Pesticides

A pesticide is a substance that is used to control pests, which includes unwanted plant and animal life, such as weeds. There are four main types of pesticides, which include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and disinfectants. Herbicides are used to kill weeds and other unwanted plants. Insecticides are used to destroy a wide array of insects. Fungicides are used to stop mold and mildew from starting or spreading. Lastly, disinfectants are used to stop the spread of bacteria (Green, 2019).

Misconceptions vs. Disadvantages

 A common misconception around pesticides, is that they are inherently bad and do not have any positive effects. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),  "pesticides are often the only effective way to control disease organisms” (Hsaio, 2015). Furthermore, pesticides protect buildings from structural damage from animals, such as termites and help to prevent outbreaks of diseases by using pesticides to control insect and rodent populations. In addition, pesticides help farmers grow larger amounts of food on less land, because they are able to protect the crops from pests, diseases, and weeds. This means that the productivity per square mile is higher, so the amount of crops that are successfully grown and sold to the public is higher. In turn, this creates less expensive food and clothing and a larger selection of both food and clothing (Hsaio, 2015).

At the same time, there are also negative effects of pesticides, such as the fact that most pesticides are chemically designed to kill certain organisms. These synthetically designed pesticides contain chemical compounds that, if humans are exposed to in large amounts, can create positioning. The effects of pesticide poisoning have been linked to diabetes, cancer, and neurological defects, according to the EPA (Hsaio, 2015).