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| THE CASUAL GARDENER, Shawna Coronado Chemical Confusion! = = = = = = = = = Dear Casual Gardener, I’ve been planning out my garden goals for 2008. One of my goals includes an improved lawn, however, I understand we shouldn’t use chemicals on our lawns. Why is that? Is it because our children and dogs might run in the lawns after we spray them? I make sure they don’t do that, so am confused as to why there is a concern. Signed, Confused About Chemicals = = = = = = = = = = Dear Confused, Less than one year ago, I didn’t know the answer to these questions. My ignorance on these issues has led to a lot of investigation which has taken me to a better understanding about the importance of paying attention to our actions in relationship to toxic chemicals. This weekend my youngest daughter had a fever caused by a virus which sent us to the hospital. It was over 105o F. While waiting for her fever to come down at the hospital, I realized I was quite lucky this was a virus and the doctors were able to diagnose her and understand how to treat her illness. What if she was extremely sick and I didn’t know what it was that had harmed her? What if a chemical exposure had given her cancer or a lung disorder? How would I fight the fever then? It would be the beginning of a much larger and torturous journey. This is why you should understand how important it is not to use toxic chemicals in your home or on your lawn. The truth is people are getting sick, hundreds of thousands of people, and the medical community cannot always find out which chemical or what toxic problem is producing the illness. We cannot exclusively point to one toxin that is causing the problem because we, as Americans, are regularly exposed to hundreds of them. It is up to us to start eliminating them from our “diet” within our lifestyles. Every day Americans are exposed to hundreds of chemicals and chemical fumes. These toxic chemicals are found everywhere we go; from exposure to computer, printer and carpet fumes in our homes to driving on exhaust filled roadways to walking down the detergent and cleaning aisle at the grocery store. Chemical exposure indoors at schools, office buildings, shopping centers, and your own home are also prevalent. This regular exposure has increased our sensitivity and in repeated studies, this toxic soup is shown to cause many health problems. Spraying our lawns with toxic chemicals is a heavy contributor to this issue. Air quality is a serious concern, particularly to children. With industrial pollution, mosquito spraying, idling cars in common areas, and many other air quality issues being a major concern in the United States, we must all be aware of the air quality where we live and work to improve it. You will notice the smell of chemicals after you spray your lawn, right? The molecules from those chemicals are bouncing off your lawn and finding their way into your and your family’s body. This should be a concern as asthma diagnoses have increased the last several years, particularly pediatric asthma. You should know that not all chemicals which are dangerous to your family have a smell; some are odorless. Air quality is important for your family, so you must consider all chemicals which you use on your property. It is true that native wild animals can walk through the sprayed lawn and carry the poisons back to their dens. Pets also track through the sprayed lawns regularly and often have toxins on their paws afterward. When you walk through a sprayed lawn you are bringing these substances into your home via the soles of your shoes. Why spray the lawn at all with toxic substances? Why would you want to expose your family and pets to chemicals that will harm them? Also, toxic chemicals used outdoors affect your entire community and need to be considered an important priority. Using chemicals on your outdoor plants is a particular concern because of this. For example, the Chicago region alone uses 2.4 billion gallons of water every day. Many in the Chicagoland region depend on groundwater as their primary source for fresh drinking water. Lake Michigan water will be used less and less in the future as withdrawal of water from Lake Michigan is monitored by a strict allocation system. Ours is a water- rich area, however, metropolitan growth is out-pacing the existing water infrastructure and the ability to constantly replenish aquifers, lakes, and rivers. This means that water sanitation and cleanliness is of very high importance to the millions of Chicagoland residents. Specific concerns for ground water come from what is known as the percolation process. Water which enters the soil by rainfall or irrigation gradually percolates downward to become groundwater. The geologic formation through which groundwater moves is called an aquifer and can supply water for thousands of families. The process for groundwater percolation can take a long time as groundwater moves very slowly, only a few feet a month or even in a year. Chemical toxicity can be detected years from the original contamination date and can make the water unusable. It might take many decades for a contaminant to be naturally diluted, so prevention of groundwater contamination should be of significant immediate importance. To live in a cleaner environment, we need to stop using toxic chemicals on our lawns and in our environment immediately. Better yet, expand garden beds and eliminate toxic lawn-care chemicals as much as you can. Creating a less toxic environment, both indoors and outdoors will help you lead a greener life. To simplify this task, search for non-toxic solutions whenever possible so air and water quality will improve for everyone. Please send your gardening questions for Shawna Coronado, The Casual Gardener to dearshawna@thecasualgardener.com or The Casual Gardener, P.O. Box 358, Warrenville, IL 60555. www.thecasualgardener.com |
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