London - Saba:
A recent study revealed that the widespread use of pesticides also affects the lives of more than 800 species of plants and animals.
The Russian TASS Agency on Monday said the media office of the British Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) explained that pesticides, in addition to their impact on weeds and insect pests, negatively affect the lives of more than 800 species of plants and animals that play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems throughout the Earth.
Researcher Ben Woodcock says: "Our study presents the first comprehensive picture of how pesticides affect the environment. They are a necessary evil: without them we cannot produce food properly and farmers will lose their income. But the evidence we have collected confirms the need to search for policies and practices to reduce their use."
The researchers reached these results within the framework of a project that included the analysis and integration of the results of more than 1,700 studies, devoted to the impact of more than 400 types of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides on ecosystems in dozens of countries around the world. In general, scientists studied more than 20,000 effects that these substances could theoretically have on nature.
The results of the study showed that the intensive use of pesticides negatively affects the vital activity of more than 800 species of animals, plants, fungi and invertebrates. Thus, the use of all categories of these substances slows down the growth of mammals by an average of ten percent, and their reproduction by 20-30 percent. In addition, their use led to noticeable changes in the behavior of wild animals and birds, because pesticides have toxic effects on the nervous system of vertebrates. The researchers also noted a slowdown in plant growth and a change in the activity of a large number of enzymes when using fungicides.
The researchers note that they did not record any significant differences in the toxic effects of old and new generations of pesticides, casting doubt on the claims of their producers that the new toxic substances have a more targeted effect on weeds, diseases and pests. According to environmental scientists, these results point to the need to develop safer pesticides, as well as to take measures to encourage farmers and agricultural companies to reduce their use.
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