Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 11 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.
Centre for Environment and Population Health, School of Medicine, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 27;18(3):1112. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18031112.
Pesticides are indispensable in agricultural production. They have been used by farmers to control weeds and insects, and their remarkable increases in agricultural products have been reported. The increase in the world's population in the 20th century could not have been possible without a parallel increase in food production. About one-third of agricultural products are produced depending on the application of pesticides. Without the use of pesticides, there would be a 78% loss of fruit production, a 54% loss of vegetable production, and a 32% loss of cereal production. Therefore, pesticides play a critical role in reducing diseases and increasing crop yields worldwide. Thus, it is essential to discuss the agricultural development process; the historical perspective, types and specific uses of pesticides; and pesticide behavior, its contamination, and adverse effects on the natural environment. The review study indicates that agricultural development has a long history in many places around the world. The history of pesticide use can be divided into three periods of time. Pesticides are classified by different classification terms such as chemical classes, functional groups, modes of action, and toxicity. Pesticides are used to kill pests and control weeds using chemical ingredients; hence, they can also be toxic to other organisms, including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants, as well as air, water, soil, and crops. Moreover, pesticide contamination moves away from the target plants, resulting in environmental pollution. Such chemical residues impact human health through environmental and food contamination. In addition, climate change-related factors also impact on pesticide application and result in increased pesticide usage and pesticide pollution. Therefore, this review will provide the scientific information necessary for pesticide application and management in the future.
农药在农业生产中不可或缺。农民们用它们来控制杂草和害虫，并且已经有报道称它们显著增加了农产品的产量。如果没有农业产量的相应增加，20 世纪世界人口的增长是不可能的。大约三分之一的农产品产量依赖于农药的应用。如果不使用农药，水果产量将减少 78%，蔬菜产量将减少 54%，谷物产量将减少 32%。因此，农药在全球范围内减少疾病和增加作物产量方面发挥着关键作用。因此，有必要讨论农业发展过程、农药的历史背景、类型和具体用途、以及农药的行为、污染及其对自然环境的不利影响。综述研究表明，世界各地的许多地方都有着悠久的农业发展历史。农药的使用历史可以分为三个时期。农药可以根据化学分类、功能组、作用方式和毒性等不同的分类术语进行分类。农药用于使用化学物质杀死害虫和控制杂草；因此，它们也可能对其他生物，包括鸟类、鱼类、有益昆虫和非目标植物，以及空气、水、土壤和作物产生毒性。此外，农药污染会远离目标植物，导致环境污染。这些化学残留物通过环境和食物污染影响人类健康。此外，与气候变化相关的因素也会影响农药的应用，导致农药使用量增加和农药污染。因此，本综述将为未来的农药应用和管理提供必要的科学信息。
