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Pesticides, Organic Contaminants, and Pathogens in Air
Farmers are also using more integrated pest management tools, such as intercropping, cover crops, biocontrol, and crop rotation, along with reduced risk
chemicals such as synthetic pyrethroids, avermectins, and spinosad that are
generally effective at lower application rates than conventional pesticides
(Science, 2013). These tools all work to reduce the amount of chemical applied
to crops to obtain economically acceptable levels of pest control. They will
also improve the safety of food production by eliminating or minimizing the
use of costly chemicals that leave toxic residues in foods, or lead to illness in
farm worker populations, and do so at lower costs in many cases.
12.3 Biopesticides
“Biopesticides” would include all of the things in the defnition of pesticides
but with several modifcations, in particular that they are naturally occurring
or derived from natural products by straightforward chemical modifcation.
The EPA defnition is that biochemical biopesticides are natural compounds
or mixtures that manage pests without a toxic mode of action, unlike cholinesterase inhibition which is a characteristic of most organophosphate and
carbamate insecticides (Leahy et al., 2014).
Third-generation pest control agents, reduced risk pesticides, and biobased
pesticides are other terms sometimes used in place of “biopesticides.” The
common elements of biopesticides can include some or all of the following:
naturally occurring, reduced toxicity to nontarget organisms, low persistence in the environment or in ecological food chains, compatibility with
organic farming methods, and low mammalian toxicity so that they are safe
to handle, and not restricted in use by regulatory agencies (Cantrell et al.,
2012; Ritter, 2012). Few products will ft all of these criteria, but the intent
is clearly to stimulate “green” environmentally benign technologies for sustainable pest management and control.
Although the market is growing for biopesticides, none of the top-use
pesticides in recent years in California or the United States clearly meet the
biopesticide defnition (California Department of Pesticide Regulation, 2017).
One could argue that sulfur is close, since it is naturally occurring and of
low nontarget toxicity, and useable in organic farming, but sulfur has been
used for pest control for centuries and is not among the new generation of
pest control agents (Griffth et al., 2015). Furthermore, sulfur must be refned
from its natural sources in the environment before it can be marketed and
sold for use as a pesticide. Various mineral oils used for weed control, some
plant essential oils (e.g., orange oil for termite control), and corn gluten for
weed control might be considered within the realm of biopesticides as well.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a popular culinary herb throughout the
world. Essential oil derived from basil (basil oil) has shown to be a potent
Pesticides, Organic Contaminants, and Pathogens in Air
Farmers are also using more integrated pest management tools, such as intercropping, cover crops, biocontrol, and crop rotation, along with reduced risk
chemicals such as synthetic pyrethroids, avermectins, and spinosad that are
generally effective at lower application rates than conventional pesticides
(Science, 2013). These tools all work to reduce the amount of chemical applied
to crops to obtain economically acceptable levels of pest control. They will
also improve the safety of food production by eliminating or minimizing the
use of costly chemicals that leave toxic residues in foods, or lead to illness in
farm worker populations, and do so at lower costs in many cases.
12.3 Biopesticides
“Biopesticides” would include all of the things in the defnition of pesticides
but with several modifcations, in particular that they are naturally occurring
or derived from natural products by straightforward chemical modifcation.
The EPA defnition is that biochemical biopesticides are natural compounds
or mixtures that manage pests without a toxic mode of action, unlike cholinesterase inhibition which is a characteristic of most organophosphate and
carbamate insecticides (Leahy et al., 2014).
Third-generation pest control agents, reduced risk pesticides, and biobased
pesticides are other terms sometimes used in place of “biopesticides.” The
common elements of biopesticides can include some or all of the following:
naturally occurring, reduced toxicity to nontarget organisms, low persistence in the environment or in ecological food chains, compatibility with
organic farming methods, and low mammalian toxicity so that they are safe
to handle, and not restricted in use by regulatory agencies (Cantrell et al.,
2012; Ritter, 2012). Few products will ft all of these criteria, but the intent
is clearly to stimulate “green” environmentally benign technologies for sustainable pest management and control.
Although the market is growing for biopesticides, none of the top-use
pesticides in recent years in California or the United States clearly meet the
biopesticide defnition (California Department of Pesticide Regulation, 2017).
One could argue that sulfur is close, since it is naturally occurring and of
low nontarget toxicity, and useable in organic farming, but sulfur has been
used for pest control for centuries and is not among the new generation of
pest control agents (Griffth et al., 2015). Furthermore, sulfur must be refned
from its natural sources in the environment before it can be marketed and
sold for use as a pesticide. Various mineral oils used for weed control, some
plant essential oils (e.g., orange oil for termite control), and corn gluten for
weed control might be considered within the realm of biopesticides as well.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a popular culinary herb throughout the
world. Essential oil derived from basil (basil oil) has shown to be a potent