Lawn Pesticides and Chemicals

Lawn Pesticides and Chemicals

Recently, the use of lawn pesticides and chemicals has grown enormously with home owners and golf course management in hope of attaining "the perfect turf." However, the negative effects that are associated with attaining ones "dream turf" is primarily caused by the direct use of pesticides and chemicals. The chemical pesticide industry fails to address these issues and has made every effort to keep this information from the public.

Herbicides and pesticides are not a natural way to achieve a beautiful lawn, contrary to what lawn care companies would like people to believe. They are broad-spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than the targeted species (Dieglman, 1996). Pesticide industries make false claims by stating that their chemicals are heavily diluted, failing to mention that toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. Other false claims include companies like ChemLawn which state that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not from grazing the lawn. Most poisonings come from inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin (Begley, 1988). These chemicals include wartime defoliants such as Agent Orange, nerve-gas type pesticides, and artificial hormones (Dieglman, 1996). In some instances, pesticides like DDT, which remain active for many years, accumulate in our bodies and are released at potentially toxic levels. In women, lifetime exposures to such chemicals are released in the breast milk of her firstborn child (International Joint Commission, 1990).

Pesticides drift and settle during application where they can easily reach houses and p...

... middle of paper ...

...l and human health risks that outweigh its intended results. Alternative strategies must be developed which will bring about better results on the environment. Long lasting solutions, which require less time, are definitely the best place to start.

References

N. Diegelman. Poison in the Grass. 1996.

Begley, Sharon, and Hager. "Please Don’t Eat the Daises." Newsweek 16 May 1988.

International Joint Commission on the Great Lakes. "Selected Persistent Toxic Substances in Human Breast Milk in the Great Lakes Basin." March 1990.

American Defender Network. "Lawn Chemical Dangers." 1989.

American Cancer Society, Erie County Branch. "Warning: The Use of Pesticides May Be Hazardous To Your Health." 1991.

G. Davidson. "Pesticides: The Killing Fields." Woman’s Day. 1994.

N. Polk. "The Perfect Lawn Isn’t Always Green." The New York Times, Oct. 17, 1990.