An agrochemical is any substance used to help manage an
agricultural ecosystem, or the community of organisms in a farming
area. Agrochemicals include: fertilizers, liming and acidifying
agents, soil conditioners, pesticides, and chemicals used in animal
husbandry, such as antibiotics and hormones. The use of
agrochemicals has been critical to the raising crops for food.
However, some of these chemicals cause substantial environmental
and ecological damage, greatly reducing their benefits. Various
agrochemicals are given to livestock. Antibiotics are administered,
either by injection or combined with feed, to control infectious
diseases and parasites that often arise when animals are raised
under extremely crowded conditions. Hormones are routinely
administered to increase the growth and productivity of animals,
such as the bovine growth hormone given to cows. Agrochemicals
(mainly pesticides and fertilizers) represent an important tool to
support and improve crop industry, agriculture technologies and
livestock. In fact, an optimized use of such compounds along with
correct methods and application ensures an increase in crop
production, thus reducing costs. However, some agrochemicals can be
very hazardous to the health of workers, people in general and also
to the environment. An enormous amount of these agrochemicals have
been found in our planet, thus raising doubts related to their
potential effects on ecosystems. In this framework, the huge
international market of agrochemicals leaded to an increased
interest in researches focused to better understand mechanisms,
effects and risks of these compounds. In this book a global
overview on agrochemicals is proposed. In a first section, the
principal types of agrochemicals (e.g. pesticides, insecticides,
and fungicides), fertilizers and new production technologies are
reviewed. The second section focuses on some sustainable
alternatives to classical agrochemicals. Finally, the relationship
between commonly used agrochemical compounds and cardiovascular
diseases among farmworkers is also discussed. While agrochemicals
increase plant and animal crop production, they can also damage the
environment. Excessive use of fertilizers has led to the
contamination of groundwater with nitrate, a chemical compound that
in large concentrations is poisonous to humans and animals. In
addition, the runoff of fertilizers into streams, lakes, and other
surface waters can increase the growth of algae, leading to the
death of fish and other aquatic animals. Pesticides that are
sprayed on entire fields using equipment mounted on tractors,
airplanes, or helicopters often drift away from the targeted field,
settling on nearby plants and animals. Some older pesticides, like
the powerful insecticide DDT, remain active in the environment for
many years, contaminating virtually all wildlife, well water, food,
and even humans with whom it comes in contact. Although many of
these pesticides have been banned, some newer pesticides still
cause severe damage. In North America, for example, it is believed
that millions of wild birds are killed each year from exposure to
the agricultural insecticide carbofuran. These and other
environmental effects have prompted researchers to search for
nonchemical methods of enhancing soil fertility and dealing with
pests. These alternatives, however, are still quite expensive at
the beginning of the twenty-first century and are not yet in
widespread use.
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