Pesticides

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A pesticide is a substance used for preventing, controlling, and destroying pests. Pesticides are a class of biocides, which are poisonous substances. Plant protection products, which protect plants from detrimental things such as weeds, insects, and plant diseases, are the most common use of pesticides. Pesticides are also used in non-agricultural ways. Pesticides are, generally, chemical or biological agents that disable or kill pests. Some common pests are weeds, insects, birds, molluscs, mammals, fish, nematodes, and microbes. Pesticides are usually used when pests destroy property, spread diseases, or cause inconvenience. Pesticides do have advantages, but they can also have downsides.
(Carolyn Randall; US Environmental; Wikipedia)
Target organisms (insecticides, herbicides, termiticides), chemical structure (synthetic, inorganic, organic, biological), and physical state (gaseous, liquid) are all classes of pesticides. Biopesticides include microbial pesticides and biochemical pesticides. Botanical pesticides include the pyrethroids, rotenoids, nicotinoids, strychnine and scilliroside. Most pesticides are able to be grouped into chemical families. Organochlorines, organophosphates, and carbamates are all some of the notable insecticide families. Organochlorine hydrocarbons work by disturbing the sodium and potassium balance in the nerve fiber, making the nerve transmit continuously. Although their toxicity levels vary a large amount, organochlorine hydrocarbons are persistent and have the potential to bioaccumulate, so they are not used much anymore and have been replaced by organophosphate and carbamates. Organophosphate and carbamates both cause weakness or paralysis by inhabiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, making ac...

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...nt pesticides have different uses, and are often used when pests destroy property, attack crops, spread diseases, or cause inconvenience. Pesticides to have quite a few benefits, but they also have many harmful downsides, and many, more dangerous kinds of pesticide products have rightfully been banned in some countries.
(Carolyn Randall; Wikipedia)

Bibliography
1. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/index.htm
2. http://www.nasda.org/9381/Foundation/11379/11383/6684.aspx
3. Kamrin, Michael A.. Pesticide profiles: toxicity, environmental impact, and fate. Boca Raton, FL: CRC/Lewis Publishers, 1997. Print.
4. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr50/en/
5. http://www.panna.org/issues/pesticides-101-primer#2
6. http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/195r.pdf (pages 1-4)
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticides#cite_ref-Kamrin1997_9-0

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