University of Raparin

MLS department

Fourth stage

The adverse effects of pesticides and fertilizers used in

greenhouses on human health and other living things
around

Prepared by : Sara Hassan

Nozhin Ahmed

Rezhna Sabah

Supervised by : Mr.Salar Shareef

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Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
What is a Chemical Fertilizer For? ............................................................................................................... 4
Harmful Effects of Chemical Fertilizers.................................................................................................... 4
Human Issues........................................................................................................................................ 4
Environmental Issues ........................................................................................................................... 5
What is Pesticides ? ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Pesticides and human health: .................................................................................................................. 6
Acute (Immediate) Health Effects........................................................................................................ 7
Chronic (Long-term) Health Effects ..................................................................................................... 7
Health Effects of Certain Classes of Pesticides ........................................................................................ 8
Impact on environment ........................................................................................................................... 9
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................... 9
References .................................................................................................................................................. 10

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Introduction
The agricultural practices around the world are dependent upon extensive use of
fertilizers and pesticides. These chemical formulations are being added to improve
crop quality and meet the global food demand. Fertilizers and pesticides are also
considered as critical farmland tools for food security. On the other hand, the
inorganic fertilizers and pesticides have many undesirable aspects which cannot be
overlooked. They have properties to remain in soil and environment for a long time
and affect various biotic and abiotic factors. They have adverse effects on soil,
microflora, other organisms, environment, and human health. These undesirable
properties of fertilizers and pesticides have led to the search of another option, i.e.,
sustainable agriculture, which is attracting the farmers and gaining the attention. In
this system, the use of harsh chemicals is avoided and other methods such as organic
farming, biofertilizers, composting, and use of bio control agents etc. are adopted and
that is sustainable agriculture. Keeping all these aspects in view, this chapter aims at
discussing various impacts of fertilizers and pesticides on soil structure, composition
and environment along with the various alternatives to inorganic fertilizers and
pesticides, so that preventive measures can be taken to conserve the nature.

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What is a Chemical Fertilizer For?
A chemical fertilizer is a natural or synthetic substance that is applied to
soil for the purpose of supplying nutrients essential to plant growth.
Chemical fertilizers can be categorized into two types, namely organic
and chemical. Here’s how they differ: an organic fertilizer come from
organic sources including plants and animal manure. These fertilizers
are more eco-friendly but they are not ideal for commercial purposes
since they tend to be expensive and have lower productivity.

However, there is an existing argument about organic food and its

safety. It is still a widely debated topic if organic food is really safer than
its inorganic counterpart. A chemical fertilizer, on the other hand, come
from inorganic sources which undergo chemical processes, and they
tend to be cheaper. They also provide much greater crop yield as
compared to the organic type. However, these chemical fertilizers have a
widespread impact on human health.

Harmful Effects of Chemical Fertilizers

Human Issues
At the very least, food crops produced using chemical fertilizers may not
be as nutritious as they should be. This is because chemical fertilizers
trade fast growth for health in plants, resulting in crops that have less
nutritional value. Plants will grow on little more than NPK, but they will
be missing or developing less of essential nutrients such as calcium,
zinc, and iron. This can have a small but cumulative effect on the health
of people that consume them.
At worst, chemical fertilizers may increase the risks of developing
cancer in adults and children and adversely affecting fetal brain
development. This is not news to scientists. A 1994 study by the
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University of Wisconsin suggest show that typical concentrations of
nitrate (a common fertilizer) and a pesticide in the groundwater may
compromise the nervous, endocrine, and immune system of young
children and developing fetuses. A study in 1973 associates high levels
of sodium nitrate in groundwater with the prevalence of gastric cancer,
and another one in 1996 with that of testicular cancer.
A relatively recent study, however, shows that chemical fertilizers may
play a significant role in the development of methemoglobinemia,
otherwise known as Blue Baby syndrome. Researchers believe the
condition results from feeding the infants with baby formula using well
water contaminated with nitrates. The baby literally turns blue and may
eventually lead to coma or death. Chemical fertilizer contamination is
not just a danger in rural areas, either. Much of the excess fertilizer
originates from cities, applied over residential and commercial lawns
and making their way to the water supply. The problem is such that
many cities have laws restricting the use of chemical fertilizers in public
spaces.

Environmental Issues
One of the problems with chemical fertilizers is they seep through the
soil into the groundwater and other water sources, leading to
contamination. Now, NPK in small quantities is non-toxic, but a lot can
kill the balance of nature in various ways. Nitrogen is especially tricky.
One way is by doing exactly what it is supposed to do, which is help
plants grow. The problem is it creates what experts call a dead zone.
When it is in the water, it encourages the growth of plankton and other
aquatic plants to excessive amounts. When they die, the process of
decomposition eats up oxygen that fish and other aquatic animals need
to survive. As a result, the waters closest to the land where agricultural
runoff is also heaviest are empty of fish and crustaceans. This upsets the
ecosystem of the area and the local fishing industry.

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It would not help much to stop using chemical fertilizer in the worst hit
areas. Nitrogen in the water can persist for many years, so it will
continue to affect the environment even without adding more.
Another problem with nitrogen is it contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Dubbed the "other greenhouse gas," nitrogen is just as bad as carbon
dioxide in global warming, but is not as famous. The main sources of
nitrogen in the atmosphere in the form of nitrous oxide are power plants
and cars, but using more nitrogen fertilizers than crop plants can absorb
plays a significant role.
In addition, chemical fertilizers can make the topsoil acidic, because
nitrogen lowers the pH of the soil. The ideal pH for maximum plant
growth and crop yield is between 5.5 and 8. If the soil is too acidic (pH
lower than 5.5), it will yield less crops.
The environmental issues of using chemical fertilizers are bad, and they
will take many years to address. However, an immediate concern with
chemical fertilizers is the effect on human health.

What is Pesticides ?
Pesticides are chemical compounds are used to control various pests and
disease carriers, such as mosquitoes, ticks, rats and mice. Pesticides are
used in agriculture to control weeds, insect infestation and diseases.
There are many different types of pesticides; each is meant to be
effective against specific pests.

Pesticides and human health:

Pesticides can cause short-term adverse health effects, called acute
effects, as well as chronic adverse effects that can occur months or years
after exposure. Examples of acute health effects include stinging eyes,
rashes, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and death.
Examples of known chronic effects are cancers, birth defects,

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reproductive harm, immunotoxicity, neurological and developmental
toxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system.
Some people are more vulnerable than others to pesticide impacts. For
example, infants and young children are known to be more
susceptible than adults to the toxic effects of pesticides. Farm workers
and pesticide applicators are also more vulnerable because they receive
greater exposures.
For more information about the effects of specific chemicals or pesticide
products, see Pesticide Action Network’s Pesticide Database. For a
survey of scientific studies linking pesticides to specific diseases,
see Beyond Pesticides’ Pesticide-induced diseases database.

Acute (Immediate) Health Effects

Immediate health effects from pesticide exposure includes irritation of
the nose, throat, and skin causing burning, stinging and itching as well as
rashes and blisters. Nausea, dizziness and diarrhea are also
common. People with asthma may have very severe reactions to some
pesticides, particularly pyrethrin/pyrethroid, organophosphate and
carbamate pesticides.
In many cases, symptoms of pesticide poisoning mimic symptoms of
colds or the flu. Since pesticide-related illnesses appear similar or
identical to other illnesses, pesticide poisonings are often misdiagnosed
and under-reported. Immediate symptoms may not be severe enough to
prompt an individual to seek medical attention, or a doctor might not
even think to ask about pesticide exposure. Still, seek medical attention
immediately if you think you may have been poisoned by pesticides.

Chronic (Long-term) Health Effects

Chronic health effects include cancer and other tumors; brain and
nervous system damage; birth defects; infertility and other reproductive
problems; and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs and other body

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organs. Chronic effects may not appear for weeks, months or even years
after exposure, making it difficult to link health impacts to pesticides.
Pesticides have been implicated in human studies of leukemia,
lymphoma and cancers of the brain, breasts, prostate, testes and ovaries.
Reproductive harm from pesticides includes birth defects, still
birth, spontaneous abortion, sterility and infertility.
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that — often at extremely low doses
— interfere with important bodily functions by mimicking or blocking
hormones (the chemical messengers that circulate in blood and regulate
many body processes including metabolism, brain development, the
sleep cycle and stress response). Some pesticides act as endocrine
disruptors and have been shown to cause serious harm to animals,
including cancer, sterility and developmental problems. Similar impacts
have been associated with human exposure to these chemicals.

Health Effects of Certain Classes of Pesticides

Organophosphates & Carbamates: These pesticides are like nerve

gas: they attack the brain and nervous system, interfering with nerve
signal transmission. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness,
vomiting, chest pain, diarrhea, muscle pain and confusion. In severe
poisoning incidents, symptoms can include convulsions, difficulty
breathing, involuntary urination, coma and death. Acute poisoning of the
nervous system by these pesticides affects hundreds of thousands of
people around the world each year.
Soil Fumigants: These pesticides are applied to soil, forming a gas that
is toxic to nematodes, fungi, bacteria, insects, and plants in the soil.
Because they are gases, they move from the soil into the air and expose
people living or working nearby. Commonly used soil fumigants in
California include 1,3-dichloropropene, chlorpicrin, metam sodium, and
metam potassium. Symptoms of fumigant exposure include irritation of
skin, eyes, and lungs (dichloropropene and chloropicrin), and extremely
irritating to eyes and lungs (metam sodium and metam potassium).
Dichloropropene, metam sodium, and metam potassium are all cancer

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causing chemicals and metam sodium causes reproductive harm. In
counties where fumigant use is high, premature birth is more
common than in counties with low fumigant use.
Pyrethroids: These insecticides are synthetic chemicals that are
structurally similar to botanical compounds but have been designed to be
more persistent. They are toxic to the nervous system, and there is
concern that during pregnancy a fetus is not able to efficiently break
down these chemicals. Symptoms of pyrethroid poisoning include
tremors, salivation, headache, fatigue, vomiting, stinging and itching
skin, and involuntary twitching.

Many pyrethroids also cause long term health problems. For

example, resmethrin causes both cancer and reproductive
harm. Cypermethrin, fenvalerate, and deltamethrin all cause genetic
damage and reproductive harm. Data from the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention’s national biomonitoring program links
pyrethroid exposure to heart disease.

Impact on environment

Pesticides can contaminate soil, water, turf, and other vegetation. In addition
to killing insects or weeds, pesticides can be toxic to a host of other
organisms including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants.
Insecticides are generally the most acutely toxic class of pesticides, but
herbicides can also pose risks to non-target organisms.

Conclusion
The small amounts of pesticides that remain in the food supply will
cause no immediate reaction but could cause health problems if
routinely consumed over a long period. An answer to this is the bio
fertilizers, an environmentally friendly fertilizer which is being used in
many countries. Hence, there is an urgent need to transfer this

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technology on the farmer’s field and in to an industry by producing these
fertilizers on large scale.

References
Bernardes, M.F.F., Pazin, M. and Dorta, L.C.P. and D.J. (2015). Impact of Pesticides
on Environmental and Human Health. [online] www.intechopen.com. IntechOpen.
Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/48406.

Claydon, S. (2017). Health Effects of Pesticides - Pesticide Action Network UK.

[online] Pesticide Action Network UK. Available at: https://www.pan-uk.org/health-
effects-of-pesticides/.

Berg, M. and Meehan, M. (2017). Environmental Implications of Excess Fertilizer

and Manure on Water Quality — Publications. [online] Ndsu.edu. Available at:
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/environment-natural-resources/environmental-
implications-of-excess-fertilizer-and-manure-on-water-quality.

Drugwatcher.org. (2021). Harmful Effects of Chemical Fertilizers on Human Health •

Drugwatcher.org. [online] Available at: https://www.drugwatcher.org/bad-health-
effects-of-fertilizers/.

Engel, H. (2008). Negative & Positive Effects of Pesticides & Fertilizer. [online]
Sfgate.com. Available at: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/negative-positive-effects-
pesticides-fertilizer-38216.html.

Baweja, P., Kumar, S. and Kumar, G. (2020). Fertilizers and Pesticides: Their Impact
on Soil Health and Environment. Soil Biology, pp.265–285. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-
44364-1_15.

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