Environmental Effects of Herbicides

• Herbicides can have negative environmental effects on food supplies, general health and local habitats. Kim Steele/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Keeping weeds out of your garden and lawn sometimes requires the use of chemicals; that is, unless you want to pull those weeds out by hand. Herbicides are an effective way to rid your lawn and garden of invasive plants, but the widespread use of these products has a considerable impact on the environments where they are used. These chemicals are toxic, so you should learn about the environmental effects of herbicides before using them.

Changing Habitats

• Herbicides are not only used around the home. They are also used regularly in forestry. Ridding a forest or other natural areas of some species may appear helpful in one way, but could be damaging in another. One particular impact is that the removal of certain plants by herbicides changes the habitat dramatically for the insects, mammals and birds in the area, according to the Science Encyclopedia. Such plants may be key to the animals' survival, and when they are suddenly killed by herbicide, it can mean that these animals must go elsewhere.

Unintended Targets

• Unintended targets can be a concern when using herbicides. Sprays can drift in the wind and may blow onto plants that are not meant to be killed. Drift beyond the intended spray site is even more likely when herbicides are spread by large equipment, such as tractors, and especially by plane. Drift can also affect people nearby.

Human Contact

• The dispersal of herbicides from airplanes can especially impact the health of many people. If the toxic substances drift away from the primary target area, people nearby may collect the herbicide on their skins, in their food or simply breathe it into their lungs. Depending on the particular herbicide being used, there are several health problems that could arise as a result.

  In addition, the workers who apply herbicide directly are also likely to inhale fumes or come in direct contact with the herbicides they use. This can result in similar effects.

Food Crop Destruction

• According to the Institute for Science and Interdisciplinary Studies website, herbicide spraying has been linked to the destruction of food crops near spray sites. This negative effect includes the killing of fruits and vegetables on a large scale in some places. Fumigation is also a problem. Fumigation has been linked to the loss of other agricultural resources, such as the death of fish in nearby lakes and streams as well as that of livestock.