Lawn chemicals and our kids

How safe is our lawn after chemicals have been sprayed?

The most common product sprayed on a lawn is what is called a selective herbicide. The selective means that it will kill a broad leaf plant like a dandelion but not the grass. The most common selective herbicide is 2-4,d. A product who's mode of action is to make cells in the plant grow faster than the plant can sustain and therefore the plant dies. Now give me the mode of action of cancer.
Over reaction to 2-4,d in Canada outlawed the product so lawns are now weed fields. So what is the answer? Limiting exposure is so important. But I believe a child as young as the one in this photo should have NO exposure to 2-4,d.

My answer, front yard is for looks and the weed killer is used to keep it looking nice. Back yard is for kids and some weeds are just part of the price of protecting my child.

There are alternative organic products out there, see link here. But they do take time.

Hand weeding is another option. But the reality is weeds will always be an issue and it is work to keep them out of a yard.

In my opinion, children come first and this is a product they should not be exposed to.

Barbeque Warning

Barbeque dangers with pesticides are never addressed to the public but a critical area of concern.

Any time an applicator, or for that matter a homeowner, sprays for spiders and bugs, they often spray around the BBQ. You will have flies attracted to the grease, ergo spiders and webs, so it gets sprayed.

Talk about a free base chemical nightmare, spraying a parathyroid on the brush you clean the grate with, then putting your food on that and cooking it in has to be the most dangerous thing you'll encounter in your back yard. But it is never discussed. Make sure all the items you use on your BBQ is put away before any spray is done in your back yard. If you think that exposure has happened, ask the applicator (even if it's your husband) for the label and read what is required to clean an item good enough for food consumption areas.

Again, this is so overlooked and one of my biggest concerns when it comes to pesticides being sprayed around our homes.

10 keys to protect kids from pesticides

Pest -icide is to kill an unwanted pest. Any time we are using any item that has the power to kill something, we have to be aware of how it works and how to protect ourselves from it.

Exposure is what we want to eliminate. But when someone, professional or homeowner, sprays; they are atomizing that chemical and blanketing an area. So how do we protect ourselves.

Here are 10 quick check list items to follow:

1. Start with the concentrate bottle the chemical came in. If a homeowner has any pesticide in the garage, it has to be locked up where a child can not reach it at any time.
2. Mixing utensils and what was used to apply the chemical should be treated as a contaminated item and removed from the child's ability to contact. This include any and all clothing used to apply the chemical including shoes.
3. If a professional is spraying nearby, do not hesitate to go up to them and ask them what they are spraying and what pest they are trying to control. Write this information down in front of the applicator and he or she will be far more careful about exposure.
4. Note the wind direction immediately; where is the atomized material moving to? If the wind is over ten miles per hour, ask the applicator if he or she is aware of this and that in many states it is illegal to spray.
5. If it is your property being sprayed. Ask the applicator to email the night before and to give you the a.i., (Active ingredient), that will be sprayed. Ask for information about the product and what the label states should be done to prevent exposure.
6. Do not presume the applicator will be careful. Number one dangerous item I see in every yard is the barbeque area. So many people have the brush they clean the grate, and often the spatula, right out in an area it can be over sprayed. Remove these items along with children's toys, the pet's food and water bowl and pet's toys.
7. If possible, leave the area when the application is done and do not return for several hours. Once the product is dry there is far less possibility of exposure.
8. Before calling to have a pesticide sprayed, be honest with how much pest pressure there is (i.e. one spider has been seen or ten spiders), and always check for alternative organic methods first. However, organic does not equal safe, check for side effects of any organic method.
9. EPA is very stringent on creating products that break down quickly under UV rays so the product does not stay in the environment too long. With that in mind, younger children should not play on surfaces such as lawns that have been sprayed for a day or two to help time reduce the exposure, longer if possible.
10. The rule, if it smells bad it is bad, is a good way to help you decide if a chemical has broken down to the point the exposure is reduced. Many weed killers have a distinct odor, if you can smell that odor, you are too exposed. The chemical is volatizing which means it can now move into your child's lungs where it moves quickly into the blood stream. Lungs, and eyes are the first priority. Dermal exposure can be washed off due to the fact the skin is a good first defense but it must be washed off immediately before the pores in the skin have time to absorb the material. If your child runs barefoot in the lawn, always have them wash their feet. Keep in mind, balls roll on that ground then get picked up with little hands, wash those hands.

How to Protect Kids from Pesticides

Note from Blog Author Ted Smith;

I have been involved in so many different fields of interest that it is no wonder my hair is so grey. But my back ground in training pesticide applicators for large chemical companies so concerned me, that I feel it is my life time obligation to educate parents on how to protect their children form pesticide exposure.

I was Certified as a Master Gardner in 2006, a Certified Arborist and a Licensed Pesticide Applicator. I founded the training program Green Team Systems for pesticide applicators now used by large chemical companies.

What created so much concern was how careless chemical applicators really are and how little enforcement ability the Department of Agriculture, who regulates those applicators, have in resources to protect the public.

The job of protecting our children comes down to the parents and care takers in schools and pre-schools.

But where is the information they need, to know what to do?

I hope to give  you those resources and help you with what I believe is a nationwide problem.