Yards for Kids
A Community Health Education Program Aiming to Significantly Reduce the Use of Lawn Pesticides in Iowa
Excerpts from a report by:
Dennis C. Vacco
Attorney General of New York State
Environmental Protection Bureau
February 1996
All pesticides are poisons and may cause adverse health effects. They are widely used in and around our homes, schools, work places and recreational areas. But, pest control does not necessarily require pesticide use; alternatives to pesticides are available for the control of household pests such as ants, fleas, roaches, mice, rats and for lawn and garden pests such as weeds and insects. ...You can eliminate or significantly reduce pesticide use in and around your home and still successfully control pests. Before deciding to use pesticides, it is important to understand the limits of current knowledge about the potential dangers of these chemicals.
What is a pesticide?
By law, a pesticide is "any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest." This definition includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and antimicrobials as well as plant growth regulators, defoliants, and dessicants.
It is important to note what this definition does not include. Pesticides kill or damage pests, but they do not solve the pest problems. Solving a pest problem requires identifying the factors that allow the pest to thrive, and then changing those conditions so that the pest is no longer successful. At best, pesticides provide short-term respites from pests, that require repeated treatments.
When pesticides are registered by the EPA, does this mean they are safe?
No, nor can anyone give you assurance. Pesticides are designed to destroy or control living organisms. All pesticides are associated with some risk of harm to human health or the environment. Scientists and regulators know too little about pesticides and peoples exposure to pesticides to offer assurance about pesticide safety.
EPA registration is not a consumer product safety program. In fact, federal law prohibits manufacturers from making claims that EPA registration of their products means they are safe. When the EPA registers a pesticide, it determines, among other things, how the pesticide must be used to minimize any risks and what information must be printed on the label. Registration is a balancing act between a pesticide’s benefits and its accompanying risks. Many pesticides used today were registered with the EPA before pesticide testing requirements were strengthened by Congress in 1978. As a result, many of the pesticides used in homes have not been subjected to the full range of tests currently required for new products. EPA is now reviewing these products, and requiring additional testing, in a reregistration process which will not be complete for years to come. In the mean time, products registered under the earlier, less stringent guidelines remain on the market and in use.
What do we know about the potential health effects of pesticides commonly used in and around our homes?
Pesticides may cause acute health effects (like skin irritation or respiratory distress) which occur shortly after exposure and chronic health effect (like cancer or reproductive problems) which may not be apparent until months or years after exposure.
Can household pesticides harm my pets?
Yes. Many household pesticides carry warnings on their labels cautioning people to keep pets away from their treated areas.
Can pesticides cause environmental problems?
Yes. Pesticides can contaminate soil and water and many of them carry such warnings on their labels.
Is it possible to control household pest and maintain an attractive lawn without using chemicals?
Yes. Check out books in your Public Library and/or go to What You Can Do for more information.
For the full text check out: http://www.oag.state.ny.us/environment/home_pesticides.html