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Harmful Chemicals

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Chemicals

They do not only harm the environment

Pesticides

Pesticides are many different substances and combinations of substances that are used as “plant protection products” or biocides. They are toxic to plants (herbicides), insects (insecticides) or fungi (fungicides). Herbicides such as Glyphosate kill all flowering plants. Many insecticides not only affect the intended animals, but also cause collateral damage to beneficial insects.

Pesticides are a real danger to us and our environment. Some of the toxic chemicals cause cancer and contaminate groundwater. They destroy biodiversity and our ecosystems and kill bees and butterflies. Yet insects are the basis of our ecosystem. Many bird species, bats and fish feed on insects. If their population declines, this will also lead to a decline in bird species. Insects are also central to our food security, as they pollinate around two thirds of our crops.

There are also lesser-known poisons such as acaricides against spiders and mites, bactericides against bacterial pathogens, rodenticides against rodents and molluscicides against snails

"The more we pour the big machines, the fuel, the pesticides, the herbicides, the fertilizer and chemicals into farming, the more we knock out the mechanism that made it all work in the first place."

– David R. Brower

Interactions between different pesticides

This can increase the toxic effectharm the environment

To date, these dangers have not been sufficiently taken into account in the risk assessment.

A potential health hazard can therefore not be ruled out with certainty, especially as we are already exposed to other chemicals such as heavy metals, plasticizers and fluorine compounds. From a consumer protection point of view, the current international laws are unfortunately not sufficient when it comes to multiple exposures to different chemicals.