“Pesticide Levels in Waterways
Have Dropped, Reducing the Risks to Humans”
By: Michael Wines
Source: New York Times
The
development of safer pesticides have helped improve safety from harmful ones.
In a reseach study conducted by the United States Geological Survey, there were
about a large amount of pesticides found from 200 sampling points. This
statement means that researchers found pesticides from random points in a
stream or river. From 1992 to 2001, seventeen percent of agricultural streams
and five percent of other streams were reported to have at least one pesticide
that had surpassed its containment level. However, from 2002 to 2011, study
showed that only one pesticide was found in only one stream across the nation. This
decline in the number of pesticides occurred because of the introduction of
newer and less dangerous pesticides. Also, further actions have been taken to
contain the use of dangerous pesticides. Wes Stone, a hydrologist from the
Geological Survey said, “It’s very clear in the data that regulatory changes in use do
affect what you see in the streams”(1).
The pesticides that were found in streams were known to
affect the aquatic life of the animals living in the stream. The amount of
pesticides that would be harmed due to the older and newer parasites jumped
from fifty-three percent to ninety percent. The main reason in the increase of
affected aquatic life percentage is the introduction of two new parasites,
fipronil and dichlorvos, which are found in roach killers and dog de-wormers.
Newer parasites were found to affect aquatic life more than human life.
Although the introduction of new parasites in the
streams may have solved the issue on water contamination for humans, it has
begun to affect the life of all the animals living in the stream. It is
important to find a way to improve health conditions for humans, especially in
water, but killing other wildlife is not the correct way to do it. Researchers
should try to stop introducing newer parasites that may seem to be an
alternative to previous ones without fully understanding the effects it could
have on the wildlife.
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