Lawn chemicals are both a blessing and a curse. While they can help improve the quality of your lawn, there are also environmental risks to using them. When choosing to apply lawn chemicals, weigh the pros and cons of their use. Lawn chemicals can contain ingredients which can be highly toxic if skin contact occurs. You may want to consider lawn chemicals as a last resort to a lawn problem.
Benefits
Lawn chemicals can benefit the environment by destroying weeds. Weeds can harm entire ecosystems by displacing native plants which provide food and habitat for wildlife. Lawn chemicals can enhance the aesthetic quality of urban landscapes and cut down on the additional maintenance you must do in order to maintain your lawn. Chemicals such as fertilizers can enhance the soil quality and compensate for deficiencies in soil nutrients.
Environmental Effects
While lawn chemicals have benefits, they also have drawbacks. Lawn chemicals applied near waterways can pollute aquatic resources through runoff. Animal species such as frogs and toads are especially vulnerable since their skin is semi-permeable to the water around them. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the use of lawn chemicals causes most reported cases of wildlife poisonings. The human health risks are well documented. A 2001 study in the journal Epidemiology found that pesticide exposure near the home increases a child's risk of developing certain types of cancer by 60 percent.
Considerations
One danger of lawn chemicals is drift. Drift occurs when chemicals are applied during windy conditions, causing them to flow into non-targeted areas. While herbicides may be appropriate to treat weeds in your lawn, it will be inappropriate if it drifts into your neighbor's rose bushes. Lawn chemicals can also damage other plants and animals if they spill into lakes or streams. Proper application, therefore, is imperative.
Alternatives to Chemicals
The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides reports that many safer alternatives to lawn chemicals exist for your landscaping needs. The type of alternative you use will depend upon what you are trying to accomplish. Safe herbicide alternatives include hot water and vinegar and manual removal of weeds. For fertilizers, organic sources such as manure or compost provide viable alternatives.
Minimizing Lawn Chemical Use
Weeds are opportunistic. In order to minimize your use of lawn chemicals, you can find ways to reduce your lawn's vulnerability to pests. Land that has been disturbed is an opportunity for weeds to take hold. Also, if your lawn is stressed because of drought or improper maintenance, it is a more likely target for insect pests which will take advantage of its weakened state. Keeping your lawn healthy is the best way to minimize the use of lawn chemicals.
References
- "Invasive Plants: Weeds of the Global Garden;" John M. Randall and Janet Marinelli (eds.); 1996
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The Facts about Lawn Chemicals
- Epidemiology: "Residential Pesticide Exposure and Neuroblastoma;" J. Daniels et al; January 2001
- "Illinois Pesticide Applicator Training Manual: General Standards;" P. Nixon et al; 1995
- Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides: What You Should Know about Lawn Chemicals
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