When we think about the fears associated with normally digested foods today, we may conjure up depictions of foodborne illnesses or starving families in a distant third world country. Although such conditions are unfortunate, people in industrialized countries often wonder where their meal comes from and what it entails, but rarely go beyond this consideration. Many forget a crucial element in the preparation of the products they have just purchased, namely pesticides. Pesticides are chemical compounds typically sprayed on crops to help kill insects by containing an undesirable taste or creating disease inside the insect. However, the insects have learned to adapt to the chemicals, thereby strengthening the pests' resilience. PesticidesTopsoil, air, sunlight and water are perfect illustrations of the negative effects. As might be expected, pesticides scar many adjacent plants and animals, causing damage and their disappearance. The deadly effects of the spray vary from organism to organism. For example, because of pesticide leaks into waterways, many fish die every year. Likewise, pesticides fuel air pollution and even harm the ozone layer once they are carried into the air after their application to future crops. According to the EPA, the ability of crops to germinate and grow is also affected by pesticides. As the pesticide is absorbed into the soil, it depletes necessary elements like nitrogen and phosphorus found in fertile soils, weakening circulation systems. Not only does this weaken the plant, but it also causes a great loss of nutritional value that the crop should produce. Furthermore, in the article “Harmful Pesticides Found in Everyday Food Products,” Lu proposes that due to survival of the fittest, pest resilience will increase until pesticides no longer become a method of protection effective. Therefore, the initial effort of pesticides to generate improved crops essentially produces an additional product rich in toxic and chemical substances.