Pesticides In the Environment and In Our Bodies

In recent years, growing trends have encouraged consumers to purchase fresh, organic, locally-grown foods where possible. Some say this is for environmental reasons, and that we should support sustainable farmers, while others claim that eating this way is good for the human body. Turns out, it’s both. There is a strong correlation between the effect of highly processed, non-organic foods on the environment and on our bodies. Here’s why.

Growing Food
Most large fruit or vegetable producers use vast amounts of pesticides on their crops, and

understandably so; pesticides are an efficient way to rid crops of pests such as rodents and insects, and often take care of weeds along the way. Use of pesticides allows farmers to grow big, shiny produce that sells well, and to do so at high volume. But there’s a problem—since these pesticides are toxic to small pests and weeds, they’re also toxic to us.

Pesticides in the Body
Immediate exposure to pesticides causes symptoms similar to the common cold, like nose and

throat irritation, but can also cause rashes, itchiness, nausea, and dizziness, among other things. This not only affects agricultural workers picking the produce, but other people living nearby, since pesticides are often spread over a crop using small aircrafts called “crop dusters,” allowing the pesticides to travel on the air to surrounding regions.

Long-term exposure to pesticides, either through contaminated air or consumption of pesticides on food, can result in more serious medical complications, such as various cancers, birth defects, or organ damage. Unfortunately, children and immunocompromised people are even more susceptible to these afflictions.

Pesticides in the Environment
Once pesticides are spread on a crop, they don’t just sit there. In addition to traveling in the air,

pesticides are often carried to nearby water sources by runoff from watering or rainfall. They can also leech and travel through the soil into groundwater, which is often drawn from for drinking.

After reaching water supplies, pesticides cause immense damage to the surrounding environment. Since water is consumed by everything, this affects soil, plants, fish, birds, insects, and mammals (including us). Soil that is contaminated by pesticides becomes worse at retaining water and nitrogen, both of which are essential for plant life. This includes aquatic plant life, which provides essential oxygen for water-breathing animals, and with insufficient oxygen, these animals can suffocate. Additionally, many animals much smaller than humans are far more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides, and may even be killed after ingestion of only a small amount. Small pollinators, such as honeybees, are often killed while pollinating a crop with pesticides. Other effects on animals include weakened immunity to disease, failure to recognize predators, and general behavioral changes that leave them vulnerable.

Finally, heavy use of pesticides results in a greater need for them down the line, creating a positive feedback loop. When pesticides harm the quality of soil and kill pollinators, more pesticides are needed in the future to grow the same amount of produce, and the need continues to go up. This increases the harm on the environment and on our bodies.

Our Bamboo Crops

One of the benefits of bamboo is that it’s a naturally resilient crop, and grows easily without the use of pesticides! RBLifeBrand toilet paper consequently has a much lower negative impact on both the environment and on you. Buying from us, you get to wipe responsibly and know that you aren’t smearing any toxic chemicals onto your body.