THE CARE THAT KILLS - toxicity of lawn care pesticides herbicides effects on human health - cancer, autism, pregnancy, children, environment
 How Lawn Care Pesticides, Herbicides Synthetic Fertilizers Affect Your Health |
Spring is wonderful right? The snow gradually melts away as winter loosens its bitter grip and the soil breaths again. This should be a magnificent time, stepping outdoors one should be able to notice the fresh smell that defines this moment in the seasons… spring is here once more.
However, many people do not realize that this is a dangerous time, a point that signals the coming of an onslaught of toxins. No, not form nature, from people. Each year starting in early spring and ongoing into the month of October millions of gallons of toxic chemicals are applied onto the lawns of America's households. These toxins drain into lakes, streams, underground aquifers and water reserves poisoning them and us. When humidity rises from the ground, so do the pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers along with it. And we inhale them.
The unfortunate truth is that we cannot avoid these "weapons of mass destruction". They are everywhere. Even if you yourself do not use them (you eat organic food, grow an organic garden use natural home products) it is still guaranteed that the blood levels of these toxins in your body are at lethal amounts, high enough to initiate critical irrevocable damage to your organs and hormonal system. In today's world we cannot choose not to be exposed to pesticides. We are forced to encounter their constant applications. A cigarette you can choose to not to smoke. Second hand smoke affects those who are within a couple of feet of the smoker. Pesticides, on the other hand, are everywhere and merciless with their destructive capabilities.
Homeowners are constantly being brainwashed by the pesticide industry to tolerate nothing on their yards except an artificial grass. Each year beginning in spring we are bombarded with TV commercials describing the application of toxic pesticides and herbicides as something necessary, a must for any homeowner taking pride in his/her property. People were led to believe that this practice is needed. Majority of people cannot imagine not applying pesticides to their lawn. This would be a sign of great neglect of their property and if they live in a respectable neighborhood it would be unacceptable. Oh! That peer pressure.
False Advertising of Pesticides and Herbicides by Lawn Care Manufacturers
Certainly almost everyone in America has seen some sort of TV commercial in which pesticides and herbicides are portrayed as a beneficial necessity to your lawn or garden. Some of these commercials show a man spraying RoundUp on his lawn. This man then lovingly brushes his hand over that freshly sprayed grass and rests his face on the same hand that just touched the herbicide. Looking very content with his work he is obviously unaware that by exposing himself to glyphosate (a major ingredient of RoundUp that is very toxic to humans, increasing the risk for cancer, including brain cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, depression, autism and Parkinson's disease) he has endangered his life and the life of anyone who steps on that lawn.
Homeowners who hire lawn care services believe they themselves are not at any risk.
These people do not realize that by walking on this chemical lawn, pesticides are brought indoors where they become embedded in the carpet or other fabrics and slowly out-gas over a period of many years.
How Pesticides, Herbicides and Synthetic Fertilizers Affect Human Health
Lawn care implies a beneficial act; however the only benefit it brings is the enormous profit to pesticide manufactures. The toxicity to humans is often downplayed by the petrochemical industry. They portray their products as being not harmful to humans. However one must realize that pesticides and herbicides were designed to kill. This is their role. Pesticides may kill an insect instantly, due to the simple fact that an insect is much smaller then a human. Nonetheless these chemical agents will kill you as well. The only difference is that a human will die a very painful, slow and torturous death of cancer inflicted by years of low dose exposure to pesticides.
Lawn chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers have been documented to significantly increase the risk for neurological defects such as brain cancer and Parkinson's disease. Scientists at Harvard University found that "low dose exposure to pesticides such as majority of American people experience increases risk for the development of Parkinson's disease by 70 percent".
Men are more susceptible to the mutagenic effects of pesticides then women. Higher levels of the female hormone estrogen in a woman's body seem to play a protective role. Lawn chemicals are endocrine disruptors, which means they damage human endocrine glands and alter normal hormone release.
Want to have the best lawn in the neighborhood? Follow the advice of Harvard Scientists:
Harvard University conducted a study on its campus lawn, where one acre of that lawn was cared for in entirely natural and organic manner without the use of any pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or synthetic fertilizers. The effect of this natural organic lawn care experiment "yielded outstanding results". "The soil in that one acre became far healthier than those acres treated with chemicals and the roots of the organically treated grass grew deeper than anyone could have imagined." Since then, Harvard has been saving approximately two million gallons of water per year. It normally cost $35,000 to dispose of landscape waste from the campus that now is converted into a natural fertilizer. Synthetic fertilizers use to cost $10,000 and produced nothing more then withering grass and dry rock hard soil. Now the soil has the consistency of a moist sponge and the grass' roots are able to sprout further providing for a healthy emerald green lawn.
The Effects of Pesticides on the Environment
According to a U.S. Geological survey 96 percent of all fish in the U.S. streams, rivers and lakes were found to have residues of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, all groundwater in the Midwest United States showed Atrazine (an endocrine disrupting and neurotoxic herbicide) contamination higher then levels allowed by the EPA.
Pesticides are immune suppressants. The outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in China has been linked to elevated levels of pesticides in the environment.
April Showers Bring Sick Babies
Pesticides are especially toxic to children. The endocrine and immune systems of children are still in the process of development so they are at a much greater risk then adults and their body size is smaller. Children also tend to play more outdoors on the grass.
"Using pesticides where children are present is like sticking a cigarette into a child's mouth".
According to Paul D. Winchester, professor of neonatology at the University of Indiana, School of Medicine, children conceived in spring and early summer have a higher risk for various birth defects including spina bifida, cleft palate and Down Syndrome. This correlates with the increased levels of pesticides in the environment applied during the same period from April to July.
Banning Pesticides, Realizing the Dangers of These Toxic Chemicals
Health Canada, a governmental organization that regulates pesticide use in Canada, announced that all pesticides and fertilizer products used for cosmetic purposes will be phased out by December 2012. This decision was a result of many Canadian public health and environmental organizations including the Canadian Academy of Pediatrics and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation petitioning their government to stop poisoning Canadian citizens by use of pesticides.
In January of 2009 the European Union banned 22 of the most toxic pesticides linked to genetic mutation, endocrine disruption and carcinogenicity. Many of these pesticides continue to be used in the United States.
In the U.S., New Hampshire Representative Suzanne Smith sponsored House Bill 1456 to investigate the effects of pesticides and herbicide use in residential neighborhoods. However the pesticide industry has already sent lobbyists to kill this bill.
People in America pride themselves as being the leaders setting an example for other nations to follow. Then why when true progress is involved we fall so far behind the rest of the world?
Categories: Women's Health, Men's Health, Children's Health, Pesticides, Hormonal Health, Environment, Immune System Health, Breast Health
Tags: hormonal balance endocrine disruptors lawn care pesticides Canadian Academy of Pediatrics lawn care effects of lawn pesticides pesticides and autism pesticides and pregnancy hormones cancer prevention pesticides Harvard University hormonal health pesticides and children immune system health herbicides pesticides and cancer organic lawn care Breast Cancer lawn pesticides and children pesticides and health effects of pesticides synthetic fertilizers natural lawn care estrogen hormone hormonal imbalances Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Its amazing how so much evidence exists on the dangerous health effects of pesticides, herbicides, etc.. but how no one seems to mind. Most people are ignorant and do not realize the true danger. What's worse is that the rest of the world is left to suffer the consequences. Its about time the US step up and BAN ALL of these poisons.
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I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading and learning about these environmental health issues and the effects of pesticides on children, the environment and human health. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. - lori
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I got so many points here, that's why i love reading your post. Thank you so much!
Pesticides and chemicals are an overlooked topic, yet pesticides effect our health in more ways the most people understand. Glad to see someone being a whistle-blower on this issue.
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I had no idea that lawn care is this dangerous and my children play on that grass all the time come summer. The people from the lawn care service that I use told me that is was alright for the kids to go out an hour after application, see now that it is not so. I feel guilty for the sake of my kids and completely mislead by the landscaping people (btw will cancel my lawn services right away). Why is our government not protecting us at all!!?? How could the EPA allow those polluters to poison us like this. No wonder there is cancer everywhere it is becoming as common as the flu. Wherever you turn there is deception. It is all about money and profits for big business. Thanks for the Internet, at least we can learn something unbiased and factual.
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Keep your kids away form any and all chemical agents!!! Pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, spary-on insecticides (in bug sprays like OFF) and too many others to mention. If you really care about life, why support the progression of this mad senseless killing spree. It ends up killing you and your kids. let that soke in... Also to the author: Really appreciate this post. It’s hard to sort the good from the bad sometimes, but I think you’ve nailed it!
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Pesticides and chemicals used in lawn care services are very toxic and many people do not realize how much harm they are causing onto themselves and their families. This helps some rethink and realize the lurking dangers in lawn care. I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
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Saw this Nature program on PBS the other day that was about the disappearance of frogs world-wide from the effects of pesticides and other chemicals in the environment. The researchers stated that a common agricultural herbicide called atrazine was causing the frogs to mutate, disrupting their hormones, and male frogs were becoming transgender laying eggs and acting as females.
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Well its utterly sick how some people ignore reality. Whoever thinks that herbicides and pesticides are "harmless" is a MENTAL QUACK. Fess-UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ah Yes, we waged war against them Dandelions along with the Crabgrass Nation and it looks that the cat-lion is out of the spray can. They pinched us very well indeed. Translation: Brainwashed by social unacceptability we were induced into seeing evil in a beneficial organism (the dandelion) a plant used as a delicacy in salads as well as for medicinal purposes in the treatment of various aliments. Like a mind-consumed monster we turned on this little plant with one intent: to eliminate it. And so we flooded our lawns with 2,4-D, DDT, ETC. and every pesticide, herbicide and synthetic fertilizer known to man. Well we just about eliminated everything else including ourselves while the dandelion continues to live on.
The moral of this sad story of a foolish human society bound by the limited vision of greed for lust over life for love: A cat they say has nine lives us humans only one, and we wasted it. They say that if you concentrate on destruction, destruction will come to you.
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The Harvard study on lawn care just continues the stream of proof that artificial methods to manipulate the natural world just don't work. synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides simply burn the grass and kill all microbial biodiversity in the soil. Microbes naturally decompose and aerate the soil while releasing nitric compounds that are work as natural fertilizers.
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Absolutely love it ♥♥ ! This article gets right to the point and speaks the truth on lawn care without all the "possibly, perhaps, maybe" and the "more research is still needed to determine a relation between pesticides and cancer" crap that is all too common these days. What more proof do you need!?
Oh and please do a post about Monsanto's GMOs terminator seeds effect on agriculture!
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This is definitely a call to take action
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Chemicals pesticides fertilizers herbicides = toxic lawn care and disease. Old people in this country will never change their ways. It is up to the new generations to claim back the world from the grubby clutch of the old geezers. Our entire government is run by old heartless, selfish and villainously greedy bastards who even though they have all the money in the world, continue to push their toxic chemical products on innocent others. Its long overdue PESTICIDES OUGHT TO BE ABOLISHED!
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The US lacks progressive thinking when it comes to health and the environment. The reason is that chemical manufacturers, Monsanto, Dow Chemical, have huge lobbying power unlike any other corporations in this country. In other parts of the world where their connections with the government and politicians aren't as tight, their pesticide and herbicide products become outlawed. Canada has been banning all cosmetic pesticide use due to the fact that pesticides cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm. The European Union pushes more organic methods of agriculture and people in Europe use way less pesticides then Americans. America is the biggest market for pesticide companies and uses the largest amount of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, fungicides then any other nation. It's about time that America catches-up with the rest of the developed world in terms of environmental laws, toxic chemicals and pesticide use.
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Europe is just as conceded when it comes to pollution, chemical and pesticide use. The Czech Republic has one of the worst polluting power stations in the world Prunerov, and even higher on the list of the world's worst polluters are Australia - Hazelwood power station, and Greece - Agios Dimitrios power station. The only difference is that the Europeans are better at hiding it.
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Children are at the greatest risk from being harmed by the effects of pesticides. Kids are the ones who spend all spring and summer days outdoors playing on the lawn. There should be stricter laws that protect children from pesticide exposure.
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Pesticides cause cancer birth defects and other reproductive harm. Its a well known FACT.
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Sad truth though is that this FACT is overlooked by way too many people and the enlightened ones are left to pay the price/suffer the consequences. Yet another Harvard study recently published (that I found quite informative) has found a prominent connection between pesticides exposure and autism in children.
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Someone really should sue the shit out of pesticide companies as well as that delinquent sham of a agency called the EPA who claims to be the "Environmental Protection Agency" GIVE US ALL A FUCKIN BREAK!! This is fraud on the health of the human race. We're being cheated out of our health and life.
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"April Showers Bring Sick Babies" - I LOVE THAT SAYING! It is SOOOOOO VERY TRUE! wish it weren't so. I going to put that one on a t-shirt and wear for everyone to see. These people are the REAL BABY KILLERS. The ones who pour chemicals down the throats and bodies of innocent children. They have no shame whatsoever and it just disgusts me to think that some bastards would be that brutal to want to harm helpless kids. WhatTF is our government doing to protect our health and future generations? ABSOLUTLY NOTHING!! In fact our own US Government is SELLING US OUT to pesticides corps and chemical producers even as I sit here typing this comment. DAMN D>- +_+
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oh god, why doesnt the government do something against them and curb such products to the minimal....
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these pesticides can also create problems for us tooo, likeing burning sensation is eyes and skin allergies.
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Thanks for sharing such valuable information....
Keep posting such article more....
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I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff on your post
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The severe overusage of pesticides damages our environment and human health more than any other form of chemical pollution. Not realizing the effects of pesticides on human health and the extreme dangers they pose for future generations of plant, animal and human life, is a type of barbaric gross negligence that has become so typical with our society and the human race. A behavioral mentality that eventually will materialize as our own undoing, a process that has already begun and is evident in the turbulent condition of our present day world. Mother Nature is quite displeased with you humanoids
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