What is insecticide?

Published:

2022-10-31

Pesticides refer to chemical agents used to control pests. It includes organic pesticides (organic chlorine, organic phosphorus, organic sulfur preparations, carbamates and pyrethroids), inorganic pesticides (inorganic arsenic, inorganic fluoride, inorganic sulfur preparations), vegetable pesticides, mineral oil pesticides, and microbial pesticides. Insecticide is a kind of pesticide with large dosage and many varieties, which can only kill insects but not prevent diseases. Pesticides play an extremely important role in increasing agricultural production and solving human food problems, but they are also an important factor in causing pesticide pollution to the environment (such as organochlorine pesticides, which are stable in chemical properties, not easy to degrade, and easy to accumulate in soil and organisms), and are closely related to the reduction of pests and natural enemies and other beneficial organisms, even the imminent extinction.

Insecticides are mainly used to control agricultural pests and urban health pests. They have a long history of use, large dosage and many varieties. In the 20th century, with the rapid development of agriculture, pesticides have greatly increased agricultural output. However, almost all pesticides will seriously change the ecosystem, most of which are harmful to human health, and others will be concentrated in the food chain. We should balance agricultural development with environment and health. According to the source, it can be divided into biological insecticides and chemical synthetic insecticides.