Greg Gardner/istockphoto
DCL
This entry should come with a warning label because an agrichemical generic term a contraction of agricultural chemical is a for "the various chemical products used in agriculture. In most cases, agrichemical refers to the broad range of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. It may also include synthetic fertilizers, hormones and other chemical growth agents, and concentrated stores of raw animal manure. Many agrichemicals are toxic, and agrichemicals in bulk storage may pose significant environmental and/or health risks, particularly in the event of accidental spills."
According to the World Health Organization, "unintentional poisonings kill an estimated 355 000 people globally each year. In developing countries—where two thirds of these deaths occur—such poisonings are associated strongly with excessive exposure to, and inappropriate use of, toxic chemicals. In many such settings, toxic chemicals may be emitted directly into soil, air, and water—from industrial processes, pulp and paper plants, tanning operations, mining, and unsustainable forms of agriculture—at levels or rates well in excess of those tolerable to human health."
That warning label I mentioned earlier might read: Modern Danger. "Prior to World War II, annual worldwide use of pesticides ran right around zero," says author Derrick Jensen. "By now it?s 500 billion tons, increasing every year."
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