groundWork
191c Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg, 3201
P.O. Box 2375, Pietermaritzburg, 3200, South Africa
Tel +27 (33) 342 5662
Fax: +27 (33) 342 5665
Email: team@groundwork.org.za
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