Super Eco

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A pesticide is an agent which destroys invasive organisms. While the term "pesticide" is typically used to describe chemical agents which kill insects, the term encompasses natural pest inhibitors as well as herbicides, antimicrobials, fungicides, and any number of other pest killers. Many pesticides are considered toxic or harmful to humans; organic farming methods do not utilize any manufactured or otherwise toxic pesticides.

Pesticides can be used in homes, businesses and in bodies of water, as well as in agriculture. Major uses include the elimination of mosquitoes to prevent the spread of malaria; de-worming, de-lousing and other parasite control; killing roaches and rats in restaurants and other businesses; termite elimination; and the control of invasive weeds and other organisms.

In the 1940s and 1950s, shortly after the discovery that DDT was an effective pesticide, manufactured pesticides came into extremely wide use. The environmental impact of this widespread use is enormous and may never be fully known. Pesticides are extremely dangerous for farm workers exposed to them; the WHO estimates that 3 million workers experience severe pesticide poisoning each year, and 18,000 die. Over 98% of sprayed pesticides impact some part of the environment other than the species they were designed to kill; pesticides persist in ground water and in the soil, in the air, on the surface of fruits and vegetables, in seeds, and in the meat of animals which have eaten tainted feed. Health effects from pesticide poisoning include cancer, skin and eye problems, abdominal pain, respiratory problems, depression, neurological deficits, birth defects, and miscarriages. While opinions on the extent of the danger of pesticide use vary, no one today argues that pesticides are benign.

Alternatives to pesticides

Crop rotation, polyculture, timing or location of crops away from pest's habitat, introduction of natural predators and use of trap crops are all popular methods of controlling pests without pesticides. Spraying hot water has been shown to be effective in controlling insects. Pesticides consistent with organic agricultural practices include vinegar and soap.