History of pesticides

The first known pesticide was sulfur powder that was used in ancient Mesopotamia. Hinduism, which is also about 4,000 years old, mentions the use of toxins for pest control in plants. Up until the 15th century toxic chemicals such as arsenic, mercury and lead were used to kill parasites. In the 17th century, nicotine from tobacco leaves was also used. In the 19th century natural pesticides such as pyrethrum were introduced, derived from chrysanthemums and rotenone which comes from tropical vegetables. The first pesticide legislation was passed in the United States in 1910 after the discovery of the ruinous effects of the chemical substances used. In the 1930’s the very negative effects on the human nervous system were revealed, and usage fell significantly.

In the 1940’s a negative trend against pesticides emerged after mass production of synthetic pesticides had begun. During these years use of pesticides increased, with 2.4 million tons of chemical pesticides in use throughout the world. Three-quarters of this quantity were used in developing countries. Various types of toxic pesticides were used in the past. If we ignore the secondary damages caused from the spraying of toxic materials, we can say that this was a very effective method. Another method used “classical” biological pesticides, in which ne type of animal (for example mice) was used against another animal (cats) that would prey on the animal and kill it. However in the case of cockroaches or an increase in reptiles and pests in the fields, pesticide by spraying was the most proven method.
Following the use of pesticides in agriculture, humans searched for a solution for parasites in animals, which ultimately led to the manufacturing of pesticides for this purpose.

There are many groups of pesticides. The main ones, in chronological order are:
Organochlorides – began to be produced in the 1940’s
Organic phosphates –began to be produced in the 1950’s
Carbamates – began to be produced in the 1950’s
Imidins – began to be produced in the 1960’s
Synthetic pyrethroids – began to be produced in the 1970’s
Macrocyclic lactones – began to be produced in the 1980’s
Neonicotinoids – began to be produced in the 1990’s
We at Solano use the newest and safest pesticides.