CENTRAL LUZON COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, OLONGAPO CITY, INC.

BS MARINE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

STAYING VEGETABLES WITH

CHEMICAL PROS AND

CONS

Miraflor, Ralph Reniel

Salarda, Jeric

December 2023

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BS MARINE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
INTRODUCTION 3
FOREIGN LITERATURE 6
FOREIGN STUDIES 9
RELATED LITERATURE 12
RELATED STUDIES 15
RECOMMENDATIONS 18
CONCLUSIONS 19
BIBLIOGRAPHY 20

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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Vegetables are plant parts that are eaten by humans. They are an important part of a

healthy diet because they provide essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Vegetables can take many forms, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits (in

the botanical sense). Vegetables have various chemicals that are being applied during

the cultivation, harvesting, and distribution processes. Some of these chemicals are

used to control pests, fertilize crops, and prevent disease. It's important to note that

regulations and practices vary by region, and many countries have strict guidelines in

place to ensure food safety. Chemicals used in agriculture, such as pesticides,

fertilizers, and other inputs, have both advantages and disadvantages these are the

pros and cons of putting chemicals on vegetables:

Pros:

Fertilizer use provides essential nutrients to plants, which contributes to increased

crop yields.

Pest Control: Pesticides aid in pest control and mitigation, reducing crop losses and

ensuring a more stable food supply.

Disease Management: Chemicals, such as fungicides, can aid in the prevention and

management of plant diseases, protecting crops from infections and improving crop

health overall.

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Cost Effectiveness: In some cases, using chemicals can be more cost-effective for

farmers than alternative pest and disease control methods.

Post-harvest treatments can increase the shelf life of vegetables by reducing

spoilage during transportation and storage.

Consistent Quality: Chemical inputs can help vegetables maintain a consistent

quality and appearance, meeting consumer expectations.

Cons:

Environmental Impact: The use of chemicals in agriculture can have negative

environmental consequences such as soil and water pollution, harm to non-target

organisms, and the development of pesticide-resistant pests.

Health Concerns: Residual pesticides on vegetables may pose health risks to

consumers if not properly managed. Chronic pesticide exposure has been linked to

health issues.

Biodiversity loss: Intensive chemical agriculture practices may contribute to

biodiversity loss, affecting ecosystems and the balance of species in agricultural

landscapes.

Soil Degradation: Excessive use of chemical fertilizers can cause soil degradation,

nutrient imbalances, and a decrease in soil fertility over time.

Resistance Development: Over time, pests and diseases can develop resistance to

pesticides and other chemicals, necessitating stronger or more frequent

applications.

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BS MARINE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

Chemicals can harm beneficial insects, birds, and other organisms that play important

roles in natural ecosystems, contributing to ecological imbalances.

Consumer Concerns: As consumers become more aware of the potential risks

associated with chemical residues on food, demand for organic and pesticide-free

produce rises.

It is difficult to balance the benefits of using chemicals in agriculture with their

potential drawbacks. Sustainable and integrated pest management practices, as well as

the use of chemicals sparingly, can help to reduce the negative impact on the

environment and human health. To address some of these concerns, there is a growing

emphasis on alternative and more environmentally friendly agricultural practices,

such as organic farming.

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BS MARINE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

FOREIGN LITERATURE

Based on Jastrzębska a and Kostrzewska (2015), In contemporary agriculture,

agrochemicals have had a significant impact. It begins by defining them as

commercially produced chemicals that are typically synthetic and utilized in farming,

as well as noting how they have helped to raise agricultural output since the mid-

1900s. Subsequently, it highlights pesticides and fertilizers as the two main categories

of conventional agrochemicals and outlines the benefits and hazards associated with

their use, including issues related to human health and the environment.

According to Felsot and Racke (2023) The use of fertilizer and pesticides has been

documented from prehistoric times, indicating that ecosystem management is not a

relatively modern cultural trait. Regarding Felsot and Racke; ACS Symposium Series

on Crop Protection Products for Organic Agriculture; American Chemical Society:

Washington, DC, 2006. In production agriculture, the goals of using pesticides are to:

improve food quality and minimize losses during transportation and storage; lower

food costs and particularly increase the availability of fruits and vegetables; enhance

soil conservation; and guarantee a steady and predictable supply of food.

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Nontherapeutic use of chemicals in vegetables contributes to the emergence of

resistant bacteria; thus, organic animal husbandry may reduce the risk of human

disease attributable to resistant organisms. There is sound evidence that organic foods

contain more vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and phosphorus than do conventional foods,

but there is no direct evidence that this provides meaningful nutritional benefits to

children eating organic foods compared with those who eat conventionally grown

food products. Well-designed farming studies demonstrate that comparable yields can

be achieved with organic farming techniques and that organic farming has a lower

environmental impact than do conventional approaches. Joel Forman Janet Silverstein

(2012).

Loaharanu & Ahmed March (1991) stated that One physical food processing

technique is food irradiation (e.g. freezing, canning). It is acknowledged as a healthy

and safe approach after four decades of extensive research. It can potentially eradicate

pests from fruits and vegetables to comply with export trade quarantine regulations as

well as from dried food to minimize storage losses. Low radiation doses prevent crop

spoiling losses brought on by root and tuber sprouting. The number of food-borne

illnesses linked to the contamination of meat, poultry, fish, fisheries products, and

spices by pathogenic microbes and parasites is rising. These solid meals can be

radioactively irradiated to rid them of harmful organisms and give consumers safe

food. Coffee and cocoa beans can successfully be treated with radiation in place of

fumigation of cocoa beans and coffee beans and disinfest dried fish, dates, dried

fruits, etc.

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Based on Li-zhen Deng December 2017 Pretreatment is commonly used

before drying agro-products to inactivate enzymes, improve drying process, and

increase dried product quality. The current study summarizes the effect of several

pretreatments on the drying characteristics and qualitative attributes of fruits and

vegetables. They include chemical solutions (hyperosmotic, alkali, sulfite, and

acid, for example) and gas treatments (sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and ozone),

thermal blanching (hot water, steam, super heated steam impingement, ohmic and

microwave heating, for example), and non-thermal processes (ultrasound, freezing,

pulsed electric field, and high hydrostatic pressure, for example). Chemical

pretreatments effectively improve drying kinetics while causing soluble nutrition

loss and triggering food safety problems due to chemical residue.

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BS MARINE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

FOREIGN STUDIES

Pesticide residues are posing an increasing threat to ecosystems and human

health due to the over-application of synthetic pesticides in pest control to meet the

global demand for agricultural food products. In this regard, electrochemical sensor

and biosensor platforms have emerged as powerful analytical methods to detect

pesticides due to several advantages, including synergistic aspects, systematic

fabrication procedure, ease of detection, appreciable sensitivity, and selectivity.

Furthermore, portable electrochemical devices have been fabricated recently for

point-of-care and on-site detection of pesticides residues. This comprehensive review

focuses on recent advances in portable electrochemical (bio)sensing methods for the

on-site detection of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. Umapathi, Ghoreishian

a, Sonwal et.al (2021).

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The fruits and vegetables are important for the world population due to the

nutritional contribution they offer; in addition, its production is relatively less

expensive compared to animal foods. The principal strategies to preserve them

include the use of aseptic packaging, heat treatments through the application of heat,

sub-zero temperatures, application of chemical sanitizers, etc. However, these

strategies can be affect the quality of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, there is a

constant search and development of strategies in order not only to guarantee safe food

but also technologies that can increase their quality (improving their appearance,

nutritional contributions, etc.), extend the shelf life and reduce production costs.

These technologies are known as “emerging technologies”. Espinosa E.M, Lopez

D.G, et.al. (2023).

CCO2 has been discovered to be a beneficial technique for the processing and

preservation of fruits and vegetables. It has been used to kill bacteria and enzymes in

fruit and vegetable products like juices, purees, and smoothies. Because of the

relatively low temperature utilized and the creation of extracts without organic

solvents, SCCO2 is also an effective and environmentally friendly technology for the

extraction of bioactive components (carotenoids, flavonoids, phenols, etc.) from fruits

and vegetables. By reducing the particle size of the extraction substrate and including

the use of solvents, the extraction capability and range of molecules extracted by

SCCO2 can be increased even further. Although SCCO2 technology has substantial

capital costs, operating costs are quite modest.

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According to R. K. Sharma P.P. Dhyani and S. S. Samant Long-term

intake of fruits and vegetables containing trace amounts of hazardous

substances may have negative effects on human health and the environment.

The current article has concentrated on well-known pollutants such as Pb, Cd,

As, and Hg, as well as pesticide residues in general.

These days, the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables cannot be

overstated because they are a great source of essential vitamins, minerals, and

other plant components. The green revolution was a significant development in

agriculture, but it was also accompanied by a heavy reliance on chemical

pesticides. Chemical pesticides, however, are dangerous for the environment

and human health. Therefore, in order to reduce postharvest losses and extend

the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables, there is a growing push for safer and

more environmentally friendly alternatives. Natural plant extracts, the

suggested substitutes, show great promise because of their high level of

effectiveness. There aren't many or any health issues with the plant-based

extract, which comes from a natural source. Numerous scholars have

expounded upon the detrimental impacts that synthetic chemicals have on

human existence. Nowadays, people are far more alert.

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RELATED LITERATURE

Agricultural productivity growth in the Philippines during the last three decades

has been largely due to farmers utilization of chemicals to control for pests and

diseases. About 70% of farmers in the Philippines use chemicals as their main crop

protection practice and some of them even utilize chemical pesticides that are

restricted and/or banned (i.e., categories I and II) (Javier et al., 2005). The use (and

misuse) of chemical pesticides in the country have already been shown to adversely

affect the environment, human health, and other beneficial insects/pests (Rola and

Pingali, 1993, Pingali and Roger, 1985, Antle and Pingali, 1994; and Tjornhom et al.,

1997). Chemical pesticide misuse is even more evident in vegetable crop production

than in other crops because of its vulnerability to a wider range of pests and diseases

(Tjornhom et al., 1997).

Over the years the vegetable industry is known to rely heavily on

commercial fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers use fertilizers and pesticides to
enhanced yield and control pest and diseases. Aside from chemical inputs, the
gardening industry has a long history of using fresh chicken manure to remedy
nutrient deficiencies in the soil. The use of chemical inputs is sometimes concomitant
with the presence and persistence of fertilizer and pesticide residues in soil and
water. The lingering negative connotation associated with pesticide use led some
people to believe that soil and water inside garden areas are heavily polluted with
chemical residues detrimental to human health. Still others refuse to eat vegetables
believing that they contain high levels of pesticide residues.

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The plots that were continuously applied with pure organic fertilizer showed

slight increases in soil pH and soil organic matter content. Conversely, the continuous

application of pure inorganic fertilizer, resulted in a decreasing trend in soil pH and

soil organic matter. It can be concluded that the application of appropriate rate of

organic fertilizer (chicken dung) coupled with proper rotation of crops can revitalize

degraded soils and produce economic yield.

Use of crop protection chemicals, farmers are able to produce bigger and more

crops on less land with efficient production of the food process contributing to high

agricultural productivity thereby maximizing profit. The benefits of the use of

agrochemicals are not only confined to its farmers but to the majority of the people

across the world. Because of this, agrochemicals will still be used for many decades to

ensure food supply (Wang and Liu, 2007). It will improve food safety and quality,

increase in profit, and even improve human health by eliminating pest and diseases.

However, despite the advantages of agrochemicals, the risks and drawbacks of its use

are far outweighs more than its benefits. The effect of the chemicals applied could

result in the reduction of biodiversity and ecological balance of an area. Moreover,

continued use of the same pesticide can trigger the pest to become resistant. Several

problems in relation to pesticide use have been contemplated but the future trend in

use of most of these compounds in agriculture to treat plant disease will obviously not

decrease (Epstein and Bassein, 2003).

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The intensification of vegetable farming, with chemical inputs such as

fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides, as well as human waste, have

introduced pollutants to the watershed that substantially lower the quality of drinking

water for people in communities around Mt. Data and in downstream areas. The

excessive use of inorganic farm inputs result to pollution and contamination of both

soil and water. Another farm input frequently used is chicken dung. This could have

been a better alternative; however, its strong foul odor poses possible adverse effects

to human health.

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RELATED STUDIES

Improving soil quality for better crop production has long been a primary

objective of soil science, but many problems of soil quality remain. For example, soil

quality degradation due to the mismanagement of soil resources and soil properties

have changed as a result of intensive continuous cropping, monoculture, and the

heavy use of agrochemicals (e.g. pesticides and inorganic fertilizers).

One agricultural practice that is introduced to farmers is organic farming. It has

been promoted basically because it is not harmful to the environment. It discourages

farmers to use synthetic chemicals, so it has the potential to contribute to agricultural

sustainability. In the Philippines, organic farming methods are used by farmers who

do not have the capital to acquire synthetic products. It is accepted by the people as

they become more alarmed of the harmful effects of chemicals found on the food

produced using high volume of chemicals and inorganic fertilizers (Cabangisan,

2007).

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The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers, hybrid seeds and pesticides has

resulted in various environmental and health hazards coupled with socio-economic

problems (Pimentel, 1996; Pretty & Hine, 2001; Pretty et al., 2003).Today, the

presence of pesticide residues in the food chain is well-known. The hazardous effects

of pesticides on human health, including their effects on the endocrine systems in the

form of sex reversals are now well documented. Cancer, a rare disease during pre-

modern agriculture, is now a dominant illness. The incidence of breast and prostate

cancer had increased phenomenally (Sever, 1997; Kristensen, 1996; Kristensen et al.,

1995; Wolff et al., 1994; Alavanja, 2003).

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Health impacts of pesticide misuse on the other hand greatly affect the farming

communities in the Philippines questioning the economic advantages of its use. Many

researchers have correlated the extent of direct and indirect pesticide exposure and

health hazards such as increased mortality, dermal contamination, depression in

cholinesterase level, fetal abnormalities, and spontaneous abortion among pregnant

women [3–6]. It is a discouraging fact though; that with knowledge of health risks,

many Filipino families still perceive that crop yield outweighs the health risks

associated with pesticide use. Pesticide poisoning is one of the most prevalent health

problems in the Philippines. In a study by the Department of Health (DOH) from

1991–1995, organophosphates accounted for the highest number of poisoning cases

while organ chlorines caused the most number of deaths. Other Philippine studies

related to pesticide poisoning show the adverse health effects of pesticide. Cheng in

1994 studied 2000 Benguet vegetable farmers and found that the most common

complaints were allergic reactions both in the skin and the eyes, abdominal pain,

dizziness, chest pain, headache, and nose bleed. Meanwhile, a study on pesticide

poisoning in selected hospitals in four Philippines regions in 2001 found that cases of

acute poisoning were more prevalent than chronic cases.

Based on hospital surveys, the number of pesticide cases as well as mortality trends

has been increasing. Studies from 2006 to 2010 showed that human health especially

those of the farmers is at risk due to pesticide exposure. Illnesses and symptoms such

as headache, skin abnormalities, fatigue, fever, and weaknesses were the common

health complaints experienced by the farmers.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

In the view of the prior findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are

offered for consideration:

1. The use of chemical should be lessen and lower the price for organic materials so

that farmers can buy.

2. Don’t eat vegetables that comes from inorganic farming

3. Vegetables that come from organic farming should be advertise so that people will

see the different.

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CONCLUSION

Based on the prior findings, the following conclusions are drawn:

Staying vegetables with chemicals has advantages and disadvantages, which is

why researchers, journalists, and university students are investigating this case. The

results of this study are mostly negative because the use of chemicals such as

pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides may help us by preventing pests,

providing nutrients, eliminating unwanted plants, and preventing other diseases, and it

also has negative effects on the environment, consumers, soil, animals, and us people

due to our health concerns caused by chemicals, While other farmer’s uses chemicals

because the organic farming for them is not efficient.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jastrzębska & Kostrzewska Conventional agrochemicals: Pros and cons.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128170366000091

Felsot A.S and Racke K.D (2023) Chemical Pest Control Technology: Benefits,

Disadvantages, and Continuing Roles in Crop Production Systems pp1-6

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2007-0947.ch001

Forman J., Silverstein 2012 Organic Foods: Health and Environmental Advantages

and Disadvantages.

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/130/5/e1406/32522/Organic-Foods-

Health-and-Environmental-Advantages

Loaharanu & Ahmed March (1991) Advantages and disadvantages of the use of

irradiation for food preservation

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02229144

Li-zhen Deng December 2017 Chemical and physical pretreatments of fruits and

vegetables: Effects on drying characteristics and quality attributes – a comprehensive

review

https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2017.1409192

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Portable electrochemical sensing methodologies for on-site detection of pesticide

residues in fruits and vegetables. Umapathi, Ghoreishian a, Sonwal et.al (2021)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010854521005798

Erik Meneses-Espinosa, Didiana Gálvez-López, Raymundo Rosas-Quijano, Lourdes

Adriano-Anaya & Alfredo Vázquez-Ovando (2023) Advantages and Disadvantages of

Using Emerging Technologies to Increase Postharvest Life of Fruits and Vegetables,

Food Reviews International, DOI: 10.1080/87559129.2023.2212061

Rawson ashishrawson@gmail.com , B. K. Tiwari , N. Brunton , C. Brennan , P. J.

Cullen & C. P. O'Donnell (2012) Application of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide to Fruit

and Vegetables: Extraction, Processing, and Preservation, Food Reviews

International, 28:3, 253-276, DOI: 10.1080/87559129.2011.635389

R. K. Sharma P.P. Dhyani and S. S. Samant Toxic Chemicals in fruits and vegetables:

an overview

https://www.sciencecongress.nic.in/pdf/e-book/oct-Nov-2010.pdf#page=15

Shahbaz, M.U.; Arshad, M.; Mukhtar, K.; Nabi, B.G.; Goksen, G.; Starowicz, M.;

Nawaz, A.; Ahmad, I.; Walayat, N.; Manzoor, M.F.; et al. Natural Plant Extracts: An

Update about Novel Spraying as an Alternative of Chemical Pesticides to Extend the

Postharvest Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables. Molecules 2022, 27, 5152.

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27165152

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