Defusing the Toxics Threat: Controlling Pesticides and Industrial Waste… (edizione 1987)

The use of pesticides in agriculture and the discarding of industrial chemical waste into the air, soil, and water constitute two major pathways of human exposure to toxic substances. It is argued that these practices release hundreds of millions of tons of potentially hazardous substances into the environment each year. Speculation continues into the long-term consequences of the health and ecological effects of the vast majority of chemicals in use. This document addresses some of these dangers and presents strategies that are intended to reduce pesticide use in agriculture and that minimize waste generation in industry, offering cost-effective approaches to lessening the risks from toxics. The booklet is organized into sections concerned with: (1) the "shadows" of the chemical age; (2) consequences and risks; (3) breaking the pesticide habit; (4) rethinking industrial waste management; and (5) detoxifying the environment. (TW)