eChipmunks

Can liquid pest control affect the environment?

How does liquid pest control negatively affect the environment? Like if there was a giant spill on like the middle of the highway how could the environment be affected? thanks :) best answerr will get best answerr!

Public Comments

1. Yes. Liquid pest control would kill pests but also damage other organisms. Animals might eat some of it and be poisoned. It probably wouldn't effect plants but it is possible that it could. If an animal is poisoned, the likelihood that another animal would be poisoned is higher.
2. If this is for a school project: I guess the major problem with pesticides are their fall out and effects on the food chain. By eliminating one species, you are breaking a link in a food cycle. After that a whole mess of things happen. For personal concerns: Some pesticides can effect animals. I think there was a case back in the states where entire flocks of wild geese were being brought down. It can also be toxic to in hale and skin irritant. If you're using it on vegetables, then it could be poisonous. Hope that helped.
3. liquid pesticides get absorbed like water into the soil and eventually reach the underground water and pollute it. and according to your example, if there is a giant spill on a highway and it rains (doesn't matter when it rains) over it and the toxins from that spill get washed away from the road, and that's not it yet! they get into the drainage system with that water and this drainage water further goes out into seas, lakes, river, etc. and same with the care washing thing and other stuff you must be thinking that drainage water is treated before it goes to lake or whatever. yes that's correct! but! now that's a big but the enzymes used to break down the chemical waste cannot/don't act on those pesticides because each enzyme is specific to its substrate (a substrate is a molecule that an enzyme breaks down, eg: gulcose) just like a lock cant be opened by using a key of another lock (unless you have like a master key or something). the enzyme thing might be kinda comlicated to you is you are under grade 11, but if you want to learn about them here is a great link to learn about the interesting stuff that how chemicals are broken apart by enzymes (it will also tell you the waste thingy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitive_inhibitor or you can google "competitive inhibitor" and other than that, there is that food chain stuff- the toxins travel from one group to another and pesticides not only kill the pests but also kill the friendly insects/animals that are helpfull for the proper growth of crop plants
4. the liquids dont really have any affect to the enviroment unless you are applying near streams or rivers or other water bodies. also if its something you buy over the counter it will wear off quick. but the nasty stuff like chlordane, ddt ,dursban and the likes.last a long time in the enviroment and can cause ill effects on people and animals especially birds and fish and BEE'S.