Pesticide and Environmental Update
Refuse to
Use Lawn Chemicals
This spring, two national campaigns highlight the risks of lawn and
garden pesticides. With evidence that exposure to lawn care chemicals
presents health risks to children and pets and pollutes water and the
environment, both campaigns ask that households switch to non-toxic
alternatives. The Toxics Action Center in Boston has targeted TruGreen
ChemLawn, the nation's largest provider of lawn care services, and urges
consumers to "Refuse to Use ChemLawn." The National Coalition
for Pesticide-Free Lawns asks consumers to use non-toxic alternatives,
urge retailers to stock non-toxic lawn care products, and pressure public
officials for protection from the aesthetic use of pesticides.
A report by the Toxics Action Center reveals ChemLawn's aggressive
marketing practices and analyzes the 32 pesticide products the company
markets to its household customers. More than half of the products include
ingredients identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
or the World Health Organization as possible carcinogens, one third
contain known or suspected endocrine disruptors, and more than a quarter
contain reproductive toxins. Over 40% of the chemicals on ChemLawn's list
contain ingredients banned in other countries, and all of the products in
their arsenal pose threats to water supplies, aquatic organisms, and
non-target insects.
Each year, homeowners apply at least 90 million pounds of pesticides to
their lawns and gardens. Home use of pesticides has risen 42% between 1998
and 2001 and now represents the only growth sector of the U.S. pesticide
market. Pesticides are also applied more intensively for lawn care, with
applications rates between 3.2 to 9.8 pounds per acre for lawns, as
opposed to agricultural averages of 2.7 pounds per acre.
Importantly, this intensive pesticide use occurs where children-more
vulnerable than adults to the effects of pesticide exposure-live and play.
The Toxic Action Center report notes that "children's internal organs
are still developing and maturing and their enzymatic, metabolic, and
immune systems provide less natural protection than those of an
adult." Researchers are increasingly identifying several especially
vulnerable stages of child development, including fetal and adolescent
developmental windows, in which chemical exposures can permanently alter
future development.
Pesticides applied on residential and commercial lawns are known to
migrate indoors. An EPA study found that residues from outdoor pesticides
are tracked in by pets and people's shoes, and can increase the pesticide
loads in carpet dust as much as 400-fold. Pesticides have also been found
to persist for years within homes, where they do not degrade from exposure
to sunlight or rain.
TruGreen ChemLawn sells its services through aggressive telemarketing
campaigns, one of which was an arrangement with the US Youth Soccer
program to market services to the parents of soccer-playing kids. Under
pressure from public health and environmental groups, US Youth Soccer
ended its relationship with TruGreen ChemLawn in January of this year. A
number of states have penalized the company for its aggressive and
misleading marketing.
Both consumer campaigns emphasize the availability of non-toxic lawn
care alternatives. Groups like the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)
have programs to regularly train and certify professionals in
pesticide-free landscaping services. The Coalition for Pesticide-Free
Lawns, representing groups across the nation, notes the number of
communities that have adopted a precautionary approach, including a
Natural Yard Care Program by local government in the Seattle area, and the
70 Canadian cities that have restricted or banned the aesthetic use of
pesticides.
Visit http://www.RefuseToUseChemLawn.org/
for a copy of their report and to sign the Refuse to Use ChemLawn pledge.
Visit the Pesticide Free Lawns on the Beyond
Pesticides website at http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns/
and sign the pledge.
Sources: Refuse to Use ChemLawn, Be Truly Green, Why Lawn Care
Pesticides are Dangerous to Your Children, Pets and the Environment,
Matthew Wilson and Jay Rasku, Toxics Action Center, March 2005, 44 Winter
Street, Boston, MA 02108, Backgrounder, National Coalition for Pesticide
Free Lawns, Beyond Pesticides, http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns
Contact: Toxics Action Center, info@toxicsaction.org,
phone 617-292-4821, Beyond Pesticides, phone 202-543-5450, Defenders of
Wildlife 202-772-0237
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