What do we know about the health effects of the chemicals we routinely use to keep our lawns and homes pest free? Not as much as we should, considering that these pest control products are used widely by millions of Americans. Recent figures set the amount of pesticides being used on our lawns alone at about 70 million pounds per year! And most of that use is purely for aesthetic purposes.

Rachel Carson, biologist and author of "Silent Spring," who so eloquently warned us of the dangers of pesticides, is regarded as a national hero and credited with the birth of the environmental movement. We have named government buildings and wildlife sanctuaries after her, but we have forgotten her message.

As pesticide products were being developed, scientists warned of the inherent dangers of their widespread use. Recent scientific studies have demonstrated that the chemicals that make up pesticide products persist longer, travel farther and do more damage to humans, wildlife and the environment than anyone predicted. Pesticides used on our lawns wind up on our patio furniture, on our children's toys, in our birdbaths and pools and in our drinking water supply. Further, if you don't remove your shoes at the door, lawn care pesticides can be tracked indoors where they remain for long periods of time. Pesticides used to control indoor pests have an even more direct impact your home environment.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has stated that no pesticide is safe, even when used as directed, and many of the pesticides used on residential lawns are considered probable or possible carcinogens. The health effects of combinations of these chemicals (or their synergistic effects) are of great concern to researchers who have demonstrated that when certain pesticides are combined, their toxicity can increase by as much as 1,000 times. With almost 900 active pesticide ingredients registered for use, testing for these synergistic effects is virtually impossible. (Note: In addition to lawn and home pest controls, many common products are registered "pesticides" - these include household disinfectants, lice shampoos, bug repellents and some deodorizers.)

The "inert" ingredients in pesticides are chemicals that make the product more potent or easier to use (e.g., solvents, surfactants, carriers, synergists, etc.). Pesticide manufacturers claim that these ingredients are trade secrets and should not be disclosed. Inerts are neither chemically, biologically or toxicologically inert, and indeed, some are more toxic than the active ingredients listed.

It also appears that children are disproportionately exposed and affected by pesticides. A National Cancer Institute study found that children were up to six times more likely to get childhood leukemia when pesticides were used in the home and garden, and other research has demonstrated links between exposure to pesticides and endocrine disruption and neurological problems. Mothers exposed to pesticides during pregnancy can pass these toxins to the developing fetus with profound consequences.

For a comprehensive look at the problem of turf pesticides at schools, please see the ChildSafe School Program

Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides
www.beyondpesticides.org Beyond Pesticides (formerly National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides) is a nonprofit membership organization that works with allies in protecting public health and the environment to achieve a world free of toxic pesticides. See "Info Services" section.

Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP)
www.pesticide.org NCAP works to protect people and the environment by informing about pesticide hazards and alternatives, increasing the use of alternatives to pesticides in agriculture, participating in public policy decisions relating to pesticides and fighting for the public's right to know all of the ingredients in pesticide products.

Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) Pesticides Database
www.pesticideinfo.org PANNA created this project to compile information on human toxicity, ecotoxicity and regulatory information for roughly 6,400 pesticide active ingredients, which is integrated with the US EPA database of information on consumer pesticide products.

The Best Control www.thebestcontrol.com Based on a book by Steve Tvedten containing information and advice currently being utilized by pest control experts, schools and individuals all over the country, this site includes book chapters, links to information on pesticides and a physician's guide to pesticide poisoning.

Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC) www.birc.org BIRC specializes in finding non-toxic and less toxic integrated pest management (IPM) solutions to urban and agricultural pest problems and provides the latest research information through two journals, the IPM Practitioner and Common Sense Pest Control Quarterly.

Safe 2 Use www.safe2use.com This California organization provides a wealth of information on relevant pesticide issues in a format that is easy to understand. Safe 2 Use also sells environmentally and people-safe alternatives to pesticides for homes, schools and businesses, including a head lice control product.

PUBLICATIONS

"Risks from Lawn-Care Pesticides" by John Wargo, Nancy Alderman and Linda Wargo, a report published by Environment & Human Health, Inc., 2003.
"Redesigning the American Lawn: A Search for Environmental Harmony" by Bormann, Balmori & Gebale, Yale University Press, 2001.
"Tiny Game Hunting: Environmentally Healthy Ways to Trap and Kill the Pests in Your House and Garden" by Hillary Dole Klein and Adrian M. Wenner, University of California Press, 2001.
"Handbook of Successful Ecological Lawn Care" by Paul Sachs, Edaphic Press, 1999.
"The Gardener's Guide to Common-Sense Pest Control" by William Olkowski, Sheila Daar & Helga Olkowski, Taunton Press, 1996.