HOW SAFE ARE
THEY?From the beginning of human history through
the 1940's, virtually all of the agriculture on earth was
organic. That is to say, food was grown without the aid
of chemicals.
In the late 1940's
chemical agriculture was introduced on a wide scale and
we were led to believe that the use of chemicals would
result in better crops, increased yield and lower input
costs. We were also assured that the chemical fertilizers
were safe.
Subsequently, we
found out that chemical fertilizers were not safe, they
upset the natural balance in the soils and destroyed the
natural soil microorganisms necessary for healthy plant
growth.
After using
chemical fertilizers for a few seasons, we experienced
significant crop destruction from insect invasion. Again
chemicals provided the solution in the form of a
pesticide called DDT and again we were assured that this
chemical was safe.
After using DDT for
a while we discovered that it was not safe but was in
fact a powerful cancer-causing substance. In addition, we
discovered that the insects that were not killed by the
DDT produced offspring that were immune to it.
The simple fact is,
many chemicals that are marketed as totally safe for
humans are later found to be harmful. For example, EDB
(Ethylene dibro-mide) was marketed in the 1950's as an
insecticide and a post-harvest fumigant for fruits,
vegetables and grains. In 1984, it was banned by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to its
carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and reproductive toxicity.
Pesticides
encompass several different chemical categories. They
include herbicides (used to kills weeds), insecticides
(used to kill insects), fungicides (used to control molds
and fungi), and rodenticides (used to kill rodents).
The simple fact is
- All pesticides have one thing in common in common -
they are poisons designed to kill things and they have
the potential to be harmful to humans if ingested in
sufficient amounts.
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This! • Each day in the United States more than a million
children age 5 and under who eat a normal diet
ingest doses of organic phosphate pesticides that
exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s
adult reference doses, according to a recent
analysis of USDA and FDA data.
•
Twenty million American children age 5 and under
eat an average of eight pesticides a day.
•
The
average apple has four pesticides on it after it
has been washed and cored; some apples have as
many as 10.
• 25 percent of all
pesticides used in the US are applied in
California.
• Agricultural
pesticide use in California increased 151 percent
between 1991 and 1998 while the amount of
cropland remained constant.
More About
Agro-Chemicals CLICK
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The
information offered in this web site is not intended for
self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a
medical practitioner. Unless otherwise indicated, the
information offered has not been evaluated by the FDA or
Health Canada.
How
to Reach Us
Tel:
1-403-364-2888 /
364-2802 (9am - 5pm MST Weekdays)
Fax:
1-403-364-2889
Email:
Eco-Vie
A
Div of Ecochem Inc.
Box 1388
Hanna, Alberta
Canada T0J 1P0
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