DIY Turf Blog

Are Lawn Fertilizers or Pesticides Harmful to Your Family?

 

Fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals help make lawns beautiful, but you will be shocked to learn how those chemicals can affect your family’s health.

Types of Chemicals

Lawn chemicals fall into several categories and all can play a role in the health of adults, children and pets. There are three million cases globally of pesticide poisoning, according to the World Health Organization. While many of those are in developing countries outside the United States, children in this country are also showing signs of toxins in their systems because of exposure to chemicals.

 

Pesticides can cause memory loss, asthma, allergies and has been linked with cancer and hormonal problems. Insecticides are classified differently than pesticides and can cause problems when it is ingested like dizziness, nausea, nervousness and confusion.

Herbicides are less dangerous than insecticides and pesticides, but still have a chemical compound similar to that in Agent Orange. Fertilizers can also cause similar health problems, depending on the compounds used.

Those Most Affected

Children and pets are those most affected by chemicals. There are several reasons for this. They are smaller than adults, so chemicals would affect them more. The primary reason there are more toxic cases among children and pets is because they play outside more and tend to be in contact with the ground more during play time. That puts them in closer proximity to chemicals than most adults.

There are three basic ways chemicals get into the body:

  • Ingested
  • Through the skin
  • Inhaled

Pets may eat grass that has chemicals or may lick their coats after coming in from outside. Children breath hard while rolling on the grass. Natural grass is in contact with skin and fur during play. These are common ways chemicals come in contact with children and pets. Even walking around in bare feet could put anyone in contact with chemicals.

One of the primary problems with any chemical use is how it affects the environment long term. Rains wash chemicals into groundwater, streams and creeks. This can cripple or kill wildlife, both plants, insects and animals, and that affects the food chain.

Solutions

Some people have turned to organic compounds to use on their yards to avoid complications of chemicals. However, others are looking toward artificial grass to avoid using chemicals all together. With artificial turf, you will no longer need to use chemicals on your lawn.

Artificial grass will stay green without fertilizers and also helps eliminate insects and other pests without pesticides and insecticides. It does that by putting a barrier over dirt, which is insects primary food source and breeding area.

Artificial turf feels natural on bare feet and pets can’t tell the difference between synthetic grass and natural grass. There are infills that prevent the spread of bacteria too, so your children have added protection while outdoors.

The option of artificial grass is worth considering to improve your family’s health and quality of life.