The impact of pesticides consists of the effects of pesticides on nontarget species.

Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a

destination other than their target species, because they are sprayed or spread
across entire agricultural fields.[1] Runoff can carry pesticides into aquatic
environments while wind can carry them to other fields, grazing areas, human
settlements and undeveloped areas, potentially affecting other species. Other
problems emerge from poor production, transport and storage practices.[2] Over
time, repeated application increases pest resistance, while its effects on other
species can facilitate the pest's resurgence.[3]
Each pesticide or pesticide class comes with a specific set of environmental
concerns. Such undesirable effects have led many pesticides to be banned,
while regulations have limited and/or reduced the use of others. Over time,
pesticides have generally become less persistent and more species-specific,
reducing their environmental footprint. In addition the amounts of pesticides
applied per hectare have declined, in some cases by 99%. However, the global
spread of pesticide use, including the use of older/obsolete pesticides that have
been banned in some jurisdictions, has increased overall.[4]
Agriculture and the environment[edit]
The arrival of humans in an area, to live or to conduct agriculture, necessarily
has environmental impacts. These range from simple crowding out of wild plants
in favor of more desirable cultivars to larger scale impacts such as
reducing biodiversity by reducing food availability of native species, which can
propagate across food chains. The use of agricultural chemicals such
as fertilizer and pesticides magnify those impacts. While advances
in agrochemistry have reduced those impacts, for example by the replacement of
long-lived chemicals with those that reliably degrade, even in the best case they
remain substantial. These effects are magnified by the use of older chemistries
and poor management practices.[4]
Pesticide-based repellents and lawn treatments are becoming things of
the past, as safer alternative products begin to surface. These new
formulas are every bit as effective as their chemical cousins, but
without the negative side effects.

Do you ever wonder how chemical pesticides affect our lives? They
may do more damage than you think, with several potentially harmful
effects on the environment, our health and even inside our home.
Environmental Effects
Chemical pesticides are known to pollute the environment. While their
intended effects are often short-lived, studies have shown that
chemical pesticides linger in the atmosphere, the ground and in our
waterways long after the job is over. Chemicals have been used on
fields across the world for almost 100 years, creating a buildup of
adverse pollution in our environment, which continues to grow with
every application.
Unfortunately, when pesticides are applied onto a surface, they travel
outside their intended area of use by air, soil or water. This is one
common way in which chemical pesticides cause collateral damage,
beyond their intended use. The Agricultural MU Guide, Pesticides and
the Environment, explains that "for certain pesticides to be effective,
they must move within the soiltoo much movement can transfer a
pesticide away from the target pest. This can lead to reduced pest
control, contamination of surface water and groundwater and injury of
non-target species, including humans."
Organizations like the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI) have
been taking strides in recent years to develop standards for these
alternative products. The private nonprofit group is in charge of
determining whether a product, such as a repellent, may qualify as
organic. Unlike chemical pesticides, each approved organic product
must pass a set of rigorous standards to comply with USDA organic
regulations. The criteria for these organic-certified products are put in
place to reduce negative effects to people, animals, and the
environment.
While all types of pesticides are known to travel, organic products are
less harmful in composition, thus minimizing or even eliminating
residual damage. Supporting the use of food-based organic repellents
(e.g. putrescent eggs, capsaicin) will help eliminate potentially harmful
chemical pesticides from the marketplace, and ultimately from the
food we consume.
Effects On Soil and Crops
When farmers across the world began to rely on chemical pesticides, a
drastic change in soil health followed. When the health of soil is

compromised, the nutritional value of the food it yields is compromised

as well. The United States government estimates that levels of trace
minerals in fruit and vegetables fell by up to 76% between 1940 and
1991" says Cleeton. This change is tied directly to the widespread
increased exposure to pesticides.
Chemical pesticides not only deplete the nutritional value of our food,
but they also contaminate it. Research has consistently found pesticide
residues in a third of food, including apples, baby food, bread, cereal
bars, fresh salmon, lemons, lettuces, peaches, nectarines, potatoes
and strawberries. While pesticides are designed to kill living organisms,
they are certainly not meant to enter our bodies.
Going organic allows us to start from scratch with the soil. Decreasing
soil chemical contamination creates an overall "return to nature",
bringing back nutrients and helpful organisms, and yielding clean,
unaltered produce.

Health Effects
Pesticides have been linked to a myriad of diseases. The Pesticides
Literature Review, which is based on studies conducted by a multiuniversity research team in Toronto, concludes, "people should reduce
their exposure to pesticides because of links to serious illnesses.
Results of this study found consistent evidence of serious health risks
such as cancer, nervous system diseases and reproductive problems in
people exposed to pesticidesthrough home and garden exposure."
Similar research has linked exposure to pesticides to increased
presence of neurological disorders, Parkinsons disease, childhood
leukemia, lymphoma, asthma and more. Progressing to organic
repellents is a logical step to potentially help reduce the chances of
disease or disease acceleration.
Remnants of pesticides have been found in the bloodstream of certain
types of cancer sufferers. In The Facts About Organic Foods;
Having More Vitamins and Minerals Protects You From Chronic
Disease, James Cleeton claims that "women with breast cancer are
five to nine times more likely to have pesticide residues in their blood
than those who do not. The apparent link between hormone dependent
cancers, such as those of the breast and prostate, may be via

endocrine disrupting chemicals such as 2,4D and Atrazine (both

herbicides)."
With daunting statistics like these, why not make the move to organiclisted repellents? You too can choose to enjoy a pretty, critter-free lawn
and garden without using potentially harmful chemicals.
Indoor Pollution
Did you know that your exposure to chemical pesticides often
continues while you are inside your home? Pesticides are easily tracked
indoors by you, your children or your pets, and from there they can be
absorbed into your body through your skin or lungs. Its frightening to
think that you could be breathing in the very chemicals used to make
grass grow or kill pests, while you are sitting at the dinner table or fast
asleep in bed.
William Baue from the Childrens Health Environmental Coalition says,
"while many pesticides decompose rapidly when exposed to outdoor
light and heat, in an indoor environment they can persist, sometimes
for years, buried in carpet fibers, furniture, and stuffed toys."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that
levels of indoor pollutants can be two to five times higher than those
found outdoors. In fact, the EPA ranks indoor air pollution among the
top four environmental health risks in the United States. Microscopic
particles and invisible gases can accumulate undetected in your home
until you notice the ill effects. Going organic may help drastically
reduce these indoor air pollutants.