Explain the side effects of the use of herbicides on living things.

(N/A) The pesticide industry has shifted its attention to herbicides such as sodium chlorate $(NaClO_3)$,sodium arsenite $(Na_3AsO_3)$,and many others.
The shift from mechanical to chemical weed control has provided the industry with a flourishing economic market,but these chemicals are not environmentally friendly.
Most herbicides are toxic to mammals,although they are not as persistent as organochlorides. Unlike organochlorides,they are less stable and decompose within the food web.
Some herbicides are known to cause birth defects.
Corn fields sprayed with herbicides are often more prone to insect attacks and plant diseases compared to fields where weeds are removed manually.
Pesticides and herbicides represent only a small portion of widespread chemical pollution. Many other compounds used in industrial manufacturing processes are eventually released into the atmosphere in various forms.