Evaluation and method establishment of biological and ecological effects of DDT : imaging technique and molecular analysis approach

概要

1. Positive and Negative Impact of Environmental Pollution
Environmental pollution is one of the biggest concerns facing humanity today.
Further, environmental pollution has been considered to contribute to 9 million premature
deaths in 2015. Most damages are considered to occur in developing countries (Landrigan
et al., 2018). Human activity significantly effects environmental pollution directly;
however, the lockdown imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly improved
environmental quality and reduced NO2 (air pollutant) levels (Muhammad et al., 2020).
However, the problems of environmental pollutants are complicated because they have
both risks and benefits to humans.
I consider pesticides as the typical case to discuss the duality of pollutants.
Pesticides are chemicals used to protect agricultural produce and public health by
repelling or killing pests (Alavanja, 2009). Thus, the benefits of pesticides are obvious.
With the increasing global population, the demand for food production is also increasing.
However, in 20 years from 1990, the forest area has decreased significantly, and further
generation of new cultivation regions using natural areas is not desirable for protecting
biodiversity. In such a situation, pesticides are crucial for ensuring a stable food supply
as they increase agricultural production remarkably (Crist et al., 2017; Tudi et al., 2021).
Loss of fruits and vegetables was estimated to reach 78% and 54%, respectively, when
grown without pesticides. Further, prohibition of pesticides can decrease agricultural
production, and eliminate more than 100,000 jobs in the USA (Zhang et al., 2011).
Pesticides are not only used in agriculture but also to control infectious diseases.
Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue are still raging, especially in
developing countries; thus, vector control is more effective than human medicine to
control these diseases. Pesticides play an important role in vector control (Wilson et al.,
2020). Owing to these advantages, the amount of pesticides consumption has dramatically
increased between 1960 and 2000 (Zhang et al., 2011). Contrary to these beneficial effects
of pesticides, many researchers have alerted their risks to both human and environmental
health (Tudi et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2011). However, most pesticide users do not mind
the risks to both human health and the environment in some countries. ...

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