From silent spring to silent night: Agrochemicals and the anthropocene

Abstract

Hayes, TB and Hansen, M 2017 From silent spring to silent night: Agrochemicals and the anthropocene. Elem Sci Anth, 5: 57, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.246 IntroductionWe are in the Anthropocene and likely experiencing the Earth's sixth mass extinction. The current mass extinction is the first to be caused by a single species, humans. Chemical contaminants in the environment, especially pesticides, are playing an important role in the Anthropocene. Over 85,000 synthetic chemicals exist today (USEPA, 2014, USEPA, 2016b, NIH, 2014. These chemicals represent compounds used in every aspect of life and can end up in the environment (air, water, soil, and biological tissues). Even personal care products and personal use chemicals (such as pharmaceuticals) can persist in the environment ( Yamamoto et al., 2009, D'Abrosca et al., 2008. Although there are many sources and types of chemicals in the environment, pesticides are a significant concern because they are applied directly in the environment in large amounts, particularly by the agricultural industry. Pesticides are defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as: "any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest; any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant, or any nitrogen stabilizer" (USEPA, 2015c) and include herbicides, fungicides, nematocides, rodenticides, and agents to kill bacteria and viruses. Over the last 75 years, the use of pesticides has increased dramatically and continues to increase. Approximately 2.3 billion kilograms of pesticides are used annually worldwide with the U.S. alone accounting for over 0.45 billion kilograms per year (Alavanja, 2009, USEPA, 2017, USEPA, 2015b. Here, we review evidence that pesticides have altered the gene pool of target organisms and through direct toxic effects and so-called "low dose" effects (effects below concentrations considered safe) have altered landscapes and populations globally REVIEWFrom silent spring to silent night: Agrochemicals and the anthropocene Tyrone B. Hayes * and Martin Hansen *, †We are now living in the Anthropocene, the first time in Earth's history when synthetic chemicalscreated by humans-are damaging the planet and contributing to a major loss of biodiversity. Pesticides are a particular problem in this regard. Agricultural practices changed dramatically following World War II.Methods for the production of nitrogen for manufacturing explosives were adapted for use as fertilizer in agriculture. Further, chemicals used to combat insect vectors for disease during World War II were adapted for the control of insect pests in agriculture. Eventually, herbicides used as defoliants to destroy food supplies and aid in combating soldiers using forests as cover, were customized to control weeds in agriculture. The heavy use of pesticides in agriculture has resulted in global exposure to these chemicals. Travelling through water, air, and in migrating animals, pes...

Corporate Environmental Disclosure in India: An Analysis of Multinational and Domestic Agrochemical Corporations

“…Generally, the industries that pollute more or that are environmentally sensitive companies tend to have higher levels of CED [35][36][37]. Concern over the agrochemical industry's role in environmental degradation and pollution has led to strict environmental standards for the production and the use of agricultural chemicals [31,38]. Many health and safety concerns continue to persist around the agrochemical industry, including impacts to wildlife, water contamination, and human health effects [33,38].…”

“…Concern over the agrochemical industry's role in environmental degradation and pollution has led to strict environmental standards for the production and the use of agricultural chemicals [31,38]. Many health and safety concerns continue to persist around the agrochemical industry, including impacts to wildlife, water contamination, and human health effects [33,38]. Most of the impacts on human health occur in high-risk populations in developing countries, including primary workers in production plants and residents in rural areas [33,39].…”

Biogeochemical Dynamics Research in the Anthropocene

“…The high diversity of the chemical compounds, complex pathways in the environment and the multitude of possible impacts may result in synergistic, additive, and antagonistic interactions (Fischer et al, 2013;Cheloni and Slaveykova, 2018). A more systematic approach taking into consideration the combined pressure of multiple stressors (Kaushal et al, 2018) and reconceptualization of distribution and transformation processes of chemical mixtures was thus advocated to be critical to ecosystem management (Hayes and Hansen, 2017). Going beyond by further exploring the novel entities dynamics in the environment within the context of climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressure on the environment will be a central topic for the future.…”

Los vínculos entre la investigación sobre agrotóxicos y multinacionales agroindustriales: el caso del glifosato

“…However, the environmental evaluation and effects on human health related to glyphosate use shows its weaknesses in a worldwide context of increased use of this herbicide. Hayes and Hansen (2017) based on their analysis on the current use of agrochemicals highlighted that glyphosate is a powerful endocrine disruptor, which alters the structure of ovaries and affects the sexual differentiation and regulation of sexual steroid production. These authors also reported that masculine fertility decreases since glyphosate causes necrosis and apoptosis in testicular cells.…”