30.11.2023 Environment

The problem with pesticides

Biochemist from UNIOESTE recommends a classic from the 1960s that shone a light on the negative environmental and health impacts of pesticide

Carolina Paris

My recommendation:

Silent Spring by American marine biologist, writer, scientist, and ecologist Rachel Louise Carson (1907–1964)

Why is it worth reading?

First published in 1962, this book is a worthy read for all audiences in all fields of study. It was written by American biologist Rachel Louise Carson, who bravely stood up to the chemical pesticide industry and the US government to warn people about the public health risks of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (an insecticide commonly known as DDT).

The book was groundbreaking in the environmental movement, one of the first to address the negative impacts of pesticides on the environment and human health. As a result, it became an international reference, guiding important decisions surrounding the subsequent prohibition of pesticide use, in addition to shining a spotlight on the need to create environmental legislation in the US and later around the rest of the world.

The title alludes to the potential occurrence of a silent spring, in which all fauna and flora have been killed by the excessive use of chemical substances. The book remains relevant to this day, addressing the impact of fake news on society and discussing the fact that the chemical industry at the time frequently published misinformation and denied the harmful effects of pesticides. Carson also questioned the government’s position of allowing the use of toxic substances before it had sufficient technical information on their safety.

Another of the book’s important contributions is its warning about the possible relationship between pesticides and cancer. Thanks to the author’s use of accessible language, written with accuracy and context and ripe with examples and scientific references from the time, it is a truly addictive read. I highly recommend picking up a copy!

*Carolina Panis is a professor of biochemistry at the Tumor Biology Laboratory of the State University of Western Paraná (UNIOESTE). She has a PhD in experimental pathology from the State University of Londrina (UEL).

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