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Home My WebLink About2003-04-22 Correspondence Office of the C~vil-Juvenile Johnson County Attorney Johnson County Courthouse · 417 South Clinton Street · P.O. Box 2450 · Iowa City, IA 52244 Phone (319) 339-6100 · Fax (319) 339-6149 Criminal J. Patrick White David v. T~any April 14, 2003 ~.V~ormDominguez TO: City of Iowa City City Council; Marian Karr, City Clerk Child Support RE: GMD, Inc., d/b/a The Parthenon PatriciaA. Weir Liquor License Renewal Application FROM: J. Patrick White Johnson County Attorney~_~ With this memorandum I conditionally recommend approval of the above liquor license renewal application. While reviewing the above application it came to my office's attention that GMD, Inc., the corporation through which The Parthenon does business had been administratively dissolved by the Iowa Secretary of State on August 5, 2002. My office informed the applicant I would be unwilling to approve the application until the corporation had been reinstated by the Secretary of State's office. Since that time my office has been informed by the applicant that all steps necessary to have the corporation reinstated have been taken. Because the reinstatement had not occurred as of the writing of this memorandum, I condition my recommendation of approval on the applicant providing adequate proof to the City Council that its corporate entity, GMD, Inc., has been reinstated by the Iowa Secretary of State and is once again authorized to do business in the State of Iowa. cy: Dimit rios Tsevas Marian Karr From: Mark Edwards [mwedwards@westaff, com] Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 1:28 PM To: 'cou ncil@iowa-city.org' Cc: 'steve-atkins@iowa-city.org' Subject: Building Blocks to Employment Seminar Dear City Council Members, I wanted to express my deepest appreciation for the efforts directed toward Building Blocks to Employment by Heather Shank, the Human Rights department staff, and members of the Human Rights Commission. During the public meeting for public input on the City Steps program held at the Broadway Street Neighborhood Center, several citizens wanted the city to do more to provide education or training in regard to career development and assistance with a job search. After a snowed out event on March 4, 2003, the event was held last evening. Although the attendance was not as large as was hoped for, the participants got excellent advice and tips on job search techniques, and were also given take home materials, prizes, and were introduced to area services they may not have been aware of. In that aspect it was a great success! Just wanted to express my thanks for Heather and her staff, and the Human Rights Commission. They took a community need, and found a way through much hard work to meet that need. A great example of responsive government services. Sincerely, Mark Edwards Midwest Regional Manager Westaff 56 Sturgis Corner Drive Iowa City, IA 52246 (319) 351-5700 Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: DANIEL BRUNS [lisa and dan@msn.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 09.2003 2:04 AM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Thanks for listening I spoke to you folks on Tuesday, April 8th regarding Mayor's Youth. Although your vote did not favor my views, I appreciate the time given to speak, and your attention while I did. Ply wife, Lisa, wanted to express a special thank you to Mr. Irvin Pfab, for your vote against cutting funding for Playor's Youth. I hope your attempts to improve services for youths at risk work out.. Your way of doing things aren't the way I'd have picked ..... but I honestly hope they work. Thank you Dan Bruns 4/9/03 Marian Karr From: Mary Prohaska [Quidditch9919@aol.com] Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 11:55 PM To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Saving the Old Capitol Mall The following is a petition hosted and delivered by e-thePeople.org. e-thePeople has taken precautions to ensure the credibility and usefulness of this petition by: - requiring that all signatories provide their full name and address verifying that all signatories have supplied their correct email address - limiting the number of recipients of this petition to 3 people. e-thePeople.org is a nonpartisan forum for electronic cor~unication among citizens, researchers, civic leaders, journalists and government officials, e-thePeople.org operates its "electronic town halls" in partnership with over 1,000 local media outlets, including New York Daily News, the Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, and the Chicago Sun- Times. If you have any suggestions of ways we can help make this process more convenient for you or your staff, please contact us at admin@e-thepeople. org. Dee Vanderhoef 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, null 52240 April 8, 2003 Re: Saving the Old Capitol Mall To whom it may concern: I am contacting you because I feel the Old Capitol Mall can be brought back to the glory it once had. I have heard that Planet X and Wilson's is leaving because of the lack of business. I think the only way to be sure that the mall has something for all ages, young and old, is to maybe have a suggestion box placed into the mall lobby or the suggestion placed in the Press Citizen. Can you help in preventing the destruction of a good community building? Thank you for your time. PREPARED BY: Mary Prohaska 135 Amhurst St. Iowa City, 52245 Quidditch9919@aol.com SIGNATORIES: 1 Total Signatory Mary Prohaska 135 P~mhurst St. Iowa City, Iowa 52245 1 Quidditch9919@aol.com Marian Karr From: Mel Sunshine [sunshine@ianet] Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 5:25 PM To: cou ncil@iowa-city,org Subject: Non residents I have heard from several sources that Carol deProsse plans to speak to the Iowa City Council re the council's peace declaration. Since she is NOT a resident of Iowa City (she lives in Lone Tree), I believe that she should not be allowed to address the IC Council on matters concerning residents of Iowa City. I believe that the most important part of the declaration is that we support the ~erican men and women who are there now. We are all for peace in the world but we may disagree on the proper path to that outcome. No matter what we must give support to ~erican troops who are there. Mol Sunshine 340 Raven St IC 52245 sunshine@ic.net Page 1 of 2 Marian Karr From: Lisa Mollenhauer Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 11:08 AM To: 'KPre092539@aol.com' Cc: dann Ream; *City Council Subject: RE: Hdcp parking regulations Ms. Preston, Thank you for sending your comments to the City Council. A copy of your email will be distributed to all seven Council Members on their next printed Formal Agenda Consent Calendar. All correspondence addressed to Council becomes a permanent public record. I have taken the liberty of forwarding this message to Jann Ream, our Code Enforcer. If there is a violation under City jurisdiction, she will follow through. If a different governmental body has enforcement duties, she will let you know who that would be. If you wish to communicate with Council Members immediately, please click here for additional contact options http://www.icflov.org/citycouncil.htm. Lisa Lisa Mollenhauer Administrative Assistant to the City Manager (319) 35S-5010 ..... Original Message ..... From: KPre092539~aol.com [mailto:KPre092539~aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 1:13 AM To: cotmcil~iowa-city.org Cc: IAMidwestMom~aol.com Subject: Hdcp parking regulations Dear Council Members: I am writing at this time asking for an explanation as to why Colonial Lanes has not been required to comply with the ADA of 1990. I have spoken with Mr. Huff, manager and part owner, about this issue and he indicated to me that he had someone checking into it? What is there to check into? It is federal law and I would like to see Colonial Lanes be made to comply with the law. By way of explanation, I have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. I have just recently been allowed by my doctor to try bowling again. I need to be able to park close to the door and not have to walk extensively to get into an establishment. As I said, I have spoke with Brad about this on a couple of occasions and he does not seem, in my opinion, to understand that this is a serious matter to those of us who are in need of the handicap spaces. I also spoke to Mr. Huff about wheelchair accessibility and he indicated that he had added 4/9/03 Page 2 of 2 some blacktop to the south end of his sidewalk for this purpose. I find this insulting, since after a snowfall he does not clear the side walks along the front of his establishment. The able bodied customers are required to walk in the tracks of the cars and a person in a wheelchair cannot get to the front door. I would ask that the owners of Colonial Lanes, Mr. Huff being one of 3 or 4 be made to comply and make their establishment handicap friendly. With the closing of Plamor Lanes, the need for this one remaining bowling center in Iowa City to be available to those bowlers who were served by Plamor Lanes becomes more vital than ever. Thank You for your attention to my concerns and feel free to contact me if further information is needed. Sincerely, Kay Preston 2910 E Court St. Iowa City, IA 52245 ph: 358-9228 after 5:00 ph: 356-4390 from 7:30 to 4:00 UIHC Business Office 4/9/03 Page 1 of l Marian Karr From: Pedro J. Alvarez [pedro-alvarez@uiowa.edu] Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 5:42 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Nicaragua Dear Council Members I have lived in Iowa City for the past 10 years, and was recently appointed honorary consul of my country of origin (the Republic of Nicaragua) for Iowa. As a first step, I would like to explore ways to establish institutional links and cultural exchanges between Iowa City and a city to be determined in Nicaragua (perhaps Masaya, a.k.a, the city of the flowers). I am particularly interested in learning whether you have a sisterhood program, and if so, whether Iowa City might be interested in becoming a sister city with one in Nicaragua. It is amazing how much positive impact we can make with so little, and enrich ourselves culturally in the process. I strongly believe that much of the world's tensions could be prevented through improved understanding of cultural diversity, and recognizing that we have complementary needs with the third world - which represents future resources and markets for our products. If you think that establish a sustainable sisterhood city link might be feasible, I would appreciate you referring me to the right person in your institution. Thanks for your consideration. Pedro Pedro J. Alvarez, Ph.D., P.E., DEE Professor of Civil and Enviromnental Engineering and Associate Director, Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing The University of Iowa 4119 Seaman's Center, Iowa City, IA 52242-1527 Tel: 319-335-5065 Fax: 319-335-5660 web page: http://www.cee.engineedn~,uj~A,~u[~!3~ar~.h~t~_ 4/7/03 JUST THE FACTS b l MidAmerican Energy Proposed Iowa Wind Project MidAmerican Energy Company is proposing to develop the world's largest land-based wind project in Iowa. The project is designed to simultaneously help meet the Governor's stated goal of 1,000 MW of renewable gen- eration in the state by 2010 while taking steps to meet Iowa's future energy needs. The $323 million project will be built in three phases on different sites in Iowa. Each phase will produce at least 100 MW of wind energy. The project will consist of 180 to 200 turbines, each generating approximately 1.5 to 1.65 MW. Key Facts Photo from NEG Micon archives. · MidAmerican's proposed 310-megawatt wind energy facility in Iowa will be the largest land-based wind project in the world according to the Deparlment of Energy Renewable Energy Lab. · MidAmerican's proposal includes an electric rate freeze through 2010, which is an extension of the current rate freeze due to expire in 2005. MidAmerican customers will see stable electric rates for at least another eight years. · The company will inves! $323 million on this project in addition to its $1.1 billion investment in other electric generation projects currently being developed in Iowa. · When the project is complete, MidAmerican will own or have under contract more than 435 MW of renewable energy or more than 43 percent of Governor Vilsack's goal of 1,000 MW of renewable energy by 2010. It should be noted that MidAmerican currently serves approximately 41 percent of the Iowa electric load. · This is a win-win-win ormouncemem for Iowa. Iowo is becoming a leading producer of renewable energy in the country, MidAmerican's Iowa customers are guaranteed stable rates through 2010, and Iowo has the potential for o new product green power to export from the state. · The project is dependent upon regulatory approvals and acceptoble ratemak[ng rulings from the Iowa Utilities Board. WISCONSIN NEBRAS~ Potential Site Area MidAmer[can Energy Company Service Area MidAmerican March ]9, 2003 IOWA ~ESID! 10 OC 9.0( 8.00 ~ .,,°° 4,0( Time Marian Karr From: Woodman, Catherine L. [Catherine. Woodman@med.vagov] Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 3:55 PM To: 'cou ncil@iowa-city.org' Subject: dog park I am writing to express my strongest possible support for a dog park in Iowa City. THe proposed sight west of town sounds perfect, and I look forward to an opportunity to cavort with my three well-behaved canines (and my four slightly less well-behaved humans) in such a beaucolic atmosphere. Please keep me posted of the progress of this proposal. Sincerely, Catherine Woodman 552 Linder Rd. Iowa City, IA 52240 Marian Karr E~ From: Jeff Davidson Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 11:34 AM To: 'dschill@aol.com' Cc: *City Council; Beth Pfohl; Marcia Klingaman Subject: FW: Traffic speed on Friendship St. Hello Doug Schillinger. Your message below was forwarded to me for response. The City Council has developed a traffic calming program with specific criteria for installing things such as speed humps and traffic circles. The program requires a neighborhood to initiate project requests. Such a request was considered in your neighborhood in October of 1999. The project was for a "speed table" (sort of an elongated speed bump) across Friendship Street between the two sides of Court Hill Park. A neighborhood survey showed the neighborhood split 50-50 on the proposal, and the program requires a 60% approval rate, so the speed table was not installed. If you feel there has been a change in your neighborhood and that 60% approval of such a project would be possible, I will send you a copy of our traffic calming brochure if you send me your address. I would encourage you to talk to your neighbors ahead of time to gauge the interest in such a proposal. There is a formal Friendship St area neighborhood association, and our Neighborhood Services Coordinator Marcia Klingaman can give you more information about that group. Finally, in May 2001 a speed study was done in the 2600 - 3000 blocks of Friendship Street. It showed that nearly all of the traffic on Friendship Street is going no more than 5 mph over the speed limit. The problem, as in most neighborhoods, is the small number of recklessly operated vehicles. I will forward your message to Captain Widmer of the Police Department, and hopefully he can arrange for some speed enforcement in your neighborhood during the timeperiod you have noted. This is the most effective way to slow down speeding vehicles. Thank you for your message. Jeff Davidson, Traffic Engineering Planning. ..... Original Message ..... From: Lisa Mollenhauer Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 9:08 AM To: Jeff Davidson Subject: FW: Traffic speed on Friendship St. For response please - cc council. ..... Original Message ..... From: DSchill@aol.com [mailto:DSchill@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 8:46 AM To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Traffic speed on Friendship St. Dear Council, Thank you for hearing my concern... I am very concerned about the rate of speed that many vehicles have been using along Friendship Street...I live at Court Hill Park, 2821 Friendship street...we have three small children, and there are many other children in the neighborhood as well...I am especially concerned of the rate of speed of several vehicles during the 2-4pm window in the afternoons, which is especially dangerous for a neighborhood with small children and with a park that extends on either side of Friendship street. I would highly recommend 1 1) speed traps, etc. 2) considering a speed bump near the crossing between both sides of Court Hill park, or the installation of a stop sign adjacent to the park. If you are not the proper place to send this, please let me know who to forward this to. Thank you for hearing my concerns. Sincerely, Doug Schillinger ~.~10WA CITY AREA ~ CHAMBER OF 'ut. 3~9.337.9637 325 ~t w~hi,~o,, sm, ~"..~,,.,/.ff,#,~. COMMERCE r,~ 319.338.9958 P.O. Box 2358 charober@iowacityarea.com lowa City, IA 52244.2358 "'~" '~ Serving the communities of Johnson County www. iowacityarea.com Iowa City City Council 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, Ia. 52240 Dear Iowa City Council Officials; Like the Downtown Association, we believe some Iowa City ordinances are impacting Iowa City retail and food service businesses. We encourage the Council to develop open communication with these businesses to better understand the economic impact of existing and future proposed ordinances. The mission of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce is "to advocate for a vibrant local economy; provide opportunities and valuable services to our members; and contribute to the quality of life in Johnson County." With this in mind we ask that you favorably consider our request. Sincerely, Pat Guard President Mission: to Mvocate for a vfOr ant local econOmy, provide opportunities and valuable services to our members and contribute to the quality of h'fe in Johnson County. From: Marcia Klingaman Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 11:50 AM To: 'nurse_ret@hotmail.com' Cc: *City Council Subject: FW: Preferential Treatment in Leaf Pick-Up Hello Marie, Your email was forwarded to me by the City Manager's office for a response. My name is Marcia Klingaman and I am the Neighborhood Services Coordinator for the City of Iowa City. My primary responsibility is to work with the Neighborhood Associations in the City to help them work towards any goals they may have as well as participate in local issues. The Spring Leaf Pickup you are referring to is a project funded through the Program for Improving Neighborhoods (PIN) grant and was coordinated by the Longfellow Neighborhood Association. Longfellow (the area basically bounded by Muscatine Avenue, College Street, Lucas and the railroad tracks) applied for this grant and received authorization through the Neighborhood Council and City Council to proceed. This project is being contracted through a private contractor rather than the City crews. The City does not provide this service as other spring cleanup projects, such as street cleaning, consume staff resources. All organized neighborhood associations are eligible to apply for the grant funds if the interest exists. I am not sure where you live and whether it is an organized and active neighborhood association but I would be happy to provide you more detailed information about the PIN grant program if you would like to request funding for a similar program for next year. Please let me know if you need any additional information or have questions. Marcia Klingaman Neighborhood Services Coordinator 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240 319-356-5237 marcia-klingaman@iowa-city.org ..... Original Message ..... From: Marie Wilson To: council@iowa-city.org Sent: 4/14/03 8:49 PM Subject: Preferential Treatment in Leaf Pick-Up Hi- Can someone explain to me why curbside leaf pick-up is happening one block away from my house? My neighbors tell me only one neighborhood in town is getting this service. Aren't my tax dollars just as good as anyone else's? I think you should treat everyone the same. I think the people on Summit Street don't need this welfare. I live on Social Security and have to pay for my own leaf disposal. Thanks for rethinking the wisdom of this. Marian Karr From: Marie Wilson [nurse_ret@hotmail,com] Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 8:50 PM To: council@[owa-city.org Subject: Preferential Treatment in Leaf Pick-Up Hi - Can someone explain to me why curbside leaf pick-up is happening one block away from my house? My neighbors tell me only one neighborhood in town is getting this service. Aren't my tax dollars just as good as anyone else's? I think you should treat everyone the same. I think the people on Summit Street don't need this welfare. I live on Social Security and have to pay for my own leaf disposal. Thanks for rethinking the wisdom of this. Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page features/junkmail Apdl 5, 2003 ~owa City Cound~ Civic Cent~ 400 E. Washingtnn St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 De~ City Council: As you may know, the 2~th Annual Old Capitol Critedum and Chris Lillig Memorial Cup bike race is fast approaching. The raco sta~s at 9:00 a.m., Sund~y, April 27, 2003. A~ ~is point in ti.me, w~ are planning to use the tradilional course with the s~r~ at the comer of Washington and Chntnn Streets in downtown Iow~ City, and closing all o~ p~rt of Washin~nn, Madison, Jefferson, Clinton, remain open to the IMU on Madisnn. Set up of the course begins at 6:00 a,m., and the roads rema~ closed ~ 6:3~. p,m.. --.--'-~r of s''''~tors and th s year is being run in conjunction The race usually attracts a large i~,.u~ with the University of Iowa's Riverfest, the annual spring festival. I have included a map of the racecourse and the areas that will be affected most by the race. If you have any input about the course, I would appreciate hearing from you. We plan to have announcements made ~n The Advertiser, The Dally Iowan and the Press Clbzen to let people know about the race and alternative traffic routes. Itismygea m ' ' ' ..... o~ the Cnterium, please feal free to contact me at (319) 338.4974. Sincerely, Greg Duethman Old Capitol Criterium Promoter 341 Ferson Ave Iowa City, IA 52246 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: April 11, 2003 To: City Clerk From: Beth Pfohl, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner~¢" Re: Item for April 22, 2003 City Council meeting: Installation of a commercial vehicle loading zone on the north side of the alley located between Linn Street and the Ped Mall As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Action Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(10), a commercial vehicle loading zone with a 15-minute limit will be installed on the north side of the alley between Linn Street and the Ped Mall adjacent to the Iowa City Repro Graphics Building. Comment This action is being taken at the request of a business in the area. It will allow a 15-minute limit general public loading zone. jccogtp\memos~alleyloadzone doc Understanding Pesticides Rachel Carson Council Publication Introduction Pesticides are substances used to kill or control unwanted organisms designated by society as pests. Pests can be mammals, birds, fish, insects, nematodes, snails, plants (called weeds), fungi, bacteria, and viruses. The most widely used pesticides are chemicals, although there are some recently developed biologicals. The term pesticide can refer to a commercial product formulation such as DursbanTM or to its active ingredient, chiorpyrifos. Pesticide products are registered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). EPA regulations direct that contain- ers for pesticide products must include a label that describes how to use the product and information about its toxicity. All USEPA registered pesticides must have an EPA number on the label (See Label section for details). Also, material safety data sheets (MSDS) are prepared by the manufacturer for most pesticide products. They are de- signed to provide information on the proper procedures for working with the substance and for dealing with a spill or accident. Pesticides are poisons, and with a few exceptions, if they do not harm something they do not work. Since very few, if any, are harmful only to the target pest, pesti- cides invariably affect "non-target" organisms. For example: diazinon, an organophosphate, is registered for use against over 100 insects around the home, yet its label states that it kills birds at the registered application levels. Since there is some risk to non-target organisms accompanying most pesticides' applications, the EPA does not allow pesticide manufacturers to describe their products as "safe." In 1995, the EPA documented that the rate of pesticide use had reached an all-time high in the US, over twice as much as when Silent Spring was published. (NRDC, Ba- sic Guide to Pesticides) Active Ingredients Pesticide products contain one or more active ingredients. The EPA requires that the active ingredient be effective for the purpose claimed by the manufacturer, but often the Agency does not review efficacy tests. Active ingredients can be herbicides, in- secticides, fungicides, avicides, nematocides, molluscicides, disinfectants, etc. These active ingredients may belong to certain chemical classes - for example orga- nophosphates, triazines or organochlorines - depending on their molecular structure and the way they work in the body. in general, chemical classes have a primary mode of pesticidal action. Triazines are generally herbicides. Most organophosphate pesticides are insecticides but a few are also herbicides. Organochlorines, of which DDT is the best known, are mostly in- secticides (See Basic Guide to Pesticides for class descriptions). Although banned from the US market, many organochlorines, including DDT, are sold and used in other countries where they can contaminate domestic and exported food and cause environmental and human health damage. The term biocide (life killing), was used in Silent Spring and in the Basic Guide to Pesticides with respect to active ingredi- ents to describe broad toxicity. Chlorpyrifos and diazinon are designated biocides in the Basic Guide to Pesticides. Synthetic active ingredients are required to be extensively evaluated for acute (im- mediate) and chronic (delayed) toxicity before they are deemed eligible for registration as pesticides by the USEPA. For acute tests, monitoring is confined to the first 48-96 hours after a brief exposure. This method may fail to detect delayed toxic effects which do not show up within the time frame designated for acute ob- servations. Chronic toxicity testing consists of exposure at a Iow level over a long period and monitoring of the subjects for the effects over months or even years. Cancer is considered a chronic effect. About half of the chemicals used as active in- gredients in pesticide products undergo carcinogenic (cancer causing) evaluation in the rodent bioassay procedure. In a July 1996 listing of carcinogenic pesticides from the USEPA, over 322 chemicals were evaluated, two have been designated as class A human carcinogens and the balance, 148 ~is B (probable human carcinogen), or C (possible human carcinogen) and 69 are designated as class D, (not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity due to lack of information). Laboratory rodents exposed by the oral, dermal and respiratory routes are used to predict pesticide toxicity for human beings. In setting up the standards for human exposure limits via food, regulators previously overlooked pesticides' impacts on the youngest population group. In 1993 a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) ex- pert committee described the EPA evaluation process as failing to sufficiently account for the effects of pesticides on infants and children. Under the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, infants and children are to be given special consideration. As part of the law's implementation, existing food tolerances should be reevaluated by 2007 (within 10 years of enactment). There are about 650 active ingredients currently registered with EPA. New testing requirements, a fee for continuing registration, and banning by EPA of some or- ganochlorines have contributed to major deletions in recent years. At one time as many as 1400 active ingredients were registered. Pesticide Residues Pesticide residues in food are regulated by the EPA, FDA and USDA. · A tolerance is defined as the maximum amount of a pesticide residue allowable in a food or feed. · Setting of the tolerances depends on the level of use and the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for the particular pesticide. · The ADI is the daily level for which a lifetime exposure is estimated to be with- out appreciable risk to human health based on all the facts known at the time. Prior to 1996, the Delaney Clause required that no pesticide which could concen- trate and was capable of causing cancer be allowed as a residue in processed food. The Delaney standard has been abolished under the new Food Quality Pro- tection Act which allows carcinogenic pesticide residues in any food up to a level estimated to cause no more than one additional cancer case in a million due to a life time of consumption. Pesticide residues found to contaminate wildlife and plants are of concern to those who measure risks to our natural environment. Compared to determining the impact of pesticides on humans, the evaluation of these chemicals' effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and wild species is enormously complex. Ecological Risk As- sessment of active ingredients involves measuring such endpoints as lethality and reproductive impairment, and others involving chemical processes or physiological functions in animals or plants. Inadequate resources have been directed at investiga- tion of ecosystem contamination and the risk to our environment and as a result our well being. Inert Ingredients Inert ingredients are materials found in the pesticide products which are not in- tended to act against the particular pest for which the product is labeled. These ingredients are considered biologically inactive or "inert" with respect to the particu- lar pesticide action and the target for which the product is labeled. However, they can have pesticidal action not appearing on the label and they can be toxic to non-target organisms. They include solvents, propellants, surfactants, wetting agents and carriers. Hundreds of inerts in current use are claimed as trade secrets by the 3 producers. They are not required to be disclosed on the pesticide product label. Within the past 10 years, EPA has given more attention to these chemicals. The Agency has selected the most toxic for scrutiny~ identifying the first 50 substances of special concern. Almost all of these have been removed by the registrants, while those still in use must be identified on the label. Inerts are listed in four groups with the most toxic in group 1 and the least toxic in group 4. (10-18-96 AP Report). Synergists Certain ingredients found in pesticide products have the designation synergists. They may not have pesticidal action by themselves, but do serve to heighten the ef- fects of the active ingredients. Toxicity of the formulated product may be increased several hundred times over that of the active ingredient due to the actions of syner- gists. Piperonyl butoxide, is a member of a class of synergists that slow the metabolism of the active ingredient in the target species as well as in non-target or- ganisms. It is added to pyrethrum (naturally occurring) and to pyrethroids (synthesized) insecticides. Piperonyl butoxide and others like it can have a strong effect on the toxicity of carbamates. The presence of a synergist in a product can enhance the toxicity the active ingredient to the pest and to non-target creatures, including humans. Contaminants Contaminants are generated during the manufacturing and formulating processes. They can be extremely toxic such as dioxin and DDT which have been present as contaminants in 2,4-D and dicofol respectively, pesticides still on the market. Transformation products Transformation products can be generated when a pesticide is added to the soil or during storage. According to George W. Ware: "Some pesticides are converted into more toxic, flammable, or explosive substances as they decompose...most pesti- cides are not backed by the manufacturer if stored longer than 2 years... ' (p. 231, The Pesticide Book, 4th edition) Some pesticides combine with soil constituents to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. (see Appendix for examples from pesticide charts) Most pesticides do not bear an outdate on their labels. 4 Pesticide Products: Formulations of Ingredients There are about 21,000 pesticide product formulations registered by the EPA. A given product can include active, synergistic and inert ingredients. It can also con- tain transformation products and contaminants. The active ingredient is usually less than half of the total formulation. Pesticide products are registered by USEPA under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and P, odenticide Act (FIFRA). A product is deemed eligible for registration based on data for the active ingredient. Prior to registration the maximum amount of testing required by EPA for a given product consists of 6 tests for acute mammalian toxicity. However, even these 6 tests may be and fre- quently are waived by the Agency. Recent research has found that RoundUpTM (the product) is more toxic than glyphosate (its active ingredient). As reported in "C;eno- toxicity of SeLect Herbicides..." by Clements et al, (Environmental and Molecular Mutagen$, 29:277-288, 1997) the formulated product was found to be more mutagenic than the undiluted active ingredient. The formulation, not the active ingredient, is the marketed commodity. Chronic toxicity testing of products on store shelves and in the tanks of applica- tors is significantly less than that which is performed for their active ingredients. We believe this is something that consumers should know. Why is the label so important? The pesticide label is the primary source of information about the pesticide being used, its dangers, and the environmental concerns associated with its use. It is a vio- lation of federal and state law to use a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. The pesticides known to be most poisonous have a skull and crossbones on the la- bel and read DANGER - POISON. The word WARNING appears on the labels of less poisonous pesticides. The word CAUTION appears on the least harmful prod- ucts. However, no pesticide in completely safe. These basic rules should be followed by everyone using a pesticide: · READ THE LABEL BEFORE PURCHASING THE PESTICIDE: Make sure the pesti- cide you have chosen is registered for your intended use. Review the environmental precautions. Be sure you have the proper equipment for applying the pesticide. Review the requirements for protective clothing. · READ THE LABEL BEFORE MIXING AND APPLYING THE PESTICIDE: Make sure you understand how to apply the pesticide properly. Make 'sure you under- stand what first aid and medical treatment is necessary in case an accident occurs. · READ THE LABEL BEFORE STORING THE PESTICIDE: Know how to store the pesticide properly. Understand the precautions to prevent fire hazards. Be sure the storage area is posted properly. · READ THE LABEL BEFORE DISPOSING OF THE PESTICIDE: Understand how to rinse pesticide containers properly. Gather all information about how to dispose of surplus pesticides. · READ THE LABEL TO TEACH OTHERS: Be sure that others potentially exposed to pesticides know where and in what form pesticides may be encountered dur- ing work or play activities. Others should know the hazards of pesticides that can result from toxicity and exposure, the routes through which pesticides can enter the body, the signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning, emergency first aid for pesticide poisoning, environmental precautions provided on the label, and exactly how to mix, load, and apply the pesticides. (Portions of this document were taken from the Basic Guide to Pesticides, authored by the Rachel Carson Council, Inc.) 6 Questions and Answers Why discuss the components of chemical pesticide formulations? Chemical active ingredients are virtually the only ones for which the EPA re- quires data on acute and chronic toxicity for human health and environmental impact. This does not guarantee that all pesticides' active ingredients have been analyzed to the full extent. Chemicals reviewed before 1984 are permitted to remain on the market while research for reregistration takes place. Are there known differences between the toxicities of active ingredients and final formulations? A formulation with a synergist and an active ingredient can be expected to have greater toxicity than one with the active ingredient alone. Even without a syner- gist, the marketed formulation may have greater chronic toxicity than the active ingredient. In a study comparing the mutagenicity of the formulation RoundUpTM with its active ingredient, glyphosate, only the product not the active ingredient was positive. Consumers should know that products on store shelves and in the tanks of applicators may undergo significantly Jess testing for chronic toxicity than single active ingredients. EPA requires only 6 acute toxicity tests before reg- istering the final formulation. Neither chronic toxicity data for human health nor evaluation of environmental toxicity are required for pesticide products before registration. The consumer buys pesticide formulation products, not single active ingredients. What is known about exposures to multiple pesticide products? Too little. Certain chemical classes of pesticides, for example, the cholinesterase inhibiting neurotoxic insecticides, have common modes of action. Their effects are additive and repeated exposures if taking place before recovery occurs, can result in greater toxicity. In addition certain chemical combinations can have a greater than additive (synergistic) effect. The organophosphate insecticide, malathion, has shown a synergistic effect on other active ingredients. Thus, where malathion is involved, multiple exposures can result in unexpectedly high toxicity. The new pesticide related Food Quality Protection Act which will be enforced over the next 10 years is intended to address the area of multiple pesti- cide exposures in humans. What about the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996? Major Provisions of the new law are: 1) Changing to a single standard for cancer-causing pesticide residues in food to replace the Delaney Clause (currently it is not more than 1 in a million addi- tiona[ cases of cancer) 2) Providing more thorough assessment of pesticides potential risks to infants and children and using an extra safety factor in conducting risk assessments 3) Requiring EPA to reassess 9,000 existing tolerances (maximum legally per- missible residue levels in food), and to assess: total exposure to pesticides, multiple exposures to pesticides with common mechanism of action, in utero pesticide exposure, and pesticides' effects on the endocrine system 4) Requiring EPA to develop consumer information on the risks and benefits of pesticides used in or on food, and recommendations on how to reduce expo- sure to pesticides while maintaining a healthy life-style, for display in grocery stores. What human health problems have implicated pesticides? We know that during the last 50 years the incidence of cancer has increased, and that the population continues to be exposed to carcinogenic pesticides. In occupations with high pesticide exposure such as farmers, golf course superin- tendents and pesticide applicators the cancer rates have been found higher than in the general population. An israeli study found that when organochlorine pes- ticides were banned the rate of breast cancer declined. We need to do more research- some oJ: which is already underway- before more than the tip of this iceberg is known. Pesticides have been implicated in disrupting the endocrine system of animals, causing neurological changes in humans and animals, affect- lng the immune system in animals and suspected in humans, and associated with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) in humans. Some specific examples are: Most recently researchers have found that the estrogenic effects of DDT, a carcinogen, may be synergistic with other chemical exposures and possibly re- lated to recent higher levels of breast cancer. The herbicide 2,4-D has been associated with cancer of the prostate and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Pesticides of the organophosphate (OP) class acting like the nerve gas, Satin, may have contributed to certain neurological disorders in Gulf War veterans. Multiple chemical sensitivity has been linked to the widely used OP insecticide, chlor- pyrifos as well as other chemicals. Even when adverse effects appear soon after pesticide exposure linking the two events can be difficult. Frequently, signs and symptoms of acute pesticide toxic- ity appear similar to other illnesses for example: the flu. The signs can also be vague and subtle. Since research required on pesticide products is minimal, there are no routine means of accurately predicting or evaluating the overall im- pact of pesticide formulations on human health at this time. What has the EPA done lately to remedy pesticide-related health problems? In June 1997 EPA took action to decrease exposure of people and pets to the neurotoxic agent, chlorpyrifos. Major indoor broadcast sprays, all direct applica- 8 tion pet products, all insecticidal paint additives usin§ chlorpyrifos will be can- celed according to the A§ency.(Q. & A. 1997) What are the environmental effects of pesticides? Most pesticides have been desi§ned to kill either animals or plants. Untar§eted animals or plants may just as easily fall victim. Wildlife is vulnerable to pesti- cides by virtue of these chemicals toxic nature, their widespread dispersal in the environment and the inability of wildlife to avoid them. Massive bird and fish kills have been linked to neurotoxic insecticides. A pesticide can harm not only species which are detected such as birds and fish but also populations virtually invisible such as terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, fun§i and bacteria which are vital to the food chain. Evaluating the impact of chemical pesticides as they are actually used on populations of pollinatin§ insects, aquatic invertebrates, earthworms, amphibians, microbes, fungi and vegetation has been largely ig- nored until the present. Pesticides have been suspected as playing a role in the recent increase of deformed frogs found living near agricultural areas in the midwest. Wild pollinators have not been sufficiently protected from pesticide impacts. For example: the Maryland Pesticide Applicator's Manual addresses the problem of harming bees under "Liability" as follows: "Bees are very important to farmers, who often keep colonies or hives. Unfortunately bees are susceptible to many pesticides. If the bees in hives are killed as the result of drift, the applicator is held legally responsible, and often must pay damages. If the bees contacted the pesticide in sprayed fietds, the applicator usually is not liable; the courts have ruled that the bee is trespassing and that the land does not need to be safe to un- invited animals." There is inadequate protection of bees venturing out of the farmers' hives at the time of spraying. More troubling is the fact that neither regulators nor the courts appear to have recognized the need to protect our natu- ral wild bee colonies or populations from the pesticide applicator's spray. In the previous example much responsibility was placed on the applicator with no assurance that the regulatory agencies are monitoring for compliance with the manual's recommendation or evaluating the impact on wildlife resources of pesticides. Once they are incorporated into the environment, the removal of pes- ticides can be very costly or impossible. Has use of pesticides resulted in decreased damage from pests? Although the agricultural use of pesticides has increased, the damage from pests has not diminished but increased. Several factors account for this trend. Farmers abandoned previous management practices which were used to reduce pest in- festation such as crop rotation and companion planting. The widespread use of pesticides has led to the development of increased resistance in target pests. In 9 1950 there were 100 pests which had developed resistance to pesticides; 40 years later that number had grown to 500. To compensate for the emergence of resistance, pesticide use is increased. What are the implications of widespread pesticide use for humans? People are often exposed to pesticides. Virtually all of our food supply is at risk of pesticide contamination. And pesticide residues are measured regularly in market basket surveys. Pesticide applications regularly occur in our indoor and outdoor environments including workplaces, schools, churches, stores and en- tertainment centers, parks and playgrounds. Multiple exposures are hazardous, especially when the exposed individuals are very young, pregnant, have had previous pesticide contacts, have genetic predisposition or are receiving concur- rent medication. Due to lack of chronic toxicity testing on pesticide products and accurate exposure data, we cannot accurately say what toxic toll pesticides are taking on the general population. How long do pesticides stay active indoors? Although persistence of pesticides has been calculated for outdoor applications by EPA the same is not true for indoor use. This is troubling, because indoors pesticides can have a significantly longer half-life. When pesticides applied out- doors are tracked inside, they can remain for somewhat longer than their persistence data indicates. For example: 2,4~D is generally considered as having a lifetime of 12 weeks to 18 months based on outdoors data. In a recent study residues of the herbicide 2,4-D could be found in residential carpet dust for up to 2 years after turf applications. Since children's hand to mouth activity pro- motes ingestion of contaminated carpet dust, chronic indoor exposure can be assumed to follow a lawn application. (Reference) How are pesticides transported and translocated? Agricultural pesticides can be transported away from their application sites to plants, soil, water and air through spray drift, volatilization and soil resuspen- sion. Pesticides may attach to dust particles which serve as the nucleus for raindrops. The pesticides then are incorporated into rainfall. Pesticides applied to the lawn can undergo these mechanisms of redistribution as well as be tracked indoors on shoes or feet. How do pesticides get into Water? In virtually every known location on earth water is capable of being contami- nated with pesticides. Contaminants can leach downward into groundwater and run off into surface waters. Rain and fog are contaminated by means of voiatili- zation, and streams and rivers are contaminated by effluent water from wastewater treatment systems. Also, pesticide-contaminated soil particles, when l0 washed into surface water bodies, can remain there as sediment. When the sediment is disturbed it can send pesticides into the water. A 1992 survey found the organophosphate, diazinon, to be a relatively common contaminant in water from municipal wastewater treatment systems.(Amato). The methods needed to remove this and other pesticides from water are very expensive, not widely available and may fail. What are some unusual ways pesticides are carried on the Wind? "Several years ago...an especially volatile form of [the herbicide] 2,4-D... illegal in the state of Washington was found to have killed vineyards there. It was traced to application in Oregon, where it was legal. Though ground wind was going from north to south at the time, a higher inversion layer formed under an upper air current going north. The herbicide rose to the inversion layer, was brought north at almost full strength, and dropped to earth in Washin§ton when the inversion layer, dispersed. (Basic Guide to Pesticides p. 267). Organo- chlorine pesticides such as DDT and lindane undergo evaporation in warm climates and are believed to be transported to cool areas where lower air tem- peratures cause their condensation. The site of deposition is dependent on the chemical's volatility and the coldness of the ambient air. The process is known as global fractionation. In the arctic regions such compounds can have extended lifetimes. Revolatilization from contaminated snow may be triggered by an in- crease in ambient temperatures in the arctic summer. An estimated 99.9% of a persistent volatile organochlorine pesticide applied to rice paddies in South in- dia can evaporate to the atmosphere and become available for long range transport. How accessible are pesticide products ? Many hazardous chemicals are available over the counter as pesticide products to virtually any citizen, regardless of training or age. Restricted use pesticides are those considered too dangerous to be used by untrained applicators. These are not sold over the counter. Only certified applicators are allowed to legally use these pesticides. I$ Pesticide Waste Hazardous? Certain active ingredient chemicals are considered to be reportable as hazardous under the Toxic Release inventory (TRI) list. This is another indication of the toxic nature of chemical pesticides. In many states pesticides which are surplus or water that is used to rinse the pesticide containers are considered as waste re- quiring special disposal not be put out with general trash going to landfills. In the state in Maryland no pesticides are allowed to be sent to any landfill. Most local jurisdictions control the disposal of unwanted pesticides. Does the EPA monitor for adverse effects of pesticides? Once a pesticide product is registered, little monitoring by the EPA takes place. Sponsors are required to submit adverse information to the EPA. But lapses oc- cur. In 1994 the Dow Company was found to have failed to submit over 200 incidents involving chlorpyrifos. Once these were provided to the Agency, analysis of the adverse effects of chlorpyrifos in people and pets has resulted in the banning of certain indoor uses of this insecticide, by the EPA. Monitoring data in the Agency files may be utilized for regulatory purposes, but this has not been a consistent practice. Questions Without Easy Answers What is the range of a sprayed pesticide? The effects sprayed pesticides have depend on the size of the spray droplet, the force of the spray, wind speed, the height of the sprayer, and whether the pesti- cide is being transported by other means such as clothing, shoes, or feet. Once the pesticide is applied it can be transported in various ways as follows: · Pesticides vaporize from the original site' and are carried by air currents. · Rain following the application can result in "wash out" of the pesticide into surface water. · Pesticides can be absorbed onto soil particles which in turn can be washed into surface water. · Pesticides can leach into groundwater (they can travel through the soil to the underground aquifer). The long-term fate of the pesticide in a terrestrial site is related to the soil type, microbial character and temperature. Environmental fate in the aquatic setting is related to organisms present from microbes to plants and invertebrates. In some locations water may contain Iow levels of pesticide but the plants and animals in the aquatic food chain can have such high levels as to be toxic. This bioaccumu- lation has resulted in hazards to animals high on the food chain such as Bald eagles and others affected by DDT accumulation. Are pesticides being used according to the labels? In 1994 the EPA performed a survey on how well the public understood pesti- cide labels. They found that many consumers do not read nor do they understand the labels. Are agricultural pesticides being diverted for non-agricultural uses? Evidence in Mississippi shows that the same highly toxic pesticide has been used in homes exposing residents to dangerous residue levels at various times during the past 12 years. In 1984 two children died after exposure to methyl parathion used in their home for roach control. In 1996 use of this pesticide resulted in health problems in many of the inhabitants whose homes became Superfund sites. A former English teacher in that area is unable to read a book without struggling. Her condition is at- tributed to the neurotoxic effects of methyl parathion sprayed in her home by an unlicensed exterminator. In 1996 nearly 2,400 homes and businesses were found to have been sprayed with methyl parathion illegally. There is inadequate education of citizens about this poison. Recently this situation was profiled in a series of articles by the investigative journalist, Brace Reid (available from the Council). The EPA is planning an extensive educational effort in the face of this appalling situation. 13 RACHEL CARSON COUNCIL, INC. An Association for the Integrity of the Environment Out of Control - Pesticides Adrift (October 2000) Rach~ Carso. Pesticide Drift and Related Concepts: By behaving in ways that are ,~..,...h .... not intended or even expected, pesticides sprayed outdoors can quickly slip from under control to out of control even in the hands of users trying to be careful. The hazards of drifting pesticides are recognized in O~cers: state laws and in EPA-approved pesticide product labels. These, DavidB. iMcGrath, however, are not sufficiently sturdy safety nets to protect us from President "* Martha Hayne Talbot, chemical pesticides~ drifting on the wind. Vice President Freeborn G. Jewett, Jr., Ire~s~re~ Impacts of drifting pesticides on humans and the ecosystem are Dr. Diana Post, presented in three parts: Secretary Part 1 Review of Pesticide Actions Executive Director: Part 2 Discussion of Pesticide Drift Dr. Diana Post Part 3 Solutions Advisory Committee: Part 1 Miss Shirley A. Briggs Exec. Dir. Emeritus Dr. Samuel Epstein Pesticide Action, President Emeritus TO appreciate why there is a problem with pesticides traveling through Dr Vvilliam Lijinsky Dr Robert L. Rudd the air and being deposited on non-target sites, consider ways in which Dr. Walter Corson these chemicals act. Board of Directors: Jacob B. Berkson, Esq. Through direct, immediate toxic effects, pesticides can and do poison Dr Lmda Butler people, kill wildlife, and contaminate resources including commercial Mary S Cooper Hon. Scott W. Cowger crops. Long lived herbicides such as the sulfonylureas can build up on Ernest B Dane vegetation as the resul-t of repeated applications. Recurring exposure to Maureen E. Donahue, Esq. pesticides even those not acutely toxic to people can contribute to Cameron Duncan Nathan Erwin allergic reactions and chemical sensitivity manifestations in individuals. Sheryl Peltin Etelson HOW chronic exposure to pesticides affects the ecosystem, as well as Lois C. Johnson EugeneB. Kahn human and animal health, deserves much more research. Long Dr David J. McGarvey suspected and recently verified scientifically, through indirect action Dr Martin Morin over a number of years, pesticides were found to deprive the ecosystem Dr. Mary Ann Ottinger Dr David Pimenlel of essential components and render an area uninhabitable for species Dr. JanetteSherman dependant on these services. This type of effect not only harms wildlife 5,irs Claire Pike Smith Dr. A. HaleVandermer but human beings, as well. Herbicide and insecticide use by farmers in Dr Robert A, Whitney, Jr. Sussex, England indirectlydecimated Grey partridge populationsthrough Dr. Maurice Zeeman eliminating hedgerows and reducing insect numbers (Wildlife, Pesticides L,,,,so,, to t~,~ Co,,,ci~: and People Conference). Dr. Aaron Blair Essential to the understanding of pesticide action is the dual nature of Special Advisor to the co,,,d~: the chemicals' toxicities. They have their intended effects on non-target Clifford C. Hall 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815 ....... (301) 652-1877 ....... E-mail: rccouncil@aol.com ~ Printed on Recycled Paper Home Page: http://members.aol.com/rccouncil/ourpag~ life-forms which are related to the target species for example: herbicides intended to kill weeds can damage tomato plants, insecticides intended to kill mosquitoes can decimate bee populations, etc. Pesticides can also have effects on non-target species not related to their intended targets. These effects are due to the chemicals' structures which may render them carcinogens, teratogens, neurotoxins, etc. (see RCC News #91 for details) Since pesticides are released regularly into the environment, and because many (although classified as hazardous waste by the regulatory agencies) tend to be regarded as "safe," and chemical pesticides have a killing function as well as other toxic traits, they represent a recurring, insidious, and insufficiently explored threat. Pesticides' effects on the ecosystem are not fully revealed by EPA-mandated tests. The real tests occur in the environment where exposures of many different species to combinations of pesticides and other contaminants take place. EPA's monitoring of these "real" tests through collecting and analyzing adverse incidents is wholly inadequate and needs strengthening(see Solutions). A Sampling of Specific Chemical's Adverse Actions: 1 )Atrazine, one of the most widely-used agricultural chemicals acting as a herbicide can harm native vegetation; as a toxic chemical it is a possible human carcinogen and an immunotoxin (disruptingthe immune system). Atrazine is highly toxic to aquatic insects and molluscs. Over time atrazine may impair reproduction of amphibians and reduce soil invertebrate populations. Atrazine is the number one chemical pesticide used in agriculture per the latest EPA market estimate. (Basic Guide to Pesticides~ "EPA Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage- 1996 and 1997," Nov. 1999) 2)Chlorothalonil acting as a fungicide can poison the beneficial mycorrihizal fungi. As a toxic chemical chlorothalonil can act as a probable human carcinogen, be associated with skin, eye and kidney damage, and be highly toxic to fish and aquatic organisms. It has been linked to a fatal allergic reaction. 3)Diazinon, the organophosphate insecticide, is highly toxic to bees and other beneficial insects. As a chemical diazinon is highly toxic to fish, aquatic invertebrates and birds. Diazinon can also act as a nerve toxin and a teratogen in birds and mammals (Basic Guide to Pesticides). Diazinon is the 5th most common pesticide in the home and garden category("EPA Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage- 1996 and 1997," Nov. 1999) 4)Pyrethroids are synthetic chemicals resembling the naturally-occurring pyrethrins. They are considered as having Iow toxicity for mammals but pyrethroids are very highly toxic to fish and insects(Basic Guide to Pesticides). Pyrethroids have also been found to bioaccumulate in the tissues of fish. Their lower mammalian toxicity is partly due to their not being easily absorbed and if they are absorbed being readily detoxified by the liver. However, when inhaled, by certain people pyrethroids can produce allergic-type reactions including asthma. Adverse incident reports have linked pyrethroid-type chemicals to various allergic reactions and asthma in people and pets. (Gainer, J.H. et al, "Adverse effects in human beings, dogs and cats associated with use of flea and tick products, Pesticides, People and Nature, 1(2):135-142(1999)). Individual pyrethroids can also be carcinogenic. 5)Some cholinesterase inhibiting insecticides, due to their broad spectrum of action have been used purposefully and illegally to kill birds, fish and other wildlife under the guise of treating for pests. (Mineau, other sources) 6)Sulfonyiurea herbicides used for weed control on roadsides proved costly to fruit growers in Washington state and still remain a problem. Chlorsu[furon, a sulfonyl urea was associated with damage to cherry trees at levels 500 times lower than the concentration used to eliminate weeds. Orchard owners in the Horse Heaven Hills area of Washington state suffered financial losses due to chlorsulfuron drifting from treated fields. Regulators were surprised by the long range effects at extremely Iow levels of potent sulfonylurea herbicides. Woody plants are not included in the test plants required by the EPA for registration of herbicides. Because sulfonylurea chemicals are so potent they may be applied as a fine misting spray. In such a form the chemcial can drift more readily. Part 2 Drift Described By definition pesticide drift involves the movement of a portion of the airborne portion of a dust or spray, away from an intended point of application. Conditions which enhance such movement include: 1) the spray droplet size - small droplets can drift further, 2) the height of the application above the target - an aerial application from a helicopter or a fixed wing plane can drift further than an application from a hand-held back-pack), 3) the force of the spray, 4) high wind speed, 5) negligible wind speed with inversion, 6) volatility of the chemicals [After the application has taken place the volatility of the chemicals in the formulation make drift from the application site possible]. These concepts are explained below. Conditions Affecting Drift 1) The spray droplet size When a spray consists of a fine mist of small droplets and the size is under 150 microns, the chemicals being carried travel much further than they would if the spray were composed of larger droplets. Small droplets are especially prone to drift unpredictably when the atmospheric condition known as inversion is occurring. 2) The height of the application above the target - an aerial application from a helicopter or a fixed wing plane can drift further than an application from a hand-held back-pack) Drift occurs with virtually all methods of outdoor spray applications. The potential problem is greatest when pesticides are applied by aircraft. With aircraft 50-75% of pesticides applied miss the target area. In contrast, 10-35% of the pesticide applied with ground application equipment misses the target area." (p. 63 Pimentel & Greiner in Techniclues for Reducing Pesticide Use, Ed. Pimentel) 3) Wind Speed Atmospheric conditions play a critical role in the movement of the pesticide once it has been released into the air from a spray or by volatilizing from the site where it was applied. Wind speeds greater than 5 or 10 miles per hour increase the likelihood of pesticide drift. A few states have regulations warning against spraying when the wind speed is greater than 10 miles per hour. No state - and this is critical - seems to have pesticide application regulations that address a potentially serious drift problem occurring when the wind speeds are negligible, and inversion exists, in other words, none of the regulations from any state summarized by Ted Feitshans warned against spraying when the atmospheric conditions favor inversion. (Theodore A. Feitshans, "An Analysis of State Pesticide Drift Laws," San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review, V.9, 1999 #1) Why is this ommission so troubling? Consider the following: "...several years ago_.an especially volatile form of 2,4-D which was illegal in the state of Washington, was found to have killed vineyards there [grapes are very sensitive to 2,4-D and other herbicides of the chlorophenoxy class]. It was traced to an application in Oregon, where it was legal."(Basic Guide to Pesticides p. 267). 4) Temperature Inversion Defined Inversion is the explanation for this incident where the herbicide, 2,4-D trespassed into a neighboring state and came to rest on a sensitive crop. Inversion occurs under stable atmospheric conditions, when a warm air layer at some distance overhead becomes a blanket holding down cooler air underneath. Particles suspended in the cool layer cannot move anywhere except laterally, possibly for miles. Eventually, the suspended cloud encountering a downdraft is forced back to earth depositing it's chemical cargo off-target - possibly over a sensitive person or a sensitive crop. Inversion is less easily detected than is high wind speed (another condition contributing to pesticide drift). Drift Information Farm Chemicals Handbook '99 One commonly used source for information on pesticides states "...the best way to avoid drift associated with atmospheric inversions is to eliminate the formation of small particles (150 microns or smaller) from the spray effluent." (Farm Chemicals Handbook '99 p. E42) Pesticide Labels The label for Guthion a product containing the organophosphate insecticide azinphos-methyl, warns: "Do not make aerial or ground applications during temperature, inversions. (Requirements for Reducing Spray Drift)." The Guthion label further advises that "inversions are characterized by stable air and increasing temperatures with increasing distances above the ground. Mist or fog may indicate the presence of an inversion in humid areas. The applicator may detect the presence of an inversion by producing smoke and observing a smoke layer near the ground surface." (Guthion Solupak p. 6) Mitigating Drift with State Laws-Overview Prohibitions against the use of certain specific chemicals are associated with a few state laws apparently intended to protect 1) crops, 2) people 3) property and 4) wildlife, in that order, from pesticide drift damage due to agricultural applications. Four states have strict liability laws holding applicators responsible for pesticide damage. In general the laws do not pertain to residential outdoor pesticide use. State Specific Chemical Prohibitions - Concern for crop protection has resulted in more state regulations against use of specific chemicals than for any other reason (including human health). In Kansas, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi and New York, phenoxy-type chemicals are restricted to protect agricultural interests. Regulations exist banning 2,4-D (the most popular phenoxy- type chemical) at various times of the year and in various locations to protect alfalfa, cotton, grapes or tomatoes.(from Theodore A. Feitshans' 93-page document, "An Analysis of State Pesticide Drift Laws.") Tomato plants in suburban gardens may be at risk from neighbors' spraying 2,4-D (the most commonly used herbicide by home owners). In contrast with farmers, gardeners are without legal protection from pesticide damage drifting from neighboring properties. Are gardeners aware of the potential damage drifting phenoxy herbicides pose to their tomatoes, or could they do anything if they were aware of the problem? Of perhaps more urgent consideration, chemically sensitive people have been helpless to stop their neighbor's spray applications of any pesticides that pose a serious health threat due to drift from the application site onto adjacent properties. In the US, EPA regulations require that,"no pesticide is applied so as to contact, either directly or through drift, any worker or other person, other than the appropriately trained and equipped handler." p. 40 (Theodore A. Feitshans, "An Analysis of State Pesticide Drift Laws," 5an Joaquin Agricultural Law Review, V.9, 1999 #1) However, according to EPA spokespersons- states, not the federal government are responsible for enforcing compliance with pesticide use laws and labels. (persona[ communication) See Appendix for examples of state laws State Liability Laws Liability for pesticide damage can either be a strict liability standard or a negligence standard. Only four states, Washington, Oregon, Louisiana and Oklahoma seem to have strict liability in their pesticide drift regulations. See APpendix for example of liability law Macrie vs SDS Biotech Corp. The court in Macrie held that whether the manufacturer had a duty to warn foreseeable victims of misuse of the fungicide was a question for a jury to decide. Where there is foreseeability, the court held that the manufacturer could be held strictly liable under a products liability theory for its failure to warn victims remote from the original user. "Although New Jersey courts have not addressed the issue, the same reasoning as applied by the Macrie court could apply in drift cases to impose strict liability on manufacturers under a products liability theory where it is foreseeable that off-site damage might occur as the result of drift.(emphasis added) Individual states vary in the degree of control they attempt to exert through pesticide drift oversight. They seem to be virtually unanimous, however, in excluding private applicators from such regulations. It is appalling that currently regulations address agricultural and commercial applications but not private applications since both have access to many of the same chemical pesticide agents.(Theodore A. Feitshans, An Analysis of State Pesticide Drift Laws, San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review, V.9, 1999 #1) One could argue that the likelihood of failure to understand factors contributing to pesticide drift is potentially greater for home owners than for their commercial counterparts. Who is responsible if a private applicator sprays a pesticide that drifts, contaminates, and even damages a commercial tomato crop, an organic farmer's field or a home owners garden? It is not clear from the laws that any accountability exists under such a circumstance. How many home owners who use pesticides know about minimizing drift by testing for wind speed or atmospheric inversion? I believe the answer is precious few. Conclusions Drift is foreseeable when pesticides are sprayed into the environment. The consequences of such drift can be remote in time and place from the application site depending on a number of factors not under human control such as weather and atmospheric conditions. Measures available to minimize pesticide drift, through awareness of pesticide applications, informative pesticide labeling (under EPA jurisdiction) and regional pesticide application regulations (under state jurisdiction) seem to be variable and limited. For example, no laws apply to home owners whose pesticide spray may contaminate a neighboring garden, pet, or person. "7 Achieving protection from pesticide drift through the present legislation when regulations do not cover all pesticide uses and when there may be inadequate enforcement of those laws that do exist, seems to be unworkable. We believe that the best long term strategy is to aim for elimination of outdoor broadcast applications especially in residential areas. However, since we likely will be dealing with pesticide sprays for some time to come, we need to consider how best to protect health and the ecosystem from forseeable drift in the immediate future. 8 Part 3 Realistic Mitigation of Pesticide Drift Requires Bold Actions: Immediate Remedial Actions Protecting the ecosystem and human health from the hazards of pesticide drift should pertain to all types of applicators agricultural, private, commercial as well as government and should include the following: 1) Require record-keeping of all pesticide spraying 2) Require that sponsors provide with every chemical pesticide registered by EPA a method for measuring Iow levels of the active ingredient and any significant break-down product(s) in soil and water. 3) Provide education for all applicators (including private ones) on conditions which lead to pesticide drift including inversions 4) Require special training for ultra Iow volume pesticide spraying of sulfonylurea herbicides because they can travel far and have detrimental effect on vegetation including trees at very Iow concentrations. Require pre-application notification to be provided by applicators. 5) Create a means for owners near treated land to request pre- application notification of pesticide use and a no-spray barrier if they so request. 6) Have requirements and an incentive system for reporting to the EPA suspected pesticide-related adverse health effects in people, domestic animals and wildlife from physicians, veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators and others. Make such information available to the public through the FOI program 7) Require pre-application notification and no-spray barriers around residences of chemically sensitive people 8) Require pre-application notification of spraying and no-spray barriers around organic farms(Have a list of all organic farms and gardens in a local jurisdiction) 9) Require certification for equipment calibrated to have variable speed and droplet size so that the potential for pesticide drift can be accurately predicted. Have restrictions as to what, when and where equipment can be used for spraying 10) Establish strict liability laws for local jurisdictions such that there is compensation for organic farms that lose certification due to pesticide drift- strict liability from pesticide company. 11) Establish a barrier for aerial spraying (up to 5 miles?) Preventive future actions: Laws that attempt to make pesticide drift illegal, have questionable routine enforcement and they may only serve to mitigate after the damage has taken place. While we take immediate action for protection of people and property from pesticide drift, we need to try to work on decreasing and eventually eliminating chemical pesticides from being released into the atmosphere through the following long range strategies suggested by RCC to the EPA and local governments: 1) Registrants be permitted new uses of existing chemical insecticides only if they are not being released into the atmosphere. This should be instituted immediately for residential uses by EPA. 2) Existing registrations of pesticide sprays must have labeling instructions so as to minimize drift. Enforcement of drift laws and regulations must have a citizen oversight group to make sure of enforcement EPA and Local Governments) 3) New chemicals should only be registered for uses which are not sprayed into the atmosphere or for which drift would not take place. This should be immediately instituted for residential uses and be phased in for agricultural uses by the EPA. 4) Chemical pesticide spraying for cosmetic uses should be discontinued A Canadian approach to the problem of pesticide drift from private applicators is to ban the use of pesticides for "cosmetic" purposes. A Bill has been introduced recently (February 2000) into the Parliament calling for a moratorium on the cosmetic use of pesticides (Pesticides Making the Right Choice: For,the Protection of Health and the Environment, May 2000, Report on the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development) The city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada has passed a bylaw to phase out toxic landscape pesticides by the year 2004(pers. comm. 6-8-00) /0 Appendix to Out of Control State Pesticide Drift Laws Maryland The state of Maryland requires pesticide applicators to: Observe all precautions in the handling, use, storage and disposal of pesticides and their containers so that: (a) Pesticides do not move from the intended site of application, (b) Nontarget areas or organisms, including humans, do not suffer injury, and (c) Unreasonable adverse effects on the environment do not occur or are minimized..."(p. 45, Feitshans) Maine The state of Maine prohibits the unconsented, offtarget direct discharge of pesticides. "B. Standards for Unconsented, Off-Target Drift." "1. General standard. Pesticide application shall be undertaken in a manner which minimizes pesticide drift to the maximum extent practicable, having due regard for prevailing weather conditions, toxicity and propensity to drift of the pesticide, presence of sensitive areas in the vicinity, type of application equipment and other pertinent factors. Il Prima Facie Evidence of Violation....the presence of pesticide drift residues in excess of any of the following levels shall constitute prima facie evidence that the applicator did not take reasonable precautions to minimize pesticide drift to the maximum extent practicable:... (iii) Pesticide residues on any off-target organic farm or garden in the vicinity of an application site which causes the organic products thereof to fail to meet the tolerance for organic agricultural commodities as set forth in 7 M.R.S.A. 553(2)(B). This standard shall apply only where, prior to the time the pesticide application occurs, the owner or operator of the organic farm or garden notifies the owner or lessee of the land to be sprayed, with such notice identifying the farm or garden as organic." (p. 44 & 45, Feitshans) Michigan Michigan has a regulation protecting organic farming from pesticide drift. Oregon may also have such a regulation but we do not have this information at this time. Liability A case Macrie v. SDS Biotech Corp. illustrates application of the strict liability standard to a use of a fungicide in violation of the label. A farmer applied a fungicide Bravo 500 (chlorothalonil), to his butternut squash after harvesting while they were stored in bins. This use of the fungicide was in violation of the label. The plaintiffs were employees of a produce broker who purchased the squash. As the plaintiffs handled the squash the fungicide became airborne, and entered the plaintiffs through their skin and lungs causing severe injury. "To recover for their injuries, plaintiffs instituted la] product liability suit directed only against the manufacturer of the fungicide. They claim[ed] that Bravo 500 is defective, but only because SDS biotech Corp., its manufacturer, failed to warn them of the dangers of contact with the product when it is not properly applied. They d[id] not assert that the product was defective in any other respect. They d[id] not dispute the adequacy of the warnings, approved by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, which defendant provided to Mr. lulanetti, but they claim that they should have been warned directly." (p. 48 Feitshans) t2- Glossary: Strict liability: The pesticide user is liable for the consequences if there are any damages regardless of the intent or manner of use. That is even if it is used properly and nevertheless causes harm, the user is considered responsible. Pesticide: A means of eliminating usually by killing an unwanted life form or pest. It often refers to synthetic chemicals also known as "economic poisons" used for controlling, preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. The term includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides and other 'cides. Herbicide: A type of pesticide that kills weeds or all vegetation in an area. The mode of action may be through inhibiting photosynthesis, inhibiting production of amino acids, inhibiting cell division in plants. Conversely herbicides can stimulate abnormal growth that the plant cannot support. Herbicides can be toxic to animals directly through acute toxicity such as paraquat, or long term effects such as carcinogenicity, associated with atrazine. They can be indirectly harmful to insects and vertebrates by damaging essential vegetation. Insecticide: A type of pesticide that kills insects. Most of the synthetic chemical insecticides are nerve toxins. Others act by mimicking the insect growth hormones either suppressing growth or promoting growth at an inappropriate time. The major classes of chemical insecticides are organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids. RACHEL CARSON COUNCIL, INC. An Association for the Integrity of the Environment Cancer and Pesticides 2001 Introduction Nearly 40 years after Rachel Carson's prescient warning, Silent Spring, was Rachel Carson ~o,og,oph~y~,,~,, ....... published, citizens of Maryland (and the nation) are still living with '~"~" ~ .... carcinogenic pesticides to a greater degree than they may realize or seems sensible. The public's unawareness of pesticide carcinogenicity and of of. ac~,,: alternative pest control methods undoubtedly results from the failure by m.m,idPim~mel, industry and the government to communicate such vital information. EPA- President approved pesticide product labeling does not include carcinogenicity findings M~xtha Hayne Talbot, Vice President and those who advise consumers, whether as extension service agents or sales m,~d B. M~, clerks, all too often recommend a quick chemical fix instead of less toxic pest Dr.r>ia~a~o,~ control methods such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Secretary ~e¢,t/,,~i,~ao~.. In the words of Rachel Carson: "If we are going to live so intimately with these chemicals-eating and drinking them, taking them into the very marrow Dr. Drana~ of our bones-we had better know something about their nature and their ~iso~ co,n~e: power....[and]...If, knowing, we have concluded that we are being asked to take senseless and frightening risks, them_we should look about and see Miss Shirley A. Briggs, Exec. Dir. Emerims what other course is open to us." Silent Spring, ~ 962. Dr. Samuel Epste~, Presidem Eme~tas Dr. WilliamLijinsky This document includes: Summary, Recommendations for reducing the Dr. Robert Rudd pesticide-related cancer risk, Carcinogen ic Chemical s and Pesticide-Associated Bom'dofDirectors: Carcinogenicity notes (#1), Pesticide exposure notes(#2), Dr.Jac°bB Be~ksen, ESq.Lmdagaffer Summary: Cancer and Pesticides 2001 Ma~y S. Coo~ According to troubling information from Maryland: The cancer mortality ErnestH°n' Sentt W.B. Dam~C°wger rate is significantly higher in parts of Maryland where intense agriculture ;ion. DanaLenDembrow takes place, the so-called eastern shore, the area between the Chesapeake MaureenE. Donahu¢,Esq. Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and the southern half of the western shore Cameron Duncan N~th= ~,~,~ (explained in note #1). She~yl Pekin Et elson Lo~C. Jotmo~ in researching pesticide carcinogenicity we came upon a disturbing E,~.a K~h~ coincidence in three situations. Of the: (1) Top ten conventional agricultural Dr. David J. McGarvey Dr. MartmMorin chemical pesticides, with a yearly estimated use in millions of pounds, (2) Dr. Mm, Am Otting.r MOSt common pesticides found in our nation's surface water, (3) Pesticides Dr. Jan~*s~erman found in two Chesapeake Bay tributaries - 40% or more of the identified Mrs. Claire P~,e Smith m. ~ob~n ~ whimey, J~. chemical pesticides have been deemed possible or probable carcinogens by Dr. MameeZ~ma~ the USEPA (explained in note #1). Liaison to the Council: Studies show increased rates of certain cancers associated with pesticide Dr. Aaron Blair exposure in certain occupations (including farmers and pesticide applicators). ~oecial Advisor to the Workers using pesticides who did not change out of contaminated clothing Co.,~cil: after work were found to increase their risk of cancer.(p.270 Zahm, Sheila H., & Clifford C. Hall 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (301) 652-1877 ~1~ Pdnte~on R~clta~:~Pa~er E-maih recouncil~aoI.cora Home Page: http://mcmbers.aol.¢om/rccouncil/ourpage Blair, Aaron, 1993) Other reports have linked non-occupational pesticide exposure with higher levels of certain cancers in people and their pets(see note #1). ^ study of cancer in pet dogs explained the higher levels of bladder tumors which were found as possibly due to living near areas regularly sprayed with insecticides for mosquito contro](Glickman, L.T., t al., 1989,) Use of ~.~4~D by homeowners or professional lawn care services has been associated with increased risks of lymphosarcoma in pet dogs (Hayes, H., et al, 1991) ^ recent report has shown that bystander pesticide contact for those living in agricultural areas and those whose relatives work in agriculture could be greater than was previously thought(ward, M.H., et al, .lan.2000). in a 1997 article summarizing cancer and pesticides the following appears: "Studies on exposure to pesticides in homes, and lawn and garden treatment also are needed, because of their increased use both in the US and in many European countries. Finally, due to lack of knowledge about long-term effects of many pesticides, use of protective clothing and following instructions remain important when handling pesticides." (Dich, ]., et al, "Pesticides and cancer," Cancer Causes and Conr. ro/,8,420-443, 1997) We also believe there may be a problem with the way pesticides are evaluated for hazards to humans. Contamination whether in air, soil or water frequently consists of combinations of pesticides and their multiple breakdown products not single chemicals. Yet, when regulatory agencies estimate human cancer risks from pesticides they generally consider exposures to single chemicals not to aggregates. In response to greater citizen concern about cancer we believe that it is important to educate consumers on the possible carcinogenic nature of commonly used pesticides and on ways to reduce exposure to them. In addition when data indicates higher levels of cancer mortality in areas where pesticides have been most consistently and heavily used, as appears to be the case in Maryland we believe the issue deserves attention by the health profession as a whole. Is there a cause and effect relationship? Perhaps scientists cannot say with certainty at this time but we should be looking closely for more and better answers to such questions while collecting the data that could make valid research possible. In Conclusion: 1) ^ body of evidence from laboratory animal and epidemiologic human and domestic pet data associates pesticide exposure with certain cancers, 2) Increased levels of cancer mortality have been reported in locations where pesticide use is high, 3) People are routinely exposed concurrently to various pesticides and their breakdown products, 4) Regulators fail to consider multiple concurrent exposures to carcinogenic pesticides in performing risk analyses and in setting pesticide tolerance levels for individual chemical carcinogens, 5) Most pesticides are not identified as to carcinogenic status through product labeling so that consumers may use them without awareness of this toxic feature, 6) In the mistaken belief that commercially-available pesticide chemicals are "safe to use" consumers are less likely to read or heed label warnings, 7) It is only prudent to reduce or elimin'ate exposure to carcinogenic pesticides especially since more and better methods not involving high pesticide use are available for pest control. Citizens should have the benefit of this type of information. (See our enclosed information on IPM for outdoors and indoors) Diana Post VMD, Executive Director Rachel Carson Council, Inc. February 2001 Ways for individuals to reduce exposure to carcinogenic pesticides: 1 ) Reduce or eliminate the regular use of chemical pesticides, especially those used for ornamental gardening, through practicing ecological integrated pest management. (See Ecoheal IPM RCC publication) 2) Choose to live in an area without the following: regular pesticide applications for mosquitoes, frequent agricultural pesticide applications, golf courses or other sites where pesticides are applied regularly and drift from the application site. Inform your neighbors about alternative methods of pest control. 3) If you employ a professional lawn service, ask them not to use chemical pesticides on a routine basis but instead to apply them only for emergencies. 4) Do not routinely spray chemical insecticides indoors nor should you contract with a service which applies them regularly for pest prevention. Use pest controllers practicing Ecological Integrated Pest Management (See Indoor IPM RCC publication for guidance). 5) Eat food grown with fewer chemicals (food grown under conditions which results in lower levels of pesticide residues). 6) If you apply pesticides yourself read and comply with all the directions; wear protective equipment and if you happen to get a pesticide product on your skin wash it off immediately then be sure to change and wash your clothes. 7) Read and follow label directions on any pesticide product used. Determine if a pesticide which you are using is a carcinogen (you may need to contact RCC or other sources for this information), and if so replace it with a non- carcinogen which if possible is also less toxic. If you are applying even a called natural pesticide, try to determine whether it is considered a carcinogen. If it is, try to replace it with a natural non-carcinogen. It has been determined by EPA that some natural pesticides are carcinogens. 8) Request that the authorities fund more research on alternative methods of pest control. Demand that the extension service (which is paid for by taxpayers) give out mom alternative pest control information to consumers. Note #1 Carcinogenic Chemicals and Pesticide-Related Cancer Risks Carcinogenic Chemicals 1)Six out of the top 10 US agric,,Itural pesticides (60%) are possible or probable human carcinogens. Two (2) o,,t of the top 10 (20%) have insufficient evidence of carcinogenicity. Only 1 pesticide out of the top 10 is consiclered as definitely not a human carcinogen.(List of top 10 agricultural pesticides from: USEPA Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage 1996 and 1997 Market Estimates, November 1999, carcinogenic determination from EPA's "List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential" was published on August 31, 2000 and pets. com.) Between 224 and 246 million pounds of the top six carcinogenic chemical pesticides are estimated as having been applied annually in the US. What is the impact of the enormous quantity of these six and other carcinogenic chemicals on people working with these chemicals, people living in the area and those eating pesticide-contaminated food where agricultural pesticides are applied? Farmers and pesticide applicators are known to have higher risks of certain cancers attributed to occupational exposure to pesticides. See Appendix for Top Ten conventional pesticide list. 2) Of the 7 most common pesticides recovered from surface water by USGS, 3 have been designated as possible or probable human carcinogens by the USEPA and I needs more data, three were determined to be not likely carcinogens. Nearly every sample of stream water from a developed watershed was found to contain one or more pesticide contaminants according to a recent USGS publication (The Quality of Our Nation's Waters, USGS Circular 1225, 1999). Most wastewater treatment plants do not routinely use methods which remove chemical pesticides (Brandenburg, B., winter 1995-96). See appendix for USGS list. 3) Of the thirteen pesticides measured in two Chesapeake Bay tributaries during the mid-1990s 69% were possible or probable carcinogens. Two triazine-type herbicides, cyanizine and simazine identified by EPA as possible human carcinogens, were found at the same time in the Choptank River, a Chesapeake bay tributary on the eastern shore. Also present in the Choptank at lower concentrations was the herbicide, metolachlor(Lehotay, $.;., et al., 1998). Both triazines and metolachlor are considered as possible carcinogens by the USEPA. Their presence indicates that there may be high ambient levels of carcinogenic pesticides in this area. ts the combined effect of the triazine herbicides considered on residents living within the drift zone for these chemicals? See Appendix for Chesapeake Bay tributary pesticide list. Pesticides are classified as possible or probable human carcinogens by the U.S. Envirbnmenta[ Protection Agency (EPA) based largely on laboratory animal data. The EPA's most recent "List of Chemicals Evaluated for 5 Carcinogenic Potential" was published on August 25, 1999. Further information can be obtained from the EPA-Office of Pesticide Programs at 703-305-6193. We think that more attention should be paid to epidemiologic data. Unlike laboratory animal carcinogenicity findings, epidemioiogic data from human-based research does not always result in a one to one relationship between pesticide exposure and cancer it may even link cancer to chemicals not recognized by EPA as carcinogens. Such research may also provide information on combinations of pesticide exposure that is not available from laboratory data. For example, based on epidemiological data, the herbicide 2,4-D is associated with carcinogenicity, but in the opinion of the USEPA there.is insufficient evidence to satisfy the criteria for carcinogenicity based on laboratory animal research. Epidemiological evidence has linked cancer in children to "home pesticide use." Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leukemia have been linked to certain organophosphate insecticides, including, dichlorvos, diazinon and malathion. Of these three only dichlorvos has been given a positive carcinogenicity rating by the USEPA. The strengths of these epidemiologic associations vary but they are based on controlled studies and may be given consideration by groups such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which determine carcinogenici~, of chemical pesticides. (Zahm, Sheila, H., & Blair, Aaron.,1993. Even more general human data could be could be incorporated into EPA evaluations. At least such information should be provided to the public. A significantly higher rate of cancer mortality exists on Maryland's Eastern Shore and the southern portion of the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. This is also the area of intense agricultural cultivation of crops, for which large amounts of carcinogenic pesticides are used. In addition this area may very well be subjected to more frequent insecticidal sprays for mosquito control. Is there a connection between pesticides and the higher cancer mortality? At a recent conference on cancer in Maryland, this question was not answered. Pesticide-Related Cancer Risks Pesticides have been estimated to cause approximately 10,000 human cancers per year in the U.$.(Pimemel, 1998), Occupational Pesticide-Related Cancer Risks: Pesticide applicators have a higher likelihood of developing certain cancers than do members of the general public. "Farmers...tend to experience higher rates than the general population for some cancers, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL), multiple myeloma, skin cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, and cancers of the.., brain..." (Ward, M.H.,1996)~ The above cancers have been linked to pesticides (Zahm, Sheila,H., & Blair, 1993). Golf course superintendents with links to pesticide exposure were found to have higher death rates due to four cancer types. "Brain, lymphoma (non~ Hodgkin's lymphoma, NHL), prostate, and large intestine [cancer] occurred at elevated levels within la group (cohort) of golf course superintendents] (Kross, B., et al, 1996) Non-occupational Pesticide-Related Cancer Risks Professional lawn care service use may put female homeowners at increased risk of breast cancer ("Newton Breast Cancer Study." Silent Spring Institute Report, January 1999). Since World War II, professional landscapers have come to rely heavily on chemical pesticides, as those homeowners who try to find ecological or non-chemical landscapers can attest. More data on cancer and pesticide exposure is needed for residential and other non- occupational venues, especially where children and pregnant women are concerned. A recent report from Germany provided some evidence for an increased leukemia risk for children living on farms [where pesticides were used] and an association between household pesticides and risk of childhood leukemia or lymphoma :'~leinert, et al. 2000). Pets and Pesticide-Related Cancer Risks Applications of 2,4-D herbicides by professional lawn care services have been associated with increased risks of lymphosarcoma in pet dogs (Hayes, H., et al, 1991) A study has found higher levels of bladder cancer in dogs living in homes next to wetlands regularly sprayed for mosquitoeS(Glickman, L., et al, 1989). Pesticides may have contributed to the increased levels of canine bladder cancer according to the authors. Note #2 Pesticide Exposure Occupational Exposure to chemical pesticides should be of concern to people who work with them regularly including: farmers, agricultural workers, pesticide applicators, flower growers, veterinarians and pet groomers. They should wear protective clothing and/or receive special train lng on how to handle pesticides on the job. Consequences of workers failing to follow procedures for changing out of contaminated work clothes have been documented. Risks of cancer were found to increase the longer the farmers wore their application work clothes before changing to clean work garments. (Zahm, Shelia. H.& Blair, Aaron, 1993) Indirectly occupational A recent report shows that women and children living near agricultural sites and/or those with family member(s) working in agriculture can be exposed to pesticides from drift and relatives' contaminated clothing (Ward, M.H., et al., Jan.2000). These people may not even realize that they are being exposed to chemical pesticides. Non-occupational Of the food purchased in U.S. grocew stores 35*/0 has been found to contain pesticides. From one to three percent of that food has pesticide residues above the tolerance level (or acceptable level determined by the EPA) (Pimentel,D., 1998)o Some of these pesticides are carcinogens. Consumption of food contaminated with carcinogenic pesticides is thought to have a negligible contribution to carcinogenicity by some experts(Dich). However, even th is so- called negligible effect needs further examination for its contribution to the total carcinogenic pesticide exposure of those consumers whose diets may consist of mostly pesticide-contaminated food. Chemical pesticides applied indoors can persist for much longer periods than the data generated for outdoor use predicts (Gurunathan, S., et aL,1998)o The indoor lifespans of pesticides have not been adequately studied. Most pesticide labels do not provide information about indoor persistence of pesticides to users. Use of pesticides in the yard and garden or close:to playground areas on grass where toys and equipment can become contaminated, could result in greater contacts by children. Parents and school personnel frequently do not realize the extent of this type of contact. The risk from such contact to children is not generally considered by regulators. The carcinogenic risk posed by use of agricultural pesticides to those living nearby and to family members of agricultural workers has not been considered by regulators in standard risk assessments. Exposure to regular broadcast spraying of pesticides for mosquito and other insect control may not be factored into regulators' estimates of the risk from carcinogenic pesticides. The inevitable accidental spills that occur whenever pesticides are stored, mixed and applied need to be addressed in risk estimates, but they may be ignored at this time. Disposal of pesticides in drains and storm sewers can lead to contamination of wastewater. This is all too often exactly what consumers do. References Brandenburg, B., "Central San's Experience with diazinon and chiorpyrifos," Regional Monitoring News, San Francisco Estuarine Institute, winter 1995-96 Dich, J., et al, "Pesticides and cancer," Cancer Causes and Control,8,420-443, 1997 Glickman, L., et al, Epidemiologic study of insecticide exposures, obesity, and risk of bladder cancer in household dogs, ]. of Tox. & Environmental Health, 28:407-414, 1989 Gurunathan, S., et al., "Accumulation of chlorpyrifos on residential surfaces and toys accessible to children," Environmental Health Perspectives, V. 106, #1, p.9-16, Jan. 1998. Hayes, H., et al, "Case-control study of canine malignant Iymphoma: positive association with dog owner's use of 2,4-D herbicides, ].Natl. Cancer Inst~ 83: t 226~1231, 1991 Kross, B., et al, "Propoi'tionate mortality study of golf course superintendents," American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 29:501-506,1996 Lehotay, S.J., et al., "A~ricultural pesticide residues in oysters and water from two Chesapeake Bay tributaries, Marine Pollution Bulletin, V.37, Nos 1~2, p32-44, 1998 Meiner~, et aL American Journal of Epidemiolo~/, Vol. 151, No. 7, 2000 Pimentel, David, Ref in The Pe-~idde Question edited by Pimentel, based on an estimate by Schottenfeld on p. 136 Pimentel,D., Keynote Address, Wildlife, Pesticides and People Conference, P~chel Carson Council 1998 Ward, M.H., "Pesticides and cancer risks:clues from epidemiology studies of farmers and the general population," Cancer and Pesticides Conference, Rachel Carson Council, October 1996. Ward, Mary H., et al, Identifying populations potentia]y exposed to agricultural pesicides using remote sensing and a geographic information system, Envitonmenml Health Perspectives, V. 108, #1, Jan 2000 Zahm, Sheila Hoar & Blair, Aaron "Carcinogenic Risks from Pesticides," Accompfishments in Cancer Research 1992. Prize Year, General Mo[ors Cancer Research Foundation, New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1993 Memorandum, USEPA, August 31, 2000, "Office of Pesticide Programs List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential" (Phone 703-305-6193) Top Ten Conventional Agricultural Pesticides* Appendix 1 Name Use/Class EPA Carcinogen Type of Tumor in [Epidemiology (Basic Guide) Rating Lab Animals Evidence of (EPA-8/99) 0EPA-8/99) Carcinogeuici~- (Dr. Blair)** 1. Atrazine Herbicide/ Not Likely(2/01) Mammary minors Ovary Triazine 2. Metolactdor Herbicide/ C Liver adenomas Amide and combined adenomas/carcino 3. Metam-Sodium Fangicide~her B2 Malignant bicide,insectic angiosarcomas; ide,nematocid malignant e/ hemang~osarcemas Thio carbamate 4. Methyl Bromide Fumigant/ D Miscellaneous 5. Gtyphosate Herbicide/ E Miscellaneous 6. Dichtoropmpene Soil B2 Forestomach, liver Fumigant. mammary, t h.woid, nematocide/ adrenal, urinary,, Organo lung tumors. chlorine Bronchioloaveolar adenotnas 7. Acetochlor Herbicide/ I B2 Nasal epitheleum Amide ~ [ adenomas, thyroid benign chondm of femur, basal cell tumor of stomach, palmonary adenomas, liver 8.2,4-D Herbicide/ D Brain astrocyt~ omas Non-Hodgldns Phenox~. ' lyrnphoma, soft tissue sarcoma 9. Pendimethalin Herbicide/ C Thyroid follicular Dinitroanilinc cell adenomas 10. Trifluralin Herbicide/ C Th~vroid(follicular Dmitroauilinc ceil adenomas and carcinomas); neoplasms of the renal pelvis: benign urina~- bladd~r minors ~ AW-316/O 1 H. Grube, EPA "Pemicide Industry Sales and Usage 1996 and 1997 Market Esti "'. mates . Nov. 1999 **Zahm Sheila H, Blair Aaron,. Carcmogemc Risks from PesUc~des, Ac~shments m Cancer Research. 1992 Prize Year, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, New York J.B. Lippencott Company 1993 USGS - The Quality of Our Nation's Waters Common Pesticide Mixtures in Water - p. 76 ppendix 2 Nmna UsedClass EPA Carcinogen Rating '~0e of Tumor in Lab Epidemeology Evidence (Basic Guide) (EPA-8/99) Animals of Carcinogenicity (EPA~8/99) (Dr. Blair)* 1. Alachlor Herbicide/ Likely(high doses) Increased incidences of Amido Not likely(low doses) malignant nad combined benign/malignant Tmnor types in both sexes, Long Evans rat 2. Atrazine Herbicide/ Not Likely(2/01) Mammary tumors Ovary - ovarian cancer Triaziue 3. Chlorpyrifos Insecticide/ E Organo phosphate 4. Diazinon Inaecticide,ue Not likely Non-Hodgkins matocided lymphoma, leukemia Organo phosphate 5. Metolachlor Herbicide/ C Liver adononnas and ,..{ gauide combineA adenomas/carcinomas; -~ Charles River CD(SD) rats(F). (Same liver ncoplasia in female rats was also observed in a separate repeat study) 6. Prometon No class D Mammary tumor, { listed Sprague-Dawley rats 7. Simazine : Herbicide, C Pituitary glmld Soil Sterilant/ carcinonms; Mammary Triuzine girard cairciuomas; Spra~ue-Dawley rats(F) AW-2/16/01 *Zahm Sh¢ila H, Blair, Aaron,, "Carcinogenic Risks from Pesticides," Ao00mplishments in Cancer I ~seareh. 1992 Prize Year, General Motors Cancer Research Fomidatio~l, New York J.B. Lipl~n¢olt Company 1993 A Toxic Tally and Our Task A California grower called Rachel Carson Council because she was worried about her fruit trees, which were not thriving at the time. She wondered whether sulfonylurea herbicides sprayed nearby during the previous year could have harmed them. From research data presented at our September 1998 conference on Wildlife, Pesticides and People, we now know that herbicides of the sulfonylurea class, could very well have damaged those trees and that they could have done so at fractions of the dose required to kill weeds. This case points out the public's need to know more about pesticides' toxic effects. (See issue #4) Read on for a tally of ten issues from various sources including our recent Wildlife, Pesticides and People Conference. I. Due to vulnerability of the developing fetus to 6. Most streams from developed watersheds in chemicals, pregnant women have been warned to the U.S. were found contaminated with avoid or restrict their exposure to pesticides. (Anon. multiple pesticides. The concentration of "End all pesticide exposure during pregnancy, EPA warns," dissolved pesticides in stream water was the Pesticide& roxic Chemical News, 1-18-95) single' most reliable predictor of endocrine 2. Children bom to parents working as pesticide disruption in carp. (Rachel Carson Council's Wildlife, applicators showed increased deformities. Pesticides & People Conference) Rates of deformities almost as high were 7. A mixture of atrazine and various found among the children of non-applicators organophosphates was found to be more toxic living in an area of high pesticide use, than would have been predicted from the especially those infants conceived in the additive effect of the individual chemicals' spring. (r)r. v. Garry, et al., "Pesticide appliers, bioeidestoxicities; an example of synergism. (Pape- and birth defects in rural Minnesota," EHP, v104, ~4, ApriI Lindstrom & Lydy, "Synergistic toxicity of atrazine and 1996) organophosphate insecticides contravenes the response 3. Sixty seven million birds are estimated to be addition mixture model," Env. rox.& Chem., v.16, #11, killed by pesticides in the U.S. annually. (Dr. 2415-2420,1997) David Pimentel, et al., "Economic and environmental costs of 8. Pesticide mixtures, not single chemicals, occur pesticide use") as the result of actual use. Their hazards to 4. A new sulfonylurea herbicide, chlorsulfuron, people and to significant groups of wildlife has been found, in an EPA test, to damage (including amphibians, reptiles, and aquatic cherry trees at 1/500th the label application invertebrates) as well as to non-crop rate. EPA does not usually require studies of vegetation remain largely uuresearched. Too herbicides' effects on woody plants such as little of such information is now required by trees before products are allowed to be the EPA for pesticide registration. (Rachel Carson registered. There are no simple means to Council's Wildlife, Pesticides & People Conference) determine the presence of these chemicals in 9. Pesticide labels may contain warnings and the environment. Assay tests for all marketed prohibitions against product use around chemical pesticides, including sulfonylureas, certain wildlife. Yet because these statements should be, but are not now required. (Rachel may be ambiguous and not prominently Carson Council's Wildlife, Pesticides & People Conference) displayed, their protective value is 5. Frogs living in ponds in close proximity to questionable. pesticide use had deformity rates of 20%. In 10. Carcinogenic pesticides can be applied with ponds existing on abandoned farms where impunity virtually everywhere despite the pesticides had not been used for some time the growing numbers of human and animal frog deformity rate was 2% at most. (Dr. Ouellet, cancers linked to these chemicals. (Rachel Carson page 2, Pesticide Toxic Chernical News, Nov. 12, 1998) Council's Cancer and Pesticides Conference) Rachel Carson Council, Inc. Over, Please January 1999 In short, deformed frogs, fish with unnatural endocrine function, cherry trees with reduced yield, pollinator losses, surface waters carrying a chemical cocktail, birth deformities and cancer are associated with chemical pesticides. These represent findings of the researchers from universities and government agencies to which the Council has turned for information. At our recent Wildlife, Pesticides and People conference a number of scientists concluded their presentations with pleas for reduced rellanee on ehemleal pesticides and for substitution of Integrated Pest Management, with chemicals as an option to be used as a last resort or to be avoided. Their message needs to go out to the public. This is our task. Below are solutions to pesticide issues identified through our research and our recent conference. These solutions have not yet been implemented. In the words of Jean Rostand quoted by Rachel Carson in Silent Spring, "The obligation to endure gives us the right to know." We need to urge the EPA to: A) Require that every pesticide label include advice to pregnant women to avoid or restrict their exposure to chemical pesticides. B) Actively promote and explain in the media and on pesticide product labels the concept of Integrated Pest Management Q-PM) as an appropriate means of dealing with unwanted species. This definition should specify use of the least toxic methods ineinding strategic planning (such as crop rotation and diversity in agriculture) and biological controls as the first steps in minimizing pest problems and use of toxic chemicals only as the last resort. C) Recognize that wild birds, which should be protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), are being illegally killed by pesticides and make a serious effort to end this loss of resources. Immediately include an explanation of the MBTA on each pesticide label and take whatever additional steps are required to protect migratory birds including product banning. D) Give greater consideration to wording and prominence on product labels of warnings and prohibitions related to pesticide use around wildlife. E) Devote more Agency resources to the monitoring of pesticide effects on people, pets and wildlife through collecting, evaluating and making available to the public on product labels pesticide incident report information. F) Include in the pre-marketing assessment for pesticide hazards additional wildlife such as beneficial insects, beneficial fungi, woody plants, native vegetation, aquatic grasses, aquatic invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, fish, marine mammals and songbirds. Take whatever steps are required to protect wild plants and animals from further pesticide damage, including warnings on labels and when necessary product banning. G) Give more information on inert ingredients on pesticide product labels. It) Require that an assay be developed to detect each active ingredient and any bioactive by-products, as a necessary prerequisite for environmental safety, before a pesticide is allowed to be registered by the Agency. I) Devote more resources to studying the toxicity of commonly occurring combinations of pesticides on people and wildlife and act on such information when required to achieve better protection. J) Identify pesticide formulations containing carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic chemicals through labeling information and as soon as possible ban those causing cancer and developmental damage. K) Inform users that even following label directions will not keep chemical pesticides out of surface water, once they have been released into the outdoor environment. L) Give greater consideration to the economic benefits of wildlife when analyzing the costs and benefits of specific pesticides. Dr. Diana Post, Executive Director, Rachel Carson Council, Inc. January 1999 RACHEL CARSON COUNCIL, INC. An Association for the Integrity of the Environment formerly Rachel Carson Trust for the Living Environment, Inc. 8940 Jones Mill Road · Chevy Chase, MD 20815 · Telephone (301) 652-1877 THE RISK COMES HOME Children, Animals and Household Pesticides In continuing the work of Rachel Carson, we have inherited a special interest group without political influence or property whose members even lack the words to tell us where and when they hun. Here are a few of their stories: Young Child of West Virginia A child became paralyzed following exposures both prenatally and a~ an infant to two organophosphate l~ticides, chlorpyrifos and propetamphos. Laboratory research haa demonstrated enhanced nerve toxicity when the agents are administered together. Pesticide poisoning problems occur more frequently in people and animals subjected to multiple exposures, especially when they are very young. Recently EPA received a report of suspected pesticide-related paralysis in a young child. His home had been sprayed during his mother's pregnancy with a combination of two organophosphate (OP) pesticides: chlorpyrifos and propatamphos. Chlorpyrifos was used again, within six months after his birth. Following the second application, the child became paralyzed. Pesticide exposure was suspected as the principal cause. Delayed neurotoxicity (lameness and other dysfunctions)is associated with certain organophosphates. Results of a test reported at the 1995 Society of Toxicology Annual meeting indicated that cMorpyrifos could cause moderate delayed neurotoxicity, propetamphos could cause negligible delayed neurotoxicity and the combination of the two could produce severe delayed neurotoxicity, a more profound effect than would be predicted from their additive toxicities. The incident and subsequent laboratory results raise questions about the safety of pesticide combinations as well as the enhanced vulnerability to pesticide poisoning of the fetus and very young child. In practice pesticides can be applied simultaneously or in close succession even if the mixture, itself, is not registered. Testing all possible combinations for enhanced toxicity is not feasible. Adverse reaction reports and follow-up investigations are essential in uncovering potentially hazardous combinations and alerting the public to them. This area is urgently in need of attention by the Environmental Protection Agency. Family Pet from Pennsylvania A report shows clear linkage between phenoxy herbicides and the death of a pet. Veterinary toxicologists recormnend preventing pets from walking on treated lawns during the 48 hours following phenoxy herbicide applications. In general, dogs are not easily poisoned, but they are unusually sensitive to a class of lawn chemicals, the phenoxy herbicides, including the popular 2,4-D. Responding to accumulating evidence linking 2,4-D with various adverse effects including cancers in humans, the EPAhas required the labeling to prescribe: 1) a reduced rate of 2,4-D application to tuff, 2) additional protective clothing to be worn by pesticide sprayers, and 3) warnings to restrict printed on rtcyded paper Portrait bust of Rachel Carson by Una Hanbury. in the National Portrait Gallery. Photograph by Shirley A. Briggs, ~ 1987 the access of people and pets to 2,4-D treated areas until the spray has dried orthe dust ha~ settled. Increased rates oflymphosarcoma (lymph node cancer) in dogs have been linked to exposure to 2,4- D. Astudy published ia the February 1995 American .lournalofPublic Health reporta an association betnveen herbicide (particularly 2,4-D) applications to lawns and increased levels of a type of childhood cancer, soft tissue sarcoma. The following case documents an association between phenoxy-type herbicide exposure aad fatal kidney failure in a family pet. 'Nera,' the Kroll'slabrador retriever, an exceptionally lovable and healthy pet, was allowed i¢cesa to a yard soon after it had been sprayed with pesticides by a lawn care company. She rolled on the freshly-treated grass, was soaking wet, and was observed to be licking her coat upon returning indoors. Within several days of exposure she was vomiting aha refusing to eat or drink; later she became sluggish and uncoordinated. Although given supportive treatment by her veterinarian, she did not respond and was diagnosed with kidney failure two weeks af~ her initial exposure to the peaticide-treated tlLrf. On the recomme, lldation of her veterinarian, she was euth~niT~. After a necropsy confirmed the destruction of her kidneys, questions were raised about her exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides. In response to requests for inform~tlon, the ICl'oils obtained a list of herbicides applied to their lawn. On the list were the phenoxy herbicides, 2,4-D, dic~mha, and MCPP. Residues of these chemicals were found in liver and kidney tissue removed at necropsy. Expert medical opinion from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology supported the herbicide link to kidney failure. The EPA does not require the premarketing evaluation of non-veterinary single pesticides or mixtures for their toxicity to dogs, cats, other domestic snlm~l$ or moat wild species. How~,cr, incident reports of harm have accumulated. A Poison Control Center for animals has received over 100 calls in one year concerning 2,4-D toxicity in dogs. The exposures were associated with diarrhea, vomiting, salivation we~lmess and tremors. Dr. Beaaley from the .Animal POISOil Control Center, has recommended the following: Dogs should not be allowed access to lawns treated with phenoxy-type herbicides for 2 days after spraying and,'...whether sprays or granular preparations are used [he advises] to water the lawn thoroughly and allow [it] to dry before dogs are given free access to the area. Puddles of spray solution and concentrates may cause more serious toxicoses." It would appear that these chemicals could be safer for the pets themselves, not to mention their owllers ~ family members, if all were prohibited access to treated turf for 48 hours, as recommended by veterinary toxicologists, including Dr. Bea~ley. Why does this information not appear on the labeling forphenoxy-covtalnlng produ~..s? One answer may be the low priorityglven to the welfare of pet snlm~ls, and of the humans in contact with them, in the EPArisk a~ses,sment process. An additional factor may be the regulators' failure in general to put health first. Wild Turkeys, Blue ,Ia~$ and a Floci of Ca~,,,~l,, Geese from New York ,~tate U.S. F~sh and Wildlife Service, finding bird kills from the organophnsphate pesticide, dlazinon, excessive and unacceptable, has requested the EPAto cancel uses that clearly po~e considerable b~?~d to fish and wildlife resources and to fully evaluate any remaining uses. Wild Turkeys' daily foraging in fields and woods was noted by residents of a areal! town. The chicks were almost as large as the hens when the flock ventured into a neighborhood and encountered pesticide treated lawns. Some of the birds 'struggled to walk or fly.' Several chicks were seen to 2 be staggering, or "fluttering furiously" and eventually growing still. Hens were observed pecking at the heads of the dead chicks. Five young Wild Turkeys died of diazlnon poisoning. The poisoning was confirmed by laboratory tests. Granular diazinon had been applied to the grass. A Mourning Dove was also found poisoned by diazinun. This incident occurred in September 1994. Five Blue Jays were observed by a borne-owner with signs of diazinon poisoning after a neighbor had sprayed fruit trees with the pesticide. Four birds died and one was revived. Laboratory tests proved that they had been poisoned by diazinon. In 1992, a worn~n noticed what appeared to be "drunken geese" on her lawn which bordered a creek. The Canada Geese were frothing at the mouth, shuffling their feet or moving along the ground on their wings, and appeared ,m~hle to use their legs. By noon time there were 10 dead goslings lyint~ on the grass. The re~t of the flock had moved into the water and offdown the creek, no longer showing the sign~ of poisoning. Grass and clover cont~minu~ed with di~inon was found in the intestln~! tract of the goslings. The 0~,~h~ were due to consumption of diazinon treated grass. (~ompk~ li~ of ~ ~ avsilabl~ ~,,~ RCC A letter to the EPAOffice of Prevention. Pesticides. and Toxic Substances dated Inly 8. 1993 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. concernin~ dlazinon includes the followin~: 'There are numerous report~ evidencing that use of diazinon continues to kill birds. Within the past 2 years alone, the Service has documented diazinun-related bird die-offs in locations including Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana and Idaho. The investigations of these die-offs revealed that the kills occurred even when diazinun was used properly. Diazinon's high toxicity and exposure potential indicate that many, if not all, uses of diazinon cause significant adverse effects in nontarget organisms.' '...EPA's pip'gA regulations present criteria indlc~tlng that all products coBt~inlng diazinon qualify for restricted use classification based on their toxicity to birds and aquatic organisms (40 CFRpart 152.170 (c) and (d)). I understand that EPA'srcgistration of a pesticide is not an endorsement of the product's safety. However, there is a common perception among consumers that pesticides registered for home use will not harm wildlife. This perception has been repeatedly revealed to Service personnel conducting interviews during pesticide investigations. '...copiou~ data indicate that bird die-offs have been associated with both granular And liquid formulatious of diazinon.' 'FIFRA states that the EPAAamlni~trator shall register a pesticide only if it will perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. It is evideat that diazinon's high toxicity and confirmed fish and wildlife die-offs verify *unreasonable adverse effects.~ '...In light of the substantial ecological and legal considerations outlined in this letter, I encourage you to move swi~y to (1) cancel those uses that clearly pose considerable hazard to fish and wildlife resources and (2) fully evaluate any remaining uses.' In the EPA Region III brochure, 'Pasticides and Endangered Species' the following information appears: '...repeated exposure to diazinon in the diet can cause reduced egg production in birds and decreased body weight in both birds and rnanunals.' To our knowledge, EPA ha, not yet replied to the FW$ letter and diazinon is being considered for reregistraUon as an unrestricted pesticide, available in hardware and garden stores. Inthe words of Rachel Carson: *.4//th~ ho~ been riskexl -forwhat? Future historians may well be amazed by our distorted s~nse of proportion. How co,_,_!d intelligent b~ng$ seek to control a few unwante~d species by a method that contami~ed the ~tire environment and brought th~ threat of disease and death even to their own kind? 4 RACy'-] EL CARSON COUNCIL, INC. An Association for the Integrity of the Environment ~o,,merlF Rachel Ca~'son Trust for the Living £nvironrnent, Inc. 8940 Jones Mill Road · Chev.v Chase, MD 20815 · Telephone (301) 652-1877 April 7, 1995 Dear Friend, Reports of the organophosphate (OP) nerve gas Satin's effects on commuters in Tokyo (staggering, panic, weakness, collapse, and even death) seem remote but frightening to most Americans. But these are signs commonly associated with OP pesticide poisoning in wildlife, more exposed and vulnerable to toxic chemicals than are the people who apply them. Low levels of pesticides are a factor of modern life. We receive them: throu~ food, drl.t-lng water, indoor air, outdoors from house-hold use, by way of drift from a~icultural applica~ons, from contact with dogs, cats and even from aquarium water in fish r~.~. A recent survey found that virtually all households (98%) apply some form of insecticide, herbicide or fungicide during the course ora year. The effects of chronic exposure have not been adequately evaluated. In a review of 8 cases of neu. rotoxicity following contact with the organophosphate(OP), Dursban (chlorpyrifos), a neurologist stated: '...with chronic exposure, OP compounds may cause persistent cerebral effects; con.fusion and poor recent memory remain even afrer the biochemical indices of exposure . ..returnto normal....The safety of Dursban should be reessessed." Chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient in Dursban, has been associated with human and animal problems, including a case of paralysis in a West Vi.r~inia infant described in the enclosed paper, The RiskComes Home. In his book, A Fierce Green Fire, The American Environmental Movement, ?hilip Shabecoff tells how, when asked at a news conference about the industry's estimate of the high costs of the Clean Ak Amendments 'of' 1990, then Senate Majorit)' L~der George Mitchell, who was pressing for a strong bill, looked the questioner in the eye and asked, "How much is the life of your ch~lclren worth'?.' 'Trillions,' murmured the questioner in reply." In this time of cost-cutting fever, we should be aware of the value placed on our precious humun re'Id non-human resources. The Rizlc Benefit process zppea~ not Io be giviug due weight to the health of our chil.dren, pe~ and w~dllfe. Otherwize why would regulators: allow pesticide mixtures to be -~*~ed with no warning as to possible combined toxicity, di~egard recom,~endation~ ofve~erln~rY toxicologists fora 48 hour re-enlx~y .time to pesticide treated lawns, or permit an organophospham, which Ir,lis bi}ds at prescr~ed levels of application, ~nd resembles Satin in mode of action, to be available without resu'iction in hardware stores across the country? Based on past 'experience, we c~nnoll ~'115t the p~'~icide re~oulatn~ review process tn give environmental -and f~mily health ~'alues slif~i¢ieIlt consideration. Nor, can we trust indus~' lobbyists to represent our interests effectively. What we can and must do is tn inform people about the true risks from pesticide~ based on accurate scientific hfforr~tlon and the conscientious monitoring and reporting of adverse effects. We must; deliver our message to schools, churches and civic associations and do whatever else will serve the purpose. We count on you tn help us alert people who routinely employ urganophosphates and simil~ chemic..al pesticide.% preferably, not ~'ter they have experienced harm, but before any harm is done. Contact Rachel Carson Cotmcil, if you have any repons of adverse effects of pesticides, related questions. A~ always we need your help in the operation of the Council. We receive no government support. We are completely dependent on the generosity of individuals for our existence. Virtually all of your donation goes tn support our services to you and others. Please be as generous as you can so that ~his impor, ant work can continue. Gratefully, David M¢~rath Dr. Diana Post President Executive Dkector Lawn pesticides: digging up the dirt By: Tam~ Simon, May 20, 2001 Wlmt you see: a thick carpet of impossibly green grass coveting the front yard of a typical home. What you might not see: the toxic ch~mxicals that keep it that way. That's why municipalities across the US and Canada are lifting up the rug to expose this ugly under pad and show you why - and how - you should aim for a truly "green" lawn. Why stop using lawn pesticides? They're not harmless says Siu Fong, research consultant with Toronto Public Health and an author of the report "Pesticides: A Public Health Perspective:" "When [pesticides] are rele~ed they can contaminate air, water, soil and food and thus pose a direct risk to human heal~" Fong ~ys. Want specifics? Here are a few, culled fxom the repoffs survey of scientific research: -Short exposures to high levels of organophospl~te pesticides can cause loss of consciousness and dea~la l¥om respiratory failure. Volatile organic compounds fVOCs) found in some p~sfi~ides can contribute to ground-level ozone duah~g smog episodes. -Low level exposure in people who work with pesticides can prod~e measurable changes in motor skilis, ~ltexes, memory, a~enfion and behaviour, -there is an association between pesticides and a variety of cancers such as cancer of the lymph and blood systems and sof[-tissue sarcoma -Studies show that herbicides and pesticides are strongly linked to Paflduson's Disease. *And lawn chemicals don~ stay outside. People track pes~ficide r~idues into absence of sm~li~oht, water and bacteria, and can persist in c4~pot dust for a year at, er the lawn outside was treated. This poses a particular danger to children who spend more firae at ground level and are already more sensitive to chemicals because they eat, drink and breathe more, relative to their body weigh~ than adult~. ~One study showed children playing on the floor can absorb four to six times the amount of pesticides as an adult by im'aalafion, and 30 times as much through absorplion through the skin, ~ Fong says. Wouldn't lawn pesticides be banned ffthey were really so unsafe? Historically, lhe answer is, "No." Safety is moasurod in ~ of how much a p~son is exposed to per kilogram of body wcight. But hh~ chcmi~als in lawn l~slicidcs ar: also used in agriculture and household pest controL That m~ans l~ls of exposure can vary from person to person dq~nding on what thoy cat and wh~thcr th~ treat thoir homes and gardens. Whags considered safe changes too. For examplo, th~ U.S. Environmental Protoction Agency rocontly re-ov~uatod chlorpyrffos and diazinon, two popular ins~ti;id~, and found they o~aed at unao~p~e lowl~ in tho onviromuont ~ordlng to modem standards. As a rosult, both th~ EPA and Health Canada's Pesticide Man~omont Regulatory Agoncy havo nogotia~l s voluntary ph,~-out of lhos~ products ovor th~ noxt low years. 'When you lookod ~t all th; potonli~! oxposurcs - cr~ck and cr~vic~ ~r~a~nont in housos, on ~h; lawn, in ~ number of fo~ts - and ~fyou a~sumo ovoryon~ gets exposed to thc maximum, you got closer to our s~f~y f~ctor than wc ~ ~ says PMRA spokcsinan Marc Rich~d. But while those chemicals have been pullod, a number of postici&s, including th~ popular herbicide 2,4-D, ~ro ~ b~ng sold whilo undorgoing r~-cvaluafion. and lho di~oulty g~ging s~fo oxposu~ lovois, how do you maintain a ~ It is posst"ole. For e. xaml~, Toronto's Parks and R~croalion has roduc~l p~stici& application on its green spas by 97 l~r cent. Doug McDonald, op~raliom c,o-ordina~- for fl~e department says it takes a sh~ in approaoh - and attitude. ~l'm amazed at how, in the middle of Suly, with ltaree weeks of no rain, people are sill Irying to make tho grass gre~ ~ h~ ehuold~s. "The grass is n~ng to tell us, 'Stop wate~ ~ got ~o rest now - I may look a little brown but ~m not dead.'" solutions: raising ~he mowing height to thee-and-a-half inches, aeraling soft, over-seeding or top-dro&~ to renew lhe turf. These methods maintaga plant healfla, and make lhem more resistant to diseases and pests and better able to compete wifla weeds. There are also some h~-teeh anawers h'k¢ a hand-held infra~! unit. "It heats a little c~-ramie sp~," McDonald says. ~You stick it into ~, &n~lion to ~ook it." O~r otgatfisms can help too. Nemalodes - small worm-like creatures - are available to kill grubs and cinch bugs, and when used correctly may actually work bater than chemicals. 'P0OPI¢ often apply the wrong pesticide or at the wrong time in thc pests' life cycle," McDonald explains. "Grubs can be far down in soil, so you have to get them when the go up to eat thc grass roots. But most hwn care companies have a ronte and they apply po~cide when they're there. And thc people in stores who sell pesticides are often not knowledgeable -- they're just pushing product." The City only sprays chemicals in demanding areas like greenhouses and golf courses, and on poison ivy in parks. The City has no power under the provincial Municipal Act to ban the use of lawn pesticides by homcownen, but McDonald says that if the City can go without them dcspite the increased labour associated with the alternative methods, so can the anyone. "If we don~ have to introduce oh~l~ to mak~ the ' t and bcaufiful, why would we not try that first?." hc asks. Want to lcam more about an enviro=friendly approach to gardctfing? Call (416) 397 - LAWN for booklets, facts shccts and advic~ on lawn maintcmancc or a copy of"Pcsticidcs: A Public Hcalth Pcrspcctivc." Want to know morc about pcslicidc rcgulatiun or thc status of a spocRic pcsficidc in this country? Contact thc Pcsticidc Managcment Rcgulatory Agency wcbsitc Or, for morc on pcsficidc rc-cvaluation, visit thc Environmental Protection Agency wcbsitc. Health and Lawn Care Vermont Public Interest Research Group Americans keep lawns to provide themselves and their families with a cool green oasis where they can play and relate But dousing those lawns with toxic pesticides means that a space meant for families and pets can beoome a potent clanger to health and tbe environm~t. Americans maintain over 25 million acres of lawn, with an average amount of 5 to 10 pounds of pesticide (active ingredient*) used per acre per year. That rate of pesticide use is more than three times as high as ra~s of pesticide use on farnx~, and it means that we are exposing otu~elves, our children and our environment to the unintended effects of as much as 200 million pounds of pesticides nationwide from lawn care alone. Health Dmz-rs *Why should we be concerned about this astronomical level of pesticide use? First, there are the acute dangers pesticides pose to humar~--about 140,000 pesticide poisonin~ are reported to US poison control centers each year, 90% of them occurring at home and 50% of those to children under 6. Obviously, redu~l use of household pesticides could pevent many of *But perhaps more importantly, mmay of the chemical pesticides in use to~y are associated with long-term hnman health problems, inciuding cancers, birth defects, and *According to the US EPA, the majority of lawn care ehemieal~ in use today are possible or probable careinogeus. A National Cancer ~ Study indicatec! that children in homes where lawn av_d garden pesticides were used were 6.5 times more likely to develop acute lymphoblastie leukemia than those living where pesticides were not used; Multiple studies have linked Parkinzon's Disease to the use of common household herbicides and in.~cticides; 14 of the most co~m~only used lawne~re pesticides are linked to bizth defects. People and their pets are e~posed to lawn care pesticides in a variety of ways--by swallowing. initiation ur absorption through the skin. Despite labels that indicate that treated lawns are safe for human and animal contact alex 24 or 48 hours, many lawn and garden pesticides have been found to persist far longer than that period of time. Pesticides oan also contaminate indoor environments when tracked or blown inside. Thus family members or pets can be exposed to pesticides when playing on a treated lawn or contanainated carpet or using an exposed toy or tool, even after the reentry period listed on the label. According to thc Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 95% of thc pcsticides used on rcsidcutial lawns arc possible or probable carcinogcn~ (American Cancer Society, 1991 ). Triazinc h~bicides like Aztrazinc, 2,4-D, and organophosphate insec~cidcs, all which havc uses in lawn chemicals, have recently bc~n shown to haw a d~initc link with non- Hodgldn's Lymphoma according to studies by thc National Cancer Society. A University of Iowa study of golf coursc supcrintcndcnts also found almornuflly high rates of dcath duc to cancer of thc braLn, large intestine, and proslratc (Davidson, 1994). Just recently, former Navy Lieutenant Gcorgc Prior dcvclopcd a fever, h~dache, and nausea afl~ playing on a golf course treated with DaconiL Over thc next few weeks, his condition worscncd and he developed toxioopidermal noorolysis, which oauses skin to fall off in sheets and massive organ failure (Bcglcy, 1988). Evcn thc claim that pesticides cntall bcauliful lawns is cx'lr~mcly mislcading. Chcmicals do microorganisms ~hat providc ncccssary nutricnts for grass (Polk, 1990). Using pesticides to create a quick fix for lawns just brings about additional problcms. Synthetic fortfliTers kill ear,worms and other organisms that aerate so~, causing it to compact and kill grass plants. Inorganic nitrogen-based f~r~iliTers also promotc thc sproming of weeds (Bebley, 1988). Ovcr timc, p~licides can actually help the pests they target by also killing off their predators. This destroys the natural species balance and con~n~outos to false, unbalanced, In order to solv~ thc ongoing problems associated with pesticides, proper lcgisla~on to protcct thc public must bc vigorously enforced. Thc usc of chemicals arc not necessary for lawn usc and bring about serious ecological and human health risks that outwcigh its int~ndcd results. Altcmalivc sWatcgics must be d~volopod which will bring about be~0r results on the ~nvironmeot. Long lasting solutions, which require less time, are defiuit~ly thc best place to start. P, efere~ces N. Diegelman. Poison in the Grass. 1996. Begiey, Sharon, and Hagen 'Please Don't Eat lhe Daises." Newsweek 16 May 1988. lntemaiional Joint Commission on the Great Lakes. 'Selected Persistent Toxic Substances in Human Breast Milk in the Great Lakes Basht' March 1990. Amelican Defender Netwohk. 'Lawn Chemical Dang~s.' 1989. American Cancer Society, Bile County Branclt %Vetoing: The Use of Pesiicl'des May Be Na~_rdous To Your He, ai~' 1991. G. Davidson. ~Pesiicides: The Killing Fields.' Woman's Day. 1994. lq. Polk. "l'he Perfeot Lawn Isn't Always Greert' The New York Thnes, Oct. 17, 1990. LAWN PESTICIDES By Chris Syre~das University of California, 1997 R~..~fly, thc us~ ofhwn pcsticidcs and chemicals has grown cnormously with home owners and golf courg management in hope of ~/~ng 'th~ perfect turf.~ Howe, or, the the direct use of pesticides and chomicals. The chomical posticide indusuy fails to address these issues and has made every gffort to keep this information ~ the public. H~rbicides and p~ticides are not a natural way to achizw a beautiful lawn, conwary to 1996). Pesticide industries make fal~ claims by stating ~hat their che~nicais ar~ heavily false claims include companies like ChemLawn which stat~ that a child would have to inEest t~n cups of treated grass clippings to ~ tbe toxicity of one aspirin. In fact, the r~al darter is not from grazing ~he lawn. Mo~t poisonin~ c~m¢ from ~ pesticide wa~ime defoliants such as Ag~t Orang~, norvo-gas typ~ pe~icides, and artificial hormone~ (Diq~n, 1996). In ~uyme instanc,~ pe~ticid~ like DDT, which r~main active for many exposur~ to ~uch chemicals ar~ role.~sed in lhe br~st m~ ofh~r firstborn child ~ Joint Commi~on, 1990). Pesticides drift and ~tio during application wh~ro thzy can eas~ re, ach hours and people. Po~id~ do l~a by ~ absorb~ ~ the Al~n~ whor~ th~ ar~ able to ~k the t~mporaxy paraly~. The National Academy of S~ionc~s ~ports that at le~ast one out of ~-von poople are ~nificamly harmed by pesticide expo~uro ~ach ye~ (Am~ic~n Defender N~work, 1999). Unformnatoly~ due to tho hi~2h costs of inspection, t~ts for p~icide Within ~he last ten yoars, the lack of awareness and ~ goidelinos about ~he toxicity of pe~icid~ has comributed to many tragic ovonts. In 1988, Karm ~amos, a lvfichigan postal work, r, was walking past one of ChomLawn's *f~r~i~r' truck~ whon a ho~ ruptured and sh~ was dronched with chemicals. She was told by the Chum! ~ ~n~ploy~ not to worry ~ only f~a~r~ w~r~ in ~he spray and she would b~ fine. Howler, gx~n ~i~r she doc~tor called Ch~mLawn to find out what chomic4~is ~be was oxposed to, he was told that fix~y do not uso chemicals. But later tests on Karon r~'ve, aled high l~is of Dursbaa, a toxic po~icide, which forced ChomLawn to ~mlt that thoy had be~n lying (Dieglman, 1996). Local wildlife need safe places to live. As more and more suburbs encroach upon natural habitats, wildlife arc forced to flcc or adapt to less ideal, often crowded habitats ripe with potential dangers. Exposure to lawn chemicals is one such danger. Direct exposure to these pesticides and fertilize~ is dangerous, as arc thc effects of chemical use including decreased shelter and food opportunities. Wc can make our cities and towns more habitable for local wildlife by avoiding lawn and garden chemicals. You may even consider natorali:dng a section of your yard to provide a greater diversity of shelter and food types, Chemical fci~'li?~'s arc a waste of mon~. Chcmical fcrt~ti?crs usually contain three macro- nutrients - phosphorus, potassium and nitrogerL Thcy lack other macro as well as micro- nutrients and ~nclude no organic ~ or microbes. In contrast, fin~hed oompo~t )'our backyard bin is an organic and natural soil amendment which provides a more complete package of nutrients, organic matter and microbes. Finished compost is a fmc rcsourcc that also conslitutcs sustainable waste management, extending thc lifcspan of local dumps and land~. Chemical pesticides haw thc potcnt~ to cause damage throughout their lifecyclcs. All stages of a pesticide's lifecycle - production, transport, storagc, usc and disposal - have thc potcngal to degrade cflvironmcntal and human health. F. xplosions, sl~ls and volatflization may occur in manufacturing plants, storage facilities and cn route, cxposing potentially huge numbers of non-target o~ to pesticides. Disposal is an expensive and controversial proposition as p~oplc campaign to kccp stockpiles out of their cominunitios. Chcmicah actually degrade thc over-all long-term health of )'our lawn and gard~n~ Chcmical lawn carc is thc wrong approach. By frequently applying p~ticidcs to your lawn, you may create a chemical-dependent landscape. As pest spccics b~comc resistant to thc chcralcals designed to kitl them, more concentrated dos~ and frcqucnt applications arc r~quired and a n~wr-~nding cycle of increasing pest resistance and pe~ticid~ use is established. When this happcus, )'our lawn's health is spiralfi~ downhill. Lawn chemicals arc mmcccssary. Historically, organic lawn care has bccn practiced for much longer than chemical lawn care and it can easily be impl~n~ntcd on any lawn. Safe and cffcctiw alternalives exist for most chemical p~sticidcs and fer~l~Ters. There is no nccd to expose our families, communities and local wildlife to chemicals that arc known hazards Studies hav~ shown that leas than 0.1% of appll~ p~ticid~ actually reach thc target pest, with thc rcmalndcr sprcading out into thc cnvironmcnt, with consequent effects on workers, by-standers, cousmncrs, wildlife, air, soil and water. U.S. g~ _,5~t_~ suggest that morc than 20,000 American farmworkers suffer from acute p~ticidc poiso~b~g each)'ear. The World Resources Institute puls thc number much higher - 300,000. Data collected by the California D~partmcnt of Pcsticid~ Regulation show that thc two most common sources of exposure lcading to pesticide-related illnesses arc drift from pesticide spraying (44%) and fi~ld residues (33%). Why to Ditch Lawn Chcmicab T~n Reasons Why you should Ditch your Ch~nic~ ~d Opt for Org~ic Lawn and G-ard~n Car~ Ch~ical p~cid~s ~nd f~i~r~ contamin~ surfac~ and groundwater. L~wn pesticides and fertilizers can contanfinate surfac~ and groundwater. This di~ini~hzs the q~lity of our drinking water as wzll as ~he qu~ity of ~lUa~ic habitats and health of aqua~ic life forms. Maay fish and aquatic ins~t sp~i~s ar~ hilly ~nsifiw to f~li?~ra and p~fi~id~. Chemical p~6a'~, lh~t~ lh~ h~alth of childr~. Children ar~ the most vttinantbl~ a~gm~nt of ou~ populalion du~ t~ thor amall ~ aad ~ad~r und~d~wl~ phy~ology. colltamina~d grn~a~ ~ al~d toy8 ~ mouth, breathlnE close to the ground), lncreasod Chcnnical poaticid~ ihrr~ea tho health of outdoor pot~. Outdoor l~ta ara highly ~tx~ed to lawn chemicals du~ to lhdr bohaviour (licking contatnin~eA paws and coat, brealtdng clo~ to tho ground, e.a~g cont~ni~ gra~, aoil and toys) and ar~ highly vulnerable due to Chc~nical p~ticid~ th~aton tho hoalth of local wildlife. Turf-dw¢lllnE and foexling apociea co~,,,on raccoon and eastern gray ~luirr~l ar~ hi~ohly cxpoa~xl to lawn ch~'micala. Cvra~nl~r for ~1 or othor food it~ma. Diazinon, a common lawn in~c~icid~, ia aaaociat~l with largo bird ~n and is bannod for uao on American sod farina and goff courts. Cha~ical peaficidea and f~ni~ors re3uce ~¢ activity of bea¢ficial organisms. Healthy so~ spread of ~ and help plants ga~h~r nutri~-ms and water. For oxampl¢, eatlhworms improw air and water circulation, docom.no~ thatch, ~ nutriont-rich castings and holp to nctltrali~ ~;o1~ O. ants profor this pH). Many of tho~ bonoficia~ ol-ga~am~ ar~ hiEtcly c'xposed and highly a~udiive to lawn ch~nicala. ?~icid~ and f~iliz~z reduce thoir aclivity l~ols, th~roby roducing a lawn'a natural ability to control p~s and diaeas~, gather mmienta and wator and maintain ovorall health. Even when used as directed, pesticides kill non-target organisms--beneficial insects, desirable plants, birds and other wildlife---along with their target pests. Because most pesticides work by interfering with physiological processes shared by many organisms, they can kill indiscr/minately. Crashes in honeybee populations, damage to wild plant life, fish and bird die- offs have ail been linked to herbicide and insecticide use. Lawns and gardens treated with chemical pesticides and fertilizers can be a significant source of surface water contamination when the chemicals used run off into neighboring water bodies. When pesticide residues contaminate waters, they can kill off small plants and animals at the bottom of the food web, as well as damaging some fish species. Farther afield, the manufacture of pesticides affects workers' health and often generates highly toxic residues that are released to the air and water. And since many unused pesticides are disposed of m landfills or incinerators or poured down drains, they can continue releasing their toxic contents to the water and air even after disposal. Healthy Lawns Without Chemicals Itis perfectly possible to maintain a healthy green lawn and garden without risking the dangerous side effects of chemical pesticides. School districts, golf courses, parks and municipalities around the country have been able to suc~ceasfully manage their grounds without synthetic pesticides. V~rmont Public Interest Research C*roup 141 Main St., Ste 6, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Phone (802) 223-5221 FAX (802) 223-6855 Email Webmaster 4/15/102 Contents © 2000- 102 VI:rlRG The ~of ~ ~hem~c~s ~s d~ ~ncreasing despite ~ng repo~ o~ increasing r~es of c~r ~d ~e pere~ ~e~ posed to children, pe~. ~d ~ d ire ~cord~ng to a recent ~udy (U.S. N~s 4~1999) ~e number of ~eHc~s ~afing ~eir I~s has risen from 55 pement to 67 perce~ just in ~e last decade. ~ough m~ fa~om affect people's ~lne~il~ to c~cer, increasing pe~cide use m~ be p~ res~ie for ~e ~n9 one ~ment per ye~ increase in cancer ~es ~ong children (Kos~ et ~ 1995). The dse I~ chemical use is ~so pmblem~c for ~e gr~ng number of people ~o wo~ ~ese chemic~s; pesticide sphere have been sh~ to have signlfic~fly higher incidence of ~phoma ~m 1990, ~gle1990) and possib~ o~er immunmmsponse deficiencies. Even pe~ ~e ~ dsk; ~e ~es Of ~phoma ~ong pe~ of !~ chemic~ users is double ~ of nomchemic~ usem ~es et ~1991). ~lle more rese~ch is needed on ~e he~ risks of I~ chemic~s, ~e' fact is ~: m~ I~ chemicals cutely in use are ~ c~cinogens or h~e been sh~ to produce ~dney f~lures in I~ ~im~s. In his effo~ to emulate re~ ~fld ~e~ses ~d i~em~ons ~mt I~o~o~ tests often fail to ~e into accoun~ UW professor, ~en PoKer, ~d his colleagues h~e e~lomd ~e possible effects of talcums of I~ levels of insecticides, he~icides ~d n~te real,em in dHn~ng ~er. ~ ~e levels of per,ides ~ ou~n~ occur in gm~em ~rougho~ ~e Unfed S~tes, ~elr recent ~dings sugge~ a ~ge of delete~ous effects including suppression of le~ing ~d e~lo~o~ beh~or, ch~ges in ho~one levels (~ne, ~Mo~&pin), ~d ch~ges in immune p~em in mice ( po~r- ~ Facu~y U~lng~). ~ile regulMo~ agencies h~e been sl~ to respond to ~e g~ng'me~=~ e~dence, neighbo~ood groups ~d s~hools ~e becoming in~m~sing~ ~onscious of ~e ~reat ~ pesticides pose to hum~ ~d ecologicN he~. Be~se ~e risks of I~ chemic~ use ~ not immedi~e~ app=e~ ~d because oppos~on to ~e use of I~ to~ns has been I=ge~ i~sible, ~e Se~lewn Ne~hbh~Allience has proposed ~el~) a f~ ~ you c~ protect youmelf ~d your ~i~ from ~em ~d help discourage ~eir use in your commune. Healthy Lawn Care for Healthy Communities VPIRG's Pesticide Free Lawn Campaign Refuge or Risk? But perhaps more impOrmntIy, F many of the chemical pesticides in Americans keep lawns to provide use today are associated with long- themselves and their families with a " cool green oasis where the'~r can term human h~alth problems, including cancers, birth defects, and play and relax. But dousing those neurological diseases: lawns with to=dC pesticides means · According to the US EP3., the that a space meant for families and major/vi of lawn care chemicals per~ can become a potent danger to in use today are possible or health and the environment, probable carcinogens; Americans maintain over 25 · A National Cancer Institute C million acres of lawn, with an Study indicated that children in average amount of 5 to 10 pounds homes where lawn and garden of pesticide (active ingredient*) pesticides Were Used were 6.5 used per acre per year. That rate of times more likely to develop pesticide use is more than three acute lymphoblastlc leuiemia rimes as high as rates of pesticide than those living where T u~e on farm~, and it means that we pesfic, ides were not us,e,d; are exposing ourselves our children · Multiple sm&es have linked and our envkonment to the Parkinson's Disease to the use of unintended effe~:ts of as much as common household herbicides 200 mitlioti pour~ds of pesticides arid insecticides; -- S h 'l~'e ~ _1 nationwide from lawn care alone. · 14 of the most cornmoxfiy used In Vermont. almost 12,000 lawncare pesticides are linked to pounds of pesticide active birth defects. ingredient" were used for tuffand weed control by commercial HUmans and their pets can be applicators alone in 1999, This exposed to lawn care pesticides in a figure does not include the variety of ways--by swallowing, tl~tu~arids of pounds of pesticides inhalation or absorption through used by homeowner~ around the the skin. Despite labels that indicate sta~e.- that treated lawns are safe for VEt~MONT human and anim~,contact after 24 or 48 hours, ma~.lawn and garden .P LIB L I C Why sh0u[d_ w~ ~.~ concerned pesticides kave g:~ found to INTI~I~-E:ST a~o~l~: this ast~0n~n~c,A level of persist far longer than that period of I~.ESEA!~;.CH ~*~iei~!~ Use? First, there are the time. Pesticides can also ae¢t:e dangers pe~dcid~ pose to c6ntaminate indoor environments GtLOUP hd~fis~,~b0~t' i40,000 pesticide when tracked or blown inside. 141 Main Street p~iS~ni~gs are repo~ted to US Thus family member~ or pets Montpelier, p0i*0n Control centers each year, can be exposed to pesticides when Vermont 05602 90% of them occurring at home and playing on a treated lawn or 50% of those to children under 6. contaminated carpet or using an Tel: 802-223-5221 Obviously, reduced use of exposed toy or tool, even after the Fax: 802-223-6855 vpirg@vpirg.org household pesticides could prevent reentry period listed on the label. www. vplrg.org many of these poisonings. Environmental Damage People all over the world are realizing that the 5yen when used as directed, pesticides kill non- potential dangers of lawn and garden pesticides far target organisms--beneficial insects, desirable outweigh their benefits. Join with them in . plants, birds and other wildlY·--along with their elim~afing a serious environmental and public health danger, and celebrate by posting your target pests. Because most pesticides work by "Pesticide Free Lawn" sign today! interfering with physiological prQ¢.esses shared by many organisms, they can k/Il inai~criminatel¥. Pesticid~ Free Lawn Campaign Steps: Crashes in honeybee populatiom, damage to wild plant life. fish and bird die-offs have all been · Pledge to use~ no synthetic pesticides on linked to herbicide and insecticide use. yom: law this year · Post a lawn sign letting others know Lawns and gardens treated with chemical yoU've taken the pledge pesticides and fertilizers can be a significant source · Talk to your friends and neighbor~ about of surface water coqtan-dnation when the joining you in this campaign to reduce the cherhicals used run o'ffintO neighboring water impact, of pesticides on vermont's bodies; When pesticide residues contaminate erivironment and public health waters, they 'can kill Offsrnall plants and animals at For more information or to order lawri signs call the bottom n£the food web, as well as damaging VPII~G at 802 223 522I. some fish specieg~. affects workers' health and often generates highly on effeCts of pesticides and actiohs you can take toxic residues that are.~eleased to the air and to reduce the us.e qf pesticides in VermOnt water;'~nd since many unused pesticides are disposed of in la~d~ll~ or incinerators'or, poured . . ~,~p rg o[g ~.: down dI~fis, they can continue releasing their toxic contents to the water a~ad air even after Hea. lth, Lawns Without ChemicalsI pestk-ide It is pe~ectly pOsfible to mMntain, a healthy green lawn and garden without ris~klng the dangerous side effects of chemical pesticides. School district, golf courses, parks.and municipaliiSes around the country have been.able to successfully manage their grounds without %ynthetic pesticides. With our Pesticide Free Lawn Campaign, VPI~G is urging all Vermonters to' take a positive step for the environment and public health. By -eliminating the use of toxic chemicals to maintain you~ home environment you can take a significant step to pr0tedt your family and your community from the potentially serious consequences of pesticide, expos~ e,~ And by publicizing your action with ourm~p~ticid~ free lawn" ~ign, you can help to spread?the word about reducing · pesticide' use to 1~:otec~ the environment. ' VPIRG can provide consumers with information on organic lawn care, and referrals to organizadoris that maintain vas~ stores of infor- mation on nontoxic pest control. We are also ' developing a list of lawn and garden stores and landscapers in. Vermont that provide organic lawn * Active ingredient can compose a~ little a~ 1% cfa g~ven care products and services. These efforts will help pesticide product, and m-called "inert" ingredients can be provide the tools and information Vermonters substance~ li~ted as health and environmental toxins. need to go .chemical free Organic Lawn Care by Paul Sachs, P. eprinted by permission of the author from NOFA NOTES/Summer 2000 Northeast Organic Farming Association P.O. Box 697 Richmond VT 05477 802-434-4122 The philosophy of growing tu'rf (or anything else) 'organically is simply that a healthy s0il grows healthy plants. When you feed the life in the soil, those growing populations 0f microorganisms begin to accomplish raauy jobs that now consume great amounts 0f your time, money, and energy. For example, microorganisms serve to help: fertilize, by fixing nitrogen from the air, mineralizing soil organic nutrient, generating carbon dioxide (the plant's most needed.nulrient), and dissolving mineral nutrient from rock; de-thatgh, by decomposing thatch and other -" organic mat/er into valuable nutrients and humus, which in turn increase the water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil; aerate the soil; and control many insect mud disease problems by competition and predation. These are only five examples, derived from a far greater list. 'It.is widely a~cepted by researchers that many of the benefits we get from soil life have yet to be discovered. Organic fertilizers contain raw materials meant to stimulate and feed the life in the s0il. The apparent low N-P-K analysis has relatively little meaning when you are feeding the soil b~cause those numbers refer to plant nutrients not soil nutrients. Synthetic fer~ilizer ingredients contain very little that feed the life in the soil. The benefits of feeding the soil cannot be quantified or qualified on mY f~rtilizer label.. FERTILIzATIoN: It's a good idea to take some soil. samples from your l~wn and send them to a lab for analysis. If any one essential soil nutrient is defioient, you may not get the desired response from your fertilizer. Take several samples with a clean tool from the top 5-6 inches of the yard, remove any undecomposed residues, and mix ail the samples together in a clean conJainer. Send about a cup of the mixture to your local soil lab (contact the extension service if your not sure where the lab is). The lab analysis should tell you if you'll head to apply one or more nutrients to balance your soil's base fertility. Ask the lab if they can test for organic matter, which is an important component cfa healthy soil system. Quality tuff growing on soils with less than 3 percent organic matter may be very difficult to maintain. You may want to consider applications of compost ffyour soil organic matter is low. If you do apply compost, the best time is in the early spring before the grass wakes up and in the late fall after the grass has gone to bed for the wint¢[. Don't apply more than a % inch layer per application and make sure the compost is mature (lit'de or no odor and/or heat): If the base fertility cfa soil is balanced, organic fertilization should consist of only 2-3 applications per year, depending on the length of your growing season and the condition of the soil. Generally, a natural fc--rtilizer with an approximate ratio of 3-1-2 (nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potash (K)) is appropriat~ for tuff. S~ct adherence to that ratio is not critical, so anything close, such as 5-3-4, 7-3-4, or $-2-4 will be fine. If, however, a mst indicates that the soil has optimum or above optimum levels of? and K, then 1 lb. of lq per 1000 ~ from a natural organic source is all that needs to be applied. The best times of the year to apply fertilizer are early spring, late spring or early summer, and fall. (If you are applying fertilizer during a hot dry period, it's a good idea to water it in.) Usually an application of 1 lb. of N per 1000 r~ is just right To calculate how much fertiIizer you'll need to ~pply exactly 1 lb. of N, divide 1 by the first number in the analysis and then multiply by 100. For example, if you are using a 5-3-4, divide 1 by 5 (=0.2) and then multiply by 100 (=20). Spreading 20 lbs. of a $-3-4 fertilizer per 1000 ft~ wilt apply lib. of N. M[OWING: Mowing practices areas important as soil caz¢ in an organic turf program. Proper mowing is the single most effective way of controlling weeds without herbicides. Mower blades must be sharpened on a regular basis (every 7-8 hfs of mowing time). Dull blades tear and stress the plant inhibiting its natural resistances and aggressive growth. The plant spends more energy recovering frpm being mowed and les~ on competing with weeds, insects and disease. Lawns should always be mowed high (3-4 inches) and often, never removing more than one third of the total height. Taller plants can photosynthesize energy more easily, shade out Iow growing weeds such as crabgrass, anti develop deeper and more extensive root systems. Clippings should not be bagged. Kecycled lawn clippings can add closi to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 ft.~ p~r year and significant amounts of organic matter. Areas where large quantities of clippings threaten to smother the turf should either be chopped finely with' a mower or gathered for compost and reapplied to the lawn when decomposed. VATERING: In most cases, leaving the respons~ility of irrigation to mother nature is better than entrusting it to n automatic system, especially one activated by a timing device. Too much or too little wa~cr can stress turf plants nd lower their resistance to other problems, such as insect or disease attacks. Overwatering reduces the amount of xygen in the soil, causing stress to roots and to microorganism~. Anaerobic soil conditions can also cause .¢nitrification. Too little water can be even worse, causing severe stress to plants and soil organisms. Recent esearch suggests that Iow volume, high frequency irrigation is best for mitigating stress to turf; other experts .isagree, opting for deep and infrequent watering. The trick is to avoid the extremes. Soils rich in organic rnat~er an buffer turf from those extremes by absorbing more water during Wet periods, building greater reserves for ,eriods of drought. YEED CONTROL: A weed is.a misplaced p~ant. Millions of dollars worth of so-called weeds are sold each year s ground coycrs, perennials, herbs and wild flowers. However, most homeowners don't appreciate having them in heir lawns. Weeds are effec~vely controlled in an organic program in some of the following ways: 'Ihrf plants ,Town in healthy soil are very aggressivi and can c~owd out or smother most weeds when fed and mowed properly. ',omc university stac[~es indicate that good mowing practices (mentioned above) ~u control certain weeds as welt ,r better than herbicides. A diverse mixture of turf grasses is also important. A monoculture of only o~e or two pecies of turf plants in a lawn is not natural and docs not compete'as well against weeds. If conditions arise that .nc or two'cultivai-s cannot tolerate, weeds will then b~in to do/ninat¢ the area. Once weeds gaiu the upp¢r hand, .~ey become much more difficult to control. A genetically diverse turf is more able to survive, thrive and compete gainst weeds under any conditions. Where weeds are already well entrenched, corn gluten, a natural organic .reemergent herbicide, can be used. Corn gluten breaks down into allelochernicals that inba'bit root development on ne gemfinat/ng seeds of crabgrass, dandelion and many other common lawn weeds. ~'EW INSTALLATIONS: Choice of se~d is very important when renovating or installing a lawn. A genetically /verse seed blend will grow well in almost any conditions. Deep-rooted varieties are needed to locate water and .utrients easily. Blends that are endophytically enhanced (endophytically enhanced grasses contain natural ndophyte fungi living symbioticallj with the cells of the plant found to be insecticidal to foliar feeding insects) ~ill repel foliar feeding insects. A soft test is always recommended before a new seeding or renovation of an old" ~wn that hasn't been tested in the past 3 years. Soil amendments such as lime, greensand, rock phosphate or ompost may be needed, depending upon the Outcome of the soft test. Under normal conditions, apply ½' pound of I and ½ to 1 pound of P and K per 1000f~? using a low nitrogen, natut:al s~rter fertilizer (we use a 2-3-3) and ghtly work it into the surface of the soil bifore seeding. The fall is the.best t/me of year to install new lawns fxom ~ because there is less competition from weeds and more reliable rain. ~ERATION AND DE-TItATCI~NG: With organic turf care practices, aeration and de-thatching can qfiickly eeome obsolete and unnecessary activities. The populations of microbes, earthworms, and other beneficial rganisms that thrive in a healthy soil will decompose thatch and clippings faster than they can'be produced. That igested organic matter plus the re;cycled bodies of the bacteria themselves.create humus which expands and on~xacts within the soil by the varying levels of moisture content, creating air and water passages,:relaxing soft ~mpaction and improving the crumb structure of the soft. Earthworms that thrive on organic matter dig deep and · tensive tunnels that air and water can travel through. ~ISEAKE coNTRoL: Many of these bacteria whose populations explode in healthy soil also compete atagonistically with pathogenic fungi. Studies noted in the Cornell University Turfgrass T/roes warn that softs 4th low 6rganlc matter content managed with high leYels of pesticides ~re much more susceptible to devastating' n~' diseases. Orgarfically maintained turf rarely if ever has problems with plant pathogens.. When problern~ do risc, it is usually an indication that bacteria levels in the soil have dropped. This can be remedied by an ?plication of compost and liquid seaweed extract. ~SECT PROBLEMS: Plants that are grown in healthy soil are less.susceptible to insect attack just by v/ri'ne of atural selection. Insects that cull out weaker plants are doing the plant species a favor by allowing o~]y the rongest and h~althiest to reproduce. However, when a Whole lakvn is planted in unhealthy and infertil~ soft, ' [saster can strike. A balanced soil ecosystem also contains many predaior and p~rasitic organisms that can help jth pest insect control. Other controls~such as good cultural practices and enduphytically enhanced seed--will ~.lp tip the scale in the turfs favor. Grubs can be controlled in many circumstances by using beneficial nematodes.' ~nen applied to thoroughly moist soil beneficial nematodes can infect and ldlI most species of lawn grub~. Lawns ith severe grub .d~xnage should be renovated with tall fescue, which has proven to be resistant to grub damage. s~'INAL NOTE~ O~-ganic turf care is not a great mystery. It is a different system that requires observation and )mmon sense. In an organic program, the soil life ends up doing most of the work. For more information on pesticides and alternative pest controls, visit VPIRG's website, www.voirg, or~,, or visit these sites: Lawn Care http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/rmep/p2/lawns.htm Useful straightforward nonehemical lawn care guide from the provincial govt of Nova Scotia's pollution prevention group h~tp://www.invisiblegardener.com/lawn.hl~n Good lawn info - some only to m~mbers but basics free Alternative Pest Controls http://www.ige.org/panna/resources/advisor.html#top Good info on controlling specific pests without chemicals http://www.pesticide.org/factsheets.html Great resource for info on alternative pest controls, particular chemicals, inerts hO:p://www.bixc.org/ Good source of publications on IPM and least toxic controls from a nonprofit IPM advisory group Politics of Pesticides http://www.getipm.com/sitemap.htm A great site for both alternative pest control info and commentary on the politics of pesticides http://www.oag.state.nv.us/environment/home pestieides.html NY State Attorney General's Office discusses the inadequacies of EPA's pesticide registration system and dangers of home pesticide products http://www.be¥ondpesticides.org/ leading national group opposed to pesticide exposures - info on political developments, alternatives to pesticides http://ens-news.eom/ens/aug2000/2000L-08-25g.html Good commentary on public exposure to pesticides and new NY state notification law Dangers of specific products http://www.abcnews.go.eom/sections/livin~DallyNews/dursban000621 .html ABC news article on the dangers of exposure to pesticides, particularly on EPA's decision to remove Dursban f~om the consumer market http://www.organicgardening.com/watchdo~pestieides_ roundup.html Good discussion of the dangers of the so-called "safe" Roundup, also links to Organic Gardening mag website with other organic gardening info Ordinances/Regulations/Legislation http ://www.region.halifax.ns.ea/pestieides/index.html Discussion of Halifax, Nova Scotia's pesticide ban ordinance, with copy of the ordinance http://www.nypirg.org/enviro/notifieation.htm NYPIRG discussion of NY State's new Neighbor Notification law, including model language ~any people believe that the ~ · ~ use of chemical treatments are the only way to achieve a beautiful o_ -~ ,. '~z lawn. These chemicals present a real 5 danger to pets and children, and they have dangerous long-term effects on the environment too. Fortunately, there ,~' ,,z is a lawn treatment alternative that not only gives you a greener, richer lawn than chemicals, but is completely safe AN ORGANIC LAWN - NATURE'S WAY, 1 Aerate at least once a year to reduce thatch buildup, make room for roots to grow. and improve water and fertl zer I. AWN& GARDEN absorption. 2. Apply organic fertilizer twice a year. 3. ApplYcorn glutenPre-emergent weed contra using ~OOO~ ORGANIC. 1OO% 4 Set mower on highest cutting level, Never remove more than one th rd of the grass grass, SfS'~J997 5. Leave ( '~' W W W~ SAFE-[ARTH.COM PRE-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL - SOIL ENHANCERS LAWN AERATION (continued) CORN GLUTEN These liquid products create a · Enhances so I, water absorption and use. Applied early in spring and late in healthy plant environment resulting · Improves fertilizer absorption and use summer, Corn Gluten is a licensed in increased plant sugars and help · Reduces soil compaction. product that was developed by to create an enhanced electrical inventors at Iowa State University field around each plant, balanced · Encourages grass roots to expand into the sci. at a level that is not comfortable · Natural Organic Product for the control for most harmful insects. · ncreases heat and drought stress of annual weeds, tolerance of grass. · 60% corn protein material contain ng · Bio Stimulant: awakens and stimu ates · Reduces thatch accumulation. 10% nitrogen by weight, helpful, indigenous m crobia life in the soil. · Effective for control of crabgrass, dandelions, and other weeds propagated · Fulvic Acid: loosens c ay so I al owing by seeds, greater root penetration. · Liquid Compost: provdes a microbia ORGANIC COMPOST energy source and aids n water saturation and penetration. Our compost comes from selected poultry farms. This chemical-free · Nutrapath c Crop Specifics: balances soil to enable specif c types of plants product is universally recognized to flour sh. by lawn and garden experts as LAWN & GARDEN CARE the best fertilizer available, LAWN AERATION JOO% ORGANIc. IOO% SAFE. · Dehydrated, ster lized poultry manure Lawn ~ of that restores the natural balance of mechanica, ' plugs the soil. SfS'-222-1997 l:Bet~Jowers, garaens [rees and a:~O ~: 515-222-1997, ~ Reduces the need for watering About AL TERNA TIVE Alternative Pest Controls for Lawns and Gardens: volume of requests from gardeners and homeowners for information on alternatives to pesticides. This book is adirect C O NTR 0 L S result of our need to answer their questions. It provides the latest information, supported by research, on methods for solving lawn and garden problems resulting from the activities of pest insects, ~ T n fungi and plants and does so without using toxic chemical .~. ~ pesticides. With this information and these methods, we~ OF a~.~ S you will continue to enjoy your piece of the ~ dono r ." Gardens To: Friends of Rachel Carson Council This booklet has a few errors that were not corrected before final printing. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by these oversights. Thm~k you for supporting Rachel Carson Council and our work. We hope you find die booklet informative. Here is a list of the changes: On.p. 4 - 2"a paragraph, 2"a last line, the word "you" should appear after thc word "plants" On p. 13 - 2'~ line, first word should be "windows" instead of"window" On p. 20 -- 4th line, the word "conserve" should appear instead of "conservatives" On p. 20 - $,h line, the word "help" should appear instead of"helps" UPDATE - Sune 1999 - This update is to correct any advice in this publication that recommends the nse of sticky traps outdoors. (Seepage 8, whiteflies and page 10, gypsy moths.) Birds at Risk from Insect Sticky Traps Used Outdoors Strips with a sticky adhesive are becoming more common as a means of trapping insects. When placed outdoors they can also attract and trap small insect-eating songbirds such as the ~amlina wren, titmouse, and nuthatch. Removal of small birds trapped on tile sticky surface is £raugbt with its own problems. Even if the removal is successful the birds may spend extensive time at the rehabilitation facility to replace lost feathers. Alternatively severe injuries such as dislocations may require euthanasia. Bird rehabilitators have become dismayed by birds stuck to the traps and have contacted Rachel Carson Council for help with informing the public of this distressing situation. Snakes may also adhere to such traps and lose part of their skin in breaking free of the sticky surface. We are recommending that strip traps with adhesive surfaces not be rootinaly used for outdoor pest control by homeowners. Please call thc Council if you bare or need further information on this subject. May 1999 - Update from Rachel Carson Council staff Please note, if you have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) we reconnl~ that you consult with your physician before using any pest control product. }geed Control - WOW! or WOW! Plus is a pre-emergent herbicide prodllet available from Gardens Alive, It is used for many types of common weeds oil a. Alternative lawns. These include clo'~er, crabgrass, creeping bentgrass, smart w~l, dandelions, redroot pigweed, purslane, lambsquarter, foxtail, barnyard gra~ and Bermuda grass. The product is recommended for spring and fall application ~'I Controls when these weeds are germinating. The herbicide, whichis100% maize glut n~Pest meal, prohibits root development of germinating seeds. The active ingredient in WOW! is a by-product of the wet milling process used in com starch and corn for syrup production. The ingredient is 60% protein and also used as food for tiah, cattle, poultry, horses and pet food. There are no re-entry restrictions at~' application of the produet. For more information and a catalog, pleaseeontaot Lawns and Gardens Gardens Alive!, 511 Schenley Place, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 or call 812~5~7o 8652 or fax 812-537-8660. Japanese Beetle Control - Milky Spore is a naturally occurring bacterium that ia fatal to Japanese beetle grubs. It does not affect adult beetles. The baotetial by spores are spread rapidly by infected grubs as thi:y die. It does not affect non- Taher Husain, target organisms such as beneficial insects, birds or fish. Milky Spore ia available as a dust or a powder for application on lawns and gardens. For more Todd Peterson, Ph.D. information or to order please contact St. Gabriel Laboratories, P. O. Box A, Hot Martha Collins, Springs, VA 24445, or call 1-800-801-0061. Other controls for beetle ~ Diana Post, V.M.D. include nematodes, combined with traps and diatomaceous earth (the tYlm for pest control, not the "calcined" type used for swimming pool filters}, and Nematodes are microscopic worms which can be effective against the grub sta~ Rachel Carson Council, Inc. provided that: 1) they are healthy when placed in the soil, 2) they are applied to thoroughly moist soil, and 3) they are a variety known for consiat~t effectiveness. Adult beetle damage can be decreased through application of wood ash or diatomaceous earth to the foliage of vulnerable plants. Always wear a filter mask or a respirator when working with wood ash or diatomaceous earth. Traps are effective if placed away from vegetation you are trying to protect, otherwise they may attract more beetles than they eliminate. The container needs to be checked and emptied regularly. The sources for nematodes are: North Country Organics (802-222-4277), IPM Laboratories (315-497-2063), Arbieo (1-800-767-2847). Please feel free to call the Council with any questions at 301- 652-1877. About the Table of Contents Authors: Taher Husain was graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan College with Bachelor of Science Degrees in biology and chemistry. Since 1991 lie has serwxt as a researcher for Rachel Carson Council, Inc. He Introduction ............................................ 1 assisted Miss Shirley Briggs in reviewing and analyzing material on the characteristics and hazards of pesticides for the 1992 publication, Part I: . Basic Guide to Pesticides. Principles of Ecological Gardening ...................... Basics of Alternative Lawn and Garden Pest Control ....... Dr. Todd Peterson is a plant pathologist and independent wriler ltv- Part 11: lng and working in Silver Spring, M D. Insect and Other Animal Garden Pest Control ............ Martha Collins is owner of and designer for Discerning Designs, a Lawn Insect and Other Control ....................... ~ 9 desktop publishing and communicalions firm with special .interests in Fungi Control ... ~..14 ecOlogy and earth care. ' ................................ A Quick Guide to Lawn Fungal Disease Diana Post, V.M.D. (Veterinary Medical Doctor) has been Executive Table I: Lawn Fungal Disease Identification ....... 14. Director of Rachel Cars6n Council, Inc. since July of 1992. Table 2: Conditions That Favor Lawn Fungal . " Disease .................................. 16 Lawn Fungus Control ......................... 17 A p p r e c i a t i o n: Garden Fungal Disease ............................ 20' Table 3: Garden Fungi, Identification Many thanks to the following people for their help and expertise in and Control ............................. '. 20 preparing this publication: Mary D'Imperio, Karen ldoine, Weed Control ....................................... 21 Dr. Patricia J. ¥ittum and Andrew Gifford. Part III: Hiring Landscape Professionals to Create and Cover design by Martha Collins Maintain a Healthy Ecosystem ......................... ~ 25 Appendix A: Sources for Natural Products and Fertilizers ..... 27 Appendix B: References .................................. 29 Appendix C: Related Publications Available From D i s c I a i in e r: 'J- Rachel Carson Council ................................ 31 We have researched the field of pest control and have attempted to Appendix D: Other Sources of Information .................. 31 cover the latest developments in least-toxic techniques. There may be , Glossary..... ................... ................ . ...... 32 inadvertent omissions. The listing or omission of products and/or services does not consti~te endorsement or disapproval by Rachel Pest Control Record ..................................... Carson Council, Inc. Introduction Ab o u t Though solving the world's environmental problems may seem t he beyond our personal influence, caring for a garden provides the R a c h e I C a r s o n C o u n c i 1, I n c. ( R C C): opportunity to act responsibly in promoting an.ecologically balanced Earth. Each residential lot restored to native biological* diversity and After tho death of the eminent American biologist and'author of delivered from dependence on toxic chemicals enhances the natural Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, her wish for an organization to eon,in- ecosystem. Ue educating people about pesticides was realized by the formation of provided that it has sufficient diversity, a healthy ecosystem can con- Rachel Carson Council, Inc. Since 1965 the Council has been collecting stantly adjust to new conditions of weather, climate, seasons, and soil data on pesticides' effects and disseminating information to the pub- as well as changing plant and animal communities.. We am just begi~x- Itc. It advances Miss Carson's pi~ilosophy by pron~ting public knowl- ning to understand the ways in which natural controls interact in a edge of our environment as weil as fostering a sense of wonder and given ecosystem to keep insect populations in check. Complex inter- respect toward nature. In the final chapter of Silent Spring, '"l'he hal genetic mechanisms contribute to cycles of Iow and high populao Other Road," Miss Carson discUssed alternatives to the chemical con- tions in particular animMs. Human activity, however, may seriously trol of insects. The Council is now compiling information on least disrupt relationships between species established over time and toxic pest control strategies in response to questions from the public, through continuous association. This book is part of a series of publications on alternative controls for: ' Natural systems may be disturbed by introductions of toxic chemicals cockroaches (1 pg.), ants (1 pg.)~ termites (2 pg.) and mosquitoes and even certain non-native plants and animals. With our incomplete (i pg.). Another booklet recently published in tiffs series is The Other . . , , · understanding of a given ecosystem s elements, we cannot preclict the Road to Flea Control by Dr. Diana Post. ultimate effects of our interference. We do know that high biodiversi- ty* supports a more balanced self-sustained ecosystem than low bio- For more information, please call us at 301-652-1877 or write to: diversity. Plant (or animal) communities of just a few species, such as a field of corn or a tree farm, do not withstand environmental stress Rachel Carson Council,Inc. as well as naturally diverse communities found in a prairie or forest. ' # · e 8940 Jones Mill Road As Dr. Herman Daly wrote in For the Common Good, We behev there Chevy Chase, MD 20815 is more inlrinsic value in a human being than in a mosquito or a vin~s. W. e also believe that there is more intrinsic value it, a chimpanzee or a porpoise than in an earthworm or a bacterium. This judgment of intrinsic value is quite diffemlt from the judgement of the importance of a species to the inter- related whole. The interrdated whole would probably survive the extinction of chimpanzees with little damage, b.tt it would be seriously disturbed by the extinction of some species of bacteria." Since it is not possible to identify the elements that are most important to preserving an ecosystem, we must promote high levels of biodiversity. Can we humans continue to satisfy our desire to control and choose, while at the same time sustaining natural systems? And if so how? These questions are beginning to be answered. Part I of this booklet describes 6 elements of successful ecological gardening. Using these (~ 1994 Rachel Carson Council, Inc. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this pub- principles we can hope to assert preferences with minimal sacrificing lica~on may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in of species diversity and to control objectionable pests without causing any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, unnecessary harm to non-target organisms. In Pat~ 11 we identify * indicates a term or terms defined in the glossary. recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. -- ! altornative methods of pest control. Part 111 provides a list of ques- tions to be used in selecting a contractor or gardener who will work indeed to our landscape as we know it, deserve something better from us than ecologically. In,he Appendi~ sections we recommend galen the smseless destruction of their habitat. Honeybees and wild bees depend resources and several books and publications that will provide infor- heavily on sl,ch "weeds" as goldenrod, mustard, and dandelions for pollen that marion about plant choices and pest identification. These can be serves as the food of their yo~,ng. Vetch ~rnishes essentt~al sp~ng forage for Obtained either through a bookstore or through your library (or can bees before thealfalfa is in bloom, tiding than be read at the Rachel Carson Council library). Also, if there is a local over this early season so that they are ready Sample U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative Extension Agent to pollinate the alfalfa. In the fall theydepend Crop Rotation Scheme available in your area, he or sh~ will be able to assist you, often free of on goldenrod at a season when ~w other food charge. The USDA Coopers tire Extension Service is associated with isatmilable, t°st°ckupf°rthewinter'"I 6ach state's land-grant university (e.g. Penn State, University of · Parasitoids, a type of beneficial insect, Curcurbit~ Maryland, etc.) ~ are nectar feeding as adults and carnivo- We are interested in your comments about the usefulness of this book what specific beneflcials need as nectar Root Veselable~ and your suggestions as to what should be in the next edition, sources, you can use plants that provide n, tar,o broad ups of beneficial,: "g'[ P a r t I: Anne's .ace, dill, parsley and [ yarrow. And, most important, avoid the Principles of E col ogical Gardening use of broad spectrum* insectiddes so that the biodiversity you have estab- i. Choose plants that are known to thrive in your climate area and lished will not be damaged. Fruits under the conditions of your site (e.g. shade, sUn, dry, wet) Selecting native plants that will attract and support native;wildllfe should sup- 4. Rotate crops in tbe vegetable garden. port the local ecology. The next best strategy would be selecting Areas of the yard that are tilled and plants from a similar climate elsewhere in the world. Never choose planted with annuals* (i.e. vegetables) Bra~icaa invasive non-native plants.* These vigorons immigrants damage the require more intensive care than areas native ecosystem by out-competing plants within it causing imbal- where perennials* have been planted. ~nces and, in some cases, loss Of native species.. The single most important preventative strategy to avert problems is crop rots- Corn 2; Choose plants that are disease and insect resistant* either by tion. A sound rotation order preyents nature or by breeding, pests from becoming entrenched. It also 3: Cultivate bioiliversity by preserving a wide variety of native promotes soil health and fertility. Plants in Your garden. Simply by providing the elements of water, 5. Notice and intervene early in an Potato~s ~ppropriato shelter or living conditions and food, you can enjoy unsatisfactory situation before it watching an amazing opsurge of life. A healthy ecosystem will also becomes serious and take measures to do much to control pests, lnclu.de plants that will feed birds (chick- insure plant health. There is an old say- sal~d Greens adees, wrens, sw.allows), other small animals (toads and turtles) and lng, "The best ferlilizer is the gardener's benefidai inscct life (hover flies, parasitic wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, shadow." People become expert garden- s~tders), ers, gradually, by paying attention and seeking knowledge. For example, notice Start Ow~ Also, provide for and protect pollinators on whose activity all flower- ing plants depend. As R~chel Carson told us in Silent Spring:, "Now and physically remove beetles that are clean cultivation and the chemical destruction of hedgerows and weeds are eating the leaves of your new tree or pull eliminating the last sonctuaries of these polli~rating insects and breaking the young weeds before their root systems get established,.because pulling threads that bind life to life. These insects, so essentiol to our agriculture and them later may damage desired plants nearby. Use of floating row covr ers early in the season and netting to protect harvests may be sufficient proleclion: However, though you con~is~ntly apply your ~ounce of ' prevention," it may still be necessary at times to take direct measures for damage control. Basics of Alternative Lawn and Appropriate soil preparation, planting and watering will give plants a G a r d e n P e s t C o n t r o 1 chance at glowing health. Regarding soil amendments*, it is detrimen- tal, to the environment to use chemical fertilizer formulas that are Integrated Pest Management OPM) employs foresight and treatment "quick-acting" because the natural system is not acclimated to them. They make available to the plant more nutrients than it can immedi- in deterring undesirable levels of pest populations. Control is achieved through the use of habitat modification, cultural methods, ately use. Unused nitrogen dissolves with the rain running off to poi- natural and biological controls in order to protect non-target organ- lu~ and damage wetland ecosystems or leaching into underground isms and the environment. The following outlines the IPM approach aquifers. It would be better to use complex organic matter such as composted materials and organic fertilizers. Soils left in poor condi- to pest management: ..tiOn by past mistreatment may need much amending to correct soil 1. Determine if a "pest" problem exists and whether iris tolerable. The "threshold" or "tolerance level" depends on: structure problems (too sandy, clay) as well as fertility and pH*. What kind of plants.can use will be partly determined by the condi- a. The amount of damage you will tolerate and the amount of damage the plant(s) can sustain and remain healthy. ti0n and character of the soil. b. The species of insect or other pest 6. "First, do no harm." if it appears necessary tOtreat for pest pmb- c. The presence or absence of other stressful elements lems, identify the method which leads to the least degree of interven- (drought, traffic, mowing height, fertilization, tion. If possible physically remove the pest. If that is not possible use diseases, etc.) a narrow spectrum, specific biological method. Avoid toxic chemical 2. tdentify the pest correctly in order to take proper action and pro- pesticides. They are capable of seriously harming Eot only non-target tect beneficial insects plahts and insects in the environment but pets and'poople as well. 3." Choose from these least toxic methods to reduce or eliminate a Consult the Basic Guide to Pesticides for move information on the pest: hazardous effects of chemicals. Read the labels, even of "organic" pes- a. Physical controls (hand picking, habitat modification, traps, ticides, and follow the instructions exactly. Use the minimum effective etc.) amount and restrict the area of application as much as possible, b. Biological control (parasites, predators, fungi, viruses, etc.) Remember that the fewer non-target life forms you harm or remove, c. Least-toxic' chemical control (soaps, oils, insect, growth regu- th6 more biodiversity you preserve, lators*, insect pheromones*, dusts, etc.) Many farmers throughout the world are changing to sustainable agri- 4. Monitor for effectiveness . cultgre after learning the hard les~on that destroying helpful predator 5. Repeat treatment only when the threshold has been exceeded inSeCts along withZpests leads to total dependence on chemical pesti- cide~ often at increasing levels. Withprolongeduse ofpesticides, nat- P a r t I I: ural selection works to favor members of tile pest species that have become resistant to being killed i~ this way. Although a segment of G a r d e n I n s e c t a n d O t h e r A n i m a 1 ~P e s t the agricultural community is beginning to use methods to decrease C O n t r o 1 chemical dependence, most farmers, gardeners and home-owners still buy. significant amounts of environmentally dangerous pesticides every year. This booklet will allow you to begin to learn how to avoid Aphids: Aphids feed on different species of plants which can vary from season that undesirable choice, to season. Some important physical techniques for aphid control include pruning, ant barriers (some spodes of ants protect and trans- port aphids) or removal with a strong spray of water on infested plants? Lady beetles and praying mantises disperse readily within a garden or yard and are a helpful non-polluting biological technique - a - used to control other insects---but keep in mind that praying mantises. do not discriminate in the insects they eat, whether harmful, benefi- . cial or each other? Predators such as lacewin§s~ syrphid flies, gall . and the rate and method of application are very important midge flies, and I~arasitic wasps are very effective aphid parasites, amount ........ - ~-~,,,~ed by your salesman Insecticidal soap and citrus oil are quick acting remedies to be used when using these orgamsmS, so tm w~- ........ - - ~when the infestation is most intolerable.2 Spot treatments with a horfl- or local distribut°r?'19 cultural spray oil and neem*-based products can also be used. Aerosol Scales: These sucking inseCts aRack the crown* and roots of many varieties of formulations of these products should only be applied in heavily · They also like sap from fruit, indoor plants, shrubs, and Wees. iinfest~l areas, grasS3Ssecurely wrap, and discard infested plant parts. Remove scales Earwigs: Prune, These generally beneficial inseCts can cause damage by eating small frOming theleaveSdormant with perioda braShorandlater soapyin theWater'2growingTreeSsEas°nCan bewithsprayedhorttcul.dur- holes in leaves and seedlings. Earwigs like to crawl up into small oil (avoid spraying in early spring growth stage, follow spaces. Use rolled up newspaper, tubes or small cans with or without rural spray ..... ._t,^~ ~,, ,~ro,~ont injury to plants)? Repeated bait (examples o{ bait include yegetable oil or moist bread crumbs) as directions careru,y on effeCtive traps? The traps may be placed near plants on the soil at applications of insectiddal soap are usually effective for control of nighttime and checked the next morning. The insects may then be scale insects on grasses and other plants.is drowned in soapy water or put where they' won't bother the garden. Snails/Slugs: Rats/Mice: . Hand picking at night is a good physical control. Trap slugs and Rat control star~g with appropriate indirect methods such as proper snails using cans dug into the soil (making sure that the open end is il~door and outdoor waste management and food storage. This level with the ground) and baited with beer, dead snails and slugs, or includes composting garden waste in secure containers and making eaten citrus fruit halves? Diatomaceous earth* can be sprinkled garbage cans inaccessible. If you have a compost pile do not add anmnd areas of slug activity. It kills them by piercing their soft bed- meats, eggs, pet waste, or other materials which attract a variety of les. This dust must remain dry to be effective s.o reappl, y after rain. ~sts including rats and mice. The compost heap should be moved However, diatomaceous earth can be indiscriminate in tts ~ction and occasionally to reduce shelter and disrupt rat or mouse colonies. Canequipment affect beneficial(aspiratorinSectS.or mask)It iSshouldalSo a bereSpirat°rYused whenir~itant maklngandwtdePr°per ;Always use a cover on top of your compost pile and consider a rotat- ' scale applications. Slugs can be kept out of a specific garden area lng barrel as a container. This mechanism will allow you to mix the using a three inch band of copper as a barrier fastened to wood or compost without manually reaching in, however the compost must metal. A commercial product called Snail-Bart® may be used to form initially be shredded and thereafter routinely mixed. Dogs, cats and a copper barrier around Pots, tree trunks, and greenhouses'~'~ Other other pets should not be fed outdoors. If you have a bird feeder, avoid direct natural controls for slugs and snails include chickens, dogs, feeding the birds late in the day. Rats and mice are nocturnal and may find a bird feeder a source of food. Owls and hawks are predators of ducks, and turtles which readiry eat these mollusks. rodents and should be encouraged and protected whenever possible? Sowbugs/Pillbugs: We advise that pest management be accomplished by the most These crustaceans love damp places and often severely damage humane methods available-tec.hniques such as habitat modification, seedlings growing in cool environments. Here, elimination of moist improved sanitation, and humane traps. Consult with your local ant- areas such as decaying piles of wood and leaves is an important man- mai control center for guidance on humane pest removal. , agement technique. A desiccating dust like diatomaceous earth offers a form of physical control. Sprinkling the dust in a thick layer will Root Maggots: sufficiently dry an area to ward off bugs? A spray formulation con~ Root maggots are the larval stage of small flies. They often attack car- raining silica aerogel/pyrethrin may be used when other methods are rots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and onions. Cone-shaped barriers ineffective? (Cautions on use of diatomaceous earth in Snail/Slug.) can be placed over transplanted seedlings. Rove beetles offer a biolog- ical control as they parasitize the pupae and prey on the eggs34 Thrips: Entomopathogenic* nematodesg can be used butprupor timing, Flowers, fruits, and vegetable plants are all Potential hosts for thrtps. Streaks and silvery spots on leaves are indications of thrip damage'2. -6- ,- Fruit h~es can be treated with horticultural spray oil during the dor- mant or growing season.2 Another alternative is using sprays of Yellowjackets am best treated in the cooler evening hours when the insecticidal soap or a neem-based product. Diatomaceous earth may wasps have all returned to the nest and the lower temperatures 'also be applied on the. underside of leaves and to the soil surrounding reduce activity. infested plants. Proper equipment should be worn in wide-scale A temporary, very effective solution to yellow jackets disturbing pic- applications of diatomaceous earth to protect against potential respi- nics is a yellow jacket trap. This is made of plastic, clear above and . rator~ effects, bright yellow below, with 4 yellow ports through which the insects Whiteflies: may enter but not leave. It is baited with a can of cat food tuna fish. These sucking insects are more commonly a problem on indoor plants The insects in the trap will die if it is left in the sun or it can be'put in but they can sometimes ca. use damage on outdoor plants as well. the freezer to kill them. Physical control techniquds include removal of older leaves to elimi- nate eggs and young whiteflies. A portable vacuum helps to catch L a w n P e s t C o n t r o 1 adult w~ies. Yellow sticky traps on stakes situated among infested plants are both a control and m~)nitoting tool? A species of tiny non- Ants: biting parasitic wasps (Encarsia f~nnosa) are sold as pupae affixed to Fire ants--common in the southeastern United'States make tunnels cards which are then hung among infesled plants.2,'9 The adults and mounds in sunny clay soil areas. Certain ant species, such as emerge within a week and lay eggs in maturing whiteflies? To be black ants, carpenter ants, and thief an~ cause structural and land- fully effective this parasite must be periodically introduced as soon as scape problems with their nests and mounds. Insecticidal soap or a Whiteflies are noticed.2 Temporary relief, achieved with insecticidal citrus peel extract mixture can be poured into anthills for control,is sOap sprays on the underside of leaves, lowers whitefly population, to The chemicals (limonoids) found in peels and pulp of citrus fruits are a tolerable level until the previously mentioned measures take full toxic to insects. A food processor can be used to make a mixture of effect.2 citrus peels pureed and diluted with orange juice.'S Yell.owjackets: Chinch Bugs: Yeilowjackets are aggressive insects and their sti!3g can be dangerous. Chinch bugs are usually found on lawns stressed by drought and by It is important to distinguish between yellowjackets, bees, and other an excessive build up of thatch? Here, frequent aeration of turf is wasps. Yellowjackets have thinWaists, and can inflict multiple stings, important to reduce compaction of soil.~6 You can remove thatch and Bees are generally noisy, hairy, and sting only when defending their ' reseed with grass varieties like fine rescues and perennial ryegrass nest? (They will sting if you accidentally squash them.) Bees are that contain endophytes (fungi that repel insects)? Chinch bugs c. apable of only one sting after which they die. Removing one magnet cause damage by removing juices from the grass leaves. Drenching for yellowjackets may be as sim. ~le as disposing of garbage properly turf with an insecticidal soap solution is effective in flushing bugs to aod covering all trash cans witll proper lids. Tl~eir nests can be physi- the Surface, monitoring populations, and physically removing cally removed, but be sure to wear protective clothing and a bee- bugs?,'s A mixture of 1 cup dry or liquid soap per gallon water for veil? Also, clothing pockets should be taped shut. Take extra care every two foot by two foot area can be used to drive out chinch bugs. handling the bag containing the adults. Thick plastic should be used Insecticidal soap spray and pyrethrum can be used to control large to transport the nest to a freezer where the Iow temperatures will kill infesthtions? a~ults and larvae. If you are uncertain of your ability to handle the ' nest, then a professional is you~ best option! Vacuuming can be very Gophers: effective for wall or underground nests. Aerosol mixtures such as These rodents feed on grasses, mots, or seeds and their burrowing Wasp-StopperS) or Wasp-Freeze~ can be used to spot treat. They can habit can pose serious problems to gardens and lawns. Gopher be sprayed at distances up to 6 to 8 feet. Pyrenone aerosol is another mounds are fan shaped with an off-center indentation--as opposed to chemical treatment used to destroy nests. Make sure all entrance holes mole hills which are round with a hole in the middle. Flushing tun- are covered with pyrethrin treated steel wool so wasps are unable to nets with water (use your garden hose) chases gophers from below escape. The worker wasps may chew on this and also be poisoned? ground34 Use caution and your own discretion when dealing.with gopher conlrol. We advise that eventual disposition of any animal should be undertaken only by the most humane methods available. Consult with your local animal control center for ~utdance on insects. The Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV) is, according to some humane removal. A more time-consuming method to keep §ophers experts, the safest and most environmentally sound product for gypsy out is fencing an area with a l~ine mesh fence (1/2" mesh) buried two moth control.3,1s This naturally occurring infectjo~s disease can conta- feet deep and sharply angled outward at the bottom. The fence minate entire populations. NPV initially infects egg masses and later should be about two feel high above ground as well to prevent sur- kills larvae of gypsy moths,is The product was ~gistered in 1978 by face movement? ]EPA for use against the gypsy moth by the USDA Forest Service. It Gypsy Moth: ,.. has no known effects on beneficial insects and is safe for the environ- ment. NPV is currently only produced by the Forest Service in limited Gypsy moth caterpillars may cause extensive damage, especially on quantities. High cost and low residual activity (breaks down rather oaks, maples, and sometimes other trees. The caterpillars do uot like , quickly and the full effect can take up to two weeks) presently pre- dogwood,-ash, and pine trees. Gypsy moths lay their eggs in masses vents wider applications of this biological control?is Currently, the from June to August and the caterpillars hatch tile following year in late April anti'feed on leaves through July. The caterpillars (larval virus is used only for severe populations of gypsy moth or to areas stage) cause defoliation. Although similar in appearance, the eastern where a threat to non-target or endangered species exists from use of · te. nt caterpillar and fall webworm should not bo confused with the conventional chemicals. The Forest Service hopes the demand for the gypsy moth since the former build tents or webs in trees, product will increase thus promoting commercial production for homeowners? A healthy ta'ee p~ovided w~th the proper nutrients typically survives ' stress (insects, disease) and drohght. Repeated gypsy moth defolia- Japanese Beetles: ti'ons, however, may wear down' weaker and older trees. Control mea- Japanese beetle grubs feed on turf roots, causint~ damage to a wide SUres such as placing sticky bands around tree trunks usually catch assortment of lawn grasses. Some indications of grub damage caterpillars, but be aware that they may ~:ause harm to the bark and early spring and fall--include odd shaped patches of dead or wilted tree overall? After their fourth molt or instar these caterpillars feed grass, the presence of high numbers of birds feeding on the lawn, and in the tree tops only at night and by day drop to the ground suspend- dug-tip soil or torn-up sod caused by skunks or raccoons.9 When ed on silk th.reads where they rest in litter or bark crevices. Then they adults are present on plants, hand removal of these beetles in early Crawl up the trunks again at du~k. Therefore ti~ey can be trapped by morning hours followed by drowning the insects in soapy water is a tying a strip of burlap one foot Wide around the trunk with the rope good physical control.2,16 A vacuum with a disposable bag can also be or string in the middle so that 6 inches fall back tOward the ground, used for adult beetles. Traps using attractants such as food or sex 'lT~e caterpillars will not be able to pass this barrier and will stop pheromones are available but this method may be counterproductive Underneath the flap. They may also get stuck in the burlap. The cater- when the traps attract more beetles to your yard.is Milky Spore pillars must be removed and disposed of each morning for this to Disease is a cornmonly used biological control for japanese beetle work. They can be drowned in Soapy water.2 Later in the year scrap- grubs. The spore dust can be applied any time grubs are present lng the tan egg masses from the trees and destroying them is also (avoid conditions with strong wind Or when the ground is frozen)?,16 effective. This n~thod is completely effective over the course of two seasons for grub~ and the benefits can last for several years. Pyrethrum and neem When caterpillar populations expand, spraying affected trees with products are natural botanicals that may be used on adult beetles.1¢ Bacillus fhuringiensis kurstaki (BTK) is an option available from a pro- Parasitic nematodes (Steinernema glaseri, Vector WG is.very effective fessional t~e service. This is a naturally occurring species of bacteria · on turf) are also available for grub control.~ The nematodes can be that when ingested damages the caterpillar's stomach.t~ The ins.ect applied in a spray formulation and do not harm earthworms or bene- stbps feeding and dies within seven days. Timing is very important ficial insects. when using BTK (check with your local distributor, usually in early May). For full effectiveness spray only when caterpillars are an inch Mites: long or less. BTK can kill other moths and butterflies as well but it is Mites kill grass by sucking internal jUices and causing yellow or non-toxic to other non-target species and the environment. Natural brown tuff. They are very small so use a magnifying glass to identify pyrethrum sprays are sometimes used but they also kill beneficial them. Mites are a nuisance on lawns in hot, dry, weather. Frequent - 10 - sprinkling with water can enable grass or ornamentals to tolerate lira- ired mi~e activity? Applications of insecticidal soaP, neem, ci~rus oil, or horticultural spray oil help conlrol or deter a mite problem.TM predators like cats or raccoons.~4) Fine mesh screens on doors and window prevent entry of adult mosquitoes into your home but also Moles: locate and seal all holes in the frames of doors and windows with Moles are primarily insectivorous (They eat ~rubs and earthworms.) caulk or screen patches. Due to the nocturnal feeding behavior and 'but can cause damage to grass. Grass on b~p of raised mole tunnels diet of some bats, the introduction of bat houses in certain areas has dies. Their runways sometimes provide shelter and safe highways for ' yoles or mice. These creatures are generally beneficial when they eat proven to be an effective control method for adult mosquitoes. insect larvae and help aerate the soil thus they should be toleratcd In outdoor areas citronella candles can be used to deter adult mosqui- ~nless the damage is extensive. Flushing tunnels with water should toes. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing and warm moist skin. chase the adult moles above ~ound? Again use discre[ion when Always wear protective ciothing when outdoors. DEET-(N,N-diethyl- dealing with animal pest control. We advise only the most hu~hane m-toluamide) based repellents are the products most widely market- methods available. Cunsnlt with yonr local animal conlro] cenler for ed by the insect repellent industry. However, DEE? is readily guidance'on hr~m,'me removal. A mure time const m' ~g control absorbed by the skin and has been associated with adverse health method is to fence in the area With a fine mesh fence (1/2" han.tware effects including neurological problems and skin irritation. Young cloth) buried two feet deep and sharply angled nutward at thc but- children, especially, have shown adverse effects.from applications of f~om. The fence should also be slightly above ground level to p. revent DEET~ 20 If you choose to use DEET, apply it to your clothes rather surface movement? than skin. Be aware,however, that DEET can damage spandex, rayon, M0$'quitoes: and acetate and dissolve plastic and vinyl.4 Herbal preparations like l~losquitoes are flies distinguislied from other species by the presence rosemary, rose geranium, and cedar show some repellent properties for mosquitoes, but further testing is required to determine efficacy of of scales on their wings and a piercing mouthpart known as the pro- boscis. Some species of adult re,hale mosquitoes bite because they these uatural products.2° require the protein from blood to produce mature eggs. The saliva A l~iological control product--using the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis from mosquito bites can cause itching, swelling, and Iransmit diseases iSraelevsis (BTl)--is available as solids (up to 30 day residual) or (e.8. encephalitis, hcartworm in:dogs). Mosquito larvae need standing aerosols. BTI can be applied directly to mosquito-infested water in Water for 5-10 days to grow and emerge as adults. Controlling the lar- solid or aerosol form. It acts as a stomach poison (must be consumed vae and eliminating all potential breeding sites are the key fundamcn- by the larvae) and is speeific to mosquito and blackfly larvae,sm BTI tal tools in safe and ecologicallY-sane mosquito control, is not very persistent however, and must be applied more frequently than less selective toxic pesticides. Methoprene is an insect growth Identification and elimination Of breeding sites is vital to effective control. Examples of breeding sites around the home include: ponds, . regulator that prevents the adult mosquito from emerging from the birdbaths, tree bores and stumps, tires, blocked roof gutters, wheel- pupa. It is available in solid briquets that las~30 days or as aerosols for aerial and ground applications,x4 Methoprene is more selective barrows, open rain barrels, conthiners (jars, cans; etc.), and buckets. Anything that may hold standing water must be considered a breed- than traditional pesticides but it has exhibited various adverse effects lng site because even the smallest amount of water can harbor mos- .., . on fish and aquatic invertebrates*.2.s quito larvae? Sta.nding water in bird baths or children's pools needs Sod Webworms: tO be changed regularly. Also keep all drains and gutters clean and Sod webwormS--their larval stage, a caterpillar and the adult, a small functional to insure proper drainage. Mosquito control oils applied as ~ whitish-brown moth--live in the thatch* layer of a lawn. Be certain . a surface film suffocate larvae in stagnant ponds. If you have a back- control is needed because a few webworms, like a y insect, should be yard pond consider adding a flowing waterfall and goldfish or other tolerable. An insecticidal soap drench can be used to make them crawl surface feeding fish as predators of mosquito larvae and pupae.&14 " to the surface for identification and hand removal.9'16 Also a solution (Non-native fish species should only be added to closed pond systems of 3 tablespoons dishwashing soap per gallon of water can be spread that prevent their escape into thp wild. Fish, especially in small deco- over a two foot by two foot area to force caterpillars to the surface, iS rative ponds, require rocks or other structures to hide under to escape In rural areas, chickens offer control of webworm populations? . Bacillus thuringiensis (B.T.)--a bacterium, harmless to non-target org~ni~ ms, ~bat must be in. ted by young caterpillars is an effective Disease 'biological control.:,n Parasitic nematodes (Ste/nernema carpocapsae ~ Co n d i t ion Exhibit, Vector, Biosafe) can also be used to control caterpillars.14 covering of pink mold. Kentucky bluegrass is -Least-toxic chemical controls include natural pyrethrum and molt susceptible to this condition in hot pyrethrins but these products kill beneficial insects and only spot humid weather. treatments in limited areas are recommended.2 Grass appears water-soaked and blackened. CoRony Blight :Keep in mind that caterpillars are tile larval form of moths and butter- .. In humid conditions a cottony mold may also Grease Spot flies. Most formulations to combat a particular caterpillar pest have appear on leaves. This appears in wet lawns . Pythium Blight the potential to harm desired moths and butterflies, that are poorly drained and excessively fertil- ' ized. F un gi C o n t r o I Tan or straw-colored spots that appear to be Dollar Spot about the size of a silver dollar. The small cir- Approximately one-quarter of all lawn fungi are potentially harmful. They live in decaying organic matter, including fresh grass clippings cular patches eventually turn brown. This and thatch. Simply keeping the grass healthy with a balance of nntri- problem is often associated with golf greens tion, pH, water, light, proper mowing height, etc., goes a long way or poorly drained lawns Iow in nitrogen. toward subduing the potential ~ffects of pathogenic fungal spodes. Appears in cool, wet weather in spring or fall, Necrotic Ring Spot Cultural controls such as selecting fungal disease resistant plants, mostly attacks roots of Kentucky bluegrass. pruning and crop rotation will help prevent, these diseases. Also, Dead patches of grass to 12 inches diameter. excess nitrogen will cause rapid grass growth that is moro susceptible to diseases especially in hot, humid weather, ill late fall and early Reddish brown to black leaf spots, shriveled Dreschlera spring. On the other hand, some diseases are worse when nitrogen leaf blades, rotted crowns (lower white pot- ~elting Out levels are insufficient. In tile tables below fungal disease problems are tion of plants) and roots. Appears in hot Leaf Spot identified, listing conditions associated with disease growth, and humid weather known control alternatives are specified. Circular patches of dried grass showing red Fusarium Patch or rusty threads, or altemately) showing pink, Pink Snow Mold A Quick Guide to Lawn Fungal Disease gelatinous masses on leaves. These two dis- eases often appear on beotgrass, bluegrass, Table 1: Law n Fu ngal Disease Iden t ifica tio n feseues, and ryegrass, especially in cool The following table condenses information from several of tile sources humid conditions. listed in the bibliography, including Coramon-Sense Pest Control, by Fairy Ring Green spots outlined in brown. These areas Olkowski, et al., and Rodale's Chemical-Free Yard & Garden.2,~ grow more quickly than adjacent lawn. The ~ . inner green areas eventually turn brown and C O n d i t ion D is ea s e a ring of mushrooms may appear at' the Grass appears thin, brown or dead, in circular Brown Patch ~ periphery of the outer circle of growth. areas up to two feet in diameter. Especially ' Red to rusty threadlike fungal myCelia grow- Red Thread prevalent in bent grass, Berrouda grass, rye- lng out of grass blade tips. Circular to irmgu- grass, St. Augustine grass, tall feseue, and .~ lar patches several inches to two feet in diam- zoysia grass, eter. Reddish brown, tan, or yellow patches, 2 to 6 Fusarium Blight Grass plants or spots turn pale green, yellow Stripe Smut inches in diameter. Roots may rot and have a and then brown. Grass appears to grow slow- ly and exhibits stripes along the length of the - 14 - ~e _ Condition Disease " 3isease Organ ism Season blades. Stripe~ burst open to release black Necrotic Ring Spot Leptosphaeria korrae Moderate Season spores followed by death of grass. Common Droschlera Melting Drechslera sativus for- Cool Season on Kentucky bluegrass. 'Out, Leaf Spot merly: Helminthos-pori- (40d75°F, 5-18°C) Common in shady patches with poor air dr- Powdery Mildew um sativum Thatch organism Cool moist weather culation. Small patches of white to light gray color appear on leaf sheaths. Grass turns yel- Fusarium Patch, Microdochium nivale, Cool Season low and turf looks while a~ if dusted with a Pink Snow Mold formerly Fusarium Temperatures .powder. nivale below 16 C Disease creates bright brown patches that Ophiobolus Patch Red Thread Laetisaria fi~cifonne Cool Season show in spring. Patches are easily pulled Pink Patch (ICI') Limonomyces Wet weather from the lawn, unlike fusarium patches that voseipellis (PP) Spring or fall look similar. Patches from ~everal inches to ~.., two feet make room ~or weeds. Powdery Mildew Erysiphe graminis Cool season Ophiobolus Patch Ophiobolus gratninis Winter months Padfic Stripe Smut Ustilago NW Table 2: Conditions That Favor Lawn FUngal Disease striifonnis CoolSeasonSpringor fall D is e a s e 0 rga n is tn Sea s o n Fairy Ring Mar~smius oreades Cool season, early spring, heavy rain Brown Patch, Rhi2octonia' Warm Seasou Rhizoctonla Blight solani (70-100°F, 21-38°C) Alternative Lawn Fungus Control Above 29°C, days, above 16°C, nights Alternatives to using fungicides include physical, biological, or qehst- toxic' chemical control techniques. Fusarium Blight, Fusariu~n Warm Season, ~ummer Patch culmorum, : conditions: June to Physical tech n iques: F. tricinct~,m, Sept. with drought Physical methods include removal of turf and solarization. If the Magnaporthe poae stress infected area is small, covering the affected lawn with a clear plastic Cottony Blight, Pythium spp. Warm Season, : sheet initiates a process called solarization. To work properly, the Grease Spot, in thatch and soil, .. ground must first be soaked with water, and the plastic must be Pythium Blight warm wet conditions ' anchored by burying the edges in a narrow soil trench. Di~ct sunlight · above 29°C, days; and warm days over 85°F will raise the temperature under the plastic, 20°C, nights · which traps solar heat, to 140°F or higher. The soil below, to depths of Dollar Spot Lanzia, Moellerodiscus Moderate Season (60- 4 to 8 inches, will reach 100°F or greater, which is adequate to kill most lawn pathogens in the top 2 to 4 inches of soil. Many beneficial spp., formerly 80°E 16'27°C) ~ microorganisms, such as Trichoderma, are able to survive this 'pasteur- Sclerotinia Nutrient deficiency, warm days, cool nights, l ization' process. Some benefidal organisms will die, however. This technique will effectively kill plants in the area as well. Once solar- ized, the soil should be tilled and solarized again, before reseeding or covering with sod. - 16 - - 17 - Stripe Smut KB Biological techniques: Typhula Blight TF, PR Benefidal microorganisms represent a form of biological control that Least-toxic chemical alternatives: suppresses disease organisms. Trichoderma spp. are one fungal adver- sary known to control spedes of Rhizoctonia which produce Brown Olkowski, et al., describe three l~)lential chemical controls to combat a few specific fungal diseases34 Neem oil and garlic oil appear to work Patch and Rhizoctonia Blight. Establishing the beneficial fungus can by inhibiting reproduction in Rhizoctonia. Fungicidal soap works by he achieved using home-made compost or tree bark-based soil killing the fungi responsible for Dollar Spot disease. Bleach solu- amendments sold by nurseries-~both of which contain Trichoderma. tions--made of 1 ounce bleach (5.25% availabl~ chlorine) added to 4 Applying the compost or s0il treatment inoculates the soil. gallons water--have proven effcx:tive in reducing Pythium blight and Trichodenna competes with and effectively checks or eliminates the Dollar Spot.. pathogenic fungi. This is one example where, even in .the presence of the pathogen, beneficial and pest species live in a balanced system. Neem oil, an extract from India's neem tree, was initially developed as an insecticide, but also shows some promise as a potential fungi- A number of newer natural products add both microbes and fertility cide (neem is currently available in a 'liquid concentrate as a growth to the soil with each application. You may see the microbial name regnlator for insects). As with many forms of alternative treatments, Actinomycetes listed in association with these products. Crealing a soil commercial products based on neem or other natural sources are environment for optimal lawn growth is the object of using this type presently under development or in the registration process with EPA. of resource. Conditions that favor lawn diseases, including dollar You should see more neem products appear on store shelves in the spot, fusarium, necrotic ring spot, and yellow patch, are eliminated as near futore. the soil's beneficial microbes and fertility are enhanced. Furthermore, Garlic oil has both fungicidal and insecticidal properties. This oil is unlike chemical treatments, these products persist in tile soil even if it presently not a registered pesticide and may he effective for general rains soon after product application. Several vendors for these types purpose Use. Some experimentation on your part will determine gar- of natural products are listed in the appendices at the end of this pub- Itc oil's usefulness for your applications. Rodale indicates a garlic lication. ' solution may be effective for combating mildews) Place 3 ounces of Selecting resistant varieties of grasses, especi~illy those best suited to finely minced garlic in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for 24 or more your region and seasonal conditions, is an important genetic strategy hours. Thereafter, slowly add 1 pint water containing 1/4 ounce of in preventing fungal disease. Regional trials help rank and select soap as sUrfactant. Filter the solution to remove the minced garlic. A grass varieties based on stress tolerance and disease resistance, surfactant helps one apply a water-based solution to a leaf's waxy surfaces that naturally repel water. Make a spray solution by adding 1 Examples of Disease Resista n t Grasses to 2 tablespoons per pint water.2 Thoroughly wet the leaves in a small (Specific Varieties Not Shown): area and check the effect. Some plant species may show leaf damage. (Fine Fescue, IF; Kentucky bluegrass, KB;Perennial ryegrass, PR, Tall Adjust spray concentration after a preliminary test. Fescue, TF) Stuart Franklin suggests periodic soap spray on the lawn Law s that haven't been treated naturally for very long can benefit from a Disease Resistant Grass Type soap treatment. It breaks up the static and adherence above and Brown Patch PR, TF below the soil for a short time and allows air and water to penetrate. Dollar Spot FF, KB PR The soap itself is antagonistic to disease organisms. A couple of cups Fusarium Fl:, PR of biodegradable dish soap in a 15-20 gallon hose-sprayer is fine." 9 Leaf Spot IF, KB, PR,TF Warren Schultz notes that seaweed products incorporate natural hot- Melting Out FF, KB, PR, TF mones, chemicals that are not toxic to wildlife but affect the growth Leaf Rust KB, PR and presence of fungal species. Seaweed treatments work against Powdery Mildew IF, KB Red Thread FF, KB, PR Fusarium and Dollar Spot diseases36 - 19- Weed Control Garden Fungal Disease While each of us may differ in our designation of the what plants are One can avoid encouraging fungal disease by not watering plants in weeds, maintaining a lawn or garden without chemical insecticides, the late evening or at night when moisture will not evaporate quickly, fungicides and herbiddes can result in an ecosystem where vigorous Also, drip watering and other methods that put irrigation water growth of desired plants can successfully compete with unwanted directly on the soil and not on the plants both conservatives water weeds. We s~mgly advise trying to undersland and identify your and helps defeat fungal disease. Pruning off the diseased parts of the '_ weeds (grassy or broadleaf, annual, btennial* or perennial), in order to plant can be effective but do not put fungus contaminated plant mate- determine the best methods of control. rial in the compost pile unless you are prepared to make sure it heats ' up enough to kill the fungi. When you have finished handling dis- · Weeds in turf may be reduced by adjusting the growing conditions, eased plants, wash your hands before you work with healthy plants, provided the ecosystem is not compromised by use of chemical pesti- cides. When planting or reseeding the lawn choose two or Ihree gross- Since the fungi in the chart below are spread by airborne spnres, pro- es that are appropriate to ynnr area and seed ti~em together. Plant venting the air from contacting the leaves is effective. For this purpose seed in ~go~ topsoil after you Imve added and raked in appropriate application of a baking soda solution (See below.) and/or dormant oil amounls of lime, compost, composted manure and fertilizers from spray may prevent problems, natural sources (depending on the results of soii testing, possibly from the Cooperative Extension Service). Generally grasses prefer an Table 3: Garden Fungi, Identification and Control enriched soil and more alkaline conditions. Weeds are more tolerant of poor soil and acid environments. Mow established grass no lower Disease Description and Name Alternative Control than2 1/2 incl~es (up to 4 inches for dry times) and use a mnlching i Black Spot: black spots with yellow mar- Spray plants with a solution mower* that will provide good grass-clipping h'umns*. The Maryland gins on leaves. Leaves eventually turn a Of one tablespoon of baking Organic Food and Farming Association advises: "If you have a thatch yellow-pinkish color and fall off the plant, soda to one quart of water) problem,..spread 1/4-1/2 inch of topsoil on the surface of your lawn Roses are especially prone to this disease) and rake it into your lawn. The natural micro-organisms in the soil will convert your thatch to humus--as long as you don't kill the Powdery Mildew: white, powdery sub- Dormant oil ~pplied accord- nrganisms with chemicals." The conventipna[ lawn needs'6-8 inches of stance (spores of the fungus) on the leaves, inA to instructions will pre- moist soil to support a healthy turf. Regular watering should be suffi- These spores can be dispersed by the wind vent the spores from contact- cient to penetrate the soil to that depth. Watering may need to take to other plants) inA the leaves. Sulfur sprays place every 10 days depending on dlmate and type of soil. Aeration, may also be used but should I'mktug small boles in the turf, breaks through the tbatch and decreas- not be used, within three es compaction of the soil. Compacted soil maintains higher tempera- weeks of an oil spray and tures which can affect hardy growth of turf and requires more water- never at temperatures higher inA3s Providing these conditions for the lawn grasses should improve than 85° E2 their ability to grow vigorously preventing weed growth. Downy Mildew: spots or white patches on Use same approach as for In garden plots weeds can be removed by hand with a appropriate leaves or stems (not powdery). This disease Powdery Mildew. tool for the purpose or by cultivation. The optimum time to remove will kill a plant relatively quickly, weeds is before they set ~'ed. Young weed plants can be disposed of in the compost heap. However, if you put mature weed plants in your Rust: orange or white spots on undersides Use sulfur to treat and pre- compost pile, viable seeds may be returned to the garden unless the of leaves and/or on stems, vention as above, temperature reaches over 140° F (per 'The Healthy Garden Handbook2s, the internal compost temperature that kills weed seeds). Either construct and maintain a compost system that heats up enough to kill the seeds or dispose of seed-bearing weeds separately. - 21 - turf high to shade out crabgrass and other sun-desiring weeds. Hand Application of organic mulches* (e.g. grass clippings, leaves, straw) or pull aud remove stems.9 Covering crabgrass areas with black black plastic will slow or prevent the emergence of weeds, mulching paper or black plastic for several days has been shown to kill crabgrass growing among desired bluegrass.iS When special weed problems occur, there are some other least toxic approaches to try. Boiling water has been used for controlling weeds Dandelion is a perennial broadleaf with yellow flowers and white seed rooted in gravel areas, walks and driveways. This type of treatment puffs. It prefers thin, Iow cut lawns. Hoe when' flowers are in bloom has been proven effective against annual and perennial weed species (plant is at its weakest) using a weed fork or weed popper. This in field trials.2,7 Ongoing research is attempting to refine effective plant's long taproots must be removed completely. Repeat procedure application strategies for boiling water for other conditions of use. An if shoots reappear from persistent taproots. Plants should be removed herbicidal soap, Safer's SharpshooterTM is available as a last resort to before seed heads form to reduce spreading. If seed heads are present, control individual weed plants. "It works best on young and delicate cut and remove them carefully so seeds are not dispersed by the foliage and affects any plant on which it is sprayed...Most chemical- wind?,16 If necessary, carefully spot treat dandelion plants with a free growers confine its use to young weeds in ornaroental beds.''2 soap-based herbicide and bo cautious of drift as desirable vegetation ma~. be affected? The following weeds are listed alphabetically by common name: . Dock is a perennial weed. Remove taproot when plants are young. Mulch Barnyard Grass: an annual weed grass that prefers ample light, thin turf, area.2 moist soil, and low mowing. Hoe or pull grass clumps by hand and mow high.is Foxtaii is an annual weedgrass that prefers abundant light, moist soil, and close mowing. Dig out plants and remove existing seed heads. Aerate Bent Grass: a perennial weedgrass. It prefers damp lawns and short soil early in season.2.1s mowing in the summer. Remove clumps and reseed with desired grass and keep soil dry? Garlic (Wild) is a perennial weed that grows from underground bulbs and prefers cool conditions and thin turf. Dig out bulbs and mow Bermuda Grass is a desirable grass in the south. In other regions in which grass Iow in early spring before it turns green.2,is a cool season grass is desired, it is an intruding perennial weedgrass. Sunny warm areas promote good growing conditions. Remove root- Goose Grass is an annual weedgrass that likes inadequately drained com- stock and aboveground stems. Mulch area.2,~ pacted soil. Mow high, pull or cut all through growing season.iS Bindweed is a perennial weed. Remove rootstock, mow high, and thor- Ground Ivy i~ a perennial broadleaf weed that prefers poorly drained soil. Pull Out all roots and stems and discard to prevent reseeding. oughly mulch area3 Rake and mow low in early spring.2 Carpetweed is an annual weed. Remove weed by hoeing or pulling. Do not lay flowering weeds on the ground as they may release seed.2 Henbit is a biennial weed. Remove plants along with roots. Mulch area.~ Chickweed is a ground-covering broadleaf annual that prefers shady Honeysuckle is a ~voedy perennial weed that sprea~is fast and has yellow areas. Pull or hoe and rake up trailing roots and stems because seeds to pink and red blossoms. Remove underground stems and mulch can mature rapidly after the main plant dies.2,is area.2 Chicory is a perennial weed. H(~e just below base or crown of plant Ironweed is a perennial weed. Remove underground stems. Mulch area.2 preferably in early spring.2 Johnson Grass is a perennial weedgrasS that may grow 2 to 8 feet high. Clover is a broadleaf perennial that likes thin turf and poor soil condi- Remove rootstock and mulch area several times.2 tions. Cut or pull in summer, mow high and add extra nitrogen in Lamb's-quarters is an annual weed that grows tall and has strong roots. trouble spots.9 Hoe out young plants or remove adult plants being sure to prevent Cockl& lsa biennial weed. Remove rootstock and mulch area.2 seed from being dispersed. Mulch area.2 Crabgrass is an annual grassy weed that prefers frequently watered, Iow cut, thin, bare turf and ample sunlight. Prevent light by cutting lawn - 23 - Milkweed is a perennial weed best controlled by digging out roots and P a r t I I I: H i r i n g E c o 1 o g i c a ! ! y- M i n d e d mulching) Landscape Professionals Morning-glory is an annual weed. Hoe below base, or crown, of plant. Mulch area.2 If you do not have the time or the inclination to develop or maintain your yard, you may choose to hire a professional landscape designer Nutsedge is a Perennial weedgrass that likes warm conditions and close and/or a yard maintenance Person or company. As a measure of the mowing. Mow high in summer and water deeply and intermittently.~S ecological commitment of the professional under consideration, we Plantain is a broadleaf Perennial weed. It likes thin turf and poor soil. suggest the following series of questions. A "No" response to any one Remove plant and discard to prevent reseeding. Mow seed heads and o( them should act as a warning flag to pmeeed with caution or possi- remove.9.~s bly abandon this course and reject the 'candidate.' Poison Ivy is a woody Perennial weed that may cause a rash on contact. Interview Questionnaires for: Protect skin and remove rootstock each time the plant appears. Mulch area thoroughly?,Is Hiring a Landscape Designer Poison Oak is a woody perennial weed that may cause a rash on contact. 1. Do you use native plants in your design work? Protect skin and remove aboveground stems. Mulch area thorough- 1y. 14,16 2. Do you avoid the use of invasive non-native plants? Puncturevine is an annual broadleaf weed found primarily in southern 3. Are your plant suppliers able to provide plants that are disease states. It thrives on compacted unhealthy soils. Cut and pull out tap- and pest re. sistant and adapted for t ~e climate in this area? roots early in season and aerate soil to reduce compaction.iS 4. Do you have experience in developing garden designs that pro- Purslane is a broadleaf annual that prefers hot, dry conditions. Pull or hoe vide habitat for pollinators and migratory birds? plants and aerate soil.i,~s 5. May I speak with some of your clients where native plants SPurge is a broadleaf annual weed that likes dry arid turf. Remove plants wildlife habitat was included in the design? in spring and summer and water area deeply, i, ls 6. Do you know how to plan for water conservation in your design? Quackgrass is a perennial weedgrass that spreads by underground stems. 7. Will you oversee and gnarantee the plants for the first full year It likes cool temperatures and high grass. Mow grass Iow, remove after this landscaping job? underground stems and discard. Mulch area? Sandbur is an annual weedgrass that prefers dry, sandy soil. Enhance soil Hiring a Lawn and Garden Maintenance Company: conditions using organic material to promote healthy turf.~s I ls it your practice to avoid the use of pesticides? If pesticides are Speedwell is a bmadleaf perennial weed that prefers thin turf and moist necessary will you use the least toxic method possible? soil. Rake in the spring to lift stems. Mow grass Iow and remove 2.Have you been trained in environmentally safe procedures and stems? IPM? Do you have a state license or other certification to handle Thistle is a broadleaf perennial that prefers thin turf and poor soil. pesticides? Remove plants with a good weeding tool such as a weed popper. 3.If you feel you need to use pesticides, will you provide a copy of Remove entire taproot if possible? the chemical labels before applying the product? Will you notify Witchgrass is an annual weedgrass that likes newly sown turf. Remove me ahead of time and will you notify my neighbors and anyone young plants and mow high.is who m ght be chemically sensitive in the area? Woodsorrei is a broadleaf perennial weed that likes thin turf and fertile (Note: Some states keep a list of such persons-who have requested soil. Pull and discard plants. Thicken turf. i,Is that their names be on such a list-and make that list available to form Sursery for a simple coldl companies applying pesticides.) You should be able to ask for the records of the inputs (material used) and 4. Do you test the soil before applying fertilizer or lime? maiototance of your site at arty time. You would also be able to request the raonitoring sheets that list pests attd beneficial organisms idenh'fied, controls 5. Do you use natural organic materials to fertilize when fertilization used attd success of controis. is necessary? The finoi question lo ask yourself is: Do the amounts of materials and work These last throe questions may seem a bit confrontational tO some required by your site decrease or increase over time? Itt att ecological man- people. Although you may be concerned about discouraging an other- asement progrwn the'materials and work decrease as the ecology of your site wise well-intentioned professional from working with you, you might balances attd bectnnes sustainable." want to keep these points in mind. The right answers could prevent problems. Appendix A: Sources for Natural 6. Are you trained in horticultum? Products and Fertilizers 7. Are you bonded against damage you might accidentally inflict? 8. Will we bare a written conlract that covers the issoes I bare just The following list was compiled from several publications. Rachel mentioned? Carson Council, Inc. makes no specific claim regarding the reliability or availability of products manufactured by these vendors. These sup- pliers sell by mail-order or through retail outlets. Catalogs or fact A Description of an Ecological Landscaper: sheets are available upon request from companies listed here. The follmoing descriptia, of an "Ecoiogical tandscaper' is taken front mate- Arbico, P.O. Box 4247 CRB, Tucson, AZ 85738. 800-827-2847. (biological rials provided by lite Ecolugical Ltmdscaping Associatio,, P.O. Box 572, pest control) Groton, MA 01450 (617) 436- 5838 BIO Logic, 418 Briar Ln., Chambersburg, PA 17201 (biological insect "Your professional should lo,ow you attd your ,eeds qs well as the needs of control) 717-263-2789 your site. This will in. clude, a: Biosys, 1957 East Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, CA 94303 (biological pest Site Survey-snn/sh'ade, heavy traffic, airflow, drainage, use of Ihe site, any controls) unttsual features or request. Bozeman Bio-Tech, 1612 Gold Avenue, P.O. Box 3146, Bozeman, MT Soil Survey-soil test, soil texture attd stntcture analysis, attd observation of 59772 (complete line of natural lawn, garden, and farm products) soil life (macro-organisms-worms, attts, grttbs). Byotron Technical Ltd., 6041 Siesta Lane, Port l~,ichey, FL 34668 Site History, recurring problems you notice dnring the season, list of mate- (organic fertilizer and other natural products) 813-848-2888 rials applied toyour iandscape itt past seasons. Fairfax Biological Lab, Inc., Clinton Comers, NY 12514 (milky spore Maintenance Program-tnatched to your site(s) attd expectations. Natural, powder) organic fertilizers are generally more bulky than synthetic fertilizers. Request a h'st of fertilizer ingredients to be used ou yo. tr landscape. Avoid The Ferirell Co., P.O. Box 265, Bainbridge, PA 17502 (fertilizers and soil urea as a nitrogen source. Look for slow release materials, amendments) 717-367-1566 Demonstration of well-timed, sound cultural practices-such as mow- Francis Laboratories, 1551 E. Lafayette, Detroit, MI 48207 (natural lng, priming, watering and an expianation of the reasons to tnattage weeds, fertilizer) disease attd insects. Garden's Alivel, 5100 Scheniy Place, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 Pest Management Program-the landscaper should suggest 'scouting' or (organic garden products) 812-537-8650 tnonitoringvisits every few weeks to identify and ~vcord developingprob-' Green Earth Organics, 9422 144th St. E., Puyallup, WA 98373-6686 lems. Ifa synthetic pesticide is suggested before identificatiou or as a first (complete line of natural lawn care products) line of defense-BEWARE! This is !tot ecologitoi management. Don't per- - 27 - Safer, Inc., 60 ¥~illiam St., Wellesley, MA 02181 (n~tural soaps and pest Green Pro Services, 380 S. Franklin St., Hempstead, NY 11550 (corn- controls) 617-237-9600 plete line of natural productS) 800-645.T~464,in NY state: 517-538-6464 Snail Bart, P.O. Box 4939, Ventura, CA 93004 (non-toxic snail and slug Growing Naturally, P.O. Box 54, 149 Pine Ln., Pineville, PA 18946 control products) (complete line of natural products)215-598-7025 Super Natural American Distributing Co., 13906 Ventura Blvd., Harmony Farm Supply, P.O. Box 451, Graton, CA 95444 (complele line Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 (natural fertilizers) 800-458-2476, or 818-997- 1468 of natural products) 707-823-9125 The Herb Bar, 200 West Mary, Austin, TX 78704 {natural pest control Z0ok & Ranck, Inc., RD 1 Box 243, Gap, PA 1.7527 (fertilizer and soil products for pets, plants and people) 512-444-6251 amendments) Maxicrop U.S.A., Inc., P.O. Box 964, Arlington Heights, 11 60006 A p p e n d i x g: g e f e r e n c e s (natural fertilizers) Melllnger's, 2310 W. South Ra.~ge Road, Lima, OH 44452-9731 1 Adler, T. "Squelchine G..ups? Moths: What's hot and what's not in the arsenal (fertilizers and soil amendments) 8(}0-321-7444 a?ainst Ihe leofealers.". Science News. March 19, 1994. Voi.145. Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, 735 North Water Street, 2 Bradley, F.M. (Editor). Rodale's Chemical-Free Yard & Garden. The Ultimate Milwaukee, WI 53202 (Milorganite fertilizer) Anthority on Successful Organic Gardening. Rodale Press. Emmaus, Nature's Control, P.O. Box 35, Medford. OR 97501 (503) 899-8318 PA. 1991. Pp. 456 (natural pest control products) 3 Butler, L. (Entomologist) West Virginia University. Personal Communication. Natural Animal, Dept. "E", P.O. Box 1177, St. Augustine, FL 32085.800- March 1994. 274~7387. (natural products for pets, home and gardev) Natural Gardening Research Center, Hwy. 48, CO. Box 149, Sunman, 4 Consumer Reports. Bue Off! Holy to Revel Bitine Insects. luly 1993. IN 47041 (complete line of natural products) 5 Cooper, R.J. E(fi'cient Lawn Watering. Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Necessary Trading Company, 691 Salem Ave., New Castle, VA 24127 Cooperative Extension Service. University of Massachusetts. Amherst, (complete line of natural products) 703-864-5103 MA. Nitron Industries, 100 W. Rock, P.O. Box 400, Fayetteville, AR 72702 6 Cuttle, W. and L. Hawkins. The Mannal of Integrated Pest Man.agement for (Complete line of natural products) 800-835-O123 Schools, Parks & Other Public Sites. 1992. Ohio Earth Food, Inc., 13737 DuQuette Ave., N.C., Hartville, OH 44632 7 Daar, S. "New Technolo_~t_ Harnesses H~t Water to Kill Weeds." Sheila Daar. The (complete line of natural products) 216-877.-9356 IPM Practitioner. January, 1994. Volume XVI. Number 1. Phi/Gordon Corp., 1217 W. 12th St., Box 4090, Kansas City, MO 64101 (natural fertilizers) 8 Emmel, T.C. and J.C. Tucker (eds.). Mosquito Control Pesticides: Ecological Impacts and Management Alternatives. 1991. Scientific Publishers, Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, 11173 Peaceful Valley Rd., Nevada City, Inc. Gainesville, FL. CA 95959 (complete line of natural products) 9 Franklin, S. Building a Healthy Lawn. A Safe and ~latural Approach. Storey Reuter Labs, Inc., 8450 Natural Way, Manassas Park, VA 22111 Communications, Inc. Pownal, VT. 1988. Pp. 168. (natural pest controls) Ringer Research, 9959 Valley View Rd., Eden Prairie, MN 53344-3585 10 Hurst, E, A. Hay and N. Dudley. The Pesticide Handbook. 1991. (complete line of natural products, no longer catal.og, all products sold Journeyman Press. LondOn. Pp. 358. retail) 800-654-1047 - 29 - 23 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. R.E.D, Facts. Methoprene. Pesticides 11 Idoine, K. The Summer Use ~ Horticultural O#l~. 1992. Landscape and and Toxic Substances. March,1991. Nursery. Cooperative Extension Service. University of Massachusetts. Green School. 24 Vittum, P.J. Usin? Ydlow Stick_u Trans to Monitor Insects. Greenhouse Entomolog~ Bulletitt #I$. 1986. Cooperative Extension Service. 12 Idoine, K. and R. Hazzard. Usiug B.t. for Insect Control. 1992. Cooperative University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA. Extension Service. University of Massachusetts. Green School. 25Editors of Mother Earth News. The He~lth_u Garden Ha~tdbvok. 1989. Firoside. 13 Kujawski, R. Using Insecticidal Soap for Pest Control in the Landscape. New York, NY. Landscape and Nursery Program. Integrated Pest Management Program. Cooperative Extension Service. University of Massachusetts. g p p e n d i x C: g e I a t e d P u b I i c a t i o n s Amherst, MA. Available From Rachel Carson 14 Olkowski, W., S. Daar and H. Olkowski. Common-Sense Pest Control: C 0 U n ci l Least-toxic solntions for your home, garden, pets and community. 1991. Taunton Press. Newtown, CT. Pp. 715. ~Gardoffng With Nature: Our Role in a Quality Environment. Marjorie J. Smigel and Clairo l~ike Smith. 1991. Pp. ix + 68. 15 Podgewaite, J. (Entomologist) ~JSDA Forest Service. Personal Communication. March 1994. Healthy Lawns Without Toxic Chemicals. Dr. George A. Bean, 1971. Pp. 12 16 Schultz, W. The ChemicaI-Fre~ Lawn. The'N~,west Varieties and Techniques How to Control Garden Pests Without Killing Ahnost Eve~. thing Else. Dr. William to Grow Lush, Hardy Grass. 1989. Rodale Press. Emmaus, PA. Pp. and Helga Olkowski, 1977. Pp. 16 194. Pesticides and Lawns. Shirley A. Briggs and Nathan Erwin. 1991. Rachel Carson Cuuncil, Inc. Pp. 32 17 Schumann, G. C,dtural Practices that Reduce Lawn Diseases. Grounds Maintenance Fact Sheet. Department of Plant Pathology. Cooperative Pesticides and the Natnmlist. Dr. C.H.D. Clarke, 1963. Pp. 6 Extension Service. University of Massachusetts. Amherst, MA. Appendix D: Other Sources of 18 Street, J.R. Thatch: A Problem in Lmvns. Cooperative Extension Service. The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH. I n f o r rna t i o n 19 Thomson W.T. A Worldwide Guide to Beneficial Animals 77~e Natural Lawn & Alternatives. Plan~s & Gardens. Brooklyn Botanic (Insects/Mites/Nematodes) IJsedfor Pest Control Purposes. 1992. Garden Record. M. Roach and J. Marinelli, Editors. 1993 Pp. 96 Thomson Publications. Fresno, CA. Pp. 92. The Pesticide Hazard:A Global and Environmental AudiL The Pesticides 20 Tucker, A.O. "Herbs vs. B,gs; $¢enls that can disconrageflies..tleas, and other Trust. Compiled by Barbara Dinham. 1993. ZED Books London & bothersome insects.' The Herb Companion. June/July 1994. New Jersey. Pp. 228 21 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 'H#~I~avir~ts In£ection - Redesigning the American Lawn: A Searoh for Environmental Harmony. E - Herbert Bormann, Diana Balmori, Gordon T. Geballe. Lisa $outtnoe~tern United States: l,t~rim Recommendations.~r Risk Vemegaard, Editor-Researcher. Yale University Press, New Haven and Rednctio,." July, 1993. Vol. 42. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Atlanta, GA. London. 1993. Pp. 166. 22 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pest Control in the School Environment: Adopting Integrated Pest Management. Office of Pesticides Programs. August 1993. Pp. 43 ~'temporarily unavailable - 31 - G 1 o s s a r y tend to out-compete and replace native plant communities. This includes cultivars that may contaminate the native plant ~ene pool. Amendments - Materials that, when added to the soil, improve its texture Some examples are Norway Maple (Acer pl#tanoides), Porcelainberry and/or its fertility. (Arapelopsis brevipedunculata) and Multtflora Rose (Rosa raultiflora). Annual - Plants that live only one season but disseminate numerous Many states have a Native Plant Sodety that can provide you with seeds for future germination, more information on this subject. Biennial - Plants that live for two seasons. The first year roots, stems, and Invertebrate - Animals which lack a true backbone or spinal column. leaves rest Iow to the ground and in the second year upright stems Examples include earthworms, nematodes, and insects. bearing flowers and seeds appear. Least-toxic - 1) A substance which is less likely to have an effect on non- Biodiversity refers to the number of species present in a giveu section of target organisms when eaten, absorbed through the skin, or inhaled; land; the species richness. Where human interfereuce is absent and 2) a method of pest control most likely to deter or eliminate a pest where natural climate and soil conditions permit, the land proceeds while leaving other organisms unaffected; or 3) a non-alternative pes- to support a biodiverse ecosystem, ticide chemical product--used as a "last-resort" method--which is more precise to a specific pest and known to be less toxic than other Biological - Products derived from living organisms used for pest control products on the market. which act as predators and parasites (e.g. parasitic wasps, praying mantises, nematodes, viruses, fungi, bacteria, etc.). They are usually Mulch - Using any one of a variety of natural and synthetic materials to formulated as baits, sprays, and powders, cover a soil's surface and prevent entry of light and suppress weed · growth. Materials such as compost, bark, black plastic, straw, pine Broad-spectrum - Pesticides that are not specific to an ihdividual pest but needles, sawdust, gravel, or wood chips are commonly Utilized. are toxic to many other non-target insects, weeds, or fungi. Mulching Mower - a lawn mower that, in addition to cutting the grass, Compost - A home-made organic soil amendment used to add hnmus chops the cut grass into small pieces that can be left on the lawn to and some fertilization to the soil and to improve its texture, fertilize it. Crown - The area on a plant, usually just above the ground surface, from Neem - A tropical tree found primarily in Africa and Asia. Neem's insecti- which all aboveground material spreads, cidal properties have led to development and registration of one Diatomaceous Earth - A dust (sometimes combined with pyrethrin) made product in the U.S---- Margosan-O°. The neem product's active ingre- of fossilized marine diatoms. It is used as a physical control and kills dients are extracted from the seeds and leaves of the neem tree and pests by drying them out or pierdng their bodies. A dust mask work as a contact and systemic insecticide in plants and soil. Neem should be worn while applying it because, if inhaled, it could damage also exhibits promising fungicidal and bactericidal properties for your lungs. Also, rubbing your eyes while handling it could result in products which are under research for future development. scratching the cornea. Nematode - A class of unsegmented worms (some of which are pests). Entomopathogenic - The capability of an organism to attack insects and Specific species are used (or pest control because of their parasitic kill them by inflicting disease, nature. Humus - Beneficial organic matter composed of once living material such Perennial - Plants that live at least three years or more. They reproduce as plant matter, bacteria, worms, insects, etc. High humus content is through seeds and underground stems and roots making them espe- important for better soil structure, cially difficult to control. Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) - A chemical substance which interferes pH - The measure of acidity or alkalinity of a reedium (soil, water) with insect hormones and prevents molting and maturation from expressed on a scale of 0 to 14. The neutral point is 7. A reading of less pupal to adult stage. Methoprene and neem are examples of IGR's. than 7 refers to acidity and above 7 to alkalinity. Refer to an encyclo- Invasive Non-native Plants - (for the purposes of this book) Plants that pedia or science text for a technical chemical explanation. did not occur in North America prior to European settlement and that Pest Control Record Pheromone - Natural chemicals produced by insects and other animals Da"-~: Pest: Method of Treatment Results: that act as sex attractants. Insect pheromones are artificially synthe- ~ sized and used for luring and trapping insects. Resistance - The genetic or natural ability of an organism to survive the toxic effects of a chemical substance. Thatch - A layer of grass clippings, dead stems and roots that sits on top of soil. Thatch can be a problem in lawns where it does not decom- pose readily and inhibits entry of light and nutrients necessary for proper growth. Pest Control Record Date: Pest: klethod of 'l~eatrnent Results: NOTES NOTES Poison in the Grass Page 1 of 8 Poison In The Grass: The Hazards And Consequences Of Lawn Pesticides By Nathan Diegelman The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation mailto:b1891~FreeNet.Buffalo.EDU As the use of lawn chemicals and pesticides has grown, questions have arisen regarding safety hazards and environmental consequences. This report gives factual findings to help answer many of these concerns. Some of them may seem shocking, since the chemical pesticide industry has made every effort to keep this information from the public. Everything that follows in this report is documented and supported by the U.S.Federal Government, private agencies, and other experts. Contrary to what lawn "care" companies would like people to believe, herbicides (weed killers) and other pesticides are not "magic bullets". They are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life. The pesticide industry downplays this by claiming their chemicals are heavily diluted, but doesn't mention the toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. They also are unwilling to mention all of what is in their mixtures. Many components are classified as "inert", which allows them to be kept hidden from the public and not listed on product labels. These are more than just fillers or solvents. "Inert" does not mean "inactive" - some, such as benzene and xylene, are more toxic than listed chemicals.(1,2) Listed chemicals can be just as dangerous. They include components of war-time defoliants like Agent Orange, nerve-gas type insecticides, and artificial hormones. Some the Federal Government has even prohibited from use on it's own property. Many pesticides are not safe when dry. Water evaporates, but most pesticides remain and continue to release often odorless and invisible toxic vapors. In areas where lawn spraying is common, they accumulate in a toxic smog throughout the entire season. Some pesticides remain active for years after application. DDT is still showing up in higher rates in women's breast milk than the government permits in cow's milk.(4) Fat soluble pesticides accumulate over time in our bodies, then are released at potentially toxic levels when illness or stress results in our fat reserves being metabolised. A large portion of a woman's lifetime exposure to such pesticides is released in the breast milk for her firstborn child.(37) It is a violation of U.S.Federal law to claim pesticides are "safe when used as directed" since nothing can assure safety.(2,3,5) (However, Agriculture Canada, the federal agency responsible until recently for licensing pesticides in Canada, routinely used this statement, adding for good measure that "most pesticides are safer than table salt". Fortunately, pesticides in Canada are now licensed by Health Canada.) Some pesticides labeled "bio-degradable" degrade into compounds more dangerous than the original. Examples include Mancozeb, which degrades into a substance that is an EPA-classified probable carcinogen.(6) The pesticide industry also implies that "organic" means safe and natural (for example, "Nature's Lawn"), knowing that the term legally may be applied to any compound containing carbon and hydrogen. ChemLawn and other lawn "care" companies and manufacturers have often been sued for fictitious claims.(5-14) Many applicators are just as conniving and deceitful, using statements like "absolutely cannot harm children or pets" and "perfectly safe for the environment" to mislead the public. The New York State Attorney General s Office sued Dow Elanco chemical company when they claimed that Dursban shows "no evidence of significant risk to the environment" when right on the label is stated "this pesticide is toxic to birds and extremely toxic to fish and aquatic file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 2 of 8 organisms".(15) A few years later on May 2, 1995, the EPA fined Dow Elanco for "failing to report to the Agency information on adverse health effects (to humans) over the past decade involving a number of pesticides, including chlorpyrifos (brand name Dursban)". Most of the information came from personal injury claims against Dow Elanco which the company had hidden from the EPA. Now it is even being found that chlorpyrifos causes multiple sclerosis.(38) Some companies have even made claims that their products better the environment. "Funk" lawn care of New York has coined the phrase "Growing A Better Environment" in order to fool consumers into believing lawn chemicals pose no ecological harm. Another states "a 50-by-50 foot lawn produces enough oxygen to sustain a family of four." But this is only tree with a plot of land that has tall grass and no lawn care. Pesticides, lawnmower fumes and common lawn care practices actually create a net destruction of oxygen.(16) The United States General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has also tried to alert the public to lawn chemical dangers. GAO's undercover team noted many fictitious claims by many in the lawn "care" industry.(35) Many included illegal claims of product safety. Others were just deceiving, such as the ChemLawn claim that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one baby aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not that people will be grazing the lawn but that most poisonings come from inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin. (6,7,10) Most do-it-yourselfers are just as ignorant when it comes to proper protection and safety precautions. Studies show most don't even look at the warnings on their toxins. They don't wear gloves, goggles, or protective clothing to decrease exposure. Worse, many don't keep people off the contaminated area after chemicals are applied. Homeowners commonly use up to ten times as much pesticides per acre as farmers.(7,17) A Virginia Tech study for the state legislature found that most homeowners have no idea how much nitrogen they use when fertilizing and that they apply chemicals in ways that damage water supplies.(18) Pesticides drift and settle during application. In the Antarctic ice pack alone there are 2.4 million pounds of DDT and its metabolites from years past.(26) Pesticides engulf the home and are easily lracked inside, readily inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They do harm by attacking the central nervous system and other essential organs. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning are often deceptively simple, commonly mis-diagnosed as flu or allergies. They include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fever, breathing difficulties, seizures, eye pains, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, sore nose, tongue, or throat; burning skin, rashes, coughing, muscle pain, tissue swelling, blurred vision, numbness and tingling in hands or feet, incontinence, anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, hyperactivity, fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, spontaneous bleeding, and temporary paralysis. Long-term consequences include lowered fertility, birth defects, miscarriages, blindness, liver and kidney dysfunction, neurological damage, heart trouble, stroke, immune system disorders, menstrual problems, memory loss, suicidal depression, cancer, and death. The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least one out of seven people are significantly harmed by pesticide exposure each year.(3) Increasingly, reports from many people around the country are "beginning to link feeling terrible with the fact the neighbors had the lawn sprayed the day before", notes Catherine Karr, a toxicologist for the National Coalition Against The Misuse Of Pesticides.(7) Unfortunately, except for industrial accidents, tests for pesticide poisoning are rarely performed, partially because they are expensive. Doctors also attribute them to stress, allergies, influenza, or an overactive imagination.(3) Many Americans are developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a bizarre and extremely disabling condition. In 1979, the Surgeon General issued a report stating "There is virtually no major chronic disease to which environmental factors do not contribute, directly or indirectly." Indeed, people file : //A : WPo ison % 20in % 20the% 20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 3 of 8 today are exposed to synthetic chemicals at levels matched at any time throughout human history. Washington Post staff writer Michael Weiskopf noted in a February 10, 1990 article that "hypersensitivity to low levels of toxic chemicals (MCS) is a serious and growing medical problem, threatening to cause significant economic consequences by disabling large numbers of otherwise healthy people." MCS is a result of the destruction of the body's ability to tolerate and synthesize chemicals after exposure to toxic substances. Victims develop extreme reactions now not only to lawn pesticides but also hair sprays, perfumes, soaps, formaldehyde, and many other common household products.(5,36) Many victims include former lawn pesticide applicators and users, their families, and children. Sharon Malhorta, a registered nurse from Pittsburgh, would get so sick from lawn and tree spraying that she had to leave her home every spring. Otherwise she would suffer headaches, paralysis in her hands and feet, and muscle seizures. Repeated exposure caused blurred vision, speech difficulties, and severe stomach cramps. Her husband, a doctor, suspected early on her symptoms were the result of nerve damage from organophosphates, which are widely used nerve-gas type insecticides, like Diazinon. After questioning lawn companies about their products he was told they were "practically nontoxic", registered by the EPA, and not harmful to people or pets. He later discovered that the chemicals his wife was exposed to were in fact neurotoxins, and was shocked to discover there were surprisingly few EPA studies on their health effects.(19) Karen James, a Michigan postal worker, successfully sued ChemLawn in 1988. While walking past one of their trucks, a hose ruptured and she was drenched with chemicals. The employee told her not to worry, that only fertilizers were in the spray. But soon after she became seriously ill, and her eyes and skin burned. When her symptoms of fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and reduced vision didn't clear up, her doctor called ChemLawn to find out what chemicals she had been exposed to. He was told no pesticides had been involved, but after tests on Karen s body tissue detected high levels of Dursban, ChemLawn admitted the truck contained pesticides. Many other suits against lawn companies are settled out of court. Frequently the settlement restrains the victim from talking about the incident, so the public is not informed.(19) For the price of green lawns, children are also being poisoned. In 1985 a married couple in Sarasota, Florida, felt pressured by their neighbors to get their lawn treated. They hired a company, never thinking their 2-year-old daughter would be jeopardized. The company declared the yard would be safe about an hour after the chemicals were applied. However, soon after playing barefoot on the grass, the couple's daughter developed a rash all over her body, her urine turned dark brown, and she ran a high fever. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics, but her condition grew steadily worse. Her hands and feet swelled to twice normal size, blistered, and peeled. Her lips turned black and bled. Years later she is still permanently prone to headaches and has 40% hearing loss in her right ear.(19) Barry and Jackie Veysey believe lawn chemicals were responsible for the death of their baby son. Barry was a professional turf master, and the chemicals he worked with may have mutated his sperm or poisoned the infant in utero. Every time Jackie washed her husband's uniforms, the chemicals may have been absorbed through her skin and permeated the placenta. The child was born with a severe and fatal type of dwarfism. Jackie held her son only once before he died due to massive failure of his underdeveloped organs.(19) Kevin Ryan from Arlington Heights, Illinois, feels like a prisoner in his home. "I can't even play in my own yard because the neighbors spray their lawns and trees", he says. Kevin suffered routine chemical exposure as a toddler from lawn spraying, and now suffers nausea, irritability, fatigue, and loss of memory whenever pesticides are nearby. His family moves to Colorado every spring and fall, the peak spraying times of the year, to keep him safe.(19,20) file ://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 4 of 8 In 1986, Robin Dudek of Hamburg, New York pulled the garden hose off her lawn and used it to fill a wading pool for her daughters Amanda, 3, and Kristen, 2. Earlier her lawn had been sprayed with chemicals. When Amanda started drinking from the hose, she began to scream that the water was burning her. Then Kristen began crying and screaming as well. Robin took the children inside and noticed burn marks on both of them, as well as the smell of chemicals on Amanda's breath. The girls later suffered from fevers, swollen eyes, and blisters the size of grape clusters around their necks.(19) Christina Locek was a professional ice skater and pianist before her health was destroyed in 1985, when a her neighbor s lawn was sprayed with pesticides. Her cat and dog died that same day, and she suffers headaches, partial paralysis, vision loss, and blood disorders.(21) Former Navy Lieutenant George Prior developed a fever, headache, and nausea after playing on a golf course treated with Daconil. It was later discovered he was suffering from toxicepidermal necrolysis, which causes skin to fall off in sheets and massive organ failure. Prior died soon after.(6,8) According to the EPA, 95¥0 of the pesticides used on residential lawns are possible or probable carcinogens.(3,22) In 1989 the National Cancer Institute reported children develop leukemia six times more often when pesticides are used around their homes.(3,22) The American Journal of Epidemiology found that more children with brain tumors and other cancers had been exposed to insecticides than children without.(3) Studies by the National Cancer Society and other medical researchers have discovered a definite link between fatal non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) and exposure to triazine herbicides (like Atrazine), phenoxyacetic herbicides (2,4-D), organophosphate insecticides (Diazinon), fungicides, and fumigants; all of which have uses as lawn chemicals. This may be an important contributing factor to the 50% rise in NHL over the past ten years in the American population. Studies of farmers who once used these pesticides found alarmingly high numbers of NHL, especially in those who didn't wear protective clothing. This latest finding also proves the theory that most danger from pesticides comes through dermal absorption, not ingestion.(23) A University of Iowa study of golf course superintendents found abnormally high rates of death due to cancer of the brain, large intestine, and prostate.(4) Other experts are beginning to link golfers, and non- golfers who live near fairways, with these same problems.(8,24) Documented cases of pesticides in groundwater wells are suspect for cancer clusters showing in many towns. In 1989, drinking water in at least 38 states was known to be contaminated.(3) After the herbicide Dacthal was applied to Long Island golf courses, it was detected in drinking water wells at levels twenty times the State's safety limits. The water also contained a dioxin that is a highly toxic by- product of Dacthal(8,19). The New York State Attorney General sued the manufacturer in 1989 to investigate the contamination and develop a treatment program, since ground water is the main source of drinking water for Long Island. Twenty-two other pesticides have been found in the water so far. However, there is still no requirement or systematic program designed to test for drinking water contamination.(3,25) As Michael Surgan, Ph.D., Chief Environmental Scientist for the New York State Attorney General, and an advocate for responsible pesticide use, puts it, "If you buy the notion that we have to accept a certain amount of risk from pesticides to safeguard the food supply, that's one thing, he notes. But with lawns, people are applying carcinogens simply for the sake of aesthetics. That's got to change".(4) Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are becoming some of the worst water pollutants in America. Discharges into San Francisco Bay from the central valley of California are estimated at almost two tons per year.(26) Phosphorous levels in some Maryland streams have doubled since 1986. And an EPA study found potentially harmful levels of nitrate from chemical fertilizers in drinking water wells nationwide. This can cause blue-baby syndrome, an oxygen-depriving condition in infants that can be fatal.(18) Environmental impacts are also devastating. Ward Stone, a DEC wildlife pathologist, has long file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 5 of 8 : studied bird kills from pesticides that were used according to regulation. Documented cases of owls, mourning doves, sparrows, blue birds, and many other songbirds killed by lawn chemicals are on the rise. Waterfowl like Canadian geese, mallards, wood ducks, and others have suffered even worse. In 1984 there were 700 brant found dead on a Long Island country club after it was sprayed with Diazinon. (8,27) Pesticide exposure causes shivering, excessive salivating, grand mai seizures, wild flapping, and sometimes screaming according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer Diana Conger. Ward Stone likens these birds to miners' canaries, foreshadowing serious harm to humans from chemical build-up in the environment.(28) Most people seriously overestimate the amount of protection given them by governments regarding pesticide safety. Congress found that 90% of the pesticides on the market lack even minimal required safety screening.(3) Of the 34 most used lawn pesticides, 33 have not been fully tested for human health hazards.(4) If any tests are done, they are performed by the chemical manufacturers, not the EPA. "If a chemical company wanted to, they could start with a desired conclusion, and skew the data, and the EPA would never know", notes David Welch, an entomologist with the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. Welch did a random sampling of 15 pesticide files and found 13 without proper reviews.(19) One third of the most commonly used lawn pesticides were illegally registered for use. Despite the fact executives of Industrial Bio- Test labs were given jail terms for faking pesticides tests, the chemicals are still on the market.(3) Shortages in funding, personnel, and interference from business has slowed re-evaluation of these chemicals.(25) Even when the EPA does refuse a pesticide registration, the manufacturer often files a lawsuit, which keeps the chemical on the market.(19) Jay Feldman, coordinator of the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, is well aware of this. "The EPA should be called the IPA- the Industry Protection Agency", he charges. The chemical industry is extremely powerful, and wraps the EPA in red tape. It is also essential to understand that by law pesticide registration in the U.S.A. is not a consumer safety program.(9) According to Congress, the EPA does not have testing and assessment guidelines specifically for lawn use.(25) EPA has admitted in court that pesticide registration does not ensure product safety. Rather, it is a balancing act of costs and risks.(1-5,7-9,15,22) Most lawn pesticides were registered before 1972, when more stringent restrictions took effect under the revised Federal Rodentieide and Fnngicide Act. They were never tested for many human health hazards like earcinogenicity, neurotoxieity, and environmental dangers. Most, as previously stated, have yet to be re-evalnated, yet remain on the market. Read the labels on many lawn pesticide products, sprayed by lawn companies or sold in stores, and you will find one or more of the following: 2,4-D, Captan, Diazinon, Dursban, Dacthal, Dicamba, and Mecocrop. Each was registered without full safety screening. 2,4-D is an artificial hormone that has become a synonym for "dangerous pesticide", but dermal absorption of mecoprop is far more dangerous, and dicamba is much more persistent in the environment - a mixture of these three is usually used, not 2,4oD alone. Diazinon has been banned for use on golf courses and sod farms due to massive waterfowl deaths but is still widely used on lawns and gardens. It is an organophosphate which disables the nervous system by blocking enzymes essential for nerve impulse transmission. People can protect themselves and their families by knowing the facts. If having grass that looks more like Astroturf than living plants still seems essential, it doesn't have to come with pesticides but is possible with products or programs that are organic and natural. This list of alternatives continues to grow, and they are safer, cheaper, and often work better than pesticides.(3,5) Ringer Corporation vice president Fred Hunt markets natural fertilizers and microbes that kill pests. "We just don't think a lot of these chemicals are necessary for aesthetic use on homeowners' lawns", he reveals.(7) Chemicals add salt to the soil and kill beneficial nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that provide necessary nutrients for grass, taming a lawn into a junkie.(29) Each quick fix of green creates a dependence for the next. Synthetic fertilizers kill earthworms and other organisms that aerate soil, causing it to compact and kill file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 6 of 8 grass plants. Inorganic nitrogen-based fertilizers also promote the sprouting of weeds.(30) Compounds in chemical fertilizers also acidify the soil and aid in breeding of some insects. Lawns need a soil pH between 5.6 and 7 or else they mm pale and thin out. Additional doses of chemicals will only make matters worse.(31,32) Recycling grass clippings saves money, reduces waste, and according to Lawn Institute Director Eliot C. Roberts is equivalent to three applications of fertilizer a year without unhealthy chemicals and their side-effects. Natural fertilizers are also better because they are time released, allowing grass to grow slower and tougher, requiring much less care. Insects have been best controlled by other insects for millions of years, and the lawn is no exception. Insecticides often kill more beneficial insects than problem ones. Once the natural balance is destroyed, continued reliance on insecticides will occur. This is also tree of weed killers. When a crabgrass stand is killed with an herbicide, there will still be thousands of seeds ready to start anew.(31) In the long nm, pesticides can actually help the very pests they target by also killing their predators, and their use becomes self-perpetuating. Until a natural balance is restored, more and more will have to be spent each year on chemicals, and resistant pests may also invade. Using alternative strategies will bring better results and be kinder to the environment. Integrated Pest Management gives simple, long-lasting solutions which require no chemicals, much less money, and much less time and effort. Many alternatives not explored here can be found in the books and articles listed at the end of this report. What makes a plant a "weed" is often only a matter of opinion. For instance, it was once a sign of prestige to have clover in a lawn. Their flowers and silky green leaves were once prized by homeowners, as was their natural production of nitrogen fertiliser, and clover seed was sold by the bushels, alone or mixed with grass seed. It wasn't until a chemical company discovered a pesticide that killed clover but not always grass and launched an enormous advertising campaign that clover became no longer fashionable. As a result, people today ignore its fmc qualities, even though throughout the 1950s it was "common as bluegrass".(33) A growing list of over 9,000 Americans are participating in the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. By growing tall grasses, they attract a dazzling array of wildflowers, butterflies, and birds, creating habitats that are the aesthetic match of any manicured lawn. Suggestions on what to plant to best attract wildlife can be obtained from the Fish & Game Department of any state in the country.(34) The lawn pesticide industry is a very recent creation by chemical firms to expand the market for aging farm chemicals. These products are not necessary for use on lawns and pose serious ecological and human health risks that outweigh any benefits they offer. Integrated Pest Management strategies offer alternatives that work better and have less harmful effects. Proper legislation to protect the public regarding pesticide use is still seriously insufficient.(35) Therefore, the responsibility rests on the public to be the ultimate judge of what the acceptable levels of risk will be for their families and environment. (4) References: 1. New York State Attorney General's Office. "The Secret Hazards Of Lawn Pesticides: Inert Ingredients." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 2. New York State Attorney General's Office. "Pesticides In The Schools: Reducing The Risks." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 3. "Lawn Chemical Dangers." American Defender Network, 1989. 4. Davidson, Osha Gray. "Pesticides: The Killing Fields." Woman s Day 20 September 1994. 5. The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation (Sensitive To A Toxic Environment), 4 Hazel Court, West Seneca, NY 14224. file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 1 of 8 Poison In The Grass: The Hazards And Consequences Of Lawn Pesticides By Nathan Diegelman The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation mailto:b1891 ~FreeNet. Buffalo. EDU As the use of lawn chemicals and pesticides has grown, questions have arisen regarding safety hazards and environmental consequences. This report gives factual findings to help answer many of these concerns. Some o£them may seem shocking, since the chemical pesticide industry has made every effort to keep this information from the public. Everything that follows in this report is documented and supported by the U.S.Federal Government, private agencies, and other experts. Contrary to what lawn "care" companies would like people to believe, herbicides (weed killers) and other pesticides are not "magic bullets". They are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life. The pesticide industry downplays this by claiming their chemicals are heavily diluted, but doesn't mention the toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. They also are unwilling to mention all of what is in their mixtures. Many components are classified as "inert", which allows them to be kept hidden from the public and not listed on product labels. These are more than just fillers or solvents. "Inert" does not mean "inactive" - some, such as benzene and xylene, are more toxic than listed chemicals.(1,2) Listed chemicals can be just as dangerous. They include components of war-time defoliants like Agent Orange, nerve-gas type insecticides, and artificial hormones. Some the Federal Government has even prohibited from use on it's own property. Many pesticides arc not safe when dry. Water evaporates, but most pesticides remain and continue to release often odorless and invisible toxic vapors. In areas where lawn spraying is common, they accumulate in a toxic smog throughout the entire season. Some pesticides remain active for years after application. DDT is still showing up in higher rates in women's breast milk than the government permits in cow's milk.(4) Fat soluble pesticides accumulate over time in our bodies, then are released at potentially toxic levels when illness or stress results in our fat reserves being metabolised.A large portion of a woman's lifetime exposure to such pesticides is released in the breast milk for her firstborn child.(37) It is a violation of U.S.Federal law to claim pesticides are "safe when used as directed" since nothing can assure safety.(2,3,5) (However, Agriculture Canada, the federal agency responsible until recently for licensing pesticides in Canada, routinely used this statement, adding for good measure that "most pesticides are safer than table salt". Fortunately, pesticides in Canada are now licensed by Health Canada.) Some pesticides labeled "bio-degradable" degrade into compounds more dangerous than the original. Examples include Mancozeb, which degrades into a substance that is an EPA-classified probable carcinogen.(6) The pesticide industry also implies that "organic" means safe and natural (for example, "Nature's Lawn"), knowing that the term legally may be applied to any compound containing carbon and hydrogen. ChemLawn and other lawn "care" companies and manufacturers have often been sued for fictitious claims.(5-14) Many applicators are just as cormiving and deceitful, using statements like "absolutely cannot harm children or pets" and "perfectly safe for the environment" to mislead the public. The New York State Attorney General s Office sued Dow Elanco chemical company when they claimed that Dursban shows "no evidence of significant risk to the environment" when right on the label is stated "this pesticide is toxic to birds and extremely toxic to fish and aquatic file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 2 of 8 organisms".(15) A few years later on May 2, 1995, the EPA fined Dow Elanco for "failing to report to the Agency information on adverse health effects (to humans) over the past decade involving a number of pesticides, including ehlorpyrifos (brand name Dursban)". Most of the information came from personal injury claims against Dow Elanco which the company had hidden from the EPA. Now it is even being found that chiorpyrifos causes multiple sclerosis.(38) Some companies have even made claims that their products better the environment. "Funk" lawn care of New York has coined the phrase "Growing A Better Environment" in order to fool consumers into believing lawn chemicals pose no ecological harm. Another states "a 50-by-50 foot lawn produces enough oxygen to sustain a family of four." But this is only tree with a plot of land that has tall grass and no lawn care. Pesticides, lawnmower fumes and common lawn care practices actually create a net destruction of oxygen.(16) The United States General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has also tried to alert the public to lawn chemical dangers. GAO's undemover team noted many fictitious claims by many in the lawn "care" industry.(35) Many included illegal claims of product safety. Others were just deceiving, such as the ChemLawn claim that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one baby aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not that people will be grazing the lawn but that most poisonings come fxom inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin. (6,7,10) Most do-it-yourselfers are just as ignorant when it comes to proper protection and safety precautions. Studies show most don't even look at the warnings on their toxins. They don't wear gloves, goggles, or protective clothing to decrease exposure. Worse, many don't keep people off the contaminated area after chemicals are applied. Itomeowners commonly use up to ten times as much pesticides per acre as farmers.(7,17) A Virginia Tech study for the state legislature found that most homeowners have no idea how much nitrogen they use when fertilizing and that they apply chemicals in ways that damage water supplies.(18) Pesticides drift and settle during application. In the Antarctic ice pack alone there are 2.4 million pounds of DDT and its metabolites from years past.(26) Pesticides engulf the home and are easily tracked inside, readily inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They do harm by attacking the central nervous system and other essential organs. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning are often deceptively simple, commonly mis-diagnosed as flu or allergies. They include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fever, breathing difficulties, seizures, eye pains, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, sore nose, tongue, or throat; burning skin, rashes, coughing, muscle pain, tissue swelling, blurred vision, numbness and tingling in hands or feet, incontinence, anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, hyperactivity, fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, spontaneous bleeding, and temporary paralysis. Long-term consequences include lowered fertility, birth defects, miscarriages, blindness, liver and kidney dysfunction, neurological damage, heart trouble, stroke, immune system disorders, menstrual problems, memory loss, suicidal depression, cancer, and death. The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least one out of seven people are significantly harmed by pesticide exposure each year.(3) Increasingly, reports from many people around the country are "beginning to link feeling terrible with the fact the neighbors had the lawn sprayed the day before", notes Catherine Karr, a toxicologist for the National Coalition Against The Misuse Of Pesticides.(7) Unfortunately, except for industrial accidents, tests for pesticide poisoning are rarely performed, partially because they are expensive. Doctors also attribute them to stress, allergies, influenza, or an overactive imagination.(3) Many Americans are developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a bizarre and extremely disabling condition. In 1979, the Surgeon General issued a report stating "There is virtually no major chronic disease to which environmental factors do not contribute, directly or indirectly." Indeed, people file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 3 of 8 today are exposed to synthetic chemicals at levels unmatched at any time throughout human history. Washington Post staff writer Michael Weiskopf noted in a February 10, 1990 article that "hypersensitivity to low levels of toxic chemicals (MCS) is a serious and growing medical problem, threatening to cause significant economic consequences by disabling large numbers of otherwise healthy people." MCS is a result of the destruction of the body's ability to tolerate and synthesize chemicals after exposure to toxic substances. Victims develop extreme reactions now not only to lawn pesticides but also hair sprays, perfumes, soaps, formaldehyde, and many other common household products.(5,36) Many victims include former lawn pesticide applicators and users, their families, and children. Sharon Malhorta, a registered nurse from Pittsburgh, would get so sick from lawn and tree spraying that she had to leave her home every spring. Otherwise she would suffer headaches, paralysis in her hands and feet, and muscle seizures. Repeated exposure caused blurred vision, speech difficulties, and severe stomach cramps. Her husband, a doctor, suspected early on her symptoms were the result of nerve damage from organophosphates, which are widely used nerve-gas type insecticides, like Diazinon. After questioning lawn companies about their products he was told they were "practically nontoxic", registered by the EPA, and not harmful to people or pets. He later discovered that the chemicals his wife was exposed to were in fact neurotoxins, and was shocked to discover there were surprisingly few EPA studies on their health effects.(19) Karen James, a Michigan postal worker, successfully sued ChemLawn in 1988. While walking past one of their trucks, a hose ruptured and she was drenched with chemicals. The employee told her not to worry, that only fertilizers were in the spray. But soon after she became seriously ill, and her eyes and skin burned. When her symptoms of fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and reduced vision didn't clear up, her doctor called ChemLawn to find out what chemicals she had been exposed to. He was told no pesticides had been involved, but after tests on Karen s body tissue detected high levels of Dursban, ChemLawn admitted the truck contained pesticides. Many other suits against lawn companies are settled out of court. Frequently the settlement restrains the victim from talking about the incident, so the public is not informed.(19) For the price of green lawns, children are also being poisoned. In 1985 a married couple in Sarasota, Florida, felt pressured by their neighbors to get their lawn treated. They hired a company, never thinking their 2-year-old daughter would be jeopardized. The company declared the yard would be safe about an hour after the chemicals were applied. }Iowever~ soon after playing barefoot on the grass, the couple's daughter developed a rash all over her body, her urine turned dark brown, and she ran a high fever. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics, but her condition grew steadily worse. Her hands and feet swelled to twice normal size, blistered, and peeled. Her lips turned black and bled. Years later she is still permanently prone to headaches and has 40% hearing loss in her right ear.(19) Barry and Jackie Veysey believe lawn chemicals were responsible for the death of their baby son. Barry was a professional turf master, and the chemicals he worked with may have mutated his sperm or poisoned the infant in utero. Every time Jackie washed her husband's uniforms, the chemicals may have been absorbed tlxrough her skin and permeated the placenta. The child was born with a severe and fatal type of dwarfism. Jackie held her son only once before he died due to massive failure of his underdeveloped organs.(19) Kevin Ryan from Arlington Heights, Illinois, feels like a prisoner in his home. "I can't even play in my own yard because the neighbors spray their lawns and trees", he says. Kevin suffered routine chemical exposure as a toddler from lawn spraying, and now suffers nausea, irritability, fatigue, and loss of memory whenever pesticides are nearby. His family moves to Colorado every spring and fall, the peak spraying times of the year, to keep him safe.(19,20) file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 4 of 8 In 1986, Robin Dudek of Hamburg, New York pulled the garden hose off her lawn and used it to fill a wading pool for her daughters Amanda, 3, and Kristen, 2. Earlier her lawn had been sprayed with chemicals. When Amanda started drinking from the hose, she began to scream that the water was burning her. Then Kristen began crying and screaming as well. Robin took the children inside and noticed burn marks on both of them, as well as the smell of chemicals on Amanda's breath. The girls later suffered from fevers, swollen eyes, and blisters the size of grape clusters around their necks.(19) Christina Locek was a professional ice skater and pianist before her health was destroyed in 1985, when a her neighbor s lawn was sprayed with pesticides. Her cat and dog died that same day, and she suffers headaches, partial paralysis, vision loss, and blood disorders.(21) Former Navy Lieutenant George Prior developed a fever, headache, and nausea after playing on a golf course treated with Daconil. It was later discovered he was suffering from toxicepidermal necrolysis, which causes skin to fall off in sheets and massive organ failure. Prior died soon after.(6,8) According to the EPA, 95% of the pesticides used on residential lawns are possible or probable carcinogens.(3,22) In 1989 the National Cancer Institute reported children develop leukemia six times more often when pesticides are used around their homes.(3,22) The American Journal of Epidemiology found that more children with brain tumors and other cancers had been exposed to insecticides than children without.(3) Studies by the National Cancer Society and other medical researchers have discovered a del'mite link between fatal non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) and exposure to triazine herbicides (like Atrazine), phenoxyacetic herbicides (2,4-D), organophosphate insecticides (Diazinon), fungicides, and fumigants; all of which have uses as lawn chemicals. This may be an important contributing factor to the 50% rise in NHL over the past ten years in the American population. Studies of farmers who once used these pesticides found alarmingly high numbers of NHL, especially in those who didn't wear protective clothing. This latest finding also proves the theory that most danger from pesticides comes through dermal absorption, not ingestion.(23) A University of Iowa study of golf course superintendents found abnormally high rates of death due to cancer of the brain, large intestine, and prostate.(4) Other experts are beginning to link golfers, and non- golfers who live near fairways, with these same problems.(8,24) Documented cases of pesticides in groundwater wells are suspect for cancer clusters showing in many towns. In 1989, drinking water in at least 38 states was known to be contaminated.(3) After the herbicide Dacthal was applied to Long Island golf courses, it was detected in drinking water wells at levels twenty times the State's safety limits. The water also contained a dioxin that is a highly toxic by- product of Dacthal(8,19). The New York State Attorney General sued the manufacturer in 1989 to investigate the contamination and develop a treatment program, since ground water is the main source of drinking water for Long Island. Twenty-two other pesticides have been found in the water so far. However, there is still no requirement or systematic program designed to test for drinking water contamination.(3,25) As Michael Surgan, Ph.D., Chief Environmental Scientist for the New York State Attorney General, and an advocate for responsible pesticide use, puts it, "If you buy the notion that we have to accept a certain amount of risk from pesticides to safeguard the food supply, that's one thing, he notes. But with lawns, people are applying carcinogens simply for the sake of aesthetics. That's got to change".(4) Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are becoming some of the worst water pollutants in America. Discharges into San Francisco Bay from the central valley of California are estimated at almost two tons per year.(26) Phosphorous levels in some Maryland streams have doubled since 1986. And an EPA study found potentially harmful levels of nitrate from chemical fertilizers in drinking water wells nationwide. This can cause blue-baby syndrome, an oxygen-depriving condition in infants that can be fatal.(1 g) Environmental impacts are also devastating. Ward Stone, a DEC wildlife pathologist, has long file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 5 of 8 studied bird kills from pesticides that were used according to regulation. Documented cases of owls, mourning doves, sparrows, blue birds, and many other songbirds killed by lawn chemicals are on the rise. Waterfowl like Canadian geese, mallards, wood ducks, and others have suffered even worse. In 1984 there were 700 brant found dead on a Long Island country club after it was sprayed with Diazinon. (8,27) Pesticide exposure causes shivering, excessive salivating, grand mal seizures, wild flapping, and sometimes screaming according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer Diana Conger. Ward Stone likens these birds to miners' canaries, foreshadowing serious harm to humans from chemical build-up in the environment.(28) Most people seriously overestimate the amount of protection given them by governments regarding pesticide safety. Congress found that 90% of the pesticides on the market lack even minimal required safety screening.(3) Of the 34 most used lawn pesticides, 33 have not been fully tested for human health hazards.(4) If any tests are done, they are performed by the chemical manufacturers, not the EPA. "If a chemical company wanted to, they could start with a desired conclusion, and skew the data, and the EPA would never know", notes David Welch, an entomologist with the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. Welch did a random sampling of 15 pesticide files and found 13 without proper reviews.(19) One third of the most commonly used lawn pesticides were illegally registered for use. Despite the fact executives of Industrial Bio- Test labs were given jail terms for faking pesticides tests, the chemicals are still on the market.(3) Shortages in funding, personnel, and interference from business has slowed re-evaluation of these chemicals.(25) Even when the EPA does refuse a pesticide registration, the manufacturer often files a lawsuit, which keeps the chemical on the market.(19) Jay Feldman, coordinator of the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, is well aware of this. "The EPA should be called the IPA- the Industry Protection Agency", he charges. The chemical industry is extremely powerful, and wraps the EPA in red tape. It is also essential to understand that by law pesticide registration in the U.S.A. is not a consumer safety program.(9) According to Congress, the EPA does not have testing and assessment guidelines specifically for lawn use.(25) EPA has admitted in court that pesticide registration does not ensure product safety. Rather, it is a balancing act of costs and risks.(1-5,7-9,15,22) Most lawn pesticides were registered before 1972, when more stringent restrictions took effect under the revised Federal Rodentieide and Fungicide Act. They were never tested for many human health hazards like carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and environmental dangers. Most, as previously stated, have yet to be re-evaluated, yet remain on the market. Read the labels on many lawn pesticide products, sprayed by lawn companies or sold in stores, and you will find one or more of the following: 2,4-D, Captan, Diazinon, Dursban, Dacthal, Dicamba, and Mecocrop. Each was registered without full safety screening. 2,4-D is an artificial hormone that has become a synonym for "dangerous pesticide", but dermal absorption of mecoprop is far more dangerous, and dicamba is much more persistent in the environment - a mixture of these three is usually used, not 2,4-D alone. Diazinon has been banned for use on golf courses and sod farms due to massive waterfowl deaths but is still widely used on lawns and gardens. It is an organophosphate which disables the nervous system by blocking enzymes essential for nerve impulse transmission. People can protect themselves and their families by knowing the facts. If having grass that looks more like Astroturf than living plants still seems essential, it doesn't have to come with pesticides but is possible with products or programs that are organic and natural. This list of alternatives continues to grow, and they are safer, cheaper, and often work better than pesticides.(3,5) Ringer Corporation vice president Fred Hunt markets natural fertilizers and microbes that kill pests. "We just don't think a lot of these chemicals are necessary for aesthetic use on homeowners' lawns", he reveals.(7) Chemicals add salt to the soil and kill beneficial nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that provide necessary nutrients for grass, turning a lawn into a junkie.(29) Each quick fix of green creates a dependence for the next. Synthetic fertilizers kill earthworms and other organisms that aerate soil, causing it to compact and kill file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 6 of 8 grass plants. Inorganic nitrogen-based fertilizers also promote the sprouting of weeds.(30) Compounds in chemical fertilizers also acidify the soil and aid in breeding of some insects. Lawns need a soil pH between 5.6 and 7 or else they mm pale and thin out. Additional doses of chemicals will only make matters worse.(31,32) Recycling grass clippings saves money, reduces waste, and according to Lawn Institute Director Eliot C. Roberts is equivalent to three applications of fertilizer a year without unhealthy chemicals and their side-effects. Natural fertilizers are also better because they are time released, allowing grass to grow slower and tougher, requiring much less care. Insects have been best controlled by other insects for millions of years, and the lawn is no exception. Insecticides often kill more beneficial insects than problem ones. Once the natural balance is destroyed, continued reliance on insecticides will occur. This is also tree of weed killers. When a crabgrass stand is killed with an herbicide, there will still be thousands of seeds ready to start anew.(31) In the long mn, pesticides can actually help the very pests they target by also killing their predators, and their use becomes self-perpetuating. Until a natural balance is restored, more and more will have to be spent each year on chemicals, and resistant pests may also invade. Using alternative strategies will bring better results and be kinder to the environment. Integrated Pest Management gives simple, long-lasting solutions which require no chemicals, much less money, and much less time and effort. Many alternatives not explored here can be found in the books and articles listed at the end of this report. What makes a plant a "weed" is often only a matter of opinion. For instance, it was once a sign of prestige to have clover in a lawn. Their flowers and silky green leaves were once prized by homeowners, as was their natural production of nitrogen fertiliser, and clover seed was sold by the bushels, alone or mixed with grass seed. It wasn't until a chemical company discovered a pesticide that killed clover but not always grass and launched an enormous advertising campaign that clover became no longer fashionable. As a result, people today ignore its f'me qualities, even though throughout the 1950s it was "common as bluegrass".(33) A growing list of over 9,000 Americans are participating in the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. By growing tall grasses, they attract a dazzling array of wildflowers, butterflies, and birds, creating habitats that are the aesthetic match of any manicured lawn. Suggestions on what to plant to best attract wildlife can be obtained from the Fish & Game Department of any state in the country.(34) The lawn pesticide industry is a very recent creation by chemical firms to expand the market for aging farm chemicals. These products are not necessary for use on lawns and pose serious ecological and human health risks that outweigh any benefits they offer. Integrated Pest Management strategies offer alternatives that work better and have less harmful effects. Proper legislation to protect the public regarding pesticide use is still seriously insufficient.(35) Therefore, the responsibility rests on the public to be the ultimate judge of what the acceptable levels of risk will be for their families and environment. (4) References: 1. New York State Attorney General's Office. "The Secret Hazards Of Lawn Pesticides: Inert Ingredients." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 2. New York State Attorney General's Office. "Pesticides In The Schools: Reducing The Risks." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 3. "Lawn Chemical Dangers." American Defender Network, 1989. 4. Davidson, Osha Gray. "Pesticides: The Killing Fields." Woman s Day 20 September 1994. 5. The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation (Sensitive To A Toxic Environment), 4 Hazel Court, West Seneca, NY 14224. file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 1 of 8 Poison In The Grass: The Hazards And Consequences Of Lawn Pesticides By Nathan Diegelman The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation mailto:b1891~FreeNet. Buffalo. EDU As the use of lawn chemicals and pesticides has grown, questions have arisen regarding safety hazards and envirommental consequences. This report gives factual findings to help answer many of these concerns. Some of them may seem shocking, since the chemical pesticide industry has made every effort to keep this information from the public. Everything that follows in this report is documented and supported by the U.S.Federal Government, private agencies, and other experts. Contrary to what lawn "care" companies would like people to believe, herbicides (weed killers) and other pesticides are not "magic bullets". They are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life. The pesticide industry downplays this by claiming their chemicals are heavily diluted, but doesn't mention the toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. They also are unwilling to mention all of what is in their mixtures. Many components are classified as "inert", which allows them to be kept hidden from the public and not listed on product labels. These are more than just fillers or solvents. "Inert" does not mean "inactive" - some, such as benzene and xylene, are more toxic than listed chemicals.(1,2) Listed chemicals can be just as dangerous. They include components of war-time defoliants like Agent Orange, nerve-gas type insecticides, and artificial hormones. Some the Federal Government has even prohibited from use on it's own property. Many pesticides are not safe when dry. Water evaporates, but most pesticides remain and continue to release often odorless and invisible toxic vapors. In areas where lawn spraying is common, they accumulate in a toxic smog throughout the entire season. Some pesticides remain active for years after application. DDT is still showing up in higher rates in women's breast milk than the government permits in cow's milk.(4) Fat soluble pesticides accumulate over time in our bodies, then are released at potentially toxic levels when illness or stress results in our fat reserves being metabolised. A large portion of a woman's lifetime exposure to such pesticides is released in the breast milk for her firstborn child.(37) It is a violation of U.S.Federal law to claim pesticides are "safe when used as directed" since nothing can assure safety.(2,3,5) (However, Agriculture Canada, the federal agency responsible until recently for licensing pesticides in Canada, routinely used this statement, adding for good measure that "most pesticides are safer than table salt". Fortunately, pesticides in Canada are now licensed by Health Canada.) Some pesticides labeled "bio-degradable" degrade into compounds more dangerous than the original. Examples include Mancozeb, which degrades into a substance that is an EPA-classified probable carcinogen.(6) The pesticide industry also implies that "organic" means safe and natural (for example, "Nature's Lawn"), knowing that the term legally may be applied to any compound containing carbon and hydrogen. ChemLawn and other lawn "care" companies and manufacturers have often been sued for fictitious claims.(5-14) Many applicators are just as conniving and deceitful, using statements like "absolutely cannot harm children or pets" and "perfectly safe for the environment" to mislead the public. The New York State Attorney General s Office sued Dow Elanco chemical company when they claimed that Dursban shows "no evidence of significant risk to the environment" when right on the label is stated "this pesticide is toxic to birds and extremely toxic to fish and aquatic file ://A :WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 2 of 8 organisms".(15) A few years later on May 2, 1995, the EPA fined Dow Elanco for "failing to report to the Agency information on adverse health effects (to humans) over the past decade involving a number of pesticides, including chlorpyrifos (brand name Dursban)". Most of the information came from personal injury claims against Dow Elanco which the company had hidden from the EPA. Now it is even being found that chlorpyrifos causes multiple sclerosis.(38) Some companies have even made claims that their products better the environment. "Funk" lawn care of New York has coined the phrase "Growing A Better Environment" in order to fool consumers into believing lawn chemicals pose no ecological harm. Another states "a 50-by-50 foot lawn produces enough oxygen to sustain a family of four." But this is only tree with a plot of land that has tall grass and no lawn care. Pesticides, lawnmower fumes and common lawn care practices actually create a net destruction of oxygen.(16) The United States General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has also tried to alert the public to lawn chemical dangers. GAO's undemover team noted many fictitious claims by many in the lawn "care" industry.(35) Many included illegal claims of product safety. Others were just deceiving, such as the ChemLawn claim that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one baby aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not that people will be grazing the lawn but that most poisonings come from inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin. (6,7,10) Most do-it-yourselfers are just as ignorant when it comes to proper protection and safety precautions. Studies show most don't even look at the warnings on their toxins. They don't wear gloves, goggles, or protective clothing to decrease exposure. Worse, many don't keep people off the contaminated area after chemicals are applied. Homeowners commonly use up to ten times as much pesticides per acre as farmers.(7,17) A Virginia Tech study for the state legislature found that most homeowners have no idea how much nitrogen they use when fertilizing and that they apply chemicals in ways that damage water supplies.(18) Pesticides drift and settle during application. In the Antarctic ice pack alone there are 2.4 million pounds of DDT and its metabolites from years past.(26) Pesticides engulf the home and are easily tracked inside, readily inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They do harm by attacking the central nervous system and other essential organs. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning are often deceptively simple, commonly mis-diagnosed as flu or allergies. They include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fever, breathing difficulties, seizures, eye pains, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, sore nose, tongue, or throat; burning skin, rashes, coughing, muscle pain, tissue swelling, blurred vision, numbness and tingling in hands or feet, incontinence, anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, hyperactivity, fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, spontaneous bleeding, and temporary paralysis. Long-term consequences include lowered fertility, birth defects, miscarriages, blindness, liver and kidney dysfunction, neurological damage, heart trouble, stroke, immune system disorders, menstrual problems, memory loss, suicidal depression, cancer, and death. The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least one out of seven people are significantly harmed by pesticide exposure each year.(3) Increasingly, reports from many people around the country are "beginning to link feeling terrible with the fact the neighbors had the lawn sprayed the day before", notes Catherine Karr, a toxicologist for the National Coalition Against The Misuse Of Pesticides.(7) Unfortunately, except for industrial accidents, tests for pesticide poisoning are rarely performed, partially because they are expensive. Doctors also attribute them to stress, allergies, influenza, or an overactive imagination.(3) Many Americans are developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a bizarre and extremely disabling condition. In 1979, the Surgeon General issued a report stating "There is virtually no major chronic disease to which environmental factors do not contribute, directly or indirectly." Indeed, people file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 3 of 8 today are exposed to synthetic chemicals at levels unmatched at any time throughout human history. Washington Post staff writer Michael Weiskopf noted in a February 10, 1990 article that "hypersensitivity to low levels of toxic chemicals (MCS) is a serious and growing medical problem, threatening to cause significant economic consequences by disabling large numbers of otherwise healthy people." MCS is a result of the destruction of the body's ability to tolerate and synthesize chemicals after exposure to toxic substances. Victims develop extreme reactions now not only to lawn pesticides but also hair sprays, perfumes, soaps, formaldehyde, and many other common household products.(5,36) Many victims include former lawn pesticide applicators and users, their families, and children. Sharon Malhorta, a registered nurse from Pittsburgh, would get so sick from lawn and tree spraying that she had to leave her home every spring. Otherwise she would suffer headaches, paralysis in her hands and feet, and muscle seizures. Repeated exposure caused blurred vision, speech difficulties, and severe stomach cramps. Her husband, a doctor, suspected early on her symptoms were the result of nerve damage from organophosphates, which are widely used nerve-gas type insecticides, like Diazinon. After questioning lawn companies about their products he was told they were "practically nontoxic", registered by the EPA, and not harmful to people or pets. He later discovered that the chemicals his wife was exposed to were in fact neurotoxins, and was shocked to discover there were surprisingly few EPA studies on their health effects.(19) Karen James, a Michigan postal worker, successfully sued ChemLawn in 1988. While walking past one of their trucks, a hose ruptured and she was drenched with chemicals. The employee told her not to worry, that only fertilizers were in the spray. But soon after she became seriously ill, and her eyes and skin burned. When her symptoms of fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and reduced vision didn't clear up, her doctor called ChemLawn to find out what chemicals she had been exposed to. He was told no pesticides had been involved, but after tests on Karen s body tissue detected high levels of Dursban, ChemLawn admitted the truck contained pesticides. Many other suits against lawn companies are settled out of court. Frequently the settlement restrains the victim from talking about the incident, so the public is not informed.(19) For the price of green lawns, children are also being poisoned. In 1985 a married couple in Sarasota, Florida, felt pressured by their neighbors to get their lawn treated. They hired a company, never thinking their 2-year-old daughter would be jeopardized. The company declared the yard would be safe about an hour after the chemicals were applied. However, soon after playing barefoot on the grass, the couple's daughter developed a rash all over her body, her urine turned dark brown, and she ran a high fever. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics, but her condition grew steadily worse. Her hands and feet swelled to twice normal size, blistered, and peeled. Her lips turned black and bled. Years later she is still permanently prone to headaches and has 40% hearing loss in her right ear.(19) Barry and Jackie Veysey believe lawn chemicals were responsible for the death of their baby son. Barry was a professional turf master, and the chemicals he worked with may have mutated his sperm or poisoned the infant in utero. Every time Jackie washed her husband's uniforms, the chemicals may have been absorbed through her skin and permeated the placenta. The child was bom with a severe and fatal type of dwarfism. Jackie held her son only once before he died due to massive failure of his underdeveloped organs.(19) Kevin Ryan from Arlington Heights, Illinois, feels like a prisoner in his home. "I can't even play in my own yard because the neighbors spray their lawns and trees", he says. Kevin suffered routine chemical exposure as a toddler from lawn spraying, and now suffers nausea, irritability, fatigue, and loss of memory whenever pesticides are nearby. His family moves to Colorado every spring and fall, the peak spraying times of the year, to keep him safe.(19,20) file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 4 of 8 In 1986, Robin Dudek of Hamburg, New York pulled the garden hose off her lawn and used it to fill a wading pool for her daughters Amanda, 3, and Kristen, 2. Earlier her lawn had been sprayed with chemicals. When Amanda started drinking from the hose, she began to scream that the water was burning her. Then Kristen began crying and screaming as well. Robin took the children inside and noticed burn marks on both of them, as well as the smell of chemicals on Amanda's breath. The girls later suffered from fevers, swollen eyes, and blisters the size of grape clusters around their necks.(19) Christina Locek was a professional ice skater and pianist before her health was destroyed in 1985, when a her neighbor s lawn was sprayed with pesticides. Her cat and dog died that same day, and she suffers headaches, partial paralysis, vision loss, and blood disorders.(21) Former Navy Lieutenant George Prior developed a fever, headache, and nausea after playing on a golf course treated with Daconil. It was later discovered he was suffering from toxicepidermal neerolysis, which causes skin to fall off in sheets and massive organ failure. Prior died soon after.(6,8) According to the EPA, 95% of the pesticides used on residential lawns are possible or probable carcinogens.(3,22) In 1989 the National Cancer Institute reported children develop leukemia six times more often when pesticides are used around their homes.(3,22) The American Journal of Epidemiology found that more children with brain tumors and other cancers had been exposed to insecticides than children without.(3) Studies by the National Cancer Society and other medical researchers have discovered a definite link between fatal non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) and exposure to triazine herbicides (like Atrazine), phenoxyacetic herbicides (2,4-D), organophosphate insecticides (Diazinon), fungicides, and fumigants; all of which have uses as lawn chemicals. This may be an important contributing factor to the 50% rise in NHL over the past ten years in the American population. Studies of farmers who once used these pesticides found alarmingly high numbers of NHL, especially in those who didn't wear protective clothing. This latest finding also proves the theory that most danger from pesticides comes through dermal absorption, not ingestion.(23) A University of Iowa study of golf course superintendents found abnormally high rates of death due to cancer of the brain, large intestine, and prostate.(4) Other experts are beginning to link golfers, and non- golfers who live near fairways, with these same problems.(8,24) Documented cases of pesticides in groundwater wells are suspect for cancer clusters showing in many towns. In 1989, drinking water in at least 38 states was known to be contaminated.(3) After the herbicide Dacthal was applied to Long Island golf courses, it was detected in drinking water wells at levels twenty times the State's safety limits. The water also contained a dioxin that is a highly toxic by- product of Dacthal(8,19). The New York State Attorney General sued the manufacturer in 1989 to investigate the contamination and develop a treatment program, since ground water is the main source of drinking water for Long Island. Twenty-two other pesticides have been found in the water so far. However, there is still no requirement or systematic program designed to test for drinking water contamination.(3,25) As Michael Surgan, Ph.D., Chief Enviroamental Scientist for the New York State Attorney General, and an advocate for responsible pesticide use, puts it, "If you buy the notion that we have to accept a certain amount of risk from pesticides to safeguard the food supply, that's one thing, he notes. But with lawns, people are applying carcinogens simply for the sake of aesthetics. That's got to change".(4) Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are becoming some of the worst water pollutants in America. Discharges into San Francisco Bay from the central valley of California are estimated at almost two tons per year.(26) Phosphorous levels in some Maryland streams have doubled since 1986. And an EPA study found potentially harmful levels of nitrate from chemical fertilizers in drinking water wells nationwide. This can cause blue-baby syndrome, an oxygen-depriving condition in infants that can be fatal.(18) Environmental impacts are also devastating. Ward Stone, a DEC wildlife pathologist, has long file://A:~VPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 5 of 8 studied bird kills from pesticides that were used according to regulation. Documented cases of owls, mourning doves, sparrows, blue birds, and many other songbirds killed by lawn chemicals are on the rise. Waterfowl like Canadian geese, mallards, wood ducks, and others have suffered even worse. In 1984 there were 700 brant found dead on a Long Island country club after it was sprayed with Diazinon. (8,27) Pesticide exposure causes shivering, excessive salivating, grand mai seizures, wild flapping, and sometimes screaming according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer Diana Conger. Ward Stone likens these birds to miners' canaries, foreshadowing serious harm to humans from chemical build-up in the enviroumant.(28) Most people seriously overestimate the amount of protection given them by governments regarding pesticide safety. Congress found that 90% of the pesticides on the market lack even minimal required safety screening.(3) Of the 34 most used lawn pesticides, 33 have not been fully tested for human health hazards.(4) If any tests are done, they are performed by the chemical manufacturers, not the EPA. "If a chemical company wanted to, they could start with a desired conclusion, and skew the data, and the EPA would never know", notes David Welch, an entomologist with the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. Welch did a random sampling of 15 pesticide files and found 13 without proper reviews.(19) One third of the most commonly used lawn pesticides were illegally registered for use. Despite the fact executives of Industrial Bio- Test labs were given jail terms for faking pesticides tests, the chemicals are still on the market.(3) Shortages in funding, personnel, and interference from business has slowed re-evaluation of these chemicals.(25) Even when the EPA does refuse a pesticide registration, the manufacturer often files a lawsuit, which keeps the chemical on the market.(19) Jay Feldman, coordinator of the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, is well aware of this. "The EPA should be called the IPA- the Industry Protection Agency", he charges. The chemical industry is extremely powerful, and wraps the EPA in red tape. It is also essential to understand that by law pesticide registration in the U.S.A. is not a consumer safety program.(9) According to Congress, the EPA does not have testing and assessment guidelines specifically for lawn use.(25) EPA has admitted in court that pesticide registration does not ensure product safety. Rather, it is a balancing act of costs and risks.(1-5,7-9,15,22) Most lawn pesticides were registered before 1972, when more stringent restrictions took effect under the revised Federal Rodenticide and Fungicide Act. They were never tested for many human health hazards like carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and environmental dangers. Most, as previously stated, have yet to be re-evaluated, yet remain on the market. Read the labels on many lawn pesticide products, sprayed by lawn companies or sold in stores, and you will find one or mom of the following: 2,4-D, Captan, Diazinon, Dursban, Dacthal, Dicamba, and Mecocrop. Each was registered without full safety screening. 2,4-D is an artificial hormone that has become a synonym for "dangerous pesticide", but dermal absorption of mecoprop is far more dangerous, and dicamba is much more persistent in the environment - a mixture of these three is usually used, not 2,4-D alone. Diazinon has been banned for use on golf courses and sod farms due to massive waterfowl deaths but is still widely used on lawns and gardens. It is an organophosphate which disables the nervous system by blocking enzymes essential for nerve impulse transmission. People can protect themselves and their families by knowing the facts. If having grass that looks more like Astroturf than living plants still seems essential, it doesn't have to come with pesticides but is possible with products or programs that are organic and natural. This list of alternatives continues to grow, and they are safer, cheaper, and often work better than pesticides.(3,5) Ringer Corporation vice president Fred Hunt markets natural fertilizers and microbes that kill pests. "We just don't think a lot of these chemicals are necessary for aesthetic use on homeowners' lawns", he reveals.(7) Chemicals add salt to the soil and kill beneficial nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that provide necessary nutrients for grass, turning a lawn into a junkie.(29) Each quick fix of green creates a dependence for the next. Synthetic fertilizers kill earthworms and other organisms that aerate soil, causing it to compact and kill file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 6 of 8 grass plants. Inorganic nitrogen-based fertilizers also promote the sprouting of weeds.(30) Compounds in chemical fertilizers also acidify the soil and aid in breeding of some insects. Lawns need a soil pH between 5.6 and 7 or else they turn pale and thin out. Additional doses of chemicals will only make matters worse.(31,32) Recycling grass clippings saves money, reduces waste, and according to Lawn Institute Director Eliot C. Roberts is equivalent to three applications of fertilizer a year without unhealthy chemicals and their side-effects. Natural fertilizers are also better because they are time released, allowing grass to grow slower and tougher, requiring much less care. Insects have been best controlled by other insects for millions of years, and the lawn is no exception. Insecticides often kill more beneficial insects than problem ones. Once the natural balance is destroyed, continued reliance on insecticides will occur. This is also tree of weed killers. When a crabgrass stand is killed with an herbicide, there will still be thousands of seeds ready to start anew.(31) In the long mn, pesticides can actually help the very pests they target by also killing their predators, and their use becomes self-perpetuating. Until a natural balance is restored, more and more will have to be spent each year on chemicals, and resistant pests may also invade. Using alternative strategies will bring better results and be kinder to the environment. Integrated Pest Management gives simple, long-lasting solutions which require no chemicals, much less money, and much less time and effort. Many altematives not explored here can be found in the books and articles listed at the end of this report. What makes a plant a "weed" is often only a matter of opinion. For instance, it was once a sign of prestige to have clover in a lawn. Their flowers and silky green leaves were once prized by homeowners, as was their natural production of nitrogen fertiliser, and clover seed was sold by the bushels, alone or mixed with grass seed. It wasn't until a chemical company discovered a pesticide that killed clover but not always grass and launched an enormous advertising campaign that clover became no longer fashionable. As a result, people today ignore its fine qualities, even though throughout the 1950s it was "common as bluegrass".(33) A growing list of over 9,000 Americans are participating in the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. By growing tall grasses, they attract a da771ing array of wildflowers, butterflies, and birds, creating habitats that are the aesthetic match of any manicured lawn. Suggestions on what to plant to best attract wildlife can be obtained from the Fish & Game Department of any state in the country.(34) The lawn pesticide industry is a very recent creation by chemical fro-ns to expand the market for aging farm chemicals. These products are not necessary for use on lawns and pose serious ecological and human health risks that outweigh any benefits they offer. Integrated Pest Management strategies offer alternatives that work better and have less harmful effects. Proper legislation to protect the public regarding pesticide use is still seriously insufficient.(35) Therefore, the responsibility rests on the public to be the ultimate judge of what the acceptable levels of risk will be for their families and environment. (4) References: 1. New York State Attorney General's Office. "The Secret Hazards Of Lawn Pesticides: Inert Ingredients." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 2. New York State Attorney General's Office. "Pesticides In The Schools: Reducing The Risks." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 3. "Lawn Chemical Dangers." American Defender Network, 1989. 4. Davidson, Osha Gray. "Pesticides: The Killing Fields." Woman s Day 20 September 1994. 5. The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation (Sensitive To A Toxic Environment), 4 Hazel Court, West Seneca, NY 14224. file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 1 of 8 Poison In The Grass: The Hazards And Consequences Of Lawn Pesticides By Nathan Diegelman The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation mailto:b1891 ~FreeNet. Buffalo. EDU As thc use of lawn chemicals and pesticides has grown, questions have arisen regarding safety hazards and environmental consequences. This report gives factual findings to help answer many of these concerns. Some of them may seem shocking, since the chemical pesticide industry has made every effort to keep this information from the public. Everything that follows in this report is documented and supported by the U.S.Federal Government, private agencies, and other experts. Contrary to what lawn "care" companies would like people to believe, herbicides (weed killers) and other pesticides are not "magic bullets". They are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life. The pesticide industry downplays this by claiming their chemicals are heavily diluted, but doesn't mention the toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. They also are unwilling to mention all of what is in their mixtures. Many components are classified as "inert", which allows them to be kept hidden from the public and not listed on product labels. These are more than just fillers or solvents. "Inert" does not mean "inactive" - some, such as benzene and xylene, are more toxic than listed chemicals.(1,2) Listed chemicals can be just as dangerous. They include components of war-time defoliants like Agent Orange, nerve-gas type insecticides, and artificial hormones. Some the Federal Government has even prohibited from usc on it's own property. Many pesticides are not safe when dry. Water evaporates, but most pesticides remain and continue to release often odorless and invisible toxic vapors. In areas where lawn spraying is common, they accumulate in a toxic smog throughout the entire season. Some pesticides remain active for years after application. DDT is still showing up in higher rates in women's breast milk than the government permits in cow's milk.(4) Fat soluble pesticides accumulate over time in our bodies, then are released at potentially toxic levels when illness or stress results in our fat reserves being metabolised.A large portion of a woman's lifetime exposure to such pesticides is released in the breast milk for her firstborn child.(37) It is a violation of U.S.Fcderal law to claim pesticides are "safe when used as directed" since nothing can assure safety.(2,3,5) (However, Agriculture Canada, the federal agency responsible until recently for licensing pesticides in Canada, routinely used this statement, adding for good measure that "most pesticides are safer than table salt". Fortunately, pesticides in Canada are now licensed by Health Canada.) Some pesticides labeled "bio-degradable" degrade into compounds more dangerous than the original. Examples include Mancozeb, which degrades into a substance that is an EPA-classified probable carcinogen.(6) The pesticide industry also implies that "organic" means safe and natn,-~l (~et~r ample, Nature s Lawn ), knowing that the term legally may be appl,ed to any compound containing carbon and hydrogen. ChemLawn and other lawn "care" companies and manufacturers have often been sued for fictitious claims.(5-14) Many applicators are just as conniving and deceitful, using statements like "absolutely cannot harm children or pets" and "perfectly safe for the environment" to mislead the public. The New York State Attorney General s Office sued Dow Elanco chemical company when they claimed that Dursban shows "no evidence of significant risk to the environment" when right on the label is stated "this pesticide is toxic to birds and extremely toxic to fish and aquatic file ://A:WPoison%20in%20the% 20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 2 of 8 organisms".(15) A few years later on May 2, 1995, the EPA fined Dow Elanco for "failing to report to the Agency information on adverse health effects (to humans) over the past decade involving a number of pesticides, including chlorpyrifos (brand name Dursban)". Most of the information came from personal injury claims against Dow Elanco which the company had hidden from the EPA. Now it is even being found that chlorpyrifos causes multiple sclerosis.(38) Some companies have even made claims that their products better the environment. "Funk" lawn care of New York has coined the phrase "Growing A Better Environment" in order to fool consumers into believing lawn chemicals pose no ecological harm. Another states "a 50-by-50 foot lawn produces enough oxygen to sustain a family of four." But this is only true with a plot of land that has tall grass and no lawn care. Pesticides, lawnmower fumes and common lawn care practices actually create a net destruction of oxygen.(16) The United States General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has also tried to alert the public to lawn chemical dangers. GAO's undercover team noted many fictitious claims by many in the lawn "care" industry.(35) Many included illegal claims of product safety. Others were just deceiving, such as the ChemLawn claim that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one baby aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not that people will be grazing the lawn but that most poisonings come from inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin. (6,7,10) Most do-it-yourselfers are just as ignorant when it comes to proper protection and safety precautions. Studies show most don't even look at the warnings on their toxins. They don't wear gloves, goggles, or protective clothing to decrease exposure. Worse, many don't keep people off the contaminated area after chemicals are applied. Homeowners commonly use up to ten times as much pesticides per acre as farmers.(7,17) A Virginia Tech study for the state legislature found that most homeowners have no idea how much nitrogen they use when fertilizing and that they apply chemicals in ways that damage water supplies.(18) Pesticides drift and settle during application. In the Antarctic ice pack alone there are 2.4 million pounds of DDT and its metabolites from years past.(26) Pesticides engulf the home and are easily tracked inside, readily inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They do harm by attacking the central nervous system and other essential organs. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning are often deceptively simple, commonly mis-diagnosed as flu or allergies. They include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fever, breathing difficulties, seizures, eye pains, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, sore nose, tongue, or throat; burning skin, rashes, coughing, muscle pain, tissue swelling, blurred vision, numbness and tingling in hands or feet, incontinence, anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, hyperactivity, fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, spontaneous bleeding, and temporary paralysis. Long-term consequences include lowered fertility, birth defects, miscarriages, blindness, liver and kidney dysfunction, neurological damage, heart trouble, stroke, immune system disorders, menstrual problems, memory loss, suicidal depression, cancer, and death. The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least one out of seven people are significantly harmed by pesticide exposure each year.(3) Increasingly, reports from many people around the country are "beginning to link feeling terrible with the fact the neighbors had the lawn sprayed the day before", notes Catherine Kart, a toxicologist for the National Coalition Against The Misuse Of Pesticides.(7) Unfortunately, except for industrial accidents, tests for pesticide poisoning are rarely performed, partially because they are expensive. Doctors also at~ibute them to stress, allergies, influenza, or an overactive imagination.(3) Many Americans are developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a bizarre and extremely disabling condition. In 1979, the Surgeon General issued a report stating "There is virtually no major chronic disease to which environmental factors do not contribute, directly or indirectly." Indeed, people file://A:qfPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 3 of 8 today are exposed to synthetic chemicals at levels unmatched at any time throughout human history. Washington Post staff writer Michael Weiskopf noted in a February 10, 1990 article that "hypersensitivity to low levels of toxic chemicals (MCS) is a serious and growing medical problem, threatening to cause significant economic consequences by disabling large numbers of otherwise healthy people." MCS is a result of the destruction of the body's ability to tolerate and synthesize chemicals after exposure to toxic substances. Victims develop extreme reactions now not only to lawn pesticides but also hair sprays, perfumes, soaps, formaldehyde, and many other common household produets.($,36) Many victims include former lawn pesticide applicators and users, their families, and children. Sharon Malhorta, a registered nurse from Pittsburgh, would get so sick from lawn and tree spraying that she had to leave her home every spring. Otherwise she would suffer headaches, paralysis in her hands and feet, and muscle seizures. Repeated exposure caused blurred vision, speech difficulties, and severe stomach cramps. Her husband, a doctor, suspected early on her symptoms were the result of nerve damage from organophosphates, which are widely used nerve-gas type insecticides, like Diazinon. After questioning lawn companies about their products he was told they were "practically nontoxic", registered by the EPA, and not harmful to people or pets. He later discovered that the chemicals his wife was exposed to were in fact neurotoxins, and was shocked to discover there were surprisingly few EPA studies on their health effects.(19) Karen James, a Michigan postal worker, successfully sued ChemLawn in 1988. While walking past one of their tracks, a hose ruptured and she was drenched with chemicals. The employee told her not to worry, that only fertilizers were in the spray. But soon after she became seriously ill, and her eyes and skin burned. When her symptoms of fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and reduced vision didn't clear up, her doctor called ChemLawn to find out what chemicals she had been exposed to. He was told no pesticides had been involved, but after tests on Karen s body tissue detected high levels of Dursban, ChemLawn admitted the truck contained pesticides. Many other suits against lawn companies are settled out of court. Frequently the settlement restrains the victim from talking about the incident, so the public is not informed.(19) For the price of green lawns, children are also being poisoned. In 1985 a married couple in Sarasota, Florida, felt pressured by their neighbors to get their lawn treated. They hired a company, never thinking their 2-year-old daughter would be jeopardized. The company declared the yard would be safe about an hour after the chemicals were applied. However, soon after playing barefoot on the grass, the couple's daughter developed a rash all over her body, her urine turned dark brown, and she ran a high fever. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics, but her condition grew steadily worse. Her hands and feet swelled to twice normal size, blistered, and peeled. Iter lips turned black and bled. Years later she is still permanently prone to headaches and has 40% hearing loss in her right ear.(19) Ban'y and Jackie Veysey believe lawn chemicals were responsible for the death of their baby son. Barry was a professional turf master, and the chemicals he worked with may have mutated his sperm or poisoned the infant in utero. Every time Jackie washed her husband's uniforms, the chemicals may have been absorbed through her skin and permeated the placenta. The child was bom with a severe and fatal type of dwarfism. Jackie held her son only once before he died due to massive failure of his underdeveloped organs.(19) Kevin Ryan from Arlington Heights, Illinois, feels like a prisoner in his home. "I can't even play in my own yard because the neighbors spray their lawns and trees", he says. Kevin suffered routine chemical exposure as a toddler from lawn spraying, and now suffers nausea, irritability, fatigue, and loss of memory whenever pesticides are nearby. His family moves to Colorado every spring and fall, the peak spraying times of the year, to keep him safe.(19,20) file ://A:~gPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 4 of 8 In 1986, Robin Dudek of Hamburg, New York pulled thc garden hose off her lawn and used it to fill a wading pool for her daughters Amanda, 3, and Kristen, 2. Earlier her lawn had been sprayed with chemicals. When Amanda started drinking from the hose, she began to scream that the water was burning her. Then Kristen began crying and screaming as well. Robin took the children inside and noticed burn marks on both of them, as well as the smell of chemicals on Amanda's breath. The girls later suffered from fevers, swollen eyes, and blisters the size of grape clusters around their necks.(19) Christina Locek was a professional ice skater and pianist before her health was destroyed in 1985, when a her neighbor s lawn was sprayed with pesticides. Her cat and dog died that same day, and she suffers headaches, partial paralysis, vision loss, and blood disorders.(21) Former Navy Lieutenant George Prior developed a fever, headache, and nausea after playing on a golf course treated with Daconil. It was later discovered he was suffering from toxicepidermal necrolysis, which causes skin to fall off in sheets and massive organ failure. Prior died soon after.(6,8) According to the EPA, 95% of the pesticides used on residential lawns are possible or probable carcinogens.(3,22) In 1989 the National Cancer Institute reported children develop leukemia six times more often when pesticides are used around their homes.(3~.2) The American Journal of Epidemiology found that more children with brain tumors and other cancers had been exposed to insecticides than children without.(3) Studies by the National Cancer Society and other medical researchers have discovered a def'mite link between fatal non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) and exposure to triazine herbicides (like Atrazine), phenoxyacetic herbicides (2,4-D), organophosphate insecticides (Diazinon), fungicides, and fumigants; all of which have uses as lawn chemicals. This may be an important contributing factor to the 50% rise in NHI., over the past ten years in the American population. Studies of farmers who once used these pesticides found alarmingly high numbers of NHL, especially in those who didn't wear protective clothing. This latest finding also proves the theory that most danger from pesticides comes through dermal absorption, not ingestion.(23) A University of Iowa study of golf course superintendents found abnormally high rates of death due to cancer of the brain, large intestine, and prostate.(4) Other experts are beginning to link golfers, and non- golfers who live near fairways, with these same problems.(8,24) Documented cases of pesticides in groundwater wells are suspect for cancer clusters showing in many towns. In 1989, drinking water in at least 38 states was known to be contaminated.(3) After the herbicide Dacthal was applied to Long Island golf courses, it was detected in drinking water wells at levels twenty times the State's safety limits. The water also contained a dioxin that is a highly toxic by- product of Dacthal(8,19). The New York State Attorney General sued the manufacturer in 1989 to investigate the contamination and develop a treatment program, since ground water is the main source of drinking water for Long Island. Twenty-two other pesticides have been found in the water so far. However, there is still no requirement or systematic program designed to test for drinking water contamination.(3,25) As Michael Surgan, Ph.D., Chief Environmental Scientist for the New York State Attorney General, and an advocate for responsible pesticide use, puts it, "If you buy the notion that we have to accept a certain amount of risk from pesticides to safeguard the food supply, that's one thing, he notes. But with lawns, people are applying carcinogens simply for the sake of aesthetics. That's got to change".(4) Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are becoming some of the worst water pollutants in America. Discharges into San Francisco Bay from the central valley of California are estimated at almost two tons per year.(26) Phosphorous levels in some Maryland streams have doubled since 1986. And an EPA study found potentially harmful levels of nitrate from chemical fertilizers in drinking water wells nationwide. This can cause blue-baby syndrome, an oxygen-depriving condition in infants that can be fatal.(18) Environmental impacts are also devastating. Ward Stone, a DEC wildlife pathologist, has long file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 5 of 8 studied bird kills from pesticides that were used according to regulation. Documented cases of owls, mourning doves, sparrows, blue birds, and many other songbirds killed by lawn chemicals are on the rise. Waterfowl like Canadian geese, mallards, wood ducks, and others have suffered even worse. In 1984 there were 700 brant found dead on a Long Island country club after it was sprayed with Diazinon. (8,27) Pesticide exposure causes shivering, excessive salivating, grand mai seizures, wild flapping, and sometimes screaming according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer Diana Conger. Ward Stone likens these birds to miners' canaries, foreshadowing serious harm to humans from chemical build-up in the environment.(28) Most people seriously overestimate the amount of protection given them by governments regarding pesticide safety. Congress found that 90% of the pesticides on the market lack even minimal required safety screening.(3) Of the 34 most used lawn pesticides, 33 have not been fully tested for human health hazards.(4) If any tests are done, they are performed by the chemical manufacturers, not the EPA. "If a chemical company wanted to, they could start with a desired conclusion, and skew the data, and the EPA would never know", notes David Welch, an entomologist with the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. Welch did a random sampling of 15 pesticide files and found 13 without proper reviews.(19) One third of the most commonly used lawn pesticides were illegally registered for use. Despite the fact executives of Industrial Bio- Test labs were given jail terms for faking pesticides tests, the chemicals are still on the market.(3) Shortages in funding, personnel, and interference from business has slowed re-evaluation of these chemicals.(25) Even when the EPA does refuse a pesticide registration, the manufacturer often files a lawsuit, which keeps the chemical on the market.(19) Jay Feldman, coordinator of the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, is well aware of this. "The EPA should be called the IPA- the Industry Protection Agency", he charges. The chemical industry is extremely powerful, and wraps the EPA in red tape. It is also essential to understand that by law pesticide registration in the U.S.A. is not a consumer safety program.(9) According to Congress, the EPA does not have testing and assessment guidelines specifically for lawn use.(25) EPA has admitted in court that pesticide registration does not ensure product safety. Rather, it is a balancing act of costs and risks.(1-5,7-9,15,22) Most lawn pesticides were registered before 1972, when more stringent restrictions took effect under the revised Federal Rodenticide and Fungicide Act. They were never tested for many human health hazards like carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and environmental dangers. Most, as previously stated, have yet to be re-evaluated, yet remain on the market. Read the labels on many lawn pesticide products, sprayed by lawn companies or sold in stores, and you will find one or more of the following: 2,4-D, Captan, Diazinon, Dursban, Dacthal, Dicamba, and Mecocrop. Each was registered without full safety screening. 2,4-D is an artificial hormone that has become a synonym for "dangerous pesticide", but dermal absorption of mecoprop is far more dangerous, and dicamba is much more persistent in the environment - a mixture of these three is usually used, not 2,4-D alone. Diazinon has been banned for use on golf courses and sod farms due to massive waterfowl deaths but is still widely used on lawns and gardens. It is an organophosphate which disables the nervous system by blocking enzymes essential for nerve impulse transmission. People can protect themselves and their families by knowing the facts. If having grass that looks more like Astroturf than living plants still seems essential, it doesn't have to come with pesticides but is possible with products or programs that are organic and natural. This list of alternatives continues to grow, and they are safer, cheaper, and often work better than pesticides.(3,5) Ringer Corporation vice president Fred Hunt markets natural fertilizers and microbes that kill pests. "We just don't think a lot of these chemicals are necessary for aesthetic use on homeowners' lawns", he reveals.(7) Chemicals add salt to the soil and kill beneficial nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that provide necessary nutrients for grass, turning a lawn into a junkie.(29) Each quick fix of green creates a dependence for the next. Synthetic fertilizers kill earthworms and other organisms that aerate soil, causing it to compact and kill file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 6 of 8 grass plants. Inorganic nitrogen-based fertilizers also promote the sprouting of weeds.(30) Compounds in chemical fertilizers also acidify the soil and aid in breeding of some insects. Lawns need a soil pH between 5.6 and 7 or else they mm pale and thin out. Additional doses of chemicals will only make matters worse.(31,32) Recycling grass clippings saves money, reduces waste, and according to Lawn Institute Director Eliot C. Roberts is equivalent to three applications of fertilizer a year without unhealthy chemicals and their side-effects. Natural fertilizers are also better because they are time released, allowing grass to grow slower and tougher, requiring much less care. Insects have been best controlled by other insects for millions of years, and the lawn is no exception. Insecticides often kill more beneficial insects than problem ones. Once the natural balance is destroyed, continued reliance on insecticides will occur. This is also tree of weed killers. When a crabgrass stand is killed with an herbicide, there will still be thousands of seeds ready to start anew.(31) In the long run, pesticides can actually help the very pests they target by also killing their predators, and their use becomes self-perpetuating. Until a natural balance is restored, more and more will have to be spent each year on chemicals, and resistant pests may also invade. Using alternative strategies will bring better results and be kinder to the environment. Integrated Pest Management gives simple, long-lasting solutions which require no chemicals, much less money, and much less time and effort. Many alternatives not explored here can be found in the books and articles listed at the end of this report. What makes a plant a "weed" is often only a matter of opinion. For instance, it was once a sign of prestige to have clover in a lawn. Their flowers and silky green leaves were once prized by homeowners, as was their natural production of nitrogen fertiliser, and clover seed was sold by the bushels, alone or mixed with grass seed. It wasn't until a chemical company discovered a pesticide that killed clover but not always grass and launched an enormous advertising campaign that clover became no longer fashionable. As a result, people today ignore its fine qualities, even though throughout the 1950s it was "common as bluegrass".(33) A growing list of over 9,000 Americans are participating in the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. By growing tall grasses, they attract a dazzling array of wildflowers, butterflies, and birds, creating habitats that are the aesthetic match of any manicured lawn. Suggestions on what to plant to best atttact wildlife can be obtained from the Fish & Game Department of any state in the country.(34) The lawn pesticide industry is a very recent creation by chemical finns to expand the market for aging farm chemicals. These products are not necessary for use on lawns and pose serious ecological and human health risks that outweigh any benefits they offer. Integrated Pest Management strategies offer alternatives that work better and have less harmful effects. Proper legislation to protect the public regarding pesticide use is still seriously insufficient.(35) Therefore, the responsibility rests on the public to be the ultimate judge of what the acceptable levels of risk will be for their families and environment. (4) References: 1. New York State Attorney General's Office. "The Secret Hazards Of Lawn Pesticides: Inert Ingredients." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 2. New York State Attorney General's Office. "Pesticides In The Schools: Reducing The Risks." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 3. "Lawn Chemical Dangers." American Defender Network, 1989. 4. Davidson, Osha Gray. "Pesticides: The Killing Fields." Woman s Day 20 September 1994. 5. The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation (Sensitive To A Toxic Environment), 4 Hazel Court, West Seneca, NY 14224. file ://A:qiPoison%20in%20the% 20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 1 of 8 Poison In The Grass: The Hazards And Consequences Of Lawn Pesticides By Nathan Diegelman The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation mailto:b1891 ~FreeNet. Buffalo. EDU As the use of lawn chemicals and pesticides has grown, questions have arisen regarding safety hazards and environmental consequences. This report gives factual findings to help answer many o£these concerns. Some of them may seem shocking, since the chemical pesticide industry has made every effort to keep this information from the public. Everything that follows in this report is documented and supported by the U.S.Federal Government, private agencies, and other experts. Contrary to what lawn "care" companies would like people to believe, herbicides (weed killers) and other pesticides are not "magic bullets". They are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life. The pesticide industry downplays this by claiming their chemicals are heavily diluted, but doesn't mention the toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. They also are unwilling to mention all of what is in their mixtures. Many components are classified as "inert", which allows them to be kept hidden from the public and not listed on product labels. These are more than just fillers or solvents. "Inert" does not mean "inactive" - some, such as benzene and xylene, are more toxic than listed chemicals.(1,2) Listed chemicals can be just as dangerous. They include components of war-time defoliants like Agent Orange, nerve-gas type insecticides, and artificial hormones. Some the Federal Government has even prohibited from use on it's own property. Many pesticides are not safe when dry. Water evaporates, but most pesticides remain and continue to release often odorless and invisible toxic vapors. In areas where lawn spraying is common, they accumulate in a toxic smog throughout the entire season. Some pesticides remain active for years after application. DDT is still showing up in higher rates in women's breast milk than the government permits in cow's milk.(4) Fat soluble pesticides accumulate over time in our bodies, then are released at potentially toxic levels when illness or stress results in our fat reserves being metabolised. A large portion of a woman's lifetime exposure to such pesticides is released in the breast milk for her firstborn child.(37) It is a violation of U.S.Federal law to claim pesticides are "safe when used as directed" since nothing can assure safety.(2,3,5) (However, Agriculture Canada, the federal agency responsible until recently for licensing pesticides in Canada, routinely used this statement, adding for good measure that "most pesticides are safer than table salt". Fortunately, pesticides in Canada are now licensed by Health Canada.) Some pesticides labeled "bio-degradable" degrade into compounds more dangerous than the original. Examples include Mancozeb, which degrades into a substance that is an EPA-classified probable carcinogen.(6) The pesticide industry also implies that "organic" means safe and natural (for example, "Nature's Lawn"), knowing that the term legally may be applied to any compound containing carbon and hydrogen. ChemLawn and other lawn "care" companies and manufacturers have often been sued for fictitious claims.(5-14) Many applicators are just as conniving and deceitful, using statements like "absolutely cannot harm children or pets" and "perfectly safe for the environment" to mislead the public. The New York State Attorney General s Office sued Dow Elanco chemical company when they claimed that Dnzsban shows "no evidence of significant risk to the environment" when right on the label is stated "this pesticide is toxic to birds and extremely toxic to fish and aquatic file ://A:V~Poison%20in%20the% 20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 2 of 8 organisms".(15) A few years later on May 2, 1995, the EPA fined Dow Elanco for "failing to report to the Agency information on adverse health effects (to humans) over the past decade involving a number of pesticides, including chlorpyrifos (brand name Dursban)". Most of the information came from personal injury claims against Dow Elanco which the company had hidden from the EPA. Now it is even being found that chlorpyrifos causes multiple sclerosis.(38) Some companies have even made claims that their products better the environment. "Funk" lawn care of New York has coined the phrase "Growing A Better Environment" in order to fool consumers into believing lawn chemicals pose no ecological harm. Another states "a 50-by-50 foot lawn produces enough oxygen to sustain a family of four." But this is only true with a plot of land that has tall grass and no lawn care. Pesticides, lawnmower fumes and common lawn care practices actually create a net destruction of oxygen.(16) The United States General Accounting Office, the investigative ann of Congress, has also tried to alert the public to lawn chemical dangers. GAO's undercover team noted many fictitious claims by many in the lawn "care" industry.(35) Many included illegal claims of product safety. Others were just deceiving, such as the ChemLawn claim that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one baby aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not that people will be grazing the lawn but that most poisonings come from inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin. (6,7,10) Most do-it-yourselfers are just as ignorant when it comes to proper protection and safety precautions. Studies show most don't even look at the warnings on their toxins. They don't wear gloves, goggles, or protective clothing to decrease exposure. Worse, many don't keep people off the contaminated area after chemicals are applied. Homeowners commonly use up to ten times as much pesticides per acre as farmers.(7,17) A Virginia Tech study for the state legislature found that most homeowners have no idea how much nitrogen they use when fertilizing and that they apply chemicals in ways that damage water supplies.(18) Pesticides drift and settle during application. In the Antarctic ice pack alone there are 2.4 million pounds of DDT and its metabolites from years past.(26) Pesticides engulf the home and are easily tracked inside, readily inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They do harm by attacking the central nervous system and other essential organs. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning are often deceptively simple, commonly mis-diagnosed as flu or allergies. They include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fever, breathing difficulties, seizures, eye pains, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, sore nose, tongue, or throat; burning skin, rashes, coughing, muscle pain, tissue swelling, blurred vision, numbness and tingling in hands or feet, incontinence, anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, hyperactivity, fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, spontaneous bleeding, and temporary paralysis. Long-term consequences include lowered fertility, binl~ defects, miscarriages, blindness, liver and kidney dysfunction, neurological damage, heart trouble, stroke, immune system disorders, menstrual problems, memory loss, suicidal depression, cancer, and death. The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least one out of seven people are significantly harmed by pesticide exposure each year.(3) Increasingly, reports from many people around the country are "beginning to link feeling terrible with the fact the neighbors had the lawn sprayed the day before", notes Catherine Kart, a toxicologist for the National Coalition Against The Misuse Of Pesticides.(7) Unfortunately, except for industrial accidents, tests for pesticide poisoning are rarely performed, pa~ially because they are expensive. Doctors also attribute them to stress, allergies, influenza, or an overactive imagination.(3) Many Americans are developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a bizarre and extremely disabling condition. In 1979, the Surgeon General issued a report stating "There is virtually no major chronic disease to which environmental factors do not contribute, directly or indirectly." Indeed, people file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 3 of 8 today are exposed to synthetic chemicals at levels unmatched at any time throughout human history. Washington Post staff writer Michael Weiskopf noted in a February 10, 1990 article that "hypersensitivity to low levels of toxic chemicals (MCS) is a serious and growing medical problem, threatening to cause significant economic consequences by disabling large numbers of otherwise healthy people." MCS is a result of the destruction of the body's ability to tolerate and synthesize chemicals after exposure to toxic substances. Victims develop extreme reactions now not only to lawn pesticides but also hair sprays, perfumes, soaps, formaldehyde, and many other common household products.(5,36) Many victims include former lawn pesticide applicators and users, their families, and children. Sharon Malhorta, a registered nurse from Pittsburgh, would get so sick from lawn and tree spraying that she had to leave her home every spring. Otherwise she would suffer headaches, paralysis in her hands and feet, and muscle seizures. Repeated exposure caused blurred vision, speech difficulties, and severe stomach cramps. Her husband, a doctor, suspected early on her symptoms were the result of nerve damage from organophosphates, which are widely used nerve-gas type insecticides, like Diazinon. After questioning lawn companies about their products he was told they were "practically nontoxic", registered by the EPA, and not harmful to people or pets. He later discovered that the chemicals his wife was exposed to were in fact neurotoxins, and was shocked to discover there were surprisingly few EPA studies on their health effects.(19) Karen James, a Michigan postal worker, successfully sued ChemLawn in 1988. While walking past one of their trucks, a hose raptured and she was drenched with chemicals. The employee told her not to worry, that only fertilizers were in the spray. But soon after she became seriously ill, and her eyes and skin burned. When her symptoms of fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and reduced vision didn't clear up, her doctor called ChemLawn to find out what chemicals she had been exposed to. He was told no pesticides had been involved, but after tests on Karen s body tissue detected high levels of Dursban, ChemLawn admitted the track contained pesticides. Many other suits against lawn companies are settled out of court. Frequently the settlement restrains the victim from talking about the incident, so the public is not informed.(19) For the price of green lawns, children are also being poisoned. In 1985 a married couple in Sarasota, Florida, felt pressured by their neighbors to get their lawn treated. They hired a company, never thinking their 2-year-old daughter would be jeopardized. The company declared the yard would be safe about an hour after the chemicals were applied. However, soon after playing barefoot on the grass, the couple's daughter developed a rash all over her body, her urine turned dark brown, and she ran a high fever. Her doctor prescribed antibiotics, but her condition grew steadily worse. Her hands and feet swelled to twice normal size, blistered, and peeled. Her lips turned black and bled. Years later she is still permanently prone to headaches and has 40% hearing loss in her right ear.(19) Barry and Jackie Veysey believe lawn chemicals were responsible for the death of their baby son. Barry was a professional turf master, and the chemicals he worked with may have mutated his sperm or poisoned the infant in utero. Every time Jackie washed her husband's uniforms, the chemicals may have been absorbed through her skin and permeated the placenta. The child was bom with a severe and fatal type of dwarfism. Jackie held her son only once before he died due to massive failure of his underdeveloped organs.(19) Kevin Ryan from Arlington Heights, Illinois, feels like a prisoner in his home. "I can't even play in my own yard because the neighbors spray their lawns and trees", he says. Kevin suffered routine chemical exposure as a toddler from lawn spraying, and now suffers nausea, irritability, fatigue, and loss of memory whenever pesticides are nearby. His family moves to Colorado every spring and fall, the peak spraying times of the year, to keep him safe.(19,20) file://A:V~Poison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 4 of 8 In 1986, Robin Dudek of Hamburg, New York pulled the garden hose off her lawn and used it to fill a wading pool for her daughters Amanda, 3, and Kristen, 2. Earlier her lawn had been sprayed with chemicals. When Amanda started drinking from the hose, she began to scream that the water was burning her. Then Kristen began crying and screaming as well. Robin took the children inside and noticed burn marks on both of them, as well as the smell of chemicals on Amanda's breath. The girls later suffered from fevers, swollen eyes, and blisters thc size of grape clusters around their necks.(19) Christina Locek was a professional ice skater and pianist before her health was destroyed in 1985, when a her neighbor s lawn was sprayed with pesticides. Her cat and dog died that same day, and she suffers headaches, partial paralysis, vision loss, and blood disorders.(21) Former Navy Lieutenant George Prior developed a fever, headache, and nausea after playing on a golf course treated with Daconii. It was later discovered he was suffering from toxicepidermai necrolysis, which causes skin to fall off in sheets and massive organ failure. Prior died soon afler.(6,8) According to the EPA, 95% of the pesticides used on residential lawns are possible or probable carcinogens.(3,22) In 1989 the National Cancer Institute reported children develop leukemia six times more often when pesticides are used around their homes.(3,22) The American Journal of Epidemiology found that more children with brain tumors and other cancers had been exposed to insecticides than children without.(3) Studies by the National Cancer Society and other medical researchers have discovered a definite link between fatal non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NH]L) and exposure to triazine herbicides (like Atrazine), phenoxyacetic herbicides (2,4-D), organophosphate insecticides (Diazinon), fungicides, and fumigants; all of which have uses as lawn chemicals. This may be an important contributing factor to the 50% rise in NHL over the past ten years in the American population. Studies of farmers who once used these pesticides found alarmingly high numbers of NHL, especially in those who didn't wear protective clothing. This latest finding also proves the theory that most danger from pesticides comes through dermal absorption, not ingestion.(23) A University of Iowa study of golf course superintendents found abnormally high rates of death due to cancer of thc brain, large intestine, and prostate.(4) Other experts arc beginning to link golfers, and non- golfers who live near fairways, with these same problems.(8,24) Documented cases of pesticides in groundwater wells are suspect for cancer clusters showing in many towns. In 1989, drinking water in at least 38 states was known to be contam'inated.(3) After the herbicide Dacthal was applied to Long Island golf courses, it was detected in drinking water wells at levels twenty times the State's safety limits. The water also contained a dioxin that is a highly toxic by- product of Dacthai(8,19). The New York State Attorney General sued the manufacturer in 1989 to investigate the contamination and develop a treatment program, since ground water is the main source of drinking water for Long Island. Twenty-two other pesticides have been found in the water so far. However, there is still no requirement or systematic program designed to test for drinking water contamination.(3,25) As Michael Surgan, Ph.D., Chief Environmental Scientist for the New York State Attorney General, and an advocate for responsible pesticide use, puts it, "If you buy the notion that we have to accept a certain amount of risk from pesticides to safeguard thc food supply, that's one thing, he notes. But with lawns, people are applying carcinogens simply for thc sake of aesthetics. That's got to change" .(4) Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are becoming some of the worst water pollutants in America. Discharges into San Francisco Bay from the central valley of California are estimated at almost two tons per year.(26) Phosphorous levels in some Maryland streams have doubled since 1986. And an EPA study found potentially harmful levels of nitrate from chemical fertilizers in drinking water wells nationwide. This can cause blue-baby syndrome, an oxygen-depriving condition in infants that can be fatal.(18) Environmental impacts are also devastating. Ward Stone, a DEC wildlife pathologist, has long file://A:WPoison%20i0%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 5 of 8 studied bird kills from pesticides that were used according to regulation. Documented cases of owls, mourning doves, sparrows, blue birds, and many other songbirds killed by lawn chemicals are on the rise. Waterfowl like Canadian geese, mallards, wood ducks, and others have suffered even worse. In 1984 there were 700 brant found dead on a Long Island country club after it was sprayed with Diazinon. (8,27) Pesticide exposure causes shivering, excessive salivating, grand mai seizures, wild flapping, and sometimes screaming according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer Diana Conger. Ward Stone likens these birds to miners' canaries, foreshadowing serious harm to humans from chemical build-up in the environmeat.(28) Most people seriously overestimate the amount of protection given them by governments regarding pesticide safety. Congress found that 90% of the pesticides on the market lack even minimal required safety screening.(3) Of the 34 most used lawn pesticides, 33 have not been fully tested for human health hazards.(4) If any tests are done, they are performed by the chemical manufacturers, not the EPA. "If a chemical company wanted to, they could start with a desired conclusion, and skew the data, and the EPA would never know", notes David Welch, an entomologist with the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. Welch did a random sampling of 15 pesticide files and found 13 without proper reviews.(19) One third of the most commonly used lawn pesticides were illegally registered for use. Despite the fact executives of Industrial Bio- Test labs were given jail terms for faking pesticides tests, the chemicals are still on the market.(3) Shortages in funding, personnel, and interference from business has slowed re-evaluation of these chemicals.(25) Even when the EPA does refuse a pesticide registration, the manufacturer often files a lawsuit, which keeps the chemical on the market.(l 9) Jay Feldman, coordinator of the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, is well aware of this. "The EPA should be called the IPA- the Industry Protection Agency", he charges. The chemical industry is extremely powerful, and wraps the EPA in red tape. It is also essential to understand that by law pesticide registration in the U.S.A. is not a consumer safety program.(9) According to Congress, the EPA does not have testing and assessment guidelines specifically for lawn use.(25) EPA has admitted in court that pesticide registration does not ensure product safety. Rather, it is a balancing act of costs and risks.(1-5,7-9,15,22) Most lawn pesticides were registered before 1972, when more stringent restrictions took effect under the revised Federal Rodanticide and Fungicide Act. They were never tested for many human health hazards like carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and environmental dangers. Most, as previously stated, have yet to be re-evaluated, yet remain on the market. Read the labels on many lawn pesticide products, sprayed by lawn companies or sold in stores, and you will find one or more of the following: 2,4-D, Captan, Diazinon, Dursban, Dacthal, Dicamba, and Mecocrop. Each was registered without full safety screening. 2,4-D is an artificial hormone that has become a synonym for "dangerous pesticide", but dermal absorption of mecoprop is far more dangerous, and dicamba is much more persistent in the environment - a mixture of these three is usually used, not 2,4-D alone. Diazinon has been banned for use on golf courses and sod farms due to massive waterfowl deaths but is still widely used on lawns and gardens. It is an organophosphate which disables the nervous system by blocking enzymes essential for nerve impulse transmission. People can protect themselves and their families by knowing the facts. If having grass that looks more like Astroturf than living plants still seems essential, it doesn't have to come with pesticides but is possible with products or programs that are organic and natural. This list of alternatives continues to grow, and they are safer, cheaper, and often work better than pesticides.(3,5) Ringer Corporation vice president Fred Hunt markets natural fertilizers and microbes that kill pests. "We just don't think a lot of these chemicals are necessary for aesthetic use on homeowners' lawns", he reveals.(7) Chemicals add salt to the soil and kill beneficial nitrogen-fixing microorganisms that provide necessary nutrients for grass, turning a lawn into a junkie.(29) Each quick fix of green creates a dependence for the next. Synthetic fertilizers kill earthworms and other organisms that aerate soil, causing it to compact and kill file ://A : V~Poison%20in%20the% 20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 6 of 8 grass plants. Inorganic nitrogen-based fertilizers also promote the sprouting of weeds.(30) Compounds in chemical fertilizers also acidify the soil and aid in breeding of some insects. Lawns need a soil pH between 5.6 and 7 or else they mm pale and thin out. Additional doses of chemicals will only make matters worse.(31,32) Recycling grass clippings saves money, reduces waste, and according to Lawn Institute Director Eliot C. Roberts is equivalent to three applications of fertilizer a year without unhealthy chemicals and their side-effects. Natural fertilizers are also better because they are time released, allowing grass to grow slower and tougher, requiring much less care. Insects have been best controlled by other insects for millions of years, and the lawn is no exception. Insecticides often kill more beneficial insects than problem ones. Once the natural balance is destroyed, continued reliance on insecticides will occur. This is also true of weed killers. When a crabgrass stand is killed with an herbicide, there will still be thousands of seeds ready to start anew.(31) In the long nm, pesticides can actually help the very pests they target by also killing their predators, and their use becomes self-perpetuating. Until a natural balance is restored, more and more will have to be spent each year on chemicals, and resistant pests may also invade. Using alternative strategies will bring better results and be kinder to the environment. Integrated Pest Management gives simple, long-lasting solutions which require no chemicals, much less money, and much less time and effort. Many alternatives not explored here can be found in the books and articles listed at the end of this report. What makes a plant a "weed" is often only a matter of opinion. For instance, it was once a sign of prestige to have clover in a lawn. Their flowers and silky green leaves were once prized by homeowners, as was their natural production of nitrogen fertiliser, and clover seed was sold by the bushels, alone or mixed with grass seed. It wasn't until a chemical company discovered a pesticide that killed clover but not always grass and launched an enormous advertising campaign that clover became no longer fashionable. As a result, people today ignore its fine qualities, even though throughout the 1950s it was "common as bluegrass" .(33) A growing list of over 9,000 Americans are participating in the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. By growing tall grasses, they attract a dazzling array of wildflowers, butterflies, and birds, creating habitats that are the aesthetic match of any manicured lawn. Suggestions on what to plant to best attract wildlife can be obtained from the Fish & Game Department of any state in the country.(34) The lawn pesticide industry is a very recent creation by chemical firms to expand the market for aging farm chemicals. These products are not necessary for use on lawns and pose serious ecological and human health risks that outweigh any benefits they offer. Integrated Pest Management strategies offer altematives that work better and have less harmful effects. Proper legislation to protect the public regarding pesticide use is still seriously insufficient.(35) Therefore, the responsibility rests on the public to be the ultimate judge of what the acceptable levels of risk will be for their families and environment. (4) References: 1. New York State Attorney General's Office. "The Secret Hazards Of Lawn Pesticides: Inert Ingredients." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 2. New York State Attorney General's Office. "Pesticides In The Schools: Reducing The Risks." New York State Department Of Law, 1994. 3. "Lawn Chemical Dangers." American Defender Network, 1989. 4. Davidson, Osha Gray. "Pesticides: The Killing Fields." Woman s Day 20 September 1994. 5. The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation (Sensitive To A Toxic Environment), 4 Hazel Court, West Seneca, NY 14224. file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for Kids Page 1 of 1 A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common la~vn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Fails Community Schools, Cedar Fails & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Fails and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Cenfer for Energy Envtronmenfol Educcltion file://A:WYards%20for%20Nids.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 1 of 8 Poison In The Grass: The Hazards And Consequences Of Lawn Pesticides By Nathan Diegelman The S.T.A.T.E. Foundation mailto:b1891 ~FreeNet. Buffalo. EDU As the use of lawn chemicals and pesticides has grown, questions have arisen regarding safety hazards and environmental consequences. This report gives factual findings to help answer many of these concerns. Some of them may seem shocking, since the chemical pesticide industry has made every effort to keep this information from the public. Everything that follows in this report is documented and supported by the U.S.Federal Government, private agencies, and other experts. Contrary to what lawn "care" companies would like people to believe, herbicides (weed killers) and other pesticides are not "magic bullets". They are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life. The pesticide industry downplays this by claiming their chemicals are heavily diluted, but doesn't mention the toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. They also are unwilling to mention all of what is in their mixtures. Many components are classified as "inert", which allows them to be kept hidden from the public and not listed on product labels. These are more than just fillers or solvents. "Inert" does not mean "inactive" - some, such as benzene and xylene, are more toxic than listed chemicals.(1,2) Listed chemicals can be just as dangerous. They include components of war-time defoliants like Agent Orange, nerve-gas type insecticides, and artificial hormones. Some the Federal Government has even prohibited from use on it's own property. Many pesticides are not safe when dry. Water evaporates, but most pesticides remain and continue to release often odorless and invisible toxic vapors. In areas where lawn spraying is common, they accumulate in a toxic smog throughout the entire season. Some pesticides remain active for years after application. DDT is still showing up in higher rates in women's breast milk than the government permits in cow's milk.(4) Fat soluble pesticides accumulate over time in our bodies, then are released at potentially toxic levels when illness or stress results in our fat reserves being metabolised. A large portion of a woman's lifetime exposure to such pesticides is released in the breast milk for her firstborn child.(37) It is a violation of U.S.Federal law to claim pesticides are "safe when used as directed" since nothing can assure safety.(2,3,5) (However, Agriculture Canada, the federal agency responsible until recently for licensing pesticides in Canada, routinely used this statement, adding for good measure that "most pesticides are safer than table salt". Fortunately, pesticides in Canada are now licensed by Health Canada.) Some pesticides labeled "bio-degradable" degrade into compounds more dangerous than the original. Examples include Mancozeb, which degrades into a substance that is an EPA-classified probable carcinogen.(6) The pesticide industry also implies that "organic" means safe and natural (for example, "Nature's Lawn"), knowing that the term legally may be applied to any compound containing carbon and hydrogen. ChemLawn and other lawn "care" companies and manufacturers have often been sued for fictitious claims.(5-14) Many applicators are just as conniving and deceitful, using statements like "absolutely cannot harm children or pets" and "perfectly safe for the environment" to mislead the public. The New York State Attorney General s Office sued Dow Elanco chemical company when they claimed that Dursban shows "no evidence of significant risk to the environment" when right on the label is stated "this pesticide is toxic to birds and extremely toxic to fish and aquatic file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Poison in the Grass Page 2 of 8 organisms".(15) A few years later on May 2, 1995, the EPA fined Dow Elanco for "failing to report to the Agency information on adverse health effects (to humans) over the past decade involving a number of pesticides, including chlorpyrifos (brand name Dursban)". Most of the information came from personal injury claims against Dow Elanco which the company had hidden from the EPA. Now it is even being found that chlorpyrifos causes multiple sclerosis.(38) Some companies have even made claims that their products better the environment. "Funk" lawn care of New York has coined the phrase "Growing A Better Environment" in order to fool consumers into believing lawn chemicals pose no ecological harm. Another states "a 50-by-50 foot lawn produces enough oxygen to sustain a family of four." But this is only true ~vith a plot of land that has tall grass and no lawn care. Pesticides, lawnmower fumes and cormnon lawn care practices actually create a net destruction of oxygen.(16) The United States General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has also tried to alert the public to lawn chemical dangers. GAO's undercover team noted many fictitious claims by many in the lawn "care" industry.(35) Many included illegal claims of product safety. Others were just deceiving, such as the ChemLawn claim that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one baby aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not that people will be grazing the lawn but that most poisonings come from inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin. (6,7,10) Most do-it-yourselfers are just as ignorant when it comes to proper protection and safety precautions. Studies show most don't even look at the warnings on their toxins. They don't wear gloves, goggles, or protective clothing to decrease exposure. Worse, many don't keep people off the contaminated area after chemicals are applied. Homeowners commonly use up to ten times as much pesticides per acre as farmers.(7,17) A Virginia Tech study for the state legislature found that most homeowners have no idea how much nitrogen they use when fertilizing and that they apply chemicals in ways that damage water supplies.(18) Pesticides drift and settle during application. In the Antarctic ice pack alone there are 2.4 million pounds of DDT and its metabolites from years past.(26) Pesticides engulf the home and are easily tracked inside, readily inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They do harm by attacking the central nervous system and other essential organs. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning are often deceptively simple, commonly mis-diagnosed as flu or allergies. They include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fever, breathing difficulties, seizures, eye pains, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, sore nose, tongue, or throat; burning skin, rashes, coughing, muscle pain, tissue swelling, blurred vision, numbness and tingling in hands or feet, incontinence, anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, hyperactivity, fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, spontaneous bleeding, and temporary paralysis. Long-term consequences include lowered fertility, birth defects, miscarriages, blindness, liver and kidney dysfunction, neurological damage, heart trouble, stroke, immune system disorders, menstrual problems, memory loss, suicidal depression, cancer, and death. The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least one out of seven people are significantly harmed by pesticide exposure each year.(3) Increasingly, reports from many people around the country are "beginning to link feeling terrible with the fact the neighbors had the lawn sprayed the day before", notes Catherine Kart, a toxicologist for the National Coalition Against The Misuse Of Pesticides.(7) Unfortunately, except for industrial accidents, tests for pesticide poisoning are rarely performed, partially because they are expensive. Doctors also attribute them to stress, allergies, influenza, or an overactive imagination.(3) Many Americans are developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a bizarre and extremely disabling condition. In 1979, the Surgeon General issued a report stating "There is virtually no major chronic disease to which environmental factors do not contribute, directly or indirectly." Indeed, people file://A:WPoison%20in%20the%20Grass.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for Kids i~age I o~ ~ A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily,, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Iowa Waste i e UCtion Center Center for Energy 8, En~ironrnenlol Education file://A:WYards%20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for Kids page x o~ ± A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Center for Energy & Environmental Education file://A:WYards%20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for Kids wage I or l A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some la~vn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Iowa Waste [tecluction CeFl r Center for Energy & Environmental Education file://A:WYards%20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for Kids Fage I or I A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency {EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Lucktly, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Fails Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Iowa Waste e uction Center Center for Energy & Emrironmentol Education file ://A :WYards%20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for Kids l~age ± o~ i A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Iowa Waste Beducfion Center Cenfer for Energy ~. Envlronme~fal Education file://A:WYards%20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for Kids Fage I or l A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-flee lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-flee services. Center for Energy & Environmental Education file ://A:V~Yards% 20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Yards for N~ds r'age I oI ± A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Env/ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Io a Waste i e UCfio Center Center for Energy & Environmental EducQfion file://A:WYards%20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Yards [or Kids ~age I ox I Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no. Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides. A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance. UNI's Center for Energy & Environmental Education is working with schools, parks, businesses, churches and home owners to reduce the amount of lawn pesticides used in Iowa. Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides- despite having an EPA registration-have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately. Luckily, effective alternatives to pesticides exist and many are practicing them. The City of Cedar Falls over the last three years developed a reduction plan which has saved nearly $18,000 and 300 gallons weed killers. The Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Parks, and Covenant Medical Center are among organizations who have taken the lead by significantly reducing the use of weed killer to create healthier parks and public spaces. Both Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries offer an excellent set of books and resources on ecological lawn and garden care. Some lawn care companies offer pesticide-free services. Iowa '¢4aste [te UCfioa Center Cenfer for Energy ~. Environmental Education file://A:WYards%20for%20Kids.htm 3/21/2003 Sample Charts and Background Information (Updated) from Rachel Carson Council's Basi~c Guide to Pesti~cides by Shirley Briggs and Rachel Carson Council, 1992 TABLE OF CONTENTS ITEM PAGE Explanation of Ratings on Pesticide Charts from Basic Guide w Pesticides ...................... 2 Other Explanations and Definitions ....................................................................................... 4 Sample Herbicide Information from Basic Guide to Pesticides and EPA ........................... Chemical Class - Triazine ........................................................................................... 5 Chart on Atrazine (a Triazine class chemical) from Basic Guide to Pesticides ...... 6 Rating of Atrazine from EPA on carcinogenicity ..................................................... 7 Sample Insecticide Information from Basic Guide to Pesticides and EPA ......................... 8 Chemical Class - Organophosphate (OP) ................................................................. 8 Chart on Chlorpyrifos from Basic Guide to Pesticides ............................................. 9 Sample Fungicide Information from Basic Guide to Pesticides and EPA ......................... 11 Chemical Class - Benzonitrile .................................................................................. 11 Chart on Chiorothalonii from Basic Guide to Pesticides ........................................ 12 Rating of Chlorothalonil from EPA on carcinogenicity ......................................... 13 Cher~[c.o.L CLass - Py r~h ro~ct lq Upd ~d Ch t Perme~h ' ta ti.i' O~t f'trl ...... = ......... Upd zcd Charfz on Pipero. nyl gutox d , ...... 16 Rachel Carson Council, Inc. (RCC) 8940 Jones Mill Road Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-652-1877 rccouncil~aol.com http://raembers.aol.com/rccouncil/ourpage/ EXPLANATION OF RATINGS ON PESTICIDE CHARTS FOR "BASIC GUIDE TO PESTICIDES" IMMEDIATE TOXICITY RATINGS Oral and dermal ratings are expressed in terms of LDs0; inhalation in terms of LC50. RATING EPA TYPE OF HUMAN OR TEST PROBABLE LETHAL DOSE RATING EXPOSURE A~WIMAL DOSE FOR 150 LB. HLrMAN Very high I 0ral 0-50 mt/kg 0-1 teaspoon Dermal 0-200 mt/kg Inhalation 0-2000 mc/l=mg/m3 High II Oral 50-500 mg/kg 1 teaspoon - 1 ounce Dermal 200-2000 mg/kg Inhalation 2000-20,000 mc/1 Medium III Oral 500-5000 mg/kg 1 ounce-1 pint (er 1 pound) Dermal 2000-20,000 mt/kg Inhalation no rating given Low IV Oral over 5000 mt/kg over 1 pint or 1 pound Dermal over 20,000 mR/kg Inhalation no rating given DEFINITIONS LD50 = lethal dose that kills 50 percent of test animals in a given ti~e. LCs0 = lethal concentration, in air or water in which test animals live, that kills 50 percent in a given time. mc/1 = micrograms ~g) per liter. A microgram is one millionth of a gram. This measurement is comparable to parts per billion (ppb). mt/kg= milligrams (of a toxin) per kilograms (of body weight of animal). This measurement is comparable to parts per million (ppm). PERSISTENCE RATINGS We have reduced the persistence of these pesticides to four stages, in accordance with the scale used in the first annual report of the Council on Environmental Quality,N%970, page 132: Non-pers = non-persistent: effectiveness lasts from a few hours to several days, never more than 12 weeks. Mod-pers = moderately persistent: from t to 18 months. Pets = persistent: retains toxicity for years, perhaps as many as 50 ~o 100. Perm = permanent: non-degradable to non-toxic materials in the environment. QUOTATION MAPCKS: where no quantitative data has been found but there is a statement on an attribute, in a usually trustworthy source, we use it in quotation marks to show that it may not fit into our rating system but does give a clue. HUMAN/~IAN EFFECTS: since most of our reliable data must be learned from careful tests on appropriate test animals, and since we are also concerned about the effects of these products on our fellow mammals, wa combine all available data to determine the.ratings lot both immediate and long-term toxicity. LONG-TE~M TOXICITY includes long-lasting or permanent damage from one exposure, or from continuing exposures, gradual ~cc~mulation in the body~ or effects that may appear long after the crucial exposure, some affecting only subsequent generations. OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS, INCLUDING THOSE ON NON-TARGET SPECIES AND THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT: I~M24~DIATE ~ND LONG-TEk~ TOXICITY for other creatures follow the preceding scales. }lute=ions in plants are a warninK for all forms of life, since some plan= cells react very much as animal cells do. SOLUBILITY, either in water or oil: our scale modifies the U.S. Pharmacopeia scale to.a four-stage scale, as precise as most of our data permits. We give higher-sounding ratings to lower concentrations because in dealing with toxic substances ~hese are proportions tha~' ' have important effects. Water. solubility can determine the spread of a material through the environment; oil Solubility can determine whether it may accumulate in fatty animal tissues. our rating solubility at room U.S. Pharmacopeia temperature (20 to 30°C.,68 to 86°F.~ rating insoluble less than 1 part per million (ppm) insoluble slightly 1 to 10 ppm soluble 10 to 100 ppm soluble 100 to 1000 ppm very slightly soluble 1000 to 10,000 ppm (.1 to 1%) slightly soluble vary soluble iQ,0C0 =o 33,333 ppm sparingly soluble 333,333 ~o !O0,000 ppm soluble 100,000 to 1,000,000 ppm (10~ te 100~) freely soluble over 1,O00,000 (over 100Z) but not miscible very soluble miscible infinitely soluble VOLATILITY: the rate at which a substance evaporates, thus leaving its original place of application and possibly being transported for great distances: vo!a=ili~y ra=in~ vapor pressure at 20 to 30° C. non-volatile less uhan ! x 10-7 umnE~ (.0000001 millimeters of mercury) sl~on=ly volatile 10-7 to l0-& mm/{~ (.00000012to .0001 mmE,) volatile 10-a to 10- mmH~ (.0001 to .o! mmHg) hi~h!y vc!a~i!e greater than .o! mm~g FL~w3t:3iL!~: based cn the flash point, the temperature at ~hich the vapor of a fla~able liquid will iEuite in air. flammable flash point (f.p.) below !d0: F., vapor pressure no~ over a0 pounds per square inch at !00~ F. combustible flask point at or over ld0: F. OTHER EXPLANATIONS AND DEFINITIONS U.S. EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Definition The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collects data annually on more than 600 toxic chemicals that threaten human health and the environment in its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) database. The TRI is a recent extension of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act. The list is intended for ~racking and regulating the destruction, storage or spillage of hazardous chemicals by corporations or manufacturers. There is a threshold amount for the toxic chemical above which reporting is required. Chemicals (even those which appear on the list), when legally applied as pesticides, are not required to be reported under the TRI program. The Rachel Carson Council has included the TRI list information so that the public will be aware of the toxicity of some commonly used chemical pesticides and seek safer alternatives. Information on these alternatives is available from the Rachel Carson Council, and we encourage the public to inquire. From Rachel Carson Council, Inc., May 1998. Two Endocrine Disruptor Definitions "An environmental endocrine disruptor is an exogenous agent that interferes with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding action or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, development and behavior." From Environmental Health Perspectives, V. 106, Supplement 1, p. 11-56, 1998. "An endocrine disruptor is a chemical that affects the structure and function of the endocrine system." From Dr. Janette Sherman Restricted Use Pesticide As determined by the U.S. EPA or a state agency, a pesticide that is available for purchase and use only by certified pesticide applicators or persons under their direct supervision and only for those uses covered by the Certified Applicator's certification. This group of pesticides is not available for use by the general public because of the very high toxicities an~or environmental hazards associated with these materials. From Farm Chemicals Handbook, 1998. Del'tuitions of EPA Carcinogenic Pesticide Ratings From June 11 1998 Memorandum: [U.S. EPA] Office of Pesticide Prograrm List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential A Human carcinogen B Probable human carcinogen B1 Indicates limited human evidence B2 Indicates sufficient evidence in animals and inadequate or no evidence in humans C Possible human carcinogen D Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity E Evidence of noncarcinogenicity for humans Sample Herbicide Information from Basic Guide to Pesticides Chemical Class - Triazine TRIAZlNE ametryn dipropetryn anilazine ethiozin atrazine hexazinone aziprotryne promaton chlorinated isocyanurates promatryn cyanazine propazine cyprazine simazine cyromazine terbutryn desmetryn Mode of action: May disturb the metabolism of vitamins. Immediate effects: Skin and eye irritation; nau- sea; vomiting; diarrhea; muscular weakness; saliva- tion. Long-term effects: Carcinogens; suspect muta- gens; immunotoxin; adrenal damage; kidney and urinary tract stone formation; teratogens; lung dam- age; suspect fetotoxins; liver and kidney damage; disturbances in sperm production. Environmental effects: Groundwater contami- nants. REFERENCES (2); (3) Hallenbeck, W. H., and lC M. Burns. 1985. Pesticides and human health. New York: Springer-Verlag, NAME: Cmnmtm Class of Chief Pet~islence Ell'eels oft Mmmmlls Adverse ell~ls Trade a.d Oilier Chemical P~lidde olher mm-largel Chemical Ilse; Immedlale ~mg-Tenn CAS Number Slal~ Toxidly Toxicity (Acule) (Chronic) Physical al~zine Iriaziae hedficide m~-pers lo oraE Iow ~o carcinogen (5,6) imm~iale Ioxicity: ~ts (I,2) m~ium (3,4) mutagen (7,8) fish: Iow to high (4) AAt~x; Allacide Extra(with s~ium immunotoxin (9) crustac~s: low ~o chlorate); Atla~n (wilh amitrole); Atradex; restricl~l dermal: medimn adrenal danmge medium (4) Air.ex 50; Atranex; Bellater (with use, USA, (3) (10) bc~: m~lium (2) cyanazine); Bicel~ (with metolachlor); 1990 mollu~s: high (1) Extm~n~ (wilh cy~a~ne); Fogard; Fogard L; inl.dation: "low" aquatic i.s~ts: high Oeigy 30,027; G~prim; G~pfim D (with (4) vc~ high 2,4-D); ~ (with alachlor); Pri~lol; Sut~+; V~tal; Vorox Granular 371; long-term toxicity: W~ex A soil invertebrate: ~y [~uce ~pulalions 2~hlom~thylamino~-isopm (I I) pyla~no-s-triazino amphibi~s: ~y impair repr~uction (13) CAS g 1912-24-9 water: slightly ~luble slightly volatile tin,rotation ~-nltrosoalrazine Update for Atrazine February 1999 Listed on the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Endocrine Disruptor Status: Yes (See Explanation Sheet for TRI list definition.) From personal communication with Dr. Theo Colborn'$ office at the World Wildlife Fund, 3/I/99 Has been detected in ground water. Some atrazine products have Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) From GAO Repofl RCED~93-80, Lawn Care Pesticides (1991) status based on ground water contamination potential and EPA Carcbtogenicity Classification Status: C - Possible human carcinogen worker exposure concerns From "Restricted Use Pesticides," RCC 1995 (See EPA carcinogenicity explanations.) EPA Office of Peslicidc Programs L. ist of Chemicals Evalnated for Carcinogenic Potential, 2/I 9/97 DATE; 06110/98 OFiClCE OF PESTICIDE PROGRAHS Ll'ST OF CffEHICALS EVALUATED IrO~ CARClHOGENIC POTENTIAL CAS No. 62'53'3 body cavity In 2 strains of rat (CO-F I ' not revleved this chemical. " EPA Chm'code: 251/.00 Flacher. 3~/*). CAS No. 1/.0-57-8 3 strains of 141 F rata (FDRL, CFN & I?.1 E~(~ (I) not revleNecl this chmtcal; EPA Chem Co(JO-~ 06250! Oiborfle-#efldel) & # of' one attain of mice I · (C57BL/6xC3#/Anf)F!. ExtrehePettc blllary ~ ., . avatar tutors in dogs (mongrel). ' ' I . CAS No~ 333T-?1'I ' edrmml Fheochremocytoflms; Sprague-DaHley . EPA Ch~ Code: 106901 rill '(.#). . Clq) #meaty tudors (flbroedenome/edenocarclno- 2.22 E-) C CAS ko. 1912-2/*-~ I 2B (IARC) me); Spreeue-h~ley rets (F). .end. ~ EPA Che~ Cede: 080803 · . CAS fro. 65195-55;3 · .. EPA Chm*Cede: 12200/* ' Azbbeflzene 82 (CRAVE) InvseJve sercoraa In the spleen & other 1.1 E-1 (0) ~ B2 .I AZC(~Ae ia Sonotoxlc & may be converted to CAS No. 103-33-3 abdominal storms; F3/*& rats (14 & F). 3.1 E-5 (I) I ] benzldJno. · knokfl hunmn cerclnogefl, under EPA Chem Cede: 007/*01 the IcJdJc cor¥:litlons Jr~ the stomach. This asaessiwent is located on IRIS. OPp bee not rsvleued this chemical. · CAS lo. 131860-33-8 . EPA Chem Cede: 12881O .CAS No. 7173-51-5 EP/~ them Code: eay~on (Propoxt]r) B2 gl~(lder carciws (rare), pepilLoflma & · :3.69 E-3 Pond, #CPRC recorflmend~.dd the lo# dose extrapolation CAS No. 11/,-26-1 combined carcinome/paplllc~a (I~&F.); giatar ~edet aFl)tied t.b the onlflml date be used for EPA Chem Cede~ 0/*7802 I rats. statistically significant increases the quantification of human rtalc I *in hepet~ceitula~ ederKx~s & co~)lned ada- ' I nonm/cerctn~M; B6C3F1 mice (M). CAS Ho. 1780/*-35-2 clarclnoma) In 2 genetically related" I e(lueons eflvlronment. HBC also eppearl to be EPA.Chore COde: 0~101 strains of mice CCD-1 & swiss SPF) (H & F) . J the initial mtebolite In aero, lion systeM. I #BC has similar or Inoresse(t toxicity, beth ~ acute & chronic, to Eef)omyt. Sample Insecticide Information from Basic GUide to Pesticides Chemical Class - Organophosphate ORGANOPHOSPHATE Long-tdrm effects: Delayed neurotoxicity [". tingling and burning sensations Jn the limb ~xtremi- acephate ethoprop ties followed by weakness in the lower limbs and acephate-met etrimfos ataxic. This progresses to paralyses, which, in sev- Akton famphur oral cases, affect the upper limbs also .... Recover- azinphos-eth¥1 fenamiphos lng is seldom complete in adults; with the passage azinphos-methy[ fen[trothion of time the clinical picture changes from flaccid to bensulide fensulfothion anSpastic type paralysis" WHO (1986, p. 59)]; some Bomyl fenthion are cumulative; persistent anorexia; weakness; mal- Bromophos fonofos aise; nerve damage via destruction of myelin sheath Bromophos-ethyl fosetyl-al around nerve fibers; carcinogens; mutagens; leto- toxins; hormonal inhibition; eye damage; suspect carbophenothion CC 6506 chlorfenvinphos glyphosate mutagens; suspect carcinogens; sterility and impo- chlormephos isazophos tence; embryotoxins; suspect teratogens; immuno. chlorphoxim isofenphos toxins; indication of bone marrow damage and chlorpyrifos ]eptophos aplastic anemia; kills white [~lood ceils; sperm and coumaphos malathion other reproductive abnormalities; suspect viral eh- crotoxyphos methidathion hancers; ulcers; abnormal brain waves; reduced pro- crufomate mgthy[ parathion tein synthesis in fetus; liver damage; kidney damage; cyanophenphos mevinphos suppressed antibody reproduction; decreased audi- cyanophos monocrotofos tory attention, visual memory, problem solving, bal- cythioate haled anco, and dexterity. DEF omethoate Environmental effects: Responsible for the demeton oxydemeton-methyl deaths of large numbers of birds on turf and in agri- demeton-methyl parathion culture; affect breeding success in birds; embryotox- diaiifor phorate ins in birds; can change feeding habits in birds; diamidfos phosalone para-Nitrophenol, a transformation product of diazinon phosmet parathion, is a groundwater contaminant. dicapthon phosphamidon dichlofenthion phoxim REFERENCES dichJorvos pirimiphos-ethyl dicrotophos pirimiphos-methyl (31 dimefox ronneJ Bennett, R. S. 1989. Role of dietary choices in the ability of bob- dimethoate sulfo TEPP white to discriminate bet'ween insecticide treated and un- dioxabenzofos sulprofos treated food. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 8:731-738. Duff"y, E H., et al. 1980. Long-term effects of the organophosphate dioxathion temephos satin on EEGs in monkeys and humans. Neurotoxicc)logv disulfoton TEPP 1:~7-689. ' ditalimfos terbufos Halienbeck, W. H., and K. M. Burns. 1985. Pesticides and human DMPA tetrachlorvinphos health. New York: Springer-Vet[ag. edifenphos triaziphos Hoffman, D./. 1981. Effects of malathion, dlazinon, and parathion EPN trichlorfon on mallard embryo development and chol nesterase activ]b~ ethephon vamidothion Environmental Research x:xxx-xxx. ethion Ishikawa, S. 1971. Eye disease induced by organic phosphorous insecticides. Acta. Soc, Optharnol. Jap. 75:841-855, Rosenstock, L., et aL 1991. Chronic central nervous system effects Mode of action: Acetocholinesterase inhibitor, of acute organophosphate pesticide intoxication. The Lancet damaging nerve function, except for glyphosate. 338:223-227. Immediate effects: Behavioral disturbances; un- Tamura, O., et al. 1975. Organophosphorous pesticides as cause coordination; muscle twitching; headache; nausea; of myopia in school children: an epidemiologlcal study. Jap dizziness; anxiety; irritability; loss of memory; sleep J. Opthalrnol. 19:250-253, pattern.change; restlessness weakness; tremor; ab- u.s. EPA. 1990. National pesticide survey. Office of water. PB91- 125765. dominal cramps; diarrhea; sweating; salivation; tear- White, D. H., et aL 1979. Parathion causes secondary poisomng in lng; excessive nasal discharge; blurred vision; con- laughing gull breeding colony. Bull. Environ. Contain. Tox- stfi'ction of pupil; slowed heartbeat; confusion; icoL 23:281-2&4. incon, tinen_ce; hypertension. World Health Organization (xNHO). 1986. Environmental health criteria no. 63 organophosphorus insecticides: A general in- ~AME: C(m~mon Class lit' Chi'el Pers,sl(!m.e El'feels on Mammals Adverse ei'i'ecls on Trade and Olher Chemic:al I'e~,li('idt' other non-larger Chemical Us~,; Immediate Lone-Term species CAS Number SI,ThiS Toxicity Toxicity (Acute) (Chronic) Physical properll~ chlorpyrJfos -or~an~- insecli(ide mod-pets (I) oral: medium t~) cunlulalive ~IOCIDE phosld~nte high (1,2) (t 3,14) ~etoloxin (G) immediate toxicity: Oowco 179; Dmsb~; Equity; KiUmaster 11; demsal: medium delayed birds: high to ve~ high Leplster (with flucythri~ale); Lorsban; to high (3,4) neumtoxin (7) (1,~) Pydnex; Salut (with dimethoat~) bulls: sterility molluscs: ve~ high (I) iuhalation: high and impotence fish: ~e~ high.(1) O,O.dielhyl O.3,5.6.tfichloro-2-pyridyl (6) (6) ampJ~ibians: Iow to phosphomlhioatu (2) c~ustaceans: ~ hlSh CAS g 2921-6~-2 (1) bees: ve~ high (10) aquatic insects: ~ high (I) Iong~efm Ioxlclty: bi~ds: leg weak0ess (1); delayed neurotoxld~ fish: affects g~owlh (I) crustaceans: afl. ts reproduction & equilibrium (1) pf~ts: tqxic to some O2) wate~:~lichtly soluble slightly volatile~ sulfoTEPP (see suffoTEPP) I I Ill NAME: Contnton Class of Chicl' I'ersislence El(eels on Mammals ',.dvcrse ef[ecls on lrnde ,and Oilier Chenli::al I'csli(ide oilier llon-lar[el Chemical Usv; Immediale I.ong-Te~m species CAS Number Slalus loxicily Toxicily : (Acute) (Chronic) Physical propeflies pyridinol dighily volalilc 3,5,6-tflchloro-2-pytidinol Update for Chlorpyrifos Februar_v 1999 Chlorpyrifos methyl is listed on the EPA Toxic Release InventOry (TRI). Endocrine Disruptor Status: Tentative yes (See ExplanationSheet for TRI listdefinition.) From3/l/99Personal communication with Dr. Theo Colbom's office at the World Wildlife Fund, Has been detected in ground water. Some chlorpydfos products have Restricted Use Pesticide From GAO Report RCED-93-80, Lawn Car~ Pesticid~ (1991) (RUP) status based on avian and aquatic toxicity concerns EPA Carcinogenicity Classification Status: E (See EPA carcinogenicity From"Restricted Use Pesticides,"RCC 1995 explanations.) EPA Office of Pesticide Programs List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential, 2/I 9/97 Sample Fungicide Information from Basic Guide to Pesticides Chemical Class - Benzonitrile BENZONITRILE bromoxynil dichlobenil chlorothalonil iox'ynil Mode of action; May be due to uncoupling of axydative phosphorylation and inhibiting of elec- tron transport, with inhibition of some enzymes. /mined~ate effects:'lrritation of skin, mucous membranes; dermatitis. Ioxynil: excess blood in all organs; edema of lungs and brain. Bromoxynil: dizzi- ness; elevation of some enzymes; headache; hyper- thermia; muscle pain; thirst; vomiting; weakness; weight loss; anorexia. Chlorothalonil: hyperexcitabil- ity. Long-term effects; Carcinogens; teratogen; skin, eye, kidney damage. Suspected--dichlobenih an- orexia; blood in urine; kidney damage; liver damage; reproductive changes with postnatal damage. Chlorothalonil: growth suppression; pre- and post- natal damage; kidney destruction. REFERI~NCES Hallehbeck, W. H., and K. M. Burns. '1985. Pesticides and human heMS. New York: Springer-Verlag. ~AME: Cmmo(m Ch~'; of Chi(tf Pcrslslence Efft~:ls on Mamnuds Adverse elTt~ts mi 'l'rnde nmi Other Chonical P(sliclde other non-la.et Chemical Use; Immediate Lonff-Tenn spc~ic~ CAS Number Status Toxicity Toxicity (Acule) (Chronic) Physi~d properli~ .cldorolhalouil I ben~s- fungicide m~-~ (1,2) oral: Iow (3) carcinogen (4,5) imm~iate toxicity: nilrilo hy~rexcilability birds: Iow to ~i~ Blain; B~avo; Bravo C/M; Bmv~b (with de~l: low to (5) (1) :at~n~m); chlotlhalonil; CIoa~ar m~ium (3) skin dat~go (6) fish: ve~ high (1) eye danmgo (7) ~s: low (9) Ra~lo; CIo~losip (wilh cop~r onychloride ~ ~b); Dacob~e; D~nil 2787; inhalalion: high kidney da~ge 'aqualic org~is~': ~othem~; Exollmrm Temdl; Fo~urf; (3) (5) ve~ high (1) pl~: Ioxie to ~ ~o~ide; Termil (10) :~ltadd°mis°l~hlhal°nil~il° wa/~: insolublo DAS ff 1897~5-6 oil: slighlly solublo slighlly volatilo ~sforllmlJo~l I)¢O(Itscl(s): ~hydroxy-2,5,6-trichlorogophtalo- .~e.da (1) i~iatc toxicity: bi~ds: medium (I) ailrile ' Update for Chlorothalonii February 1999 Listed on the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Endocrine Disruptor Status: No (See Expiration Sheet for T~ list definition.) Some chlorothonalil products have Restricted Use Pesticide Has been detected in ground water. (RUP) status based on ground water cont~ination potential EPA Carcinogenicity Classification Status: B2 - Probable human carcinogen (See EPA C~cinogenicity definitions.) DATE: 06/10/9B OFFICE OF PESTICIDE PROGRAMS LIST OF CffEHICALS EVALUATED FOR CARCINOGENIC POTENTIAL CAs'NO. 1897-&5-6 3 ([ARC)' rats & mice; rarity of the tumor respOflae to rlak ~*.~t, u~i~ EPA Chm C~e: 081~1 in the' kl~y; ~pittws &/or cattles ~. of the foremtwch fn rats i mlca; mica; Fllcher 3~4 & Os~r~-H~t rats EPA chin C~e: 016101 EPA ~ C~: 059101 CAS No. 8~18-31.-1 ' I 'togicat evf~e of t~r fo~tt~ In mice EPA Ch~ C~: ~2~ ] or rail, H~ver, ~ I~te for ~temlnt~ carcl~lc CAS No. 74115-2&-5 . Spre~-Deutey rat (H). ' EPA Chm. C~e: 125501 . CAS No; 7~0-50-8 I~te ,nlm( ~ta:fr~ ,se~' of c~r EPA Chin C~: 022501 ' I c~. Thfl aeaes~t fa i~lt~ m ,' .I IRIS. ~P has ~t revfK this chmlcet. EPA Ch~ C~:'036501 ' ' CAS No. 8001-58-9 ' ~ ~c~tl~l cre~ote c~tect & s~- I ~t revJ~ th~s choicer. ~PA chin C~2 02500~ ' ~t t~r foxily, suffJcJ~t evl~e ' of ~a[ &'distant t~r for~tJ~ after I ~t a~lcatl~ to mice. Cre~ot~ ce~t ~ fnter~r~et~ aa ehofff~ either the .CAS No. 59-50-7 EPA Chm C~e; 0~206 prese~e or a~e of a carcl~lc ~ffect. CAS No.' 21725-~?~ carcl~arc~); Sprog~-Da~ely rat (F). ' EPA Ch~ C~e: 100101 PYRETHROID allethrin flucythrinate barthrin fluvalinate bifenthrin r-fluvalinate bioallethrin kadethrin bioresmethrin karate cismethrin permethrin cyfluthrin phenothrin X[cyhalothrin resmethrin cypermethrin S-bioaliethrin d-cis,t rans-alleth ri n synthetic pyrethrum, deltamethrin pyrethrins dimethrin tefluthrin esbiothrin tetramethrin fenpropathrin tetramethrin (1 R)-isomers fenvalerate tralomethrin Mode of action: Pyrethroids inhibit sodium and potassium conduction in nerve cells and block nerve impulse transmission. Many times pyrethroids are mixed with piperonyl butoxide in formulations. Immediate effects: Symptoms similar to DDT poisoning. T-syndrome: tremors; exaggerated star- tled response; hyperthermia. CS-syndrome: exces- sive writhing and salivation; decreased startle re- sponse; increase in adrenalin and blood sugar. Other possible effects: convulsions; diarrhea; head- ache; vomiting; labored breathing; excessive nasal mucous discharge; irritability; sweating; sudden swelling of face, eyelids, lips, mouth, and throat tis- sues. Hay fever-like symptoms; elevated pulse. Long-term effects: Suspect mutagens; suspect teratogens; suspect carcinogens; immunotoxins; creased hormone release from brain; some may be cumulative. Environmental effects: Highly toxic to fish, bees, and aquatic anthropods. REFERENCES (2) Halienbeck, W. H., and K. M. Burns. 198S. £esticide$ and human health. New York: Sprin§er-Verlag. NAME: Common Class of Chlef Persistence Effects on Mammals Adverse effects on CJ', 1fade and Olher Chemical Pesticide other non-target Chemical Use; Immediate Long-Term species CAS Number Status Toxicity Toxicity (Acute) (Chronic) Physical properties permethrin pyretbroid inseclicide non-pers (1) oral: Iow to high blood damage immediate toxicity: acaricide (2) (4) fish: very high (5) Ambush; Atrrban; Bio Flydown; Corsair; -.birds: 'practically Dragnet; Ectiban; Expar; Gard-Star; dermal: ? non-toxic~ (2) Hard-Hitter; Insectiban; Jnreong; Kafil; Nix; marine invertebrates: Over-Time; Permectrin; Pounce; Quamli~; inhalation: Iow very high (6) Rondo; Stockade; Tornade; Torpedo to high (3) bees: ~toxicM (7) 3-phenoxybenzyl (1gS)-cis, trans-3- Ag. uses RUP waier: insoluble to slightl~ (2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-di- 4/92 slightly soluble methylcyclopropanecarboxylate (EPA Group C non-volatile CAS # 52645-.53-1 · Carcinogen) combt~slible _Ugdate~for pcrmefhrin Jamiary 2000 Listed on the EPA Toxic Release Inveutory (TRI) (Sce Explanation Shcct (hr TRI list definition.) llas been detected in ground water. From EPA Peslicldes itl Gmtmdwaler Database: A ('ou~)ilalion t~f Monitorhlg Nlmlics (l~)71-1991 ) EPA Cnrcinogenicily CInssiflcatioo Status: C (Possihlo Human Carcinogcn, No Human Data) Endocrine Disruptor Status: No Permethrin products do have l;',estricfed Use l'eslicide (,RUI') status NAME: Common Class of Chief Persistence Effects on Mammals Adverse effects on Trade and Other Chemical Pesticide other non-target Chemical Use; Immediate Long-Term species CAS Number Status Toxicity Toxicily (Acute) (Chronic) Physical properties plperonyl butoxide methylene synergist ~ oral: Iow (1) can rednce inlmediate toxicity: dioxy with ability of body fish: very high (6) Butacide; Derringer (with resmethrin); pheny{ insecli(ides r{ermal: hi{;h (2) to detoxily amphibians: high (7) Detraos (wilh esbiothrin); Duracide 15 (with other toxins crustaceans: very high tetramethrin); FMC 5273; K-O (with inhalation: ? (neurotoxins, (6) deltamethrio & esbiothrin); K-Obiol (with carcinogens, deltamethrin); Keri{ (with permethrin 8, elc.) (3,4) bioallethrin); Neo-Pynamin 5/1/30 (with kidney, liw~r, 8, water: "slightly soluble" phenothrin & allethrin); Pesgua~d (with arhenal allethrin & phenothrin); Pesguard NSB (with damage (5) oil: "soluble" tetramethrin & fenilrothion); Pyrenone; anorexia (5) Vapona Flykiller (with permethrio & slightly volatile bioallethrin) (butyIcarbityl) (6-propyipiperonyl) ether; combustible o-[2-(2-butoxyethyoxy)et hoxy] 4,5- (methylenedioxy)-2-propyltol uene derived from safrole via dihydrosafrole CAS # 51-03-6 _Update for piperonyl butoxide l)ece,nb¢,' 2000 Listed on the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) (See Explanation Sheet for TRI list definition.) Groundwater persiste,ee: Not Listed: EPA Pesticides in Groundwater Database... 1971-1991 May not have been tested for gmundwaler persistence EPA Carcinogenicity Classification Status: C (Possible Human Carcinogen, No Human Data) EPA Olficc of Pcsticid~ Ihogmms List of Chemicals 13valualed Ibr Carcinogenic Potential, 8125199 Endocrine Disruptor Status: Yes I NAME: Common Class of Chief Persistence Effecls on Mammals Adverse effects on Trade and Other Chemical Pesticide other non-target Chemical Use; Immediate Long-Term species CAS Number Stalus Toxicity Toxicity (Acute) (Chronic:) Physical properties ~liazinon organo~ insecticide non-pers (1,2) oral: medium to suspect mutagen BIOCIDE phosphate nematocide high (3,4) (5,6) ~G 500; Alfa-tox; Basudin; Dazzel; Diazajet; fetotoxin (7) immediate toxicity: Diazatol; Diazide; Diazinon; Diazitol; banned from dermal: Iow to suspect birds: very high (1,11) Diazol; dimpylate; Dipofene; G 24480; use on golf high (4) neurotoxin (8) fish: very high (12) courses and allergic amphibians: very high 3ardentox; Knox Out 2FM; Neocidol; turf farms in inhalation: dermatitis (9) (11) ~lipsan: Sarolex; Spectracide USA medium (3) conjunctivitis (9) crustaceans: very high 3, O-diethyl O.(:~cisopropyl-6-methyl- immunoioxin (12) 4-pyrimidinyl) phosphorothioate (10) bees: very higb (13) aquatic insects: ve~, high (14) ~'AS tt 333-41-5 aquatic worm: high (9) plants: toxic to some (I 5) long-term toxicity: birds: teratogen (2) water: slightly soluble oil: very soluble volatile combustible :ontaminant(s): isodiazinon porphyria (I) transformation product(s): sulfoTEPP (see sulfoTEPl') I NAME: Common Class of Chief Persistence Effects on Mammals Adverse effects on Trade and Other Chemical Pesticide other non-target Chemical Use; Immediate Long-Term species CAS Number Status Toxicity Toxicity (Acute) (Chronic) Physical properties I'EPP ',see TEPP) Uudate for Diazinon I~ebruarv 1999 Ldsted on the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) iSee Explanation Sheet for TR1 list definition.) [las been detected in ground water. ;rom GAO Repofl RCED-93-80, Lawn Care Pes0cidcs (1991 ) gPA Carcinogenicity Classification Status: Not Likely ;.PA Office of Pesticide Programs List of Chenficals F. valuated for Carcinogenic Potcnlial, 2/19/97 gndocrine Disruptor Status: No 'rom personal commm~icalion with Dr. Theo Colbom's office at file World Wildli[~ Fund, 3/I/99 )iazinon products have Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) status based on ground water :ontamination potential and worker exposure concerns (~:or- o~ricuCtcsr~L ~.$ ~ $ 'rom "Restricted Use Pesticides," RCC 1995 RACHEL CARSON COUNCIL, INC. An Association for tee Integrity of the Environment 27 Minor Lawn Care Pesticides (Please note: At the end of this table are explanations for the terms used. Also, wherever you see the icon. B~ the material so marked is taken from Basic Guide to Pesticides, Shidey Briggs and the staff of Rachel Carson Council, Inc. Hemisphere Publishing Corp., Taylor and Francis Group, Washington, DC, 1992) Table ~ Pesticide Name Chemical Claes BG Endocrine EPA RCC BG Der. In Listed on (Reregistraflon Status) Disrupting Carcin. Carcin. Grnd. the EPA's Effect ~ Rating 2 Rating Water $ TRI 4 Acephate - EFR(A) (Also see Acephate- "anficholinesterase C susp. carc. Yes met, a breakdown product of acephale) organophosphate Acephate-met (Breakdown product of "anticholinesterase no Acephate) o~anophosphate Anilazine - (Unsuppor[ed) triazine Yes Bendiocarb - EFR(A) ~anticholinesterese Yes carbamate Benomy[ - EFR(A) benzimidazole Yes C susp. c~ro. Yes Yes Bensulide - EFR(B) Non-antdcholinesterase organophosphate Bentazon - RED '94 misc. E Yes Chloroneb - EFR(A) (Also see Dioxin, a organochloHne breakdown product of chloroneb) Dioxin* (TCDD) (Contaminate of dibenzo-dioxin Yes carcinogen bendiocado and a breakdow~ product of chloroneb) Ethoprop - EFR(A) "anficho[inesterase Yes organophosphate Fenarirnol - N/A misc. Yes E susp. caro. Yes Fosetyl-al - RED Non-an§cho[inesterase C susp. carc. approved (1/91 ) or~anophosphate Isazophos - FFR(B) amide Malathion - EFR (A) Also see maiaoxon "anficholinesterase Yes D Yes Yes and O,O,S4timelhy[ phosphorothioate, organophosphate breakdown products of malathion Malaoxon (Breakdown product of caroinoget~ malathion) Mancozeb - EFR(A) thiocarbamate Yes B2 Maneb - EFR(A) thiocarbamate Yes B2 Yes Metalaxyl - RED '94 misc. E Yes The International Agency for Reseamh on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization 0/VHO) has designated dioxin as a "known human carcinogen." Pesticide Name Chemical Class JIG Endocrine EPA RCC ][~G Det. In Listed on (Reregistmfion Status) Disrupting Carcin. Camin. Grnd. the EpA's Effect ~ Rating 2 Rating Water ~ TRi 4 ~ N-nitroso-di-n-pmpylamine carcinogen (Contaminant of T#flurelini O,O,$.trimethyl phosphorofhioate (Sreekdotffn product of malalhion) Oxadiazon - EFR(B) misc. C susp. cam. PCNB - EFR(A) organochlodne C Yes Permethrin. EFR(B) pyrethrotd C Yes Yes Pronamide - RED 3/94 amide Yes B2 susp. carc. Yes Propamocarb - EFR(C) carbamate D Propiconazole - EFR(C) misc. C Yes Propoxur - EFR(B) 'anticholinesterase B2 carcinogen Yes Yes carbamate Simazlne - EFR(A) triazJne C Yes Yes Thlram - EFR(A) thiocarbamata Yes Triadimefon - EFR(B) not in BG t~azole Yes C Yes Triclopyr- EFR(B) organochlorine susp. cam. Yes Yes Trifluralin - EFR(A) (Also see N-nitn~o- dinitroaniline Yes C susp. cam. Yes Yes di-n-propylamine, a contaminant of trifluralin) ~ "Chemicals in the Environment Reported to Have Reproductive and/or Endocrine-Disrupting Effects" Colbom, T. 1998 2 U.S. EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcingenic Potential, June 10, 1998 = EPA Pesticides in Ground Water Database A Compilation of Monitoring Studies: 1971-1991, National Summary 4 Toxics Watch 1995, Inform, Inc,, New York, NY, 1995 Key and Definitions (Table 1) = Data from U.S. EPA Pesticides in Groundwater has not been issued. The letter A, B, C, or D refers to the .Database 1971-1991: A National Summary (1992) four EPA lists which categorizes the pesticides as directed =Neurctoxin by the law FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, The U.S. EPA 1986 Weioht-of-the-Evidence Rodenticide Act) in 1988. · List A chemicals had registration standards issued Cateeories traflna system for carcinoeens} prior to FIFRA '88. Most pesticides with food-related A = Human carcinogen uses are on List A. B = Probable human carcinogen · List B, C, D chemicals were the remaining pesticides B1 - Agents for which there is limited evidence of divided into three lists based on their potential for carcinogenicity from epidemioiogic [human] studies exposure and other factors (e.g. potential for residues B2- Agents for which there is sufficient evidence in food or drinking water, potential for worker from animal studies and for which there is inadequate exposure, unintended adverse effects to animals and evidence or no data from epidemiologic [human] studies plants). List B is of highest concern with List D of C = Possible human carcinogen D = Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity least. E = Evidence of noncercinogenicity for humans RED I'Date) - EPA has issued a Reregistration Eligibility Cancerous Effects Decision (RED) embodied in a RED document for this 1- Incomplete chemical. Approximately 14 months after issue of the I.N. = Indications Negative RED, EPA begins reregistering active ingredient products Inconc, = Inconclusive containing the pesticides listed in the RED. A list of the all N. R. - Not P,equired the chemicals (61 as of 7/94) for which EPA P, ED's have been issued appears at the end of this document. Rereoistration Status Terms ~ - This designation signifies that the pesticide is Eligible for Reregistration (EFR) but an RED .Unsupported - The produCer(s) of the pesticide has not amount for the toxic chemical above which reporting is made or honored a commitment to see reregistration, required. Chemicals (even those which appear on the conduct the necessary studies, or party the requisite fees. list), when legally applied as pesticides, are not required Unless some other interested party meets these to be reported under the TRI program. commitments, products containing the pesticide will be cancelled. The Rachel Carson Council has included the TRI list information so that the public will be aware of the toxicity _Toxic Release Inventory_ (TRI) of some commonly used chemical pesticides and seek The EPA collects data annually on more than 600 toxic safer alternatives. Information on these alternatives is chemicals that threaten human health and the available from the Rachel Carson Council, and we environment in its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) encourage the public to inquire. More information on the database, The TRI is a recent extension of the Council can be found on our website: Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act. <h#p://mernbers. aol. conYrccouncil/ourpage./>. The list is intended for tracking and regulating the Information on the EPATRI database is also available on- destruction, storage or spillage of hazardous chemicals by line at <http://www. epa.gov/opptintr/tri> and corporations or manufacturers, There is a threshold <http://www. epa. gov/opptintr/tri/whatis, htm>. Table 2 Pesticide Mammals - Immediate Toxicity Mammals - Long-Term Toxicity Name (Use) (L--Iow, M=medlum, H=high, VH= very high) Acephate (insec.) (Also oral: M to H, dermal: L to M suspect mutagen, fetotoxin, neurotoxin, see Acephate-met, a "some evidence of hormonal effects" breakdown product of acephate) Acephate.Met Oral: VH, demal: VH, inhalation: H Hair loss, decreased fePJlity (Breakdown product of Acephate) Antiazlne (tung.) oral: L to H, dermal: M Bendiocarb (insec.) oral: VH, dermal: H cataracts, neurotoxin (Also see Dioxin a contaminant of bendiocarb) Benomyl (tung.) oral: L, dermal: L to M mutagen, teratogen, liver and testes damage, reduced sperm, blood damage Beneulide (herb.) oral: M to H, dermal: M neurotoxin Bentazon (herb.) oral: M to H, dermal; H teratogen Chloroneb - (tung,) oral: L to M, inhalation: Iow kidney and liver damage, blood cell, spleen and bone marrow damage (Also see Dio~dn, a breakdown product of chloroneb) Dioxin (TCDD) oral: VH cumulative, suspect mutagen, teretorgen, chloracne, thymic atrophy, (Contaminate of bendiocarb hireutism, affects vitamin A balance in liver and kidney and e breakdown product of derma/: VH chloroneb) Ethoprop (insec.) oral: H to VH, dermal: VH, inhalation: VH suspect mutagen, neurotoxin Fenarimol (tung.) oral: M teratogen, decreased male fertility Fosetyl-al (tung.) oral: L degenerative effects on testes, delayed fetal development, changes in udnary tract development Isazophos (insec.) oral: H to VH neurotoxin Malathion (insec.} (A/so ora[: M to H, dermal: M to H suspect mutagen, suspect teratogen, neuretoxin, allergic reactions, see malaoxon and O,O,S- inhalation: M behavior effects, ulcers, gastrointestinal inflammation, damage to tffmethylphosphotothioate, eyesight, abnormal brain waves, immunosupression breakdown products or malathion) =esticide Mammals - Immediate Toxicity Mammals - Long-Term Toxicity Name (Use) (L=low, M=medium, H=hlgh, VH= very high) Malaoxon (B~akdown Cam./nogen, u/cers product of malathion) Mancozeb (fung.) (x'a[: L, dermal: L to M Maneb (pang.) oral: L to M, inhalation: L to M suspect toratogen Metalaxyl (pang.) oral: M, darmaJ: L to M N-nifroso-di..n- Oral: H Carcinogen, raufagen propylarnlne (contarninanat of tdfluralin) O,O,S-bfrneff~yl Oral: H Delayed toxicity phosphorothioate (breakdown product of malathion) Oxadiazon (herb.) orat: L ~o M, dermal: M, inhalation: L to M PCNB (Pang.) omi: M, dermal: M to H suspect mutagen Permethrin (insec.) oral: L to H, Inhalation: L to H blood damage, neurotoxin Pronamlde (herb.) oral: L, dermal: L, inhalation: L to M liver damage Propamocarb (fung.) Propicona~ole (Pang.) Propoxur (insec.) oral: VH, dermal: M to H, suspect mutegen, neurotoxin, learning disability Slmazlne (herb.) omi: L to M, dermal: L to M, testes, kidney, liver and thyroid damage, disturbances in sperm inhalation: L to M production Thiram (Pang.) ex'al: M, inhalation: L to H cumulative, suspect mutagen, teratogen, liver damage THadimefon (Pang.) oral: L to M, dermal: L to M, inhalation: L to H THclopyr (herb.) oral: M to H suspect mutagen Trifluralin (herb.) (Nso oral: L, dermal: L to M suspec~ mutagen, suspect teratogen, fetotoxin Table 3 Immediate Toxicity to Wildlife B~ (L=Low, M=Mediurn, H=High, VH=Ver~ High) Acephate (fungiclda) Also ~ee H M to L L Acephate-met (B~.~down H H V H L Anllazlne (fungicide) Tdazine L L H V H Bendlocarb (insecticide) "H ig h ly V H H Benomyl (fungicida) L H Low H to Pesticide Name Amphibians Aquatic Aquatic Bees Birds Crustaceans Fish Mollusks ~hemlcal Class Insects Worms Bensulide (herbicide) L to M H ~r(3anoDhosDhate Bentazon (herbicide) "H a r m - M L Miscellaneous I e s S" Chloroneb (fungicide) (Also L M M see Dioxin a breakdown product of chloroneb) ~)r(3anochlorine Dioxin (TCDD) (A contaminant V H V H of bendiocarb and · breakdown product of chloroneb ~fibenzo-dioxin Ethoprop (insecticide) H to VH M to OmanoDhosDhate V H V H Fenarimol (fungicide) H pvHmidine Fosetyl-al (fungicide) L L L OroanoohOsDhate Isazophos (insecticide) H OmanoDhosohate Malathion(insecticide) VH VH M VH M to M to VH M to OroanODhosDhate H H Mancozeb (fungicide) L L to H to T~iocad3amate U V H Maneb (fungicide) L to Trtiocarbamate U MetaJaxyl (fungicide} L Miscellaneous Oxadiazon (herbicide) L to M L to M to H L to Miscellaneous M M PCNB (fungidde) M VH Omanochloride P;'rmethrin (insecticide) "Toxic" "Prac- VH Pvrethroid tically non- toxic" Pronamide (herbicide) L L L Propamocarb (fungicide) Carbamate Propiconazole (fungicide) Propoxur (insecticide) M V H V H H V H V H H Simazine (herbicide) T~azine VH L L L L to L to H M Thiram (fungicide) M to H M M to M to Thiocarbamate H H Triadimefon (fungicide) M L t o Triazole M Triflumlln (herbicide) VH M L to M L H to VH H to Dintmaniline V H Table 4 Long-Term Toxicity to Wildlife BG Pesticide Amphibians Aquatic Aquatic Bees Birds Crustaceans Fish Mollusks Name Insects Worms i May affect behavior Acephate (fungidde) and breeding Or°an°oh°sohete success Excess build-up of Thiram (fungicide) cartilage in legs, Thioca~bernate reproductive damage '1 'el= BG Acephate: Plants, Low, in plant tissue, metabolizes to acephate met Anilazine: Phytoplankton: High; Plants: Toxic to some Bendiocarb: Plants: Toxic to some Benomyl: Earthworms: Highly toxic; long-term toxicity to plants: mutagen Malathion: Earthworms: High Mancozeb: Long-term toxicity to plants: inhibits germination of pollen in some plants N-nitraso propoxur: Long-term toxicity to plants: mutagen Permethrin: Marine invertebrates: Ve~ highly toxic Propoxur: Long-term toxicity: Toxic to some plants Thiram: Long-term toxicity to plants: suspect mutagen Classes of Chemicals m Amide (Isazophos, Pronamide) Immediate Effects: Skin irritation and sensitization; irritation of eyes and respiratory tract; nausea; headache; uncoordinated movement; stiffness of movement; salivation; tremors; muscle weakness; sensitivity to light. Long-term Effects: Carcinogens; mutagens, irreversible eye damage; kidney and liver damage; some suspect teratogens; immunotoxins; cardiovascular effects; embryotoxins; sperm damage, Environmental Effects: Groundwater contaminants. ~ (Benomyl) Mode of Action: Interferes with cellular respiration. Immediate Effects: Dizziness; nausea; vomiting; tremors; convulsions; decreased respiratory rate; lethargy; pupil dilation, eye i~tation. Long-term Effects: Defective or incomplete development of bone marrow; suspect carcinogens; suspect mutagens; testicular damage; mutagens; anemia; teratogens; liver damage; reduced sperm; blood damage. Carbamate (Bendiocarb, Propamocarb, Pmpoxur) Mode of Action: Inhibits acetochlolinesterase and so damages nerve function. Immediate Effects: Sensory and behavioral disturbances; uncoordination; depressed metor functions; malaise; muscle weakness; dizziness; sweating; headache; Sal Nation; nausea; vomiting; abdominal pain; slurred speech; difficult breathing; blurred vision; muscte twitching spasms; convulsions; diarrhea; depression of cholinesterases even more prominently in fetus; skin sensitization. Long-term Effects: Memory loss; behavioral defects; suspect mutagens; mutagens, carcinogens; cataracts; suspect carcinogens; teratogens; spleen, bone marrow, liver, and testes damage; reduced sperm levels; fetotoxins; suspect viral enhancers; increased organ weights; decreased body weights; anemia; decreased hemoglobin; decreased fertility from ovary and testis damage; may convert to Nnitreso compounds in soil and in vivo with saliva. Environmental Effects: Can disrupt schooling behavior of fish; teratogens in fish; toxic to earthworms (carbendazim, thiophonate methyl), reduction in earthworm populations and invertebrate populations 0NHO 1986, 56-57); groundwater contaminants. _Dibenzodioxin: Dibenzofuran (Dioxin) These groups of chemicals occur in pesticides as contaminants, generated in the production process, or later when products are heated. Some are among the most toxic synthetic chemicals. The degree of toxicity depends on the number and location of the halogen (chlorine) atoms. There are 75 chloredibenzo-p-dioxins, and 135 chlomdibenzofurans, ranging from mono- to octo- categories. The most studied is 2,3,7,8-tetradibenzo--p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), the toxicity of which is closely matched by 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzofuran. Some confusion in terminology has come from the practice of calling 2,3,7,8-TCDD by the name dioxin. There are many chemicals that can be so called, with a wide range of toxicity. Mode of Action: Attack several organ systems with toxicity enhanced by their being cumulative in the body, persistent, and so bioaccumulative in food chains. High toxicity to the thymus and immune system is a key reason for their broad effects. Immediate Effects: Weight loss; edema; chloracne; loss of fingernails and toenails. Long-term Effects: Anorexia to starvation; carcinogen; teratogen; suspect mutagen; embryotoxin; fetotoxin; neurotoxin; anemia (aplastic); immune system damage: atrophy of thymus; lymphatic system, and lympocyutes; damage to liver, spleen, bone marrow, blood, thyroid, adrenal cortex, gastrointestinal tract (hemorrhage and necrosis), urinary tract, skin and sebaceous glands; brain hemorrhage; abnormal eye movement; enzyme imbalance leading to hyper-pigmentation and hirsutism; impaired sight, hearing, smell, taste. Environmental Effects: Similar effects on many animals. Especially noted in birds is reduced egg production and iow viability of young. Dinitroaniline (Trfluralin) Mode of Action: Interfere with cell respiration. Immediate Effects: Skin and eye irritation. Long-term Effects: Cataracts; suspect mutagen; liver and kidney damage; carcinogens, teratogens; fetotoxins. Misc. (Bentazon, Fenarimol, Metalaxyt, Oxadiazon, Propiconazole) Under this heading we have put pesticides that do not fit well into other classes or that are one of a kind, or for which we have insufficient information to fit them into a group. Since the long-term effects for each pesticide are on the regular chart, this list is limited to immediate effects, as well as mode of action if known, and whatever environmental effects are known. If we have found no specific data on immediate effects, but the label of the product being used specifies protective clothing and thorough washing of eyes, skin, and clothing after use, perhaps with the precaution of washing clothing separately from other laundry, this is a general warning of immediate effects. Oroanochlorine (Chloroneb, PCNB, Tryclopyr) Mode of Action: Interfere with transmission of nerve impulses across axons disrupting primarily the central nervous system. Immediate Effects: Convulsions (may occur for several days after exposure); uncoordination; induces rapid metabolism of drugs and naturally occurring steroid hormones; hypersensitivity of skin or face and extremities; headache; dizziness; nausea; vomiting; tremors; confusion; muscle weakness; involuntary eye movements; slurred speech; pain in chest and joints; skin rash; labored breathing; central nervous stimulation followed by depression; dearrhea; brain wave disturbances; headache; hyperthermia; hypertension; salivation; sweating. Long-term Effects: Cumulative; transfers through placenta to fetus; found in mothers' milk. Carcinogens; liver and kidney damage; suspect teratogens; suspect mutagens; fetotoxins; aplastic anemia; =reproductive effects'; tasticular damage; eye damage; affects hormone levels; central nervous system damage; bladder, kidney, lung, and thyroid damage; blood and spleen damage; anemia; recurrent asthma; irregular heartbeat; atrophy of adrenal cortex; behavior changes even in young of mother exposed at Iow levels during pregnancy; embryotoxin; decreased fertility immunotoxin; abnormal brain waves; increased mortality in youn; lung damage; teratogens; porphyria cutanea tarda; sleep disturbance; hallucinations. Environmental Effects: Bioaccumulate; persistent; many are volatile, travelling long distances in the atmosphere and settling in distant locations; decreased fertility in birds; eggshell thinning in birds; groundwater contaminants. Oraanophosohate (Acephate, Acephate-met, Bensulide, Ethoprop, Fosetyl-al, Malathion) Mode of Action: Acetocholinesterase inhibitor, damaging nerve function, except for glyphosate. Immediate Effects: Behavioral disturbances; uncoordination; muscle twitching; headache; nausea; dizziness; anxiety; irritability; loss of memory; sleep pattern change; restlessness; weakness; tremor; abdominal cramps; diarrhea; sweating; salivation; tearing; excessive nasal discharge; biurred vision; constriction of pupil; slowed heartbeat; confusion; incontinence; hypertension. Long-term Effects: Delayed neuretoxicity ["... tingling and burning sensations in the limb extremities followed by weakness in the lower limbs and ataxic. This progresses to paralyses, which, in several cases, affect the upper limbs also.... Recovering is seldom complete in adults; with the passage of time the clinical picture changes from flaccid to an spastic type paralysis" WHO (1986, p. 59)]; some are cumulative; persistent anorexia; weakness; malaise; nerve damage via destruction of myelin sheathing around nerve fibers; carcinogens; mutagens; fetotoxins; hormonal inhibition; eye damage; suspect mutagens; suspect carcinogens; sterility and impotence; embryotoxins; suspect teratogens; immunotoxins; indication of bone marrow damage and aplastic anemia; kills white blood cells; sperm and other reproductive abnormalities; suspect viral enhancers; ulcers; abnormal brain waves; reduced protein synthesis in fetus; liver damage; kidney damage; suppressed antibody reproduction; decreased auditory attention, visual memory, problem solving, balance, and dexterity. Environmental Effects: Responsible for the deaths of large numbers of birds on turf and in agriculture; affect breeding success in birds; * embryotoxins in birds; can change feeding habits in birds. 7 Pvrethroid (Permethrin) Mode of Action: Pyrethroids inhibit sodium and potassium conduction in nerve impulse transmission. Many times pyrethmids are mixed with pipemnyl butoxide in formulations. Immediate Effects: Symptoms similar to DDT poisoning. T-syndrome: tremOrs; exaggerated startled response; hyperthermia. CS- syndrome: excessive writhing and salivation; decreased staKle response; increase in adrenalin and blood sugar. Other possible effects: convulsions; diarrhea; headache; vomiting; labored breathing; excessive nasal mucous discharge; irritability; sweating; sudden swelling of face, eyelids, lips, mOuth, and throat tissues. Hay fever-like symptoms; elevated pulse. Long-term Effects: Suspect mutagens; suspect teretogens; suspect carcinogens; immunotoxins; decreased hormone release from brain; some may be cumulative. Environmental Effects: Highly toxic to fish, bees, and aquatic anthropods. Thiocarbamate (Mancozeb, Maneb, Thiram) Mode of Action: Inhibits acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, which is essential in conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid. Immediate Effects: Skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation; skin sensitization; hyperactivity; central nervous system depression; blood diarThea; general weakness. Thiram is the methyl analog of disulfiram, used in drag therapy for alcoholics. In combination with alcohol, disulfirere quickly induces flushing, restlessness, anxiety, headache, nausea, vomiting, hypervenfilation, constriction sensation in the neck, chest pain, sweating, thirst, weakness, ve~Jgo, and possible circulatory collapse, coma, and death. These reactions may occur when thiram and alcohol exposure coincide. Long-term Effects: Protein-deficient animals are more susceptible to toxicity of some thiocarbamates; carcinogens; mutagens; delayed neurotoxicity; "testicular and ovarian effects'; kidney damage; sperm damage; teratogen; fetotoxin; anemia. The ethylene thiourea (ETU), a transformation product of some thiocarbamates, is characterized as a carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and goiterogen (thyroid damage). Environmental Effects: ETU, is a groundwater contaminant. Trlazine (Anil~zine, Simazine) Mode of Action: May disturb the metabolism of vitamins. Immediate Effects: Skin and eye irritation; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; muscular weakness; salivation. Long-term Effects: Carcinogens; suspect mutagens; immunotoxin; adrenal damage; kidney and urinary tract stone formation; teratogens; lung damage; suspect fetotoxins; liver and kidney damage; disturbances in sperm production. Environmental Effects: Croundwater contaminants. Triazole (Triadimefon) Mode of Action: Inhibition of liver enzymes. Long-term Effects: Carcinogens; suspect mutagens; may affect growth rate; goiter producing; fetofoxins; liver damage. Explanation of Terms · Immediate Toxicity (Acute), Under the immediate toxicity column, three categories are given: oral, for pesticides that are swallowed, dermal, for those that penetrate the skin, and inhalation, for those that are breathed in. Oral exposure routes the toxic material through the digestive tract, and to the liver and kidneys that provide the principal detoxifying process. Dermal and inhalation exposure may be especially dangerous .because the poison goes directly in to the bloodstream and may reach crucial organs before the liver and kidneys have a chance to do any detoxifying. Immediate toxicity is commonly measured by the Lethal Dose 50 (LDso) or in the case of organisms in air and water, Lethal Concentration 50 (LCso). This test sets the amount that will kill half of the test animals in a specified time and can tell us something about the danger of immediate exposure to a substance, but not what kind of damage it may cause short of death. Oral and dermal ratings adopted fi`om a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scale are expressed in terms of LD~o: inhalation in terms of LCs(See Table 1) · Long-Term Toxicity (Chronic) - Toxicologists use the term chronic toxicity to refer to various kinds of long-lasting reactions to poisons. The word chronic may not have the same connotations to laymen so we chose the altemata long- term. This includes long-lasting or permanent damage fi.om one exposure, continuing exposure, gradual accumulation in the body, or effects that may appear long after the original exposure that began the process. The terms that may appear in this column of the chart are described here: ~' cumulative - If an animal absorbs a toxic substance rapidly and excretes it much more slowly, intermittent or cons{ant exposure will result in an accumulation in the animal's body. If we say that a substance is cumulative, however, the difference between absorption and excretion is so marked that the levels that can build up are a reason for concern. ~' biomagnification - Build-up in food chains is another result of the cumulative characteristic. A chemical present in very small quantities in soil, air or water may be taken up by plants and small animals that are then eaten by larger animals, and so on to the top of the food chain. Amounts accumulate in each stage, so the small amounts present in the numerous prey' species add together until the top animal receives the grand total, perhaps 1 O00 times as much as in the surrounding environment. carcinogen - A substance that can cause cancer. Exposure to a carcinogen can begin a process that can grow over many years. Please contact the Rachel Carson Council for our criteria on rating carcinogens. suepect carcinogen - This is stated on the chart when the tests for the substance indicating carcinogenicity are old, and so were not conducted by current standards, or the evidence is not as conclusive as rules now reqt]ire, but is still sufficient to serve as a warning. mutagen - causes mutation in cells, in test animals (in vivo testing) suspect rnutagen - causes mutations when tested in various kinds of cells separately, outside living animals or plants (in vitro). Any mutations give a sound warning of similar reactions in mammals, but are not as specifically conclusive. teratogen - can cause birth defects when it reaches egg or sperm cells of the parents, or the developing fetus. suspect teratogen - the same qualifications as for suspect carcinogen and making a distinction between tests on animals (in vivo) and tests on cell cultures (in vitro). fetotoxin - can poison the fetus, in contrast to deforming it by a teratogen. An embryotoxin affects an early stage of the fetus. organ damage - includes various kinds and degrees of damage to the designated organ, whether liver, kidneys, blood, testes, ovary, thyroid, or endocrine system. Liver damage, for example, can range from increase in size to severe necrosis: death of tissue. neurotoxin - damages nerves (organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids all affect the nervous system) delayed toxicity - effects may become evident some time after exposure, which may delay treatment until it is less effective or useless. Delayed neurotoxicity for example, means damage to the nervous system that may be very long-lasting but where the original exposure did not produce usual signs of poisoning. ~ immunotoxin - damages the immune system ~- viral enhancer - increases the toxicity of certain viruses that an exposed person or animal also encounters. Reye's Syndrome in children, associated with aspirin and virus exposure, is an example. Some pesticides are also suspect in this case. a Adverse Effects on other Non-Target Species ~- Immediate toxicity for species other than mammals is given, followed by any known long-term toxicity. Ratings ranging from iow to very high for classes of species with available data are given according to Table 1. Table 1 Be Our Rating EPA Rating Type of Exposure Amount of Exposure ' i ............................................................ ......... Dermal 0-200 mg/kg inhalation 0-0.2 mg/I RifF; i[ i5~:~[ E0: f~'6i5 -r~"(j?[~ ...................... Dermal 200-2000 mg/kg Inhalation 0.2-2 mg/I Medium III Oral 500-5000 mg/kg Dermal 2000-20,000 mg/kg inhalation 2-20 mg/I Low IV Oral over 5000 rog/kg Dermal over 20,000 rog/kg inhalation ............................................................. ?_v_e_r 2_0_ r?.g./! .............. LD~ - lethal dose that kills 50% of test animals in a given time LCd0 - lethal concentration in air or water in which test animals live that kills 50% in a given time mg/I = milligrams per liter, A milligram is 1/1000 of a gram. This measurement is comparable to parts per million (ppm). mglkg = milligrams (of a toxin) per kilogram (of body weight of animal). This measurement is comparable to parts per million (ppm). For more information, please contact: Rachel Carson Council, Inc. 8940 Jones Mill Road Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-652-1877 rccouncil@aol.com http://members.aoLcomlrccouncil/ourpage RACHEL CARSON COUNCIL, INC. An Association for the Integrity of the Environment 18 Major Lawn Care Pesticides Rachel Carson (Please note: At the end of this table and on Page 8 are ~.~oto~..p~ by ~.~c~ H~r~.,..~. explanations of the terms used. Also, wherever you see the icon, B~, the M.~u,. photo, material indicated is taken from Basic Guide to Pesticides, Shidey Bdggs and the staff of Rachel Carson Council, Inc., Hemisphere Publishing Coq~., Taylor and Francis Group, Washington, DC, 1992) Table 1 Pesticide Chemical Class E~ Endocrine EPA RCC BG Det. In Listed Name (Reregistration Status) (See page 5 for Disrupting Carcin. Carcin. Grad. on the description.) Effect ~ Rating 2 Rating Water 3 EPA's TRI 4 Atrazine - EFR(A) Tfiazine Yes C Carcinogen Yes Yes Benefln (N/A) Dinitreaniline I No Carbaryl - EFR(A) ~Anticholinesterase Yes C Suspect Yes Yes Carbamate carcinogen Chlorothalonil - RED '98 Benzoni~ile B2 Carcinogen Yes Yes Chlorpydfos - EFR(A) Also see -Anticholinesterase E Yes Yes breakdown product sulfoTEPP Omanoehosohate 2,4-D - EFR(A) Also see Dioxin, a Phenoxv Yes D Carcinogen Yes Yes contaminant of 2,4-D DCPA - RED '95 Also see Dioxin, a Phthalate Yes [ Suspect Yes contaminant of DCPA carcinogen Diazinon - EFR(A) Also see "Anticholinesterase I Yes Yes breakdown product s OreanoehosDhate TEPP and sulfoTEPP Dicamba - EFR(A) Omanochlodne D Yes Yes Dichlorvos (a breakdown product of "Antichofinestarase C Carcinogen Trichlorfon) Oreanoohosohato Dioxin* (TCDD) Dibenzo-dioxin Yes Carcinogen Contaminate of 2,4-D and DCPA Glyphosate - RED 9193 Non-Anticholinesterase E Yes OreanoDhosDhate Iprodione - RED '98 Amide C, B2 No Isofenphos - EFR (B) "Anticholinesterase N.R. Yes Yes Oreanoehosohate MCPA - EFR(A) Phenoxv LN. Yes Yes Mecoprop - EFR(A) Phenoxv N.R. Yes Yes MSMA (N/A) Oreanic Arsenical Inconc. No info. O~yzalin - RED '94 Dinitroaniline C Suspect Yes Yes carcinogen Pendimethalin - RED '97 Dinitr~ni!in~ Yes C Yes Yes SulfoTEPP (breakdown product of "Anticholinesterase Diazinon & Chlorpydfos) Oreanoohos~hate TEPP (breakdown product of "Anticholinestarese *The International Agency for Research on Cancer (iARC of the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated dioxin as a "Known human carcinogen." Pesticide Chemical Class BG Endocrine EPA RCC BG Det. in Listed Name (Reregistration Status) (See page 5 for Disrupting Carcln. Carcin. Grad. on the description.) Effect ~ Rating 2 Rating Water 3 EPA's TRI 4 D/az/non) Oroanoohos~)hate Trichlorfon - RED '95 AJso see "Anficholinesterase E Suspect No Yes D[chlorvos a breakdown product of Or~anoDhosDhate carcinogen Trichlorofon ~ "Chemicals in the Environmeht Reported to Have Reproductive and/or Endocrine-Disrupting Effects" Colbom, T. 1998 2 U.S. E PA, Office of Pesticide Programs List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcingenic Potential, June 1 O, 1998 3 EPA Pesticides in Ground Water Database A Compilation of Monitoring Studies: 1971-1991, National Sumroary 4 Toxics Watch 1995, Inform, Inc., New York, NY, 1995 Key and Definitions (Table 1) ~. = From GAO Report RCED-93-80, Lawn Care Pesticides (1991) = Neurotoxin adverse effects to animals and plants). List B is of The U.S. EPA '1986 Weioht-of-the-Evidence Cateoories (ratlno system for carcinogens) highest concern with List D of least. RED (Date) - EPA has issued a Reregistration A=Humancarcinogen Eligibility Decision (RED) embodied in a RED B = Probable human carcinogen document for this chemical. Approximately 14 months B1 - Agents for which there is limited evidence of after issue of the RED, EPA begins reregistering cercinogenicity from epidemiologic [human] studies B2 - Agents for which there is sufficient evidence active ingredient products containing the pesticides listed in the RED. from animal studies and for which there is inadequate evidence or no data from epidemiologic [human] Toxic Release Inventory('l'RI) studies The EPA collects data annually on more than 600 C = Possible human carcinogen toxic chemicals that threaten human health and the D = Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity E = Evidence of noncarcinogenicity for humans environment in its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) database. The TRI is a recent extension of the Cancerous Effects Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know I - Incomplete Act. The list is intended for tracking and regulating the I.N. = Indications Negative destruction, storage or spillage of hazardous Inconc. = Inconclusive chemicals by corporations or manufacturers· There is N. R.- Not Required a threshold amount for the toxic chemical above which reporting is required. Chemicals (even those Rereoistration Status Terms which appear on the list), when legally applied as EFR (List A-D) - This designation signifies that the pesticides, are not required to be reported under the pesticide is Eligible for Reregistration (EFR) but an TRI program. · RED has not been issued. The letter A, B, C, or D The Rachel Carson Council has included the TRI list refers to the four EPA lists which categorizes the information so that the public will be aware of the pesticides as directed by the law FIFRA (Federal toxicity of some commonly used chemical pesticides Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act)in 1988. and seek safer alternatives· Information on these List A chemicals had registration standards alternatives is available from the Rachel Carson issued prior to FIFRA '88. Most pesticides with Council, and we encourage the public to inquire. More food-related uses are on List A. information on the Council can be found on our List B, C, D chemicals were the remaining website: pesticides divided into three lists based on their <http://members. aoLcom/rccouncil/ourpage/>. potential for exposure and other factors (e.g. InformationontheEPATRldatabaseisalsoavailableon- potential for residues in food or drinking water, line at<http://www, epa.gov/oppflntr/tri> and potential for worker exposure, unintended <http://www. epa. gov/opptlntr/tri/whatis.htm>. Table 2 B3 Pesticide Mammals - Immediate Toxicity Mammals - Long-Term Toxicity Name (use) (L=low, M--medium, H--high, VH= very high) Atrazine (herbicide) oral: L to M. dermal: M mutagen, immunotoxin, adrenal damage inhalation: "low" Benetin (herbicide) oral: L to M, dermal: L inhalation: M to H Carbaryl (insecticide) oral: M to H suspect mutagen, teratogen, fetorbxin, neurotoxin, suspect viral inhalation: L enhancer, decreased fertility from ovary and testes damage in successive generations Chtomthalonil oral: L, dermal: L to M hyperexcitab[lity, skin damage, eye damage, kidney damage (fungicide) inhalation: H Chlorpyrifos (insecti- oral: M to H cumulative, neuretoxin, fetotoxin, sterility and impotence in bulls cide) Also see break- dermal: M to H down product inhalation: H sulfoTEPP 2,4-D (herbicide) Also oral: M to H suspect mutagen, teratogen, suspect fetotoxin, anorexia, see Dioxin, a dermal: H immunotoxin, toxic injury to liver, kidney & central nervous system contaminant of 2,4-D inhalation: M to H DCPA (herbicide) oral: M suspect mutsgen Also see Dioxin, a dermal: M suspect teratogen contaminant of DCPA Diazinon (insecticide) oral: M to H suspect mutagen, neuretoxin, fetotoxin, allergic dermatitis, AJso see breakdown dermal: L to H cenjunctiv[tis, immunotoxin product s TEPP and inhalation: M sulfoTEPP Dicamba (herbicide) oral: M Dichlorvos (a oral: H Mutagen, suspect teratogen, sperm and reproductive breakdown product of dermal: H to VH abnormalities, ktils human white blood cells, inhibits steroid Tdchlorfon) inhalation: H synthesis, indications of bone marrow damage and aplastic anemia, immunotoxin Dioxin ~'CDD) oral: VH cumulative, suspect mutagen, teratorgen, chloracne, thymic Contaminate of 2,4-D dermal: VH atrophy, himutism, affects vitamin A balance in liver and kidney and DCPA Glyphosate oral: M suspect mutagen (herbicide) dermal: M Iprodione (fungicide) oral: M derma[: L to M inhalation: L to M Isofenphos oral: H to VH, dermal: H to VH irreversible demyelination, paralysis, delayed neurotoxicity (insectidde) inhalation: H MCPA (herbicide) oral; M suspect teratogen Mecoprep (herbicide) oral: M, dermati H mutagen, teratogen inhalation: L to M MSMA (herbicide orati M to VH, dermal: M to VH toxic hepatitis inhalation: L Oryzalth (herbicide) oral: L to M, dermal: L to M inhalation: L to H Pendimethalin oral: M, dermal: L to M (herbicide) inhalation: iow SulfoTEPP oral: VH, dermal: VH, inhalation: VH (breakdown product of Diazinon & Pesticide Mammals - Immediate Toxicity Mammals - Long-Term Toxicity Name (Use) (L=low, M--medium, H=high, VH= very high) Chlorpyrifos) TEPP (breakdown oral: VH, dermal: VH, inhalation: VH product of Diazinon) Trichlorfon oral: H suspect mutagen, suspect teratogen, fetotoxin, neurotoxin, bone 0nsecticide) (Also see dermal: L to M marrow & liver damage, immunotoxin I~chiorvos a inhalation: L to H breakdown product of Tr~chlor[on) .18 Major Lawn Care Chemicals and Their Toxicity to Wildlife m Immediate Toxicity (L=low, M---medium, H=high, VH= very high) Pesticide Amphibian Aquatic Aquati Bees eh'ds Crust Fish Mollusks Name (Use) Class {see s Insects c a- P. 5~ Worms ceans Atrazine (herbicide) Triazine H to VH M , L to M L to H H , Benefin (herbicide) "Relatively L H Dinitroanlline non-toxic" VH H L to M VH VH CarbalTI (insecticide) to Carbmate VH Toxic" Chloro63aloflil (fungicide) L L to M VH Chlorpyfifos (insecticide) L to H VH VH H to VH VH VH 2,4-D (herbidde) L to M L to M L to H L to Lto M . . DCPA (herbicide) Phthalate L L to M (dioxin contaminant) Diazieon (insecticide) VH VH H VH VH VH VH Dicamba (herbicide) I M L to M L Dichtorvos (insecticide) VH VH VH VH VH Omanoohosohete (a breakdown p~oduct of Trichlorfon) Dioxin (TCDD)(contaminant) VH VH Iprodio~e (fungidde) L to M L to H M Isofenphos (insecticide) VH H MCPA (herbicide) M L L Mecoprop (herbicide) L to M M L 4 Pesticide Amphibian Aquatic Aquati Bees Birds Crust Fish Mollusks Name (Use) Class (see s Insects c a- P, ~) Worms ceans MSMA (herbicide) Arsenic L to M (organic) Or3,zalin (herbicide) L to M M Pendimethalin (herbicide) L H H SulfoTEPP (breakdown H product of Diazinon & Chlorpydfos) TEPP (breakdown product of H VH VH VH H Diazinon) Tdchlorfon (insecticide) VH VH M H to M to M to Oroanoohosohate V H V H V H Long-Term Toxicity a~ Pesticide Amphibian Aquati Aquati Bee Birds Crusta- Fish Mollusk Name (Use) s c c s ceans s Class ~See oaoe 5.~ Insect Worms Atrazine (herbicide) May impair Tdazine reproduction Carbaryl (insecticide) May affect Reduction in Carbamate breeding sex hormone; success May affect reproduction; Increased vulnerability to predation; Affects swimming capacity Chlorbyfifos (insecticide) Leg Affects Affects OroanoohosDhate weakness; reproduc growth delayed -tion and neurotoxi- equilibri- city um 2,4-D (herbicide) Dher~oxv inhibits frog egg development Dichlorvos (insecticide) Delayed Oroanoohosohate (a neurotoxi- breakdown product of city Trichlorfon) Dioxin VH VH Isofenphos (insecticide) Delayed Oroanoohosohate neurotoxi- city Other Wildlife Effects E~ Atrazine: Long term effect on soil invertebrates - May reduce populations Carbaryh Immediate toxicity - Extremely toxic to earthworms Chlorothalonil: Aquatic organisms VH 2,4-D: Long term effect on soil organisms - May inhibit growth; Non-target insects L to H Dioxin: Cumulative Note: Effects on plants will be covered in a future publication Classes of Chemicals This section has two chief purposes: to give more information on immediate toxicity beyond the rating of degree on the chaffs, with the kinds of reactions that may occur, and to indicate the characteristics of families of pesticides. If we have little data on a member of a group, some general idea of its character may be inferred from the qualifies typical of its fellow pesticides, allowing for differences in intensity and type of reaction. Immediate toxicity reactions ara more difficult to find in the literature than are LDsos or data on some long-term effects. The importance of recognizing symptoms that indicate poisoning is clearly great, but the clues listed am the best we could find. Many pesticide active ingredients have elements of more than one chemical group, so placing them in families that share toxicological effects can be difficult. Classification can be arbitrary. Our intention is to assemble classes with consistent toxicology. In some cases it might be advisable to check the various components in a pesticide. Classes are in alphanumerical order, and in classes with subunits, the subunits are also alphabetical. The mode of action given is that for mammals; it may be the same for non-mammal pests in some cases. The effects listed are typical of the group, while some may apply most seriously to certain members. These are the reactions that can occur, in, various degrees of severity. Not ali would be apt to occur in any one case. The manner and amount of exposure, the vulnerability of the victim, and the medical treatment provided can alter cases. Immediate effects can also include death in severe cases; we have not always listed this because it can be implied from degree of toxicity and symptoms. Amide (Iprodione) Immediate effects: Skin irritation and sensitization; irritation of eyes and respiratory tract; nausea; headache; uncoordinated movement; stiffness of movement; salivation; tremors; muscle weakness; sensitivity to light. Long-farm effects: Carcinogens; mutagens, irreversible eye damage; kidney and liver damage; some suspect teratogens; immunotoxins; cardiovascular effects; embryotoxins; sperm damage. Environmental effects: Groundwater contaminants. Arsenic (MSMA) Arsenic is rarely found in its pure form, but is usually combined with other elements to make inorganic forms, or with carbon and hydrogen to make organic forms. The organic forms ara generally less toxic than the inorganic forms. Mode of action: Damages cells in the nervous system, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and other tissues by combining with thiol groups and substituting arsenic anions for phosphate in many reactions. Immediate effects: Severe inflammation of mouth through gastrointestinal tract; thirst; vomiting; diarrhea; headache, dizziness; muscle weakness and spasms; hypothermia; lethargy; delirium, convulsions; coma; severe inflammation of mucous membranes of nose; larynx, bronchi, peripheral nervous system disturbances. Long-term effects: Dermal symptoms include hyperkeratosis; hyperpigmentation; peeling of skin; edema of face, eyelids, and ankles; white s~ations on nails; loss of nails or hair; anorexia; weight loss; peripheral neuropathy with abnormal sensations; pain; anesthesia; muscular uncoordination; liver injury and jaundice; cirrhosis; high blood pressure of the portal veins; kidney damage; EKG abnormalities; anemia; reduced leucocytes and platelets in blood; skin cancer; lung cancer; degenerative disease of brain. ~enzonitrile (Chlorothalonil) Mode of Action: May be due to uncoupling of oxydative phosphorylation and inhibiting of electron transport, with inhibition of some enzymes. Immediate effects: trritation of skin, mucous membranes; dermatitis. Chlorothalonil: hyperexcitability. Long-term effects: Carcinogens; teratogen; skin, eye, kidney damage. Chlomthalonil: growth suppression; pre- and postnatal damage; kidney destruction. Carbamate (Carbaryl) Mode of Action: Inhibits acetochiolinesterase and so damages nerve function. Immediate effects: Sensory and behavioral disturbances; uncoordination; depressed motor functions; malaise; muscle weakness; dizziness; sweating; headache; Salivation; nausea; vomiting; abdominal pain; slurred speech; difficult breathing; blurred vision; muscle twitching spasms; convulsions; diarrhea; depression of cholinesterases even more prominently in fetus; skin sensitization. Long-term effects: Memory loss; behavioral defects; suspect mutagees; mutagens, carcinogens; cataracts; suspect carcinogens; teratogens; spleen, bone marrow, liver, and testes damage; reduced sperm levels; fetotoxins; suspect viral enhancers; increased organ weights; decreased body weights; anemia; decreased hemoglobin; decreased fertility from ovary and testis damage; may convert to Nnitreso compounds in soil and in vivo with saliva. Environmental effects: Can disrupt schooling behavior of fish; teratogens in fish; toxic to earthworms (carbendazim, thiophonate methyl), reduction in earthworm populations and invertebrate populations (WHO 1986, 56-57); groundwater contaminants. _Dibenzodioxin: Dibenzofuran (Dioxin) These groups of chemicals occur in pesticides as contaminants, generated in the production process, or later when products are heated. Some are among the most toxic synthetic chemicals. The degree of toxicity depends on the number and location of the halogen (chlorine) atoms. There are 75 chlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, and 135 chlomdibenzofurens, ranging from mono- to octo- categories. The most studied is 2,3,7,8-tetradibenzo--p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), the toxicity of which is closely matched by 2,3,7,8-tetrachloredibenzofuran. Some confusion in terminology has come from the practice of calling 2,3,7,8-TCDD by the name dioxin. There are many chemicals that can be so called, with a wide range of toxicity. Mode of Action: Attack several organ systems with toxicity enhanced by their being cumulative in the body, persistent, and so bioaccumulative in food chains. High toxicity to the thymus and immune system is a key reason for their broad effects. Immediate Effects: Weight loss; edema; chloracne; loss of fingernails and toenails. Long-term Effects: Anorexia to starvation; carcinogen; teratogen; suspect mutagen; embryotoxin; fetotoxin; neurotox[n; anemia (aplastic); immune system damage: atrophy of thymus; lymphatic system, and lympocyutes; damage to liver, spleen, bone marrow, blood, thyroid, adrenal cortex, gastrointestinal tract (hemorrhage and necrosis), urinary tract, skin and sebaceous glands; brain hemorrhage; abnormal eye movement; enzyme imbalance leading to hyper-pigmentation and hirsutism; impaired sight, hearing, smell, taste. Environmental Effects: Similar effects on many animals. Especially noted in birds is reduced egg production and Iow viability of young. Dinitroaniline (Benefin, Oryzalin, Pendimethalin) Mode of Action: Inter[ere with cell respiration. Immediate effects: Skin and eye irritation. Long-term effects: Cataracts; suspect mutagen; liver and kidney damage; carcinogens, teratogens; fetotoxins. O_ rganoohosohate (Chlorpydfos, Diazinon, Glyphosate, [sophenfos, Trichlorfon) Mode of Action: Acetocholinesterase inhibitor, damaging nerve function, except for glyphosate. Immediate effects: Behavioral disturbances; uncoordination; muscle twitching; headache; nausea; dizziness; anxiety; irritability; loss of memory; sleep pattern change; restlessness; weakness; tremor; abdominal cramps; diarrhea; sweating; salivation; tearing; excessive nasal discharge; blurred vision; constriction of pupil; slowed heartbeat; confusion; incontinence; hypertension. Long-term effects: Delayed neurotoxicity ["... tingling and burning sensations in the limb extremities followed by weakness in the lower limbs and ataxic. This progresses to paralyses, which, in several cases, affect the upper limbs also.... Recovering is seldom complete in adults; with the passage of time the clinical picture changes from flaccid to an spastic type paralysis" WHO (1986, p. 59)]; some are cumulative; persistent anorexia; weakness; malaise; nerve damage via destruction of myelin sheathing around nerve fibers; carcinogens; mutagens; fetotoxins; hormonal inhibition; eye damage; suspect mutagens; suspect carcinogens; sterility and impotence; embryotoxins; suspect teratogens; immunotoxins; indication of bone marrow damage and aplastic anemia; kills white blood cells; sperm and other reproductive abnormalities; suspect viral enhancers; ulcers; abnormal brain waves; reduced protein synthesis in fetus; liver damage; kidney damage; suppressed antibody reproduction; decreased auditory attention, visual memory, problem solving, balance, and dexterity. Environmental effects: Responsible for the deaths of large numbers of birds on turf and in agriculture; affect breeding success in birds; embryotoxins in birds; can change feeding habits in birds. Phenoxv (2,4-D, MCPA, Mecoprop) Mode of Action: Act as synthetic growth hormones in plants; in animals action is poorly understood. Immediate effects: Skin and mucous membrane irritation; dizziness with prolonged inhalation; vomiting; chest pain; diarrhea; headache; confusion; muscular stiffness; unconsciousness; increased acidity of blood; hyperventilation; nerve damage; brain wave changes; eye irritation; swelling of extremities; incontinence; sweating; stupor; respiratory depression. Long-term effects: Carcinogens; heart; liver, and kidney damage; delayed fetal development; suspect mutagens; teratogens; fetotoxins; anorexia; u[ceretion of mouth and throat; immunotoxin; nerve damage. Several pesticides in this class are contaminated with dioxins. See dibenzodioxin/dibensofuran class. Environmental effects: Groundwater contaminants. Phthalate (DCPA) Mode of Action: Inter[ere with cell respiration. Immediate effects: Skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritants; hypotherm[a; irritability; listlessness; blood in udne; death due to heart or lung failure; convulsions; may depress central nervous system. Long-term effects: Skin sensitizers; anorexia; carcinogens; mutagens; teratogens; fetotoxins; immunotoxins; testicular atrophy. Triazine (Atrazine) Mode of Action: May disturb the metabolism of vitamins. 7 Immediate effects: Skin and eye irritation; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; muscular weakness; salivation. Long-term effects: Caminogens; suspect mutagens; immunotoxin; adrenal damage; kidney and urinary tract stone formation; teratogens; lung damage; suspect fetotoxins; liver and kidney damage; disturbances in sperm production. Environmental effects: Groundwater contaminants. Explanation of Terms · Immediate Toxicity (Acute) - Under the immediate toxicity column, three categories are given: oral, for pesticides that are swallowed, dermal, for those that penetrate the skin, and inhalation, for those that are breathed in. Oral exposure routes the toxic material through the digestive tract, and to the liver and kidneys that provide the principal detoxitying process. Dermal and inhalation exposure may be especially dangerous because the poison goes directly in to the bloodstream and may reach crucial organs before the liver and kidneys have a chance to do any detoxifying. Immediate toxicity is commonly measured by the Lethal Dose 50 (LD~o) or in .the case of organisms in air and water, Lethal Concentration 50 (LCso). This test sets the amount that will kill half of the test animals in a specified time and can tell us something about the danger of immediate exposure to a substance, but not what kind of damage it may cause short of death. Oral and dermal ratings adopted from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scale are expressed in terms of LD~o; inhalation in terms of LC5 (See Table 1) · Long-Term Toxicity (Chronic) - Toxicologists use the term chronic toxicity to refer to various kinds of long- lasting reactions to poisons. The word chronic may not have the same connotations to laymen so we chose the alternate long-term. This includes long-lasting or permanent damage from one exposure, continuing exposure, gradual accumulation in the body, or effects that may appear long after the original exposure that began the process. The terms that may appear in this cotumn of the chart are described here: ~- cumulative - If an animal absorbs a toxic substance rapidly and excretes it much more slowly, intermittent or constant exposure will result in an accumulation in the animal's body. If we say that a substance is cumulative, however, the difference between absorption and excretion is so marked that the levels that can build up are a reason for concern. ~- biomagnification - Build-up in food chains is another result of the cumulative characteristic. A chemical present in very small quantities in soil, air or water may be taken up by plants and small animals that are then eaten by larger animals, and so on to the top of the food chain. Amounts accumulate in each stage, so the small amounts present in the numerous prey species add together until the top animal receives the grand total, perhaps 1000 times as much as in the surrounding environment. carcinogen - A substance that can cause cancer. Exposure to a carcinogen can begin a process that can grow over many years, Please contact the Rachel Carson Council for our criteria on rating carcinogens. ~- suspect carcinogen - This is stated on the chart when the tests for the substance indicating carcin°genicity are old, and so were not conducted by current standards, or the evidence is not as conclusive as rules now require, but is still sufficient to serve as a warning. mutagen - causes mutation in cells, in test animals (in vive testing) suspect mutagen - causes mutations when tested in various kinds of cells separately, outside living animals or plants (in vitro). Any mutations give a sound warning of similar reactions in mammals, but are not as specifically conclusive. teratogen - can cause birth defects when it reaches egg or sperm cells of the parents, or the developing fetus. ~' suspect teratogen - the same qualifications as for suspect carcinogen and making a distinction between tests on animals (in vive) and tests on cell cultures (in vitro). ~- fetotoxin - can poison the fetus, in contrast to deforming it by a teratogen. An embryotoxin affects an early stage of the fetus. ~- organ damage - includes various kinds and degrees of damage to the designated organ, whether liver, kidneys, blood, testes, ovary, thyroid, or endocrine system. Liver damage, for example, can range from increase in size to severe necrosis: death of tissue. neurotoxin - damages nerves (organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids all affect the nervous system) ~' delayed toxicity - effects may become evident some time after exposure, which may delay treatment until it is less effective or useless. Delayed neurotoxicity for example, means damage to the nervous system that may be very long-lasting but where the original exposure did not produce usual signs of poisoning. ~ immunotoxin - damages the immune system ~- viral enhancer - increases the toxicity of certain viruses that an exposed person or animal also encounters. Reye's Syndrome in children, associated with aspirin and virus exposure, is an example. Some pesticides are also suspect in this case. · Adverse Effects on other Non-Target Species ~- Immediate toxicity for species other than mammals is given, followed by any known long-term toxicity. Ratings ranging from Iow to very high for classes of species with available data are given according to Table 1. Table 1 ~ Our Ratino PA~ ~ Am t f~ Very High I Oral 0-50 mg/kg Dermal 0-200 mg/kg Inhalation 0-0.2 mg/I High Il Oral 50-500 mg/kg Dermal 200-2000 mg/kg Inhalation 0.2-2 mg/I Medium III Oral 500-5000 mg/kg Dermal 2000-20,000 mg/kg inhalation 2-20 mg/I Low IV Oral over 5000 mg/kg Dermal over 20,000 mg/kg inhalation over 20 mg/I LDs0 - lethal dose that kills 50% of test animals in a given time LCso - lethal concentration in air or water in which test animals live that kills 50% in a given time mg/I = milligrams per liter. A milligram is 1/1000 of a gram. This measurement is comparable to parts per million (ppm). mg/kg = milligrams (of a toxin) per kilogram (of body weight of animal). This measurement is comparable to parts per million (ppm). For more information, please contact: Rachel Carson Council, Inc. 8940 Jones Mill Road Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-652-1877 rccouncil@aoLcom http://members.aol.com/rccouncil/ourpage