Pesticides have negative effects upon both the environment and the health of humans

Cyprus International University (CIU), Faculty of Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering Academic Staff Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şifa Doğan drew attention to the negative effects of pesticides upon both the environment and the health of humans, that are applied in agricultural areas and synthesized in an effort to combat unwanted plants and unwanted living organisms.

Noting that the production of these chemicals is under scrutiny today, Doğan advised that some pesticides have been banned and that as a parameter, the total pesticide concentration determined should be monitored in drinking water.

Explaining that that the degradability of pesticides in nature is very low, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doğan went on to say, “They can be stored in soil or plant roots, with water that runs off the surface of plants, passing into surface water and are able to penetrate deep into soil and mix with groundwater”.

Doğan explained that literature has presented that the presence of pesticides has been proven in the analysis of groundwater in various parts of the world, adding that it has also been proven that traditional groundwater treatment plants have failed in removing pesticides.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doğan drew attention to the fact that advanced oxidation processes are one of the best methods that is applied to remove these pollutants.

Stating that she took part as a researcher within the TÜBİTAK project carried out by Rana Kıdak at the Cyprus International University between 2009 - 2012, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doğan elaborated, “in this project we studied the removal of low concentrations of 5 pesticides, alachlor, atrazine, diuon, isoproturon and pentachlorophenol, which are banned by the LC-MS / MS device. Ultrasonic sound waves and ozonation processes are promising in removing these pollutants”.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doğan noted that in addition to pesticides, the presence of chemicals in utility and drinking water disrupt the functioning of the endocrine system and plays an important role in the increase of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity in the world, and emphasized that the drugs used in the treatment of human and animal diseases are the leading chemicals in this sense”.