The Deadly Effect of Pesticides in Silent Spring, a Book by Rachael Carson

A Deadly Effect

More than a quarter million American children, ages one through five, ingest a combination of 20 different pesticides every day (pmac.net/pestprop.html). That means 250,000 children in the United States are eating pesticides daily. Pesticides have been a problem since Rachael Carson opened the eyes of millions of American readers with her book Silent Spring. People and wildlife are exposed to many pesticides every day through food, water, and their surrounding environments. Even though the purpose of these chemicals is to kill insects, they cause damage to other organisms, like crops, in the process.

Drift, which is “the physical movement of a pesticide through the air at the time of application or soon thereafter, to any site other than that intended for application (often referred to as off-target) (entweb.clemson.edu/pesticid/saftyed/driftis.htm) occurs. Runoff of the chemicals into local aquatic systems also causes damage to wildlife. Pesticides are hurting our environment more than they are helping it.

In this paper I will compare and contrast three articles: Smart Spray Practices by Robert E. Wolf-Croplife, Public Health Benefits by Using Pesticides by Jerome Goddard- Pest Control Technology and Sprayer Use in Cameroon by Baleguel Nkot- International Pest Control.

Smart Spray Practices by Robert E. Wolf-Croplife is from a magazine that emphasizes farm technology. It explains basic tips on how to reduce drift when spraying crops. Drift is the leftover pesticide that wanders away from the target and into other habitats such as ponds, lakes, and forests thus, contaminating water and wildlife in neighboring ecosystems.

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The article explains how the wind is a factor in determining where the pesticide must be sprayed, as it might carry the chemicals into local wildlife. Temperature also needs to be taken into consideration. At high temperatures, chemicals are more susceptible to evaporation and can be released into the air causing damage to the ozone.

Wolf acknowledges that there is damage done by pesticides, and by explaining how to properly spray, shows some consideration for the environmental effects of the process. Although spray drift cannot be eliminated, proper equipment and spraying techniques can help maintain spray drift deposits within acceptable limits(Wolf, 28). It still demonstrates the fact that the spraying of crops takes precedence in the industry over concern for damage which results in the environment. This is unacceptable because individuals in the industry realize that these chemicals are harmful to the environment yet they continue to use them. The entire article is pro-use and stands by the idea that sacrifices must be made.