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Quick Facts about Lawn Pesticides
by Sylvia Quick, LWVBN member
What kinds of pesticides are used on lawns?
Lawn products are usually herbicides (kill plants), insecticides, fungicides or a combination of these. The most commonly used herbicides include the phenoxy acids such as 2,4-D (used to kill broad-leaf weeds) and the organophosphates such as glyphosate (non-selective weed and grass killers).(1) Pesticide products include active ingredients (chemical compounds designed to destroy or control the target organisms) and so-called "inert" ingredients, which are used as carriers for the active ingredients, to help dissolve them, to make them easier to apply or to preserve them.(2)
Are lawn pesticides dangerous?
All pesticides are poisons and may cause adverse health effects. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that at high concentrations, 2,4-D affects the central nervous system in humans, with symptoms including stiffness of arms and legs, incoordination, lethargy, anorexia, stupor, and coma. 2,4-D is also an irritant to the gastrointestinal tract and skin in humans. Chronic (long-term) oral exposure to 2,4-D results in effects on the blood, liver, and kidneys in animals. (3) There is some evidence that exposure to 2,4-D may lead to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. (4)
In 2001, there were almost 2000 cases of chlorophenoxy and over 4400 cases of glyphosate poisonings reported to poison control centers in the United States.(5)
Many of the "inert" ingredients in pesticides are dangerous as well, with serious adverse health effects. (6)
Are some people affected more than others when exposed to pesticides?
Yes. Children, since their bodies are growing and developing, may be particularly at risk. (7) People with the following diseases might be particularly sensitive: asthma, cardiovascular disease, liver or kidney disease, neurological disorders, multiple chemical sensitivity/allergies. In a recent survey of children 4 to 13 years old in Western New York, 18% were found to have physician-diagnosed asthma and 13% had symptoms that indicated the possibility of undiagnosed asthma. (8)
How can I be exposed?
Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin, swallowed or inhaled. Exposures may come from contact with treated grass or from mists or sprays during application. (2) Children may receive significant exposures when playing on lawns that have recently been treated. In addition, 2,4-D applied to lawns has been shown to be tracked into the home, especially into homes with children or pets. (9)
References:
(1) Home and garden pesticides: questions and answers about safety and alternatives.
N.Y.S. Office of the Attorney General, April 1999.
http:www.oag.state.ny.us/environment/home_pesticides.html
(2) http://www.epa.gov/oppbeadl/pestsales/97pestsales/table9.htm - not available
(3)
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/di-oxyac.html
(4) Hoar Zahm S. Blair A. Pesticides and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cancer Research
(1992) 52:5485-5488.
(5) American Journal of Emergency Medicine.
2001 Annual Report of the American
Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System. 20(5):
391-452, 2002.
(6) The Secret Hazards of Pesticides: Inert Ingredients,
N.Y.S. Office of the Attorney General, February 1996.
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/environment/inerts96.html
(7)
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/pest.htm
(8) Lwebuga-Mukasa JS and Dunn-Georgiou E. The prevalence of asthma in children of
elementary school age in western N.Y. J Urban Health 2000 Dec.: 77(4):745-61
(9) Nishioka MG, Lewis RG. Distribution of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in floor
dust throughout homes following homeowner and commercial lawn applications:
quantitative effect of children, pets, and shoes. Environ. Sci. Technol. (1999) 33:
1359-1365.