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GROUND WATERS BEING CONTAMINATED BY THE PESTICIDES

Junho Lee

Dr. Fletcher

Ground Waters being contaminated by the pesticides

Introduction

In the world today there are no adequate laws that have been implemented of put in place to make sure that water pollution is reduced. Those who come up with policies have to make sure that they have created laws which are governing how the water is being threatened by the use of pesticides.

There are quite a number of effects that are received by humans if the water they consume where these effects are health wise. They include a variety of cancer types, low sperm counts, low birth weights among others. (Foster, S. S. D., Chilton, P. J., & Stuart, M. E. 1991)

If we want to be healthy, then water is very essential for animals, plants and man. There is a problem where we have water that is being polluted highly by metals, pesticides, chemicals among others.

How do pesticides get into the water?

There is almost two billion liters of pesticides that is used in the globe annually in America only. Then in the garden these chemicals are applied through spraying of other means and there is a run off where they move to the rivers, streams or lakes. In the suburbs or urban areas, these pesticides are applied in the lawns, the rain washes then into the gutters where they are drained into the pipes finding their way into the rivers.

Some of these pesticide precipitates drain into the soils, others evaporate into the atmosphere but the highest amount moves to the water we are drinking today and now.

Water contamination by the pesticides

According to a research by the American Geological Survey, there are pesticides that are flowing into the rivers and ground water. It revealed that when the fish and water samples were tested there was a 91% of pesticides. This use of pesticides varied according to the ways in which the lands are used and the geographical location. (Arias-, L. 2008)

The most common type of pesticides that was found in the ground water and rivers is the herbicides. In the suburbs and urban centers insecticides were the most common type of pesticide. During the planting seasons, the pesticides amounts were the highest during the months of April and march but during the harvesting moments, the amounts reduced drastically.

Ground water being contaminated by pesticides

The facts are that above half the population of America are totally depending on the ground water for their daily needs of water where this water comes from the wells, the acquirers and the springs. This water has the lowest amount of pesticides when compared to the surface water and the well water. This is because the amounts of pesticides are slowly filtered by the rocks and the soil.

The pesticide is absorbed into the soil leaving the water. The problem that we have in this ground water is that once it has pesticides absorbed in it, it may take many years to be absorbed by the soil. But the surface water is able to recover more quickly and rapidly. (Halberd, G. R. 1989)

The type of pesticide that is more common and prevailing in the ground water is herbicides when compared to insecticides although they are the ones that exceed the set standards for in this kind of water. There was a study that was carried out in 1989 where residues of 41 pesticides and their products were found in 35 states.

Also well water contains around 50% of the pesticides which shows that it is not safe at all. The question is where the wells get these chemicals from but the answer is that they always tap the ground water from below the places there are agricultural practices and urban areas with high use of pesticides hence the wells get water from ground water that is already infected by the chemicals.

A research from sampled well water was that 13% of the well water was infected by the pesticides especially the herbicides. The most common type of herbicide was atrazine which is not up the standards which are allowed. The wells have more than one kind of pesticides.

How humans are being exposed to the pesticides via ground water

The more weight a person has, the more they drink more in liters. Ground water is a type of water source that is meant for drinking where this water may be found for example in the wells. There is a limited available information that is provided about the amount of pesticide that is found in this water and also the health effects that are experienced by the same.

The EPA in 2016 reported that there is a problem that human is being exposed to leading to risks. An example is in Kentucky where ground water that is infected by the Thiazine herbicides causes breast cancer types, in Missouri there is a low sperm count among the men because of absorbing pesticide known as diazinon, alachlor and atrazine.

The environmental problems being associated by the ground water that is infected with ground water.

In spite of talking about the pesticides affecting humans, they are also affecting the environment all that is surrounding us. We have now begun to understand more about these pesticides destroying our environment today. Where they are doing the following effects to our environment today:

The aquatic organisms are being affected by the presence of these pesticides. This is where they are microorganisms that are present in the water and they end up affecting the process of photosynthesis which is vital in the systems.

Fish is being affected by the pesticide presence in ground water. When the ground water that has been affected by pesticides is used, it is later released to the rivers and ends up affecting the fish sex hormones where they affect the ratio of testosterone and estrogen in the both sex(male and female) of the fish.

It leads to deceased amphibians. In America, the numbers of salamanders, frogs among other amphibians is reducing at a high number. Even if this decline is not related to the use of pesticides, researchers have believed that they are playing some part in this decrease. There is a research that has been conducted that has shown that the presence of atrazine herbicide reduces the possibility of the tadpoles to turn into frogs.

How the regulatory systems are failing in regulating the amounts of pesticides in ground water?

There are rules and guidelines which have been developed by the EPA although there are many criticisms. There are maximum contamination levels which have been stipulated by the EPA for the pollutants of water. The EPA has also tried to make sure that there are secondary maximum levels.

There are complications and uncertainties that have arisen out of this. Below are the failures in regulation which have affected which have led to health effects and environmental that are being caused by the ground water:

There are not drinking standards that have been set for the ground water by the EPA.

There is no consideration of the mixtures and synergies of the products have been researched or studied.

The effects of the presence of these pesticides in ground water has not been evaluated at all.
The effects of these pesticides that include endocrine disruption and responses to people who are sensitive has not been considered at all.

The authorities say that the effects of these pesticides presence in ground water is very acceptable although there are effects which are found including low sperm count and breast cancer particularly in women.

The conclusion and recommendations

In conclusion today there are numerous researches that have been done to prove how much these pesticides are affecting people. The use of these pesticides has been attributed to not only the environmental effects but also chronic illness that are not curable. There is also the death of organisms that are in the environment and they include the amphibians and fish once the groung water is released. (Jury, W. A., Foch, D. D., & Farmer, W. J. 1987)

The authorities can be said to have failed us when it comes to regulating these companies who are producing pesticides and the levels of these chemicals in the water we are consuming. They have also failed to ensure that the farmers apply these chemicals using the right ways making sure they do not leach the ground water.

The government uses data and information which can be said to be not only an assumption but also a lie. The government of America has to make sure that it has reduced the levels of pesticides and enforce new laws that will ensure the health of the people is given the first priority when compare to the others. The has to make sure that the pesticides being produced to the farmers are non-toxic to replace those that are toxic in our markets rescuing our health as soon as possible.

The communities and farmers generally should make sure that they come up with an initiative where they will stop using chemicals that are not toxic and the ones which are good and do not affect the ground water. This will make sure that they are okay when it comes to their health.

References

Foster, S. S. D., Chilton, P. J., & Stuart, M. E. (1991). Mechanisms of groundwater pollution by pesticides. Water and Environment Journal, 5(2), 186-193.

Jury, W. A., Foch, D. D., & Farmer, W. J. (1987). Evaluation of pesticide groundwater pollution potential from standard indices of soil-chemical adsorption and biodegradation 1. Journal of environmental quality, 16(4), 422-428.

Halberd, G. R. (1989). Pesticides pollution of groundwater in the humid United States. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 26(3-4), 299-367.

Arias-, L. (2008). The mobility and degradation of pesticides in soils and the pollution of groundwater resources. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 123(4), 247-260.