PESTICIDES
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Pesticides are chemicals that are used in agriculture and forestry for the control of pests, diseases or weeds and act as a vector control agent in livestock production and public health programme. Pesticides have thus contributed significantly to the public health in two ways — by improving food security through increased food production and reduced post-harvest losses and by reducing human suffering through the control and suppression of the vectors of dreaded diseases like
Malaria and Dengue etc. As pesticides are inherently toxic to living organisms, these are also likely to affect the health of human beings. However, the toxicity of different pesticides to humans varies greatly and the adverse effects on health may be prevented by choosing the least toxic pesticides as well as measures to reduce human exposure. Currently, in the pesticides market in India, the biggest proportion is of insecticides which are 72%.
2. In spite of the numerous advantages of the pesticides, the insecticide residue encountered in food, fruits and vegetables, cattle and human milk, fat and blood, drinking water and soil and other components of the environment is the cause of serious concern. The pesticides may also affect the non — target organisms, including beneficial insects honey bees and other pollinating insects, parasites and predators, birds, fish and other aquatic and wildlife, thus disturbing the natural balance by influencing the food chain. Acute and prolonged exposure to pesticides is known to cause epilepsy, loss of memory, cancer, miscarriage, damage to the immune system, kidney and liver malfunctioning, allergic reaction to skin and many other ailments. The immediate symptoms of acute pesticide poisoning include excessive salivation, vomiting, cramps and diarrhoea.
3. Suicide attempts and homicides, mass poisoning from contaminated food, chemical accidents in industry and occupational overexposure in agriculture are the causes of most of the serious health effects. The indiscriminate use of pesticides in unrecommended doses on vegetables, particularly when the prevailing market rates are high (e.g. off-season vegetables) are a common practice with the farmers in several areas in India. Such an unscientific approach in pesticides usage threatens consumer safety, quality and security and hence need to be curbed.
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer each of the questions given below with the help of options that follow:
(a) The effect of pesticides on humans can be reduced if one can
(i) reduce human exposure to pesticide
(ii) choose the least toxic pesticide
(iii) all of the above
(iv) none of the above
(b) the matter of grave concern is that
(i) the effect of pesticides on vectors
(ii) the effect of pesticides on the soil
(iii) the residue insecticides left on fruits, soil, food, water etc;
(iv) all of the above
(c) one of the more serious health effects of these chemicals is
(i) diarrhoea (ii) cramps
(iii) epilepsy (iv) vomiting
(d) Cancer can be caused by
(i)pesticides (ii) insecticides
(iii)prolonged exposure to Pesticides (iv) none of the above
Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
(e) What are non-target organisms?
(f) Why is it prudent to avoid the consumption of off-season vegetables?
(g) Which is the most used chemical in our country?
(h) What was the main purpose of using pesticides?
(i) Mention any one advantage of using pesticides?
(j) Mention one reason why the use of these chemicals should be banned?
(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) Hunters/killers (para2 )
(ii) Polluted/spoiled (para 3)
ANSWERS:-
(a) (iii); (b) (iii);
(c) (iii); (d) (iii)
(e) Non-target organisms are those which are not meant to be harmed by chemical pesticides, such as honey bees and humans.
(f) Farmers often use higher than recommended doses of pesticides to grow off-season vegetables which would fetch more money.
(g) The most used chemicals in India are insecticides, which make up 72% of the pesticide market.
(h) Pesticides were mainly meant to curb the growth of pests, weeds, diseases and vectors in agriculture, forestry, livestock production and public health programmes.
(i) One advantage is that they increase food security by increasing production and reducing post-harvest losses.
(j) Use of these chemicals should be banned as they can cause many health problems such as epilepsy, memory loss and cancer over time.
(k) (i) Predators; (ii) Contaminated
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