EFFECT OF 

PESTICIDES AND 
PHARMACEUTICAL 
WASTE ON SOIL 
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (last 10 years) 

Name:​ ​Suraj Singh 

Roll no:​ ​RK20BTA07 
Reg no: ​12010367  
Section: ​K20BT   

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 INTRODUCTION 

The impact of pesticides consists of the effects of pesticides on 

non-target ​species​. Pesticides are chemical preparations used 
to kill fungal or animal pests. Over 98% of sprayed ​insecticides 
and 95% of ​herbicides​ reach a destination other than their 
target species, because they are sprayed or spread across 
entire agricultural fields. ​Runoff​ can carry pesticides into 
aquatic environments while wind can carry them to other fields, 
grazing areas, human settlements and undeveloped areas, 
potentially affecting other species. Other problems emerge 
from poor production, transport and storage practices. Over 
time, repeated application increases ​pest resistance​, while its 
effects on other species can facilitate the pest's resurgence. 

Each pesticide or pesticide class comes with a specific set of 

environmental concerns. Such undesirable effects have led 

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many pesticides to be banned, while regulations have limited 
and/or reduced the use of others. The global spread of 
pesticide use, including the use of older/obsolete pesticides 
that have been banned in some jurisdictions, has increased 
overall. 

Agricultural Goals
 

A goal of agriculture is to meet the present food need of the 

society with the surplus amount of availability for exporting and 
future purposes. For increasing agricultural production and 
productivity, use of chemical inputs such as pesticides has 
increased. Pesticides are chemical substances that are meant 
to kill pests. In general, a pesticide is a chemical or a biological 
agent such as a virus, bacterium, antimicrobial, or disinfectant 
that deters, incapacitates, kills, pests. It is commonly used to 
eliminate or control a variety of agricultural pests that can 
damage crops and livestock and reduce farm productivity. 
Pesticides have proved to be a boon for the farmers as well as 
people all around the world by increasing agricultural yield. 
Basically, the input of pesticides in Indian agriculture increases 
after the announcement of Green Revolution which in turn 
helps our country to fight the major problem of food crises. 
Although the application of pesticides serves as a boon but 
also had a long term negative effect of harming the 
environment and human health. Currently, India is the largest 

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producer of pesticides in Asia and ranks twelfth in the world for 
the use of pesticides. Although Indian average consumption of 
pesticide is far lower than many other developed economies, 
the problem of pesticide residue is very high in India (Abhilash 
and Singh 2008). 

 
The data for the last two decades regarding pesticide exposure 
and human health revealed that several pesticides cause 
neuronal disorder and degenerative diseases, some effect fetal 
growth and cause congenital anomalies and other are 
carcinogenic for human (Asghar et al. 2016). Over the past three 
decades, the indiscriminate use and improper handling of 
pesticides in agriculture have caused serious human health 
problems in many developing countries (Dasgupta et al. 2007). 

 
 

 
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Agriculture and the environment 

The arrival of humans in an area, to live or to conduct 

agriculture, necessarily has environmental impacts. These 
range from simple crowding out of wild plants in favor of more 
desirable cultivars to larger scale impacts such as reducing 
biodiversity​ by reducing food availability of native species, 
which can propagate across food chains. The use of 
agricultural chemicals​ such as f​ ertilizer​ and pesticides magnify 
those impacts. While advances in ​agrochemistry​ have reduced 
those impacts, for example by the replacement of long-lived 
chemicals with those that reliably degrade, even in the best 
case they remain substantial. These effects are magnified by 
the use of older chemistries and poor management practices. 
 
 
 
 

 
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Soil
 

Soil, the basic need of farming may happen to pollute by the 

accumulation of various heavy metals, through emissions by 
industries, mining process, disposal of high metal wastes, 
gasoline, application of fertilizers, sewage sludge, pesticides, 
wastewater irrigation, coal combustion residues, etc. 
Historically, a large amount of chemicals is annually applied at 
the agricultural soils as fertilizers and pesticides. Such 
applications may result in the increase level of heavy metals, 
particularly Cd, Pb, and As in the soil (Atafar et al. 2010). Usage 
of pesticides, insecticides and other various chemicals in 
agriculture is very easy, quick and inexpensive solution for 
controlling weeds and insect pests. However, use of chemicals 
comes with a significant cost. They have contaminated almost 
every part of our environment and their residues are found in 
soil, water, land and air. Kumar et al. (2013) concluded that 
pesticides are often considered a quick, easy and inexpensive 

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solution for controlling weeds and insect pests in urban 
landscapes. Pesticides have contaminated almost every 
component of our environment. Pesticide residues are found in 
soil and air, and in surface and ground water across the nation, 
and urban pesticide uses contribute to the problem. Pesticide 
contamination poses significant risks to the environment and 
non-target organisms ranging from beneficial soil 
microorganisms, to insects, plants, fish, and birds. Contrary to 
common misconceptions, even herbicides can cause harm to 
the environment. 
 

Effect on plants 
Nitrogen fixation​, which is required for the growth of ​higher 
plants​, is hindered by pesticides in soil. The insecticides ​DDT​, 
methyl parathion​, and especially ​pentachlorophenol​ have been 
shown to interfere with ​legume​-​rhizobium​ chemical signaling. 
Reduction of this symbiotic chemical signaling results in 
reduced nitrogen fixation and thus reduced crop yields. ​Root 
nodule​ formation in these plants saves the world economy $10 
billion in synthetic nitrogen ​fertilizer​ every year. 

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Effect on animals 

Many kinds of animals are harmed by pesticides, leading many 

countries to regulate pesticide usage through ​Biodiversity 
Action Plans​. 
Animals including humans may be poisoned by pesticide 
residues that remain on food, for example when wild animals 
enter sprayed fields or nearby areas shortly after spraying. 

 
 

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 Act and Rules
In view of the importance of fertilizer in agriculture production, 
fertilizer has also been declared as essential commodity like 
other essential commodities under Essential Commodities 
Act-1955.To ensure the production, storage, sale and its quality, 
Fertilizer (Control) Order was issued which was made effective 
for the first time on 29.03.1957 under section-3 of part-2A of 
Essential Commodities Act-1955 and it was named as Fertilizer 
(Control) Order, 1957 and was introduced also. This order has 
been amended from time to time. After amendment in this order 
on 25.09.1985, it was named as Fertilizer (Control) Order, 
1985.When the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 was amended, only 
production, pricing, storage, sale and quality of chemical 
fertilizer was controlled. In present decade, in addition to 
chemical fertilizer, production, pricing, storage, sale and quality 
of bio-fertilizers, organic fertilizers and non-edible de-oiled 
cake was also thought essential and were covered under 
Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 treating them as essential 
commodity. Thus chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilizers, organic 
fertilizers and non-edible de-oiled cake fertilizers, all are 
controlled under Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985. 

Following subjects are included under Fertilizer (Control) Order, 

1985 

1  Total clauses  39 

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 2  Total schedule  5 

3  Different form for control activity  19 

 
Clauses 
Total 39 clauses are included in Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 which has been 
divided into 9 categories for ease. 

1. Title and definition. 

2. Price control. 

3. Control on distribution of fertilizers. 

4. Registration of traders. 

5. Production of mixed fertilizers. 

6. Control on production and sale etc. 

7. Enforcement officer. 

8. Analysis of samples. 

9. Miscellaneous provision. 

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 CONCLUDING REMARKS 
 

By reviewing the literature, it can be concluded that the farmers 

do not follow appropriate safety precautions with regard to 
pesticide application, large amounts of pesticides are 
inappropriately used by these farmers, leading to several 
human health disease, polluting our air, land, water. Since 
about major proportion of the population relies on agriculture 
for subsistence, the pesticides are used very widely in 
agricultural field to increase the production by protecting the 
yields from potential threat. 

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To safeguard human life and environment from the toxic effects 
of pesticides, adequate steps need to be taken. Now it is a well 
established fact that there is the foremost need to step forward 
towards our mother earth by nurturing it by going for the 
organic farming system. An answer to this havoc is the organic 
farming, an environmentally friendly agricultural approach 
which ultimately leads to proper human health. Moving back to 
our ancestor’s course by performing organic agriculture is a 
step towards sustainability. Organic agriculture is a holistic 
production and management system which is supportive of the 
environment, health and sustainability (Dubey, 2013). 
 
Though the Government of India has been making concerted 
efforts to encourage farmers and people regarding organic 
produce and product, but it has not resulted in bridging the 
gap between the demand and supply of organic product in the 
market. A proper training should be given to the farmers 
regarding organic farming, its scope, potential, profit and 
environment sustainability. It has been administered that 
organic food consumption is increasing in India and this is 
evident from the fact that many organic food stores are prompt 
up in India. So, working upon niche area of organic farming is 
yet to be explored and flourish.   

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 References 
 
❏ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_pes
ticides 
❏ http://upagripardarshi.gov.in/staticpages/Fertilizer.aspx 
❏ http://ndpublisher.in/admin/issues/IJAEBv10n6f.pdf 
 
❖ Maurya, A.K. and Kumar, A. 2013.Organochlorine Pesticides 
in the Surface Waters from Sharda River Region, Uttar 
Pradesh-India. 

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