Arsenical pesticides effects

The use of arsenic and its organic derivatives as herbicides, pesticides, and wood preservatives has been increasing steadily each year. Large quantities of arsenical compounds are manufactured by the chemical industry and eventually find their way into the environment (l ). About seventy percent of these chemicals are inorganic in form and the rest are organoarsenicals (2). Of the organoarsenicals, the most important species from the point of view of use and health effects are monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsenic acid (DMA), and p-aminophenylarsonic acid (p-APA). 

What are the environmental effects of this heavy use of pesticides (insecticides and herbicides) After heavy rains on the island, large numbers of dead fish have been found in the ocean, and washed up on the shore near the potato farms. The suspected cause is the leaching of sodium arsenite and other pesticides used in the potato fields. Sodium arsenate is a chemical used to kill both weeds and insects. If the poisoning of the ocean waters continues, Prince Edward Island s unique seafood industry will come to an end. 

Halcrow and DHV (1995) carried out a survey of baseline groundwater quality across Bangladesh, concentrating particularly on heavily-cropped areas of the country and the effects of pesticide and fertilizer use. Halcrow and DHV (1995) identified high concentrations of iron and ammonium in many samples, high phosphoms in some and uniformly low fluoride concentrations (typically 0.8 mg L ). Arsenic was not measured in this survey. 

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