Poison Season Returns to Southern New England
By Frank Carini /
ecoRI News columnist
The amount of toxic chemicals dumped on lawns and public grounds annually to turn lifeless space green and kill dandelions and white clover is staggering — some 80 million pounds year after year in the United States.
When these monolithic landscapes are flooded with
mass-marketed poisons and nutrients, they turn bad for human and pet health,
pollute local waters, deter wildlife, and degrade the environment.
Those warning flags are required because of
the 40 most commonly used lawn pesticides, 26 are linked to cancer or
carcinogenicity, 12 are linked to birth defects, 21 to reproductive effects, 32
to liver or kidney damage, 24 to neurotoxicity, and 24 to disruption of the
endocrine (hormonal) system, according to Beyond Pesticides.
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit notes that of the 40, 21 are detected
in groundwater, 24 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources, and
39 are toxic to fish, 33 to bees, 28 to birds, and 18 to mammals.
This manufactured reliance on pesticides
and fertilizers has turned neighborhood soil into a dumping ground for
lawn-care concoctions and helped chemical and fossil fuel companies pad their
profits.
Tons of fertilizer overloaded with nitrogen and/or phosphorus are dumped every spring because some pitchman using a Scottish accent tells us to, “Feed your lawn. Feed it.” Pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are mindlessly sprayed all over the place because we were indoctrinated to believe a lush carpet of useless green improves our social status.
These poisons make us and the environment
sick. They turn to dust and ride the wind. They cling to people and pets who
walk, play, and relax on treated grass. They get kicked up during youth
sporting events. They can be inhaled like pollen, causing nausea, coughing,
headaches, and shortness of breath. For asthmatic kids, they can trigger
coughing fits and asthma attacks.
If directly ingested, chemicals such as
ammonium phosphate, potassium chloride, and urea can cause vomiting and
diarrhea. Studies have shown that these chemicals can linger in body tissue for
years.
In Rhode Island, lawn chemicals are used
routinely by about 40% of the state’s school districts, according to a 2008
report. State law requires schools using pesticides to inform officials,
teachers, and parents when pesticides are applied. We all know how well Rhode
Island environmental laws are followed and enforced.
Two of the most common pesticides,
glyphosate used in Roundup and 2,4-D in Weed B Gon Max, have been linked to a
slew of health issues such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),
developmental disorders, and cancer.
Weed and feed products
with 2,4-D — the Natural Resources Defense Council calls
the weed killer the “most dangerous pesticide you’ve never heard of” — can be
nasty.
The National Institute of Health has found
2,4-D, the pesticide in most of these killing products, caused an increased
risk of lymphoma in dogs. A Purdue University study found a link between lawn
chemicals and canine bladder cancer.
Developed by Dow Chemical in the 1940s,
2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid helped usher in the unnatural green movement
that now carpets much of the country.
A growing body of scientific evidence
continues to confirm the widespread health effects of 2,4-D — a neurotoxicant
that contains half the ingredients in Agent Orange, according to Beyond
Pesticides — and similar killing products.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on
Cancer declared 2,4-D a possible human carcinogen. In fact,
pesticides are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency because most
are carcinogens or suspected carcinogens.
The cocktail of chemical pollution,
including pesticides and fertilizers, that saturates the planet threatens the
stability of global ecosystems upon which humanity depends, according to
a 2022 study.
Last month, Beyond Pesticides released a
comprehensive report about pesticide use and noted the “shocking scientific
findings” should “compel us to act.”
The 172-page report documents
the last year of scientific, peer-reviewed articles, policy deficiencies, and
action for change that intersect with the use of petrochemical pesticides and
fertilizers on:
Human health: Children’s exposure to
synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, particularly during the course of mosquito
control operations, is associated with increased occurrence of certain respiratory
diseases; the popular herbicide glyphosate can infiltrate the brain through the
blood, increasing neurological disease risk.
Biodiversity collapse: Honeybees exposed to
a combination of multiple pesticides suffer a reduced lifespan and experience
adverse changes to their gut microbiome, increasing susceptibility to pathogens
and disease; spraying a flowering plant with synthetic fertilizers makes it
less attractive to bumblebees.
Failed policies reviewed in the report
include the continued use of neurotoxic organophosphate insecticides and
congressional efforts to further weaken federal pesticide law and codify a
prohibition of local authority to restrict pesticides more stringently than
state and federal law.
Beyond Pesticides said documented science
and policy failures support its call for an end to petrochemical pesticide and
fertilizer use within a decade and compel the expeditious adoption of organic
management to replace chemical-intensive practices.
Let the dandelions and white clover live,
and if your lawn is hungry, feed it with compost.
Frank Carini can be reached
at frank@ecori.org. His opinions don’t reflect those of ecoRI News.