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Herbicides effect on the human body medical research. Are herbicides dangerous? - weeds must be killed, but preferably not with people

Herbicides are not as much talked about as pesticides, they are criticized less. There is an opinion that herbicides interact less with what we eat. However, this is not true. Through groundwater and soil, herbicides poison neighboring plants and environment damaging both nature and human health.

One of the main issues related to the safety of herbicides is the imperfection of the methodology of the tests carried out. According to the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency, the active substance is tested, but the influence of inactive components is not always taken into account.

Typically, the effect of a mixture of chemicals, such as two herbicides or a herbicide with a pesticide, is not tested.

But it has already been proven that chemical compounds can be more dangerous than each component individually.

The danger posed by herbicides

The action of herbicides is based on the imitation of plant hormones. It is not too difficult to assume that they can also harm the human body. The information below shows that herbicide toxicity is by no means a minor issue.

Herbicide toxicity and the environment

Herbicides used on aquatic vegetation have been shown to attack freshwater crustaceans and, as a result, fish that feed on them.

The adverse effect of herbicides on insects, which serve as food for the chicks of such birds as the pheasant and gray partridge, has been established. Moreover, in ecosystems North America these insects play the role of "useful predators".

The results of another study also confirm that the use of chemicals in agriculture(especially herbicides) dramatically changed the natural environment of the temperate zone of North America and Europe.

The impact of herbicides on human health

Studies show that those who work with phenoxy herbicides (one of the most commonly used types of herbicides) have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and soft tissue sarcoma. Workers involved in the production of these chemicals are particularly at risk.

Environmental studies conducted in Kentucky have found an association between the use of triazine herbicides and the risk of breast cancer.

Herbicides can cause birth defects. As one study showed, the likelihood of CM increases in regions where significant amounts of wheat are grown (by 60-90 percent), especially in children conceived in spring time when herbicide spraying is most active (up to 5 times). The use of herbicides and fungicides can also cause infertility in women.

Atrazine (one of the most commonly used herbicides) and other chemicals have been shown to adversely affect the endocrine, immune, and nervous systems.

Safe alternative to herbicides

The above research results speak of the toxicity of herbicides. Here are some ways to control weeds that are safe for human health and the environment.

Weeding by hand. There is nothing more reliable than manual weeding, when weeds are pulled out by the roots, and the minimum amount of their seeds gets into the soil. This is not always the right way, but it should always be considered first.
Mulching (covering the surface of the soil between crops with a layer of organic or inorganic materials) keeps weed seeds from entering the soil and also prevents the growth of new shoots.
Vinegar treatment can be effective in controlling some weeds.
Cornmeal or corn gluten meal sprinkled around the plant prevents new weed shoots from sprouting.

Wherever you end up, it's important to use safe weed control and avoid using poisonous herbicides.

The use of pesticides is detrimental not only to nature, but also to the human body. Every year, more than ten thousand people around the world die from exposure to pesticides and approximately one million are harmed. How do pesticides affect the human body?

These are chemicals that have varying degrees of toxicity, but all, without exception, are dangerous to human health:

The scope of their application is mainly agriculture to protect crops from harmful insects and diseases.
They are also often used as a way to get rid of weeds or to stimulate the growth of crops or various vegetables and fruits.
The use of such additives allows you to collect large volumes of crops. Every year they are increasingly used, today the amount of pesticides used in one year reaches several million tons.
The price of such chemicals depends on the type of pesticide and the duration of action.
With each use of pesticides, their concentration in nature is growing, and this poses a real threat to humanity.

Note. The increase in their number is due to the fact that they have a very long decay time, they are compared with radioactive isotopes.

Why are they dangerous

The most unpleasant property of pesticides is their ability to accumulate in the human body.

They are not only capable of accumulating in large quantities in organs and tissues, but can also remain in the body forever:

The impact of pesticides on the human body can even lead to death.
Very dangerous is the fact that these chemicals can be transmitted from an infected mother to her child, through milk.
Once in the human body, they become the cause of most chronic diseases, poisoning.

Note. If they get through the mother's milk to a small child, then this can contribute to the appearance of anomalies and even lead to death.

Effects of pesticides on the human body

The accumulation of a large amount in the body leads to obesity, but this is only a small part of the harm.

Pesticides are very dangerous because:

Contribute to the disruption of the normal production of hormones in the body, resulting in metabolic syndrome.
lead to lymphoma.
Lead to cancer of the brain, liver, lung, colon, breast.
The effect of pesticides on the prenatal development of a child: increased risk of lung disease.
And the greater the concentration of pesticides, the greater the chance of getting sick.
The occurrence of hyperactivity in a child.
Pesticides cause autism and Parkinson's disease.

The metabolism of pesticides in the human body slows down.

Pesticide poisoning

So:

Strong.
Highly toxic.
Medium toxic.
Low toxicity.

Note. The most common types of harm to the human body are various pesticide poisoning. Different types Poisonings carry varying degrees of danger to humans.

The table describes each of them in detail:

Degree of poisoning	Entry into the body	Symptoms	Consequences of human pesticide poisoning
Mild degree of acute poisoning.		Headache, dizziness, malaise.	On mucous membranes, causing coughing and lacrimation; Diarrhea.
The average degree of acute poisoning.	Upper respiratory tract, alimentary canal.	Vomiting, headache, loss of consciousness.	Violation of the normal functioning of the heart and lungs.
Severe degree of acute poisoning.	Upper respiratory tract, alimentary canal.	Loss of consciousness, severe headache, convulsions, vomiting, fever.	Coma, violation of the normal functioning of the heart and lungs.
Chronic poisoning.	Upper respiratory tract, alimentary canal, through mother's milk to the child.	Insomnia, decreased performance, increased irritability, aggression.	Violation of the nervous system and other disorders.

Herbicides and their effect on the body

Once they were used as chemical weapons during the war in Vietnam. These Monsanto Roundup chemicals are as dangerous as pesticides because they contain huge amounts of arsenic.

They are of several types:

the herbicides themselves.
Arboricides to control shrubs and trees.
Algicides to fight algae.

Note. Herbicides can cause an abnormality of the nasal cavity. This anomaly is called choanal atresia, it leads to a complete or partial narrowing of the bony septum or soft tissues of the nose.

They cause diseases:

Congenital malformation.
Mammary cancer.
Lymphoma.
Sarcoma.
Infertility.

The video in this article will talk in detail about the dangers of herbicides and pesticides for human health. In order to protect yourself from the influence of these chemicals, when using them, you need an instruction that tells about the amount of use, safety precautions and their storage (see).

If it is not possible to purchase protection, then you can make a respiratory mask with your own hands. It prevents pesticides from entering the human body through the respiratory system.

A weed control agent popular among Russians, if it enters the human body, can contribute to the development of cancer. This conclusion was reached by the National Cancer Institute of Brazil, after conducting a series of scientific studies.

Usage

Glyphosate is actively used in agriculture to control grass weeds, annuals and perennials. The drug is very effective and convenient, so the demand for it for decades among Russian summer residents has remained high.

IN this moment(2015) the drug is not banned in Russia. Glyphosate today forms the basis of many herbicides with various names, so pay attention to the composition of the purchased product.

Do not use glyphosate on areas where crops are or will soon be grown. Use it as a last resort for cultivating areas along roadsides and hedges, etc. When processing, be sure to use personal protective equipment.

Preparations containing glyphosate

To date, the following preparations based on glyphosate are on sale: Roundup, Tornado, Purebred, Fighter, Tornado BAU, Typhoon, Rap, Napalm, Liquidator, Zeus, Ground, Glyphos, Glyfor, Glyph-Alt, Gliterr, Glider, Glibest, Glaisel, Agrokiller.

Be careful, watch your health!

Glyphosate story by Euronews

The economic benefits of using glyphosate in industrial scale forces a number of countries to extend its use. However, there is no doubt that in the future this drug will be banned everywhere.

Herbicides are among the strongest biologically active substances that have a different decay period. Residues of some of them can remain in the soil for several years, affecting subsequent crops in the crop rotation. This phenomenon is called “herbicide aftereffect”.

The aftereffect of the herbicide is the effect of the residues of the drug used in previous years on the state of cultivated plants, the soil and the degree of contamination of the current year's crops. Regarding the soil, it is determined mainly by three factors: adsorption, decomposition and migration (movement), which depend on the soil-climatic, agrotechnical conditions, as well as on the properties of the preparation itself.

How to choose the right herbicide?

Insufficient attention of agricultural producers to the choice of herbicides leads to the fact that after several years of widespread use, their side effects appear. The phytotoxicity of herbicides, the residues of which are contained in the soil, is one example of the negative effects of pesticides on the environment and the cultivated plant. The aftereffect is especially characteristic of herbicides with the active ingredients imazetapyr, imazapir, clomazone, belonging to the classes of imidazolinones, and sulfonylurea. The latter are actively used specifically for cereals, so when choosing a herbicide, you should consider what crop you will sow after them. Sunflower, beet and rapeseed are especially sensitive to the effects of sulfonylurea. Virtually all herbicides of the sulfonylurea class can harm crops.

The benefits and harms of herbicides with sulfonylurea

Therefore, with extreme caution should be used herbicides, which include active ingredients based on sulfonylurea. These drugs have a low consumption rate, a wide range of effects and a range of application periods (autumn, spring), favorable toxicological, environmental and economic indicators. They are used in modern integrated systems for the protection of grain crops, flax, potatoes and beets - both in pure form and in tank mixtures, in which the consumption rates per hectare are halved, which means that the risk of an aftereffect in the presence of moisture is correspondingly reduced (especially after winters) and with acidic soil reaction.

A positive feature of herbicides based on sulfonylurea is their ability to synergize with substances of other chemical classes, for example, such as dicamba and derivatives of phenoxyotic acid (2,4-D, 2M-4X and their analogues), etc. The synergy effect makes it possible to achieve high level technical efficiency, as well as reduce the anthropogenic pressure on the environment and the likelihood of accumulation of herbicide residues in the soil. The fact that sulfonylurea is used in very small amounts, on the one hand, is its indisputable advantage, however, on the other hand, it indicates a high toxicity for weedy crops of cultivated plants. The question arises about their possible negative impact on subsequent crop rotation. There are heated discussions about this.

For example, residual amounts of metsulfuron-methyl in soil exhibit Negative influence for crops of buckwheat, rapeseed, beets, millet, sorghum, flax, sunflower. In contrast, preparations based on tribenuron-methyl do not affect subsequent crops in the rotation. During the growing season, soybeans, vegetables, etc. can be sown with the second crop. That is, despite the same mechanism of action, the active substances from this class have an unequal duration of decomposition in the soil, in particular in various types soils. Researchers have identified the following long-acting active ingredients: chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, triasulfuron, tritosulfuron, sulfmeturon-methyl, prosulfuron, and rimsulfuron. Russian scientists provide evidence that such compounds as chlorsulfuron, triasulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl decompose rather quickly in acidic environments, while they remain in neutral and alkaline soils for a long time and have a negative impact on subsequent crop rotations.

The use of these compounds in the conditions of the black earth zone of Ukraine, especially in the Steppe zone, can cause serious problems. The researchers recorded the absence of aftereffects of chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron-methyl only when they were used at rates not exceeding 10 g/ha. Scientists of the Department of Herbology of VNDIF (All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology), when conducting research on chernozem, soddy-podzolic and chestnut soils, observed uneven height of crops of sensitive crops (“waves”) and other visual signs of oppression (yellowing and deformation of leaves, curvature of stems) in overlapping zones when treated with herbicides based on sulfonylurea. To prevent an overdose of drugs from this group, you should carefully check the condition of the sprayer before work, and upon completion, wash the sprayer tank with water with the addition of substances that increase the pH level, for example, sodium hypochlorite (25 g/100 l of water), ammonia (30 g/100 l water), sodium carbonate (250 g/100 l water). Among the hidden signs of the toxic effects of the aftereffect of chlorsulfuron, triasulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, researchers distinguish thinning of the stems, reduction of leaf blades and ovaries, which can cause crop losses in sugar beet, rapeseed, buckwheat or sunflower at a level of 15-25 to 72-94%, and in some cases, even the complete death of cultivated plants was observed. Therefore, the mass application of the above new generation herbicides should be accompanied not only by monitoring their residues in the soil, but also by the use of a series of winter hardiness to prevent and reduce the negative impact of the aftereffect of sulfonylurea derivatives in crop rotation.

How to minimize the harm of herbicides?

To minimize the negative impact of the aftereffect of sulfonylurea herbicides, it is first of all necessary to choose their assortment correctly, taking into account the soil and climatic conditions and the characteristics of sensitive crops. The most effective way to reduce the negative impact of the aftereffect of sulfonylurea derivatives is a crop rotation with sowing crops resistant to these drugs a year after their application. IN next year after using one-component persistent herbicides of this class, it is recommended to sow cereals after cereals. Chlorsulfuron derivatives should be used only once per crop rotation.

Use herbicides based on sulfonylurea at the maximum recommended rates should be used only in case of emergency: with severe infestation, the presence of moderately sensitive or overgrown weeds, and the like. With optimal soil moisture, temperature and the dominance of sensitive weed species, it is better to use these preparations with minimum or average consumption rates. Noteworthy is the use of persistent herbicides based on sulfonylurea in tank mixtures with 2,4-D, 2M-4X, which reduces the likelihood of resistance to them in weeds and makes it possible to reduce the consumption rate of each component of the mixture by two to three times. It is also possible to reduce the consumption rate of sulfonylurea derivatives by combining them with surface-active substances (surfactants) or nitrogen fertilizers, resulting in a synergy phenomenon, or by using these drugs in their pure form in the early stages, when weeds are sensitive to the effects of herbicides. .

To reduce the harm of herbicidal preparations based on sulfonylurea, they should be applied to winter cereals not in spring, but in autumn,

which increases the time for drug degradation. In solving this problem, manufacturers are of undoubted interest in the use of a modern form of sulfonylurea herbicide preparation - an oil-dispersed formulation that contains active ingredients dispersed in a special complex of oil and adhesive derivatives. With traditional formulations of herbicides, their loss from runoff from the treated surface is up to 50%. Drops of MD-formulation do not fly off the leaves and do not drain, but stick to them and interact with the surface of the leaves. This ensures the reduction of unproductive losses of preparations from runoff from leaves and washing off by precipitation, which significantly reduces their penetration into the soil and reduces the likelihood of aftereffect.

It is possible to reduce the harm of herbicides - sulfonylurea derivatives by processing mowed cereal crops for green manure after harvesting, plowing with a skimmer to a depth of at least 15 cm.

Any factor affecting the microbiological activity affects the degree of degradation of the imidazolinones. Soil factors: soil type and texture, moisture, temperature and pH. A sufficient amount of moisture (> 200 mm) in the time interval from the moment of application of the drug to the sowing of the next crop in the crop rotation increases the microbiological degradation of the active substance. Decomposition is enhanced when the amount of moisture is close to the value of the total soil water capacity. Cold weather conditions during the growing season slow down the microbiological activity, respectively, and microbiological decay is reduced.

For example, the active ingredients of the herbicide Euro-Lightning® begin to decompose in the soil at temperatures above 10 ° C, and when it rises, the process accelerates. The harmfulness of the Euro-Lightning® herbicide increases with a decrease in soil pH: the lower its coefficient, the higher the risk of aftereffect. If there is insufficient rainfall between the application of the herbicide and the planting of the subsequent crop, the degradation of the herbicide in the soil may not be complete, as already described above. With a lack of precipitation for growing a culture, they will also not be enough for the microbial decomposition of the active ingredients of the drug. An extended period of abnormally low temperatures can also slow the degradation of this herbicide and increase the risk to a subsequent sensitive crop in the rotation. The benefit of a single herbicide treatment on successive waves of weeds is limited by the impact on subsequent crops in the rotation, so it is important to consider rotation limitations after applying Euro-Lightning® herbicide.

The use of herbicides of the class of symmetrical triazines, which, in turn, contain the active ingredient atrazine (for example, Primextra Gold 720 SC) and promethrin (Gezagard 500 FW, Prometerx 50), are most effective in corn crops. They are relatively slightly soluble in water, so they stay in the soil for a long time and act on weeds for a long time (more than 12 months), which can lead to economic losses in case of sowing crops vulnerable to residual effects of preparations in crop rotation. The most sensitive to symmetrical triazines are sugar beet, fodder root crops, vegetables, wheat, barley, alfalfa, clover. In this regard, it is advisable to introduce such herbicides in areas of permanent corn crops. Sulfonylurea herbicides with active ingredients: amidosulfuron (for example, Arkan 75 WG, Grodil Maxi 375 OD), iodsulfuron-methyl (Grodil Maxi 375 OD Master Musket), metsulfuron-methyl (for example, Khlebodar, Laren Pro 60, Gerbilan, Magnum and their analogues ), prosulfuron (Peak 75 WG) and thifensulfuron-methyl (Granstar Gold 75, Harmony 75, Caliber) are quickly absorbed by the roots and leaves of weeds and are non-toxic to animals and humans. In the year of use of drugs from this group, only reseeding with cereals is allowed. Preparations of the sulfonylurea group (Harmony and its analogues) are forbidden to be used for two years in a row, as well as soil pH ≥ 7. Preparations with the active substance acetochlor (Trophy 90, Harnes and their analogues), amides and nitriles of aliphatic carboxylic acids are used as soil preparations for contact actions. If unfavorable conditions arise for the action of preparations (small amount of precipitation, cloddy field, the preparation is applied without incorporation), they retain their physical properties for a long time.

Not all herbicides are capable of producing a phytotoxic effect for a long time. For example, organophosphorus preparations with the active ingredient isopropylamine salt of glyphosate (Roundup, Napalm, Clinic Duo and their analogues) in the soil are very quickly inactivated by microorganisms or form chelates with heavy metals and are adsorbed by soil particles - they are inert in the soil. A number of factors affect the harm of herbicides or enhance their effect: degradation of pesticides by microorganisms; their chemical breakdown; adsorption by soil colloids; leaching (leaching); volatility; photochemical decay; removal of pesticide residues from the field with crops.

The harm of herbicides is enhanced if the use of pesticides (which retain biological activity in the soil for a long time) is carried out on heavy flooded soils with a neutral or alkaline environment, in late periods, during drought.

Most of the herbicides currently used in agriculture do not adversely affect subsequent crops in the crop rotation, however, if it becomes necessary to re-sow winter crops in the spring, the risk of toxic aftereffect of residues of a number of drugs used in the fall should be taken into account. Based on the research conducted, scientists have developed recommendations regarding the possibilities of reseeding crops after the death of winter cereals or winter rapeseed, depending on the herbicides that were used in the fall on their crops.

Do not forget about the dependence of the dynamics of herbicide decomposition in the soil on a complex of factors (humidity, pH and temperature of the soil, methods of its treatment, and many others), which makes it difficult to form a reliable forecast for the phytotoxicity of preparations for subsequent crops. In particular, the aftereffect is enhanced under conditions of application of drugs at maximum consumption rates, as well as under dry weather conditions after treatments with them, when the decomposition of the active substance of the herbicide occurs slowly. If in doubt, it is better to sow multi-component mixtures of cultivated plants, and to carry out overseeding with seeders with disc coulters.

conclusions

Phytotoxic damage of herbicides depends on soil properties: mechanical composition, acidity, humus content, humidity, temperature, namely the conditions that determine the rate of decomposition of the drug in the soil. The value of soil pH is especially important for detecting aftereffect of pesticides: its high values slow down the rate of decomposition of herbicides, thus increasing the likelihood of aftereffect.

To assess the phytotoxicity of pesticides, the LD50 value is mainly used, which characterizes the concentration of the drug in the soil, reduces the plant biomass by 50% compared to the control. In practice, as a criterion that determines the suitability of soil with drug residues for sowing a subsequent crop, its maximum allowable concentration in terms of phytotoxic indicators (FP), at which there is practically no effect of the drug on the crop, is used. The dependence of phytotoxicity and aftereffect of preparations on soil and climatic conditions makes it necessary to differentiate their indicators in accordance with crops, soil types and regions with different climatic conditions.

I. Storchous, cand. s.-x. Sciences

Is it advisable to use chemicals when growing crops in summer cottages?

Each gardener and gardener has his own reasoned opinion on this matter.

Sometimes there are quite radical views that completely limit the use of chemistry in growing plants, or vice versa, excessive abuse, the main purpose of which is to obtain the maximum possible yield.

Today we will dwell in detail on herbicides - these are substances whose action is aimed at destroying vegetation. In horticulture, selective herbicides are most often used - substances aimed at destroying only weeds.

Like any other chemical, herbicides on the site must be applied correctly so as not to destroy soil microorganisms, do not worsen the quality of grown vegetables and do not harm your health.

Selective herbicides are divided into drugs used to combat various weeds:

Annuals (amaranth, gauze, bedstraw, wild oats, chamomile, dodder, chickweed, wild radish, amaranth, bonfire, etc.)
Biennial (Velcro, sweet clover, henbane)
Perennial (dandelions, wormwood, sow thistle, bindweed, horsetail, wheatgrass, thistle, caustic buttercup, plantain, etc.)

The principle of operation of the substance is simple: getting through the leaves and stems, the composition penetrates the root system of the weed and either slows down growth (destroying the synthesis of amino acids) or completely destroys the plant.

Most often, chemical weeding herbicide comes in powder form. Based on the area of treatment, the required amount of herbicide is dissolved in water, obtaining a working solution of the required concentration.

It is necessary to use the solution immediately, spraying in calm weather in the morning, on not dried dew. Before processing, it is important to clarify the weather forecast, whether precipitation is expected. If 5 hours after spraying has not passed, then the herbicide treatment will have to be repeated.

What are the popular brands of selective herbicides the most popular?

"Lapis lazuli"
"Weeded"
"Lontrel"
"Hacker"
"Pivot"
"Gezagard"
"Dinoseb"

With the help of continuous herbicides, even a heavily abandoned site can be put in order.Most popular in this category
are considered:

"Antipyrey"
"Agrokiller"
"Roundup"
"Tornado"
"Hurricane"
"Deimos"

So, from the foregoing, we can conclude that it is not scary to use herbicides on the site. These substances do not affect the quality of the product, do not accumulate in it, and most importantly - save your time. Strictly following the instructions and applying the drug, you will forget how hard it is to deal with malicious weeds, and your back will be grateful to you for it.