Lawn Pesticides and Chemicals Essay -- Health Toxic Substances Essays

Lawn Pesticides and ChemicalsRecently, the use of lawn pesticides and chemicals has grown enormously with home owners and golf course management in hope of attaining the perfect turf. However, the negative effects that are associated with attaining mavens fancy turf is primarily caused by the direct use of pesticides and chemicals. The chemical pesticide industry fails to address these issues and has made every effort to keep this information from the public.Herbicides and pesticides are non a natural way to achieve a beautiful lawn, contrary to what lawn care companies would like people to believe. They are broad-spectrum biocides, and by their very nature fanny harm organisms other than the targeted species (Dieglman, 1996). Pesticide industries make false claims by stating that their chemicals are heavily diluted, failing to mention that toxins are still extremely dangerous in tiny amounts. Other false claims include companies like ChemLawn which state that a child would have to ingest ten cups of treated grass clippings to equal the toxicity of one aspirin. In fact, the real danger is not from grazing the lawn. Most poisonings come from inhaling pesticide residues or absorbing them through the skin (Begley, 1988). These chemicals include wartime defoliants such as element Orange, nerve-gas type pesticides, and artificial hormones (Dieglman, 1996). In some instances, pesticides like DDT, which remain active for many years, accumulate in our bodies and are released at potentially toxic levels. In women, lifetime exposures to such chemicals are released in the breast milk of her firstborn child ( global Joint Commission, 1990).Pesticides drift and settle during application where they can easily die houses and p... ...l and human health risks that outweigh its intended results. Alternative strategies must be developed which will bring about better results on the environment. Long long-lasting solutions, which require less time, are definitely the best p lace to start.ReferencesN. Diegelman. Poison in the Grass. 1996.Begley, Sharon, and Hager. Please Dont Eat the Daises. nakedsweek 16 May 1988.International Joint Commission on the Great Lakes. Selected Persistent Toxic Substances in Human Breast Milk in the Great Lakes Basin. March 1990.American shielder Network. Lawn Chemical Dangers. 1989.American Cancer Society, Erie County Branch. Warning The Use of Pesticides May Be Hazardous To Your Health. 1991.G. Davidson. Pesticides The Killing Fields. Womans Day. 1994. N. Polk. The Perfect Lawn Isnt Always Green. The New York Times, Oct. 17, 1990.