The Dandelion Battle Resumes: Poison Season Returns to Southern New England
May 11, 2023
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The distinct smell of spring is in the air: synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. The little white and yellow flags planted in lawns officially announce that poison season has begun.
The amount of toxic chemicals dumped on lawns and public grounds annually to turn lifeless space green and kill dandelions and white clover is staggering — some 80 million pounds year after year in the United States. When these monolithic landscapes are flooded with mass-marketed poisons and nutrients, they turn bad for human and pet health, pollute local waters, deter wildlife, and degrade the environment.
Those warning flags are required because of the 40 most commonly used lawn pesticides, 26 are linked to cancer or carcinogenicity, 12 are linked to birth defects, 21 to reproductive effects, 32 to liver or kidney damage, 24 to neurotoxicity, and 24 to disruption of the endocrine (hormonal) system, according to Beyond Pesticides.
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit notes that of the 40, 21 are detected in groundwater, 24 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources, and 39 are toxic to fish, 33 to bees, 28 to birds, and 18 to mammals.
This manufactured reliance on pesticides and fertilizers has turned neighborhood soil into a dumping ground for lawn-care concoctions and helped chemical and fossil fuel companies pad their profits.
Tons of fertilizer overloaded with nitrogen and/or phosphorus are dumped every spring because some pitchman using a Scottish accent tells us to, “Feed your lawn. Feed it.” Pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are mindlessly sprayed all over the place because we were indoctrinated to believe a lush carpet of useless green improves our social status.
These poisons make us and the environment sick. They turn to dust and ride the wind. They cling to people and pets who walk, play, and relax on treated grass. They get kicked up during youth sporting events. They can be inhaled like pollen, causing nausea, coughing, headaches, and shortness of breath. For asthmatic kids, they can trigger coughing fits and asthma attacks.
If directly ingested, chemicals such as ammonium phosphate, potassium chloride, and urea can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Studies have shown that these chemicals can linger in body tissue for years.
In Rhode Island, lawn chemicals are used routinely by about 40% of the state’s school districts, according to a 2008 report. State law requires schools using pesticides to inform officials, teachers, and parents when pesticides are applied. We all know how well Rhode Island environmental laws are followed and enforced.
Two of the most common pesticides, glyphosate used in Roundup and 2,4-D in Weed B Gon Max, have been linked to a slew of health issues such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), developmental disorders, and cancer.
Weed and feed products with 2,4-D — the Natural Resources Defense Council calls the weed killer the “most dangerous pesticide you’ve never heard of” — can be nasty.
The National Institute of Health has found 2,4-D, the pesticide in most of these killing products, caused an increased risk of lymphoma in dogs. A Purdue University study found a link between lawn chemicals and canine bladder cancer.
Developed by Dow Chemical in the 1940s, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid helped usher in the unnatural green movement that now carpets much of the country.
A growing body of scientific evidence continues to confirm the widespread health effects of 2,4-D — a neurotoxicant that contains half the ingredients in Agent Orange, according to Beyond Pesticides — and similar killing products.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer declared 2,4-D a possible human carcinogen. In fact, pesticides are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency because most are carcinogens or suspected carcinogens.
The cocktail of chemical pollution, including pesticides and fertilizers, that saturates the planet threatens the stability of global ecosystems upon which humanity depends, according to a 2022 study.
Last month, Beyond Pesticides released a comprehensive report about pesticide use and noted the “shocking scientific findings” should “compel us to act.”
The 172-page report documents the last year of scientific, peer-reviewed articles, policy deficiencies, and action for change that intersect with the use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers on:
Human health: Children’s exposure to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, particularly during the course of mosquito control operations, is associated with increased occurrence of certain respiratory diseases; the popular herbicide glyphosate can infiltrate the brain through the blood, increasing neurological disease risk.
Biodiversity collapse: Honeybees exposed to a combination of multiple pesticides suffer a reduced lifespan and experience adverse changes to their gut microbiome, increasing susceptibility to pathogens and disease; spraying a flowering plant with synthetic fertilizers makes it less attractive to bumblebees.
Failed policies reviewed in the report include the continued use of neurotoxic organophosphate insecticides and congressional efforts to further weaken federal pesticide law and codify a prohibition of local authority to restrict pesticides more stringently than state and federal law.
Beyond Pesticides said documented science and policy failures support its call for an end to petrochemical pesticide and fertilizer use within a decade and compel the expeditious adoption of organic management to replace chemical-intensive practices.
Let the dandelions and white clover live, and if your lawn is hungry, feed it with compost.
Frank Carini can be reached at [email protected]. His opinions don’t reflect those of ecoRI News.
Great piece! I’ve been a member of Beyond Pesticides since their inception (when they were called NCAMP). Rachel Carson and Cesar Chavez are my heroes – may have to now add Frank Carini!
So Frank, where’s the legislation to make these lawn products illegal or to further regulate them? I know that these chemical companies are very powerful but it’s not like they’re based in Rhode Island. Any thought on how much if any of these are being used at the turf farms. How is that industry regulated? Thanks for the informative article.
Bob, some excellent questions. I focused on lawns because easy for homeowners to make change and not apply; not that hard at state and local levels either to stop the practice. Spraying for invasives is a bit tricker, as they are a big problem as well, but R.I. seems to take a haphazard approach. Below are a few links to past stories we have published. — Frank Carini, ecoRI News staffer
https://ecori.org/2017-12-9-ris-public-lands-routinely-doused-with-unknown-amounts-of-poison/
https://ecori.org/2017-9-12-public-trust-eroded-by-tidal-wave-of-poisons/
Frank,
I think it’s time for you and ecoRI to sponsor workshops to show the difference: lawns no lawns; pesticides no pesticides; gas stoves vs induction stoves; vegan vs non-vegan eating. Instead of talking about this stuff let’s all pitch in and get this stuff done. Love your writing!
I was at Home Depot last week taking my annual survey of the chemical yard products sold for the control of insects, weeds, etc. Just one product, related to this story about lawns, is called Triazicide: “Insect Killer for Lawns”, that promises to “kill 100+ insects”, or basically all the arthropod fauna in the soil. It comes in 20 pound bags of granules to be spread over the lawn. As I was reading the product label a family was loading 8 bags onto their cart. The woman thought for a moment and declared that “it was not enough” as she grabbed two more bags. I guess you just want to be sure to kill everything that could possibly hinder the growth of a perfect lawn.
Check out the Walmart and Home Depot shelves and you’ll find dozens of similar products, all promising to kill “all bugs”, because the new generation of pyrethroid pesticides are “wildlife and pet safe”, and do indeed kill all insects. Many can be applied with a propane fogger, which when used on a windy day will effectively kill insects through an entire neighborhood, and also effectively killing the caterpillars and other insect foods needed by adult birds to raise their young.
“A lawn should look like a salad,” said a landscaper years ago at an Audubon lecture against pesticides. He showed us his hands -discolored from years of chemicals. He said, Why would anyone put this toxic stuff on their lawn and let their pets, children, and selves be exposed to it. And of course – blow apart our food chain. Why indeed.
Yes – kill those lightning bugs – who needs them anyway? 😔
Back in the year 2018, I passed along https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/herbicide.htm, that notes “A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. ” And the document that goes with https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/statutes/title23/23-25/23-25-39.HTM and https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/statutes/title23/23-25/23-25-37.HTM, which spells it all out.
(c)(1) On and after July 1, 2002, at the beginning of each school year, each local school authority shall provide the staff of each school and the parents or guardians of each child enrolled in each school with a written statement of the committee’s policy on pesticide application on school property and a description of any pesticide applications made at the school during the previous school year.
(2) The statement and description shall be provided to the parents or guardians of any child who transfers to a school during the school year. The statement shall: (i) indicate that the staff, parents, or guardians may register for prior notice of pesticide applications at the school; and (ii) describe the emergency notification procedures provided for in this section. Notice of any modification to the pesticide application policy shall be sent to any person who registers for notice under this section.
(d) On and after July 1, 2002, parents or guardians of children in any school and school staff may register for prior notice of pesticide application at their school. Each school shall maintain a registry of persons requesting the notice. Prior to providing for any application of pesticide within any building or on the grounds of any school, the local school authority shall provide for the distribution of notice to parents and guardians who have registered for prior notice under this section, such that the notice is received no later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the application. Notice shall be given by any means practicable to school staff who have registered for the notice. Notice under this subsection shall include: (1) the common or trade name and the name of the active ingredient; (2) the EPA registration number as listed on the pesticide label; (3) the target pest; (4) the exact location of the application on the school property; (5) the date of the application; and (6) the name of the school administrator, or a designee, who may be contacted for further information.
(e) On and after July 1, 2003, no application of pesticide may be made in any building or on the grounds of any school during regular school hours or during planned activities at any school. No child shall enter an area where the application has been made until it is safe to do so according to the provisions on the pesticide label. This section shall not apply to the use of germicides, disinfectants, sanitizers, deodorizers, antimicrobal agents, insecticidal gels, non-volatile insect or rodent bait in a tamper resistant container, insect repellants or the application of a pesticide classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as an exempt material under 40 CFR 152.25.
(f) On and after July 1, 2002, a local school authority may make an emergency application of pesticide without prior notice under this section in the event of an immediate threat to human health, provided the board provides for notice, by any means practicable, on or before the day that the application is to take place, to any person who has requested prior notice under this section.
(g) On and after July 1, 2002, notice of any pesticide application at a school shall be given, by any means practicable, to the parents or guardians of any child enrolled at the school and to the staff of the school not later than one week after the application. The notice shall include: (1) the common or trade name and the name of the active ingredient; (2) the EPA registration number as listed on the pesticide label; (3) the target pest; (4) the exact location of the application on the school property; (5) the date of the application; and (6) the name of the school administrator, or a designee, who may be contacted for further information. A copy of the record of each pesticide application at a school shall be maintained at the school for a period of five (5) years.
(h) Not later than July 1, 2002, the department of environmental management and the department of health shall jointly establish a task force which shall specifically address methods to promote public education and professional training about pesticides, their potential health effects and IPM least toxic alternatives, and for evaluation and analysis of current pest control practices at school and child care facilities.
History of Section.
P.L. 2001, ch. 293, § 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 418, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 475, § 69.
Schools/ municipalities need to be compliant!!!!