For many, the picture-perfect front lawn scene includes children and pets romping and playing on lush grass.
But just how safe is that?
Many homeowners use chemical pesticides and herbicides to control weeds and keep their lawns looking nice. But an environmental awareness campaign in McHenry County is focusing on the dangers of those chemicals, which campaign organizers say can cause cancer, mutations and birth defects, among other things.
“There is an association between home pesticide use and elevated risks of childhood brain cancer and soft-tissue sarcoma, a kind of cancer that affects connective tissue, for instance,” said Jill Viehweg, project coordinator for the Safer Pest Control Project in Chicago.
Viehweg says the public awareness “Yards for Nature Campaign,” which got under way in May, is gaining in popularity. Its main thrust is to inform homeowners that they still can have a healthy lawn while reducing the use of harmful chemicals.
Under the program, 23 environmental, health and conservation groups–including the McHenry County Defenders– have helped to circulate fliers and signs alerting homeowners in the Chicago area about the dangers of pesticides.
The group’s fact sheet: “Lawn Chemicals: Kicking the Habit,” informs homeowners of alternatives to pesticides.
Lawn care should start with healthy soil, grass or seed appropriate for the area, and a good lawn mower with a sharp blade.
The suggestions also include planting native species that don’t require chemicals and a lot of water to do well in this area’s climate.
Common mistakes in lawn upkeep include watering too frequently and at the wrong time, or mowing the grass too short, which stresses it.
“Mow a little high,” said Viehweg. “Not down to the putting green look. Having it a little high gives it a chance to stretch out and absorb more sunlight, which helps make it grow.”
The suggested length is 3 to 4 inches high.
Leaving clippings on the lawn also provide nutrients to make it healthier.
Hand weeding instead of applying pesticides is a healthy alternative that may require a little yardwork, but with the proper tool no bending is needed.
“When you get weeds, get out there early and hand weed them,” said Viehweg. “With dandelions, for example, if you get out there early with a good weed puller, you can pull a lot of weeds in 10 minutes.”
Viehweg says herbicides and pesticides can begin a cycle of damage to the environment, ending up in places the average person wouldn’t expect.
“You have the issue that you tend to kill off not only the enemy, but beneficial organisms,” said Viehweg.
In addition, there is a danger that the chemicals can “bioaccumulate,” or become more toxic as they work their way up the food chain.
Some residents already had started their own personal information campaigns to inform their neighbors about the dangers of pesticides before the official countywide push.
“We’ve always been concerned about (this issue),” said Crystal Lake homeowner Don Rose. “When (a commercial lawn-treatment company) comes to our neighbor’s yard, we put something in their mailbox to let them know what they have sprayed on their lawn.”
Rose recently acquired a “Chemical-Free Yard” sign from the Defenders office and placed it on his lawn.
But informing the public is an uphill battle.
Part of the problem with pesticides and herbicides is that they are aggressively marketed through television commercials and newspapers, Viehweg said.
According to a study prepared by the National Home and Garden Pesticide Use Survey in March 1992, 6.5 million pounds of the herbicide 2,4-D was used on U.S. lawns.
To receive the fact sheet or chemical-free yard sign, call the McHenry County Defenders office at 815-338-0393 or the Safer Pest Control Project office at 312-641-5575.
