CHEMICALS!!! A word that has come to draw fear in nearly everyone. We hear about diseases, cancers, and ailments too nasty to describe. Pesticides is another word that society has come to demonize. When we dig a little deeper the truth is not as gruesome.
Technology has come so far, and our awareness of the dangers of misuse have made our world such a safer place. Chemicals surround us, all the time. Not a day goes by that you ingest, absorb, and breathe some type of chemical. We need chemicals to survive. Oxygen and carbon are the basis of life. Without these two chemicals life would not exist. These are naturally occurring chemicals, so we have come to believe that they are safe. When we hear the names of some of the ingredients in regular products, many people squirm. Isopropanol, sounds horrible, but when we call it rubbing alcohol, it seems nearly harmless. So what is it that has caused this fear to dwell in the majority of people?
We constantly hear about the negative things that chemicals have brought about, but we never talk about the fantastic things that these products have brought about. The countless lives that have been saved due to the advances in chemistry. Instead we are blasted with authors like Rachel Carson, whose unbased claims cost the lives of millions of people.
So what about these synthetic, man-made chemicals? Most pesticides are derived from naturally occurring compounds. The Chinese were the first to discover the effects of pyrethrum, the chemical in mums which not only repels insects, but kills them as well. About 3 thousand years ago, they would crush the plants and make an insecticidal powder. Today, we are able to make this compound and it is as safe as the naturally occurring form, and in many cases safer. When we hear natural, we think safe. The truth is anything is poisonous at some level, even drinking too much water will kill you. Nicotine is another naturally occurring pesticide. Nicotine based insecticides have very beneficial qualities; like they do not repel insects, they aid in resistant management, and they can be translocated in plants.
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or DDT, had been demonized until recently. The majority of the population haven't even heard that the World Health Organization (WHO) deemed DDT safe even for indoor use in 2006. When used properly, the WHO has found that it poses no risk. The amount of lives that will be saved due to this scientifically based finding will be astronomical. Every one of Rachel Carson's claims in Silent Spring, have been proven to be nonexistent. Although her name is not as commonly known as it was in the past, it was this book that led to the bans on DDT. It is being implemented in many areas around the world today, due to its residual effects and success especially in malaria stricken regions for mosquito control.
Resistance to pesticides is a common problem. Each class of pesticide effects pests in a different manner, we call this a "mode of action". Resistance management is something that we should all take very seriously. One of the best resistance management techniques is to change the mode of action, or combine 2 modes of action to an application. Once a population goes resistant to a specific mode of action, that entire class of pesticides will be rendered useless and an option to control the pests will no longer be available. An example of this is bed bugs. Many of the pesticides available are in a class called pyrethroids. Pyrethroids are synthetic pyrethrum, the chemical in mums that has insecticidal properties. These products are readily available, and since the bans on more residual pesticides, they have become the most commonly used especially when it comes to the general public. Eventually, bed bugs had become resistant to these products and have rendered most of these products useless in control.
This is where technology and chemistry have come to our rescue. Science has taught us that the best way to control pests is using a systematic approach called Integrated Pest Management. Instead of depending solely on chemicals, the approach involves first looking at cultural solutions, then mechanical, followed by biological means, and lastly the chemical approach. Chemistry has given us several options when it comes to modes of action. Furthermore, science has taught us how to use these products safely, both for our health and the health of the environment.
So the next time you get squirrely when you hear the term chemical, sit back take a nice sip of H20 (water), take a deep breath of 02 (oxygen), and relax in your clothes made of C6H10O5 (cotton). Everything in the universe is made of chemicals. The truth is, we need to mitigate the risks of overexposure, follow precautions that keep us safe, and realize that chemicals are a tool, but not the only tool. Safety comes from proper use and knowledge of what is being utilized.
