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The Pesticide Question pp 13–46Cite as

The Impact of Pesticides on the Environment

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Abstract

The use of chemicals to control pests which harm crops, annoy humans, and transmit diseases of both animals and humans is not a new practice. Homer described how Odysseus fumigated the hall, house, and the court with burning sulfur to control pests. As long ago as A.D. 70, Pliny the Elder recommended the use of arsenic to kill insects, and the Chinese used arsenic sulfide for the same purpose as early as the 16th century. By the early 20th century, inorganic chemicals such as lead arsenate and copper acetoarsenite were in common use to control insect pests.

Keywords

  • Acute Toxicity
  • Soil Respiration
  • Natural Enemy
  • Aquatic Invertebrate
  • Pyrethroid Insecticide

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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  1. Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

    Clive A. Edwards

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    Edwards, C.A. (1993). The Impact of Pesticides on the Environment. In: Pimentel, D., Lehman, H. (eds) The Pesticide Question. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-36973-0_2

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-36973-0_2

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