Wildlife and habitat in VS .NET

Creating QR in VS .NET Wildlife and habitat

Pesticides kill pests, but unfortunately they harm innocent bystanders, as well Some pesticides are highly toxic to fish and aquatic organisms, birds, and beneficial insects, such as bees

Poisons harm innocent animals in two ways either immediately or slowly over a period of time A fast-acting pesticide, such as pyrethrum, kills bees and fish, as well as pests, on contact, but it breaks down rapidly in the environment Within a few days, it s harmless Other pesticides, such as the infamous DDT, accumulate in the bodies of animals, harming them over a long period of time In the case of DDT, which was banned in the US in 1972, the chemical accumulated in fish, rodents, and other animals When predators, such as hawks and eagles, ate the animals, they accumulated increasingly larger quantities of DDT, too As a result, they laid eggs with thin shells that broke before they hatched, destroying generations of birds and sending many species to the brink of extinction Pesticide contamination of wildlife has serious implications for humans, too In its report, Chemicals in Sportfish and Game Health Advisories 2000 2001, the New York State Department of Health lists 73 bodies of water within the state from which fish shouldn t be eaten at all by women of childbearing age and children under the age of 15 At most, the department recommends eating no more than a half pound of fish per month from the least contaminated of these waters You can find the full report at wwwhealthstate nyus/nysdoh/environ/fishhtm or call 800-458-1158, extension 27815 Sadly, advisories such as this one exist throughout the United States The US Environmental Protection Agency gathers all state fish advisories at wwwepagov/waterscience/fish

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports pesticide contamination of groundwater in 39 states Groundwater flows below ground in the cracks in bedrock and between soil particles where it collects in large, saturated areas called aquifers The EPA estimated that, as of 1994, 1 percent of the country s groundwater was already contaminated, and that the percentage was increasing rapidly A 2006 report by the United States Geological Survey found at least one pesticide in about half of the wells in urban areas Half of the US population uses groundwater sources for their drinking water the other half gets their drinking water from surface water, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs Surface waters are even more vulnerable to pollution than groundwater and become polluted from runoff water that runs over the ground, carrying pesticides, fertilizers, and soil with it Excess nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers from lawns, farms, and gardens wash into streams, lakes, and oceans where they contribute to excess algae growth Densely growing algae depletes the oxygen in the water, which can kill fish and suffocate the native plant species Nitrogen, the main element in most fertilizers, also moves easily through the soil, especially when mixed with water from rain, snowmelt, or irrigation Depending on soil conditions,

nitrogen percolates down through the soil and enters the groundwater, contaminating wells and other sources of drinking water High concentrations of nitrate a common nitrogen compound can be toxic to children under the age of 6 months and to other mammals, including horses

One of the main reasons to garden organically is to provide safe, wholesome food and a toxic-free environment Despite extensive testing by chemical companies in controlled trials, it s hard to know exactly what pesticides will do in the real world It seems that every time you turn around, another pesticide is making headline news and hastily being pulled off the market Chlorpyrifos is the sixth most commonly used pesticide in the United States Although used extensively in homes, yards, and farms to kill fleas, roaches, ants, termites, lice, and agricultural pests, the chemical is now banned for home use because of its effects on humans Agricultural use of chlorpyrifos also is being curtailed As it turns out, chlorpyrifos harms the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system Children are particularly vulnerable because they crawl around and play on the floor and soil where the chemical is sprinkled and sprayed Ponder this: The EPA now considers 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides, and 30 percent of all insecticides to be potentially carcinogenic, or able to cause cancer A study conducted by the National Cancer Institute found that farmers exposed to chemical herbicides had six times greater risks of developing cancer than farmers who were not exposed Scary stuff