How Safe is Your Lawn?

Are you, your children, your pets, the environment at risk because of the lawn chemicals you use?

Synthetic lawn chemicals i.e. herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers endanger human and animal health and damage the environment. Scientific studies have found numerous negative health consequences associated with the synthetic chemicals found in traditional lawn care products. A report by the National Academy of Sciences shows that the health of 1 in 7 people is negatively impacted in some form by lawn pesticides; numerous studies link lawn chemicals to cancers and other long-term diseases; several studies also link exposure to artificial lawn chemicals to an increased risk of cancer and other health problems in pets. Children are especially at risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground. Studies from Yale University, Mount . Sinai Medical Center and several others point to children's health risks associated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

"Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we're beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of this century and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin." Dick Irwin, toxicologist at Texas A&M Universities.

Chemical/Synthetic lawn care products are poisons designed to kill a variety of plants and animals such as insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), and mold or fungus (fungicides). Pesticides include active ingredients (chemical compounds designed to kill the target organisms) and inert ingredients which may be carcinogens or toxic substances. They also include rodenticides and wood preservatives.

There is no safe chemical fertilizer, weed killer, or pesticide. Chemical fertilizers poison the environment with their salt base that causes imbalance in the pH of the soil. They cause a toxic buildup of nitrates, contaminating drinking water, rivers, streams, and lakes. They also destroy the good microorganisms in the soil. Synthetic pesticides also poison the environment, some more than others. Some release compounds that become increasingly toxic as they break down in the environment. Some have an accumulative effect and are harmful far beyond the area they were originally applied. Some are longer lasting than others, and some don't break down for a long time, remaining in the soil or water indefinitely.

When chemicals are applied, there is no way to prevent migration from the application site, whether that is downstream, downwind, or leeching into ground water. The harmful impact to birds, wildlife, and aquatic life is becoming more apparent each year with each new study that's published.

HOW CHEMICAL LAWN CARE PRODUCTS REACH US?
 

Chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers can be absorbed through the skin, swallowed or inhaled (most toxic). During application pesticides drift and settle on ponds, laundry, toys, pools and furniture. People and pets track pesticide residue into the house. Only 5% of pesticides reach target weeds. The rest runs off into water or dissipates in the air. Drift from landscaping ranges from 12 feet to 14.5 miles. More serious effects appear to be produced by direct inhalation of pesticide sprays than by absorption or ingestion of toxins.

Many of the 'safety tests' used to test these products are fundamentally inadequate: they test for the acute (not chronic) effects of single (not multiple) chemicals on healthy (not sick, chemically sensitive or immuno-suppressed etc.) adult (not fetal or young) animal (not human) subjects exposed over short (not long) periods of time. Some of the companies testing pesticides have been charged and convicted of falsifying residue and environmental studies that were used to support pesticide registration in the US and Canada . Some pesticides become even more toxic as they break down. (In the US it is a violation of federal law to state that the use of pesticides is safe.)

Chemical lawn products initiate and propagate multiple chemical sensitivities. About 16 million US citizens are sensitive to exposure (i.e. they have compromised immune functioning.

Why should you switch to organic lawn care?

What are the Benefits?
 

		It is safer for humans, pets and the environment than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
		It improves the quality of the soil, which will have an increased ability to retain water and nutrients.
		You will enjoy significant financial savings by transitioning from synthetic to organic lawn care, especially after the first year of use.
		Organic products will significantly reduce pests by restoring balance to your lawn's ecosystem. You will benefit from reduced maintenance in mowing, watering and fertilizing because you will have a naturally stronger and healthier lawn.
		A report by the National Academy of Sciences shows that the health of 1 in 7 people is negatively impacted in some form by lawn pesticides.
		Numerous studies link lawn chemicals to cancers and other long-term diseases.
		Several studies also link exposure to artificial lawn chemicals to an increased risk of cancer and other health problems in pets.
		Children are especially at risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground.
		Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers destroy the naturally present beneficial organisms in a healthy lawn's ecosystem. This destruction then transforms your lawn into an increasingly needy "junkie" requiring more and more chemicals to sustain it.
		Organic lawn care focuses instead on soil management techniques and long-term results, building up the nutrients and organisms in the soil in order to make your lawn better able to withstand drought, pests, and other common problems.
		Organic lawn care also eliminates damage to the environment and to human and animal health caused by synthetic lawn care products.
		Organic products function by building up "life in the soil" or soil biology, their payoff is more long-term and lasting.
		Synthetic products, by their nature, are instantaneous and must be frequently reapplied in greater amounts to maintain the appearance of the grass. Due to the need for frequent reapplications and the reduced effectiveness of synthetic chemicals.
		The user of organic products will spend considerably less money on lawn care over a two-year period than the user of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Hampton, NH  |  603-918-8417