It's no surprise to anyone to hear that pesticides keep our crops safe and kill unwanted pests – but that knowledge becomes a little harder to bear when you find out that same chemical that is supposed to target bacteria carrying insects, is also hurting endangered species. The Guardian recently reported about 1,700 U.S. plants and animals – that's nearly all of them – are harmed by the two pesticides malathion and chlorpyrifos. Malathion is used to treat fruits and vegetables and it harms 97 percent of the endangered animals, explained the source. Chlorpyrifos on the other hand, is used to exterminate insects like termites, mosquitoes and roundworms, and puts 97 percent of plants in danger as well.
What is being done to address this issue?
In 1973 the U.S. passed the Endangered Species Act in order to protect all kinds of wildlife – everything from flora to fauna, explained the Center for Biological Diversity. One of the laws under this act controls the use of pesticides in the environment. However, many pesticides still went poorly regulated until this recent finding, explained environmental health director at the Center Lori Ann Burd.
"These dangerous pesticides have been used without proper analysis for decades, and now's the time to take this new information and create commonsense measures to protect plants, animals and people from these chemicals," Burd told the Guardian.
But environmental groups and farmers alike are urging the federal government to better explain the potential impacts of pesticides on both animals and humans. Burd therefore acknowledged that the evaluations of these pesticides is a good move for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency so they can better assess what further actions need to be taken.
Pest control protocol regarding endangered species.
Pesticides aren't going anywhere, however. They are an integral part to keeping citizens healthy from bacteria and viruses that could lead to serious widespread disease, so users need to be aware of the proper pesticide protocols when it comes to protecting endangered species. The most important things to know about using these chemicals are that the EPA has specific regulations per pesticide and geographic locations as the endangered species per area varies. So before you use them, you need to consult their website. There, you will find the correct way to apply the chemicals, as well as any limitations of said application.
