Frank Carini: Lawn fertilizers and pesticides threaten public health and environment

A newly seeded, chemically fertilized and mowed lawn.

— Photo by Animaldetector

An example of eutrophication caused by fertilizer runoff. These nutrients cause the excessive growth of algae, which can block light and air exchange. The algae eventually are broken down by bacteria, causing anoxic conditions and "dead zones".

Text from article by Frank Carini in ecoRI News

“While this winter in southern New England has mostly felt more like a three-month extension of fall, spring officially arrives in a few weeks and that means the lawn-care industry’s push to douse lawns with chemicals is in full bloom.

“Industry professionals and homeowners have been dumping pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on lawns for generations, all in hopes of creating lush, green carpets of neighborhood envy. This heavy reliance on chemicals has instead turned residential soil into de facto dumping grounds for lawn-care poisons that threaten public health and the environment….

“When these monolithic landscapes are then flooded with mass-marketed poisons and nutrients, they become bad for human and pet health, pollute local waters, deter wildlife, and degrade the environment.’’

To read the whole article, please hit this link.