Keep Off The Grass: Experts Sound Off on the Health Hazards of Lawn Chemicals
Isn't it funny how much children love dandelions? They can spend a whole afternoon blowing the seeds off into the wind, making wishes and chasing after them. For many adults, though, dandelions are The Enemy of The Perfect Lawn, and that enemy must be stopped with weed-killers.
Here's the (really) bad news, though: In our efforts to have the greenest, weed-free lawns possible, we're also releasing poisonous chemicals into the air we breathe and the water we drink--chemicals that have already been banned in Canada and Europe because they can lead to various forms of cancer, birth defects, liver damage, kidney damage and more. There are very good reasons why you, your children, and your pets are not supposed to set foot on lawns with the little signs warning you they've been sprayed. The problem is that the signs warn you to stay off the lawn for 48 hours, but you're far from "in the clear" after that time period is up.
Years ago, I watched environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on TV, talking about how we all live in a closed system--how you can't just wash things down the drain and expect them to magically disappear. As Kennedy explained, if you spray chemicals on your lawn, the rain washes them into the gutters, which carries them to your local drinking water system, and guess what? Those poisons come right back to you when you turn on your tap. Every year, my town issues the required report from the EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on our drinking water, and I'm always shocked by the allowable percentages of chemicals in our tap water.
I recently interviewed Dr. Claire Gervais, Associate Professor at the Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Gervais co-founded the Healthy Lawn Team in Madison, a group of concerned citizens out to spread the word about the harmfulness of lawn chemicals. Said Dr. Gervais, "When I was pregnant with my second child, I couldn't help but notice the lawn care pesticide signs that were up at the family practice clinic, where I was getting my prenatal care. I had read about endocrine disruptors in Theo Colborn's book, Our Stolen Future, and was acutely aware of the contradiction between our health care organization's mission to do no harm and the business mission to attract patients by having a weed-free lawn."
When I asked Dr. Gervais what surprised her most in her research, she replied, "First, that cumulative exposures of very small amounts of herbicides over time increases the risk of cancers and other diseases, contradicting the theory that the dose makes the poison. Secondly, there is no regulation for mixtures of pesticides that have several herbicides mixed together, increasing the efficacy and toxicity by as much as 1000-fold!" Dr. Gervais recommends Environmental Health Perspectives and Beyond Pesticides for further reading on the web; at the latter I found this eye-opening fact: "Of the 30 most common lawn pesticides, 17 are detected in groundwater, 23 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources, 24 are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms vital to our ecosystem, 11 are toxic to bees, and 16 are toxic to birds."
Anthony Pascale, President of Natural Turf, a green lawn care company serving Northern New Jersey since 2001 (we've been customers for the past seven years) said, "So many people aren't aware that walking barefoot on a chemically-treated lawn means they're absorbing those toxins through their feet. Even if you wear shoes, those toxins are brought indoors and then are deposited in your carpet or rugs." Pascale told me that when breastfeeding mothers come into contact with these chemicals, the chemicals can end up in their breast milk. He also added, "Children are four to six times more likely to get leukemia after being overexposed to lawn chemicals (from Beyond Pesticides: Children and Pesticides Don't Mix). Every other country in the world has banned these chemicals. Even Kuwait banned them in 1984."
It's easy to prevent these toxins from entering your home: Stop spraying your lawn with them. Just google "safe lawn care" or "green lawn companies" in your area--you have more options than you might think. And by the way, if you need any proof that chemical-free lawn care works, that's our 100% organic lawn pictured below. Green and clean!
How do you keep your lawn and garden green? (No lawn? Please pass on the health and safety risks to your suburban friends!)
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Excellent post! I plan to start campaigning locally, informing local businesses and home owners about the health effects of lawn pesticides. Whenever I survey my students about what the pesticide application signs mean, most of them don't even take notice of them. Once I explain what the sign means they are usually outraged that they are being exposed to harmful chemicals unknowingly and unwillingly. Little by little we can make changes. Thank you for such an informative blog post! @SustainChick
Excellent blog,Joy,and it makes me feel like my concern over the chemicals in hair dye is warranted. They are being put on our scalps,one of the richest blood supplies of our body,and left there for a period of time,after being cautioned to apply the dye with rubber gloves! Every woman that I've heard that has battled cancer has colored her hair. I stopped counting after 30 people! It may not be cause and effect,but I firmly believe there is some association involved.
Meanwhile,your lawn looks fabulous and your poochie looks cute as ever! I just want to squeeze her!!!
You're very welcome. It's true that the first hurdle is raising awareness. If people only knew about the extremely harmful poisons they are pouring on their lawns, they'd be much more likely to make a switch in how they take care of their lawns. Thanks for stopping by!
A good point, Donna--inhaling chemicals and pouring them on your body cannot be a good thing! Same with lawn chemicals coming into contact with your skin and lungs.
Another option is to "go native". Around here we occasionally see yards where they did away with having mown green lawn, and instead have it growing with flora that is native to this region. Sometimes these can look a little wild, with 3-foot high prairie grass and lots of wildflowers.
Excellent post! I plan to start campaigning locally, informing local businesses and home owners about the health effects of lawn pesticides. Whenever I survey my students about what the pesticide application signs mean, most of them don't even take notice of them. Once I explain what the sign means they are usually outraged that they are being exposed to harmful chemicals unknowingly and unwillingly. Little by little we can make changes. Thank you for such an informative blog post! @SustainChick
Posted by: Sustainability Chick | 05/21/2013 at 06:37 PM
Excellent blog,Joy,and it makes me feel like my concern over the chemicals in hair dye is warranted. They are being put on our scalps,one of the richest blood supplies of our body,and left there for a period of time,after being cautioned to apply the dye with rubber gloves! Every woman that I've heard that has battled cancer has colored her hair. I stopped counting after 30 people! It may not be cause and effect,but I firmly believe there is some association involved.
Meanwhile,your lawn looks fabulous and your poochie looks cute as ever! I just want to squeeze her!!!
Posted by: Donna | 05/22/2013 at 11:26 AM
You're very welcome. It's true that the first hurdle is raising awareness. If people only knew about the extremely harmful poisons they are pouring on their lawns, they'd be much more likely to make a switch in how they take care of their lawns. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by: Joy @ JoyfullyGreen.com | 05/22/2013 at 12:21 PM
A good point, Donna--inhaling chemicals and pouring them on your body cannot be a good thing! Same with lawn chemicals coming into contact with your skin and lungs.
I will pass on the hug to Delilah!
Posted by: Joy @ JoyfullyGreen.com | 05/22/2013 at 12:22 PM
Another option is to "go native". Around here we occasionally see yards where they did away with having mown green lawn, and instead have it growing with flora that is native to this region. Sometimes these can look a little wild, with 3-foot high prairie grass and lots of wildflowers.
Posted by: Alex C Jones | 05/25/2013 at 01:30 PM
You're right, Alex--that is a very good option if it works for your yard and climate.
Posted by: Joy @ JoyfullyGreen.com | 05/26/2013 at 10:10 PM