Over the years, synthetic pesticides like herbicides, algicides, miticides, bactericides, fumigants, termiticides, repellents, insecticides, molluscicides, nematicides, and pheromones have been used to improve crop yield. When pesticides are used, the over-application and excess discharge into water bodies during rainfall often lead to death of fish and other aquatic life. Even when the fishes still live, their consumption by humans may lead to the biomagnification of chemicals in the body system and can cause deadly diseases, such as cancer, kidney diseases, diabetes, liver dysfunction, eczema, neurological destruction, cardiovascular diseases, and so on. Equally, synthetic pesticides harm the soil texture, soil microbes, animals, and plants.
Synthetic pesticides, in particular, are harmful due to their application in large quantities, persistent nature, and low water solubility, as well as the ability to affect non-target organisms, including humans. They not only have severe consequences on other non-target organisms and the ecosystem but also adversely affect human health. Globally, efforts are being made to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and search for better alternatives. The application of synthetic pesticides increases the contamination of crop products with an accumulation of harmful chemical residues. The groundwater and soil also get contaminated. The crop pest population gets resistant to synthetic pesticides, which leads to no pesticide effect on the crop. There is another school of thought which suggests that some synthetics (e.g., pyrethroid insecticides), are broad-spectrum and may harm beneficial insects like pollinators and predators, which can lead to secondary explosions of other pests, making further control measures necessary. Natural products may be more environmentally friendly because they are biodegradable and do not contain harmful chemicals. Some people may prefer natural products because they believe that they are more “pure” or “natural” and may have more trust in the safety and efficacy of these products.
Exposure to synthetic pesticides may be associated with adverse health outcomes. Agricultural workers represent a potentially vulnerable population, due to a combination of unique social and cultural risk factors as well as exposure to hazards inherent in farm work. Pesticide exposure among agricultural workers has been linked to certain cancers, DNA damage, oxidative stress, neurological disorders, as well as respiratory, metabolic, and thyroid effects.The main classes of synthetic pesticides are organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. Exposure to pesticides can cause acute (short term) or chronic (long term) effects on animals and humans, especially in the reproductive, endocrine, and central nervous systems.
The dangers associated with the use of synthetic pesticides have necessitated the need for alternative use of organic pesticides (biopesticides), which are cheaper, environment friendly, and sustainable. Biopesticides can be sourced from microbes (e.g., metabolites), plants (e.g., from their exudates, essential oil, and extracts from bark, root, and leaves), and nanoparticles of biological origin (e.g., silver and gold nanoparticles). Unlike synthetic pesticides, microbial pesticides are specific in action, can be easily sourced without the need for expensive chemicals, and are environmentally sustainable without residual effects. Phytopesticides have myriad of phytochemical compounds that make them exhibit various mechanisms of action, likewise, they are not associated with the release of greenhouse gases and are of lesser risks to human health compared to the available synthetic pesticides. Nanobiopesticides have higher pesticidal activity, targeted or controlled release with top-notch biocompatibility and biodegradability. Compared to synthetic pesticides, biopesticides are more effective and safer means of controlling pests, since they have a comparatively mild effect on the environment, and are specific in their target, hence preventing bioaccumulation.
Synthetic pesticides, in particular, are harmful due to their application in large quantities, persistent nature, and low water solubility, as well as the ability to affect non-target organisms, including humans. They not only have severe consequences on other non-target organisms and the ecosystem but also adversely affect human health. Globally, efforts are being made to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and search for better alternatives. The application of synthetic pesticides increases the contamination of crop products with an accumulation of harmful chemical residues. The groundwater and soil also get contaminated. The crop pest population gets resistant to synthetic pesticides, which leads to no pesticide effect on the crop. There is another school of thought which suggests that some synthetics (e.g., pyrethroid insecticides), are broad-spectrum and may harm beneficial insects like pollinators and predators, which can lead to secondary explosions of other pests, making further control measures necessary. Natural products may be more environmentally friendly because they are biodegradable and do not contain harmful chemicals. Some people may prefer natural products because they believe that they are more “pure” or “natural” and may have more trust in the safety and efficacy of these products.
Exposure to synthetic pesticides may be associated with adverse health outcomes. Agricultural workers represent a potentially vulnerable population, due to a combination of unique social and cultural risk factors as well as exposure to hazards inherent in farm work. Pesticide exposure among agricultural workers has been linked to certain cancers, DNA damage, oxidative stress, neurological disorders, as well as respiratory, metabolic, and thyroid effects.The main classes of synthetic pesticides are organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. Exposure to pesticides can cause acute (short term) or chronic (long term) effects on animals and humans, especially in the reproductive, endocrine, and central nervous systems.
The dangers associated with the use of synthetic pesticides have necessitated the need for alternative use of organic pesticides (biopesticides), which are cheaper, environment friendly, and sustainable. Biopesticides can be sourced from microbes (e.g., metabolites), plants (e.g., from their exudates, essential oil, and extracts from bark, root, and leaves), and nanoparticles of biological origin (e.g., silver and gold nanoparticles). Unlike synthetic pesticides, microbial pesticides are specific in action, can be easily sourced without the need for expensive chemicals, and are environmentally sustainable without residual effects. Phytopesticides have myriad of phytochemical compounds that make them exhibit various mechanisms of action, likewise, they are not associated with the release of greenhouse gases and are of lesser risks to human health compared to the available synthetic pesticides. Nanobiopesticides have higher pesticidal activity, targeted or controlled release with top-notch biocompatibility and biodegradability. Compared to synthetic pesticides, biopesticides are more effective and safer means of controlling pests, since they have a comparatively mild effect on the environment, and are specific in their target, hence preventing bioaccumulation.