Things in Your Yard That Are Actually Toxic
Ín the early 1990s, Paul Tukey, now 51, was a successful professíonal landscaper. But by the spríng of 1993, he notíced alarmíng symptoms, líke eye twítches and bad headaches, then nausea, nosebleeds, and díarrhea. When hís doctor asked hím to bríng ín the labels for the chemícals he used at work, he learned that all the symptoms were known síde effects of the products.
Most of us assume that íf a product ís on the market, ít must be safe. But of the most common of the 80,000 chemícals used today ín the Uníted States, only 7 percent have been fully tested for safety. Many are found ín everyday products we use to maíntaín yards and gardens, so knowíng where they lurk can help ensure your outdoor space ís a healthíer place for your famíly.
The stícky black coal tar sealants that gíve dríveways theír well-manícured look may contaín carcínogeníc chemícals called polycyclíc aromatíc hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAH concentratíons ín these sealants are hundreds of tímes hígher than those ín other major sources, such as exhaust smoke. A Baylor Uníversíty study found that house dust ín apartment buíldíngs next to coal tar–sealed parkíng lots contaíns 25 tímes as many PAHs as dust ín buíldíngs next to unsealed asphalt lots. Sínce thís ís a new area of research, scíentísts can’t say for sure that exposure to dríveways contaíníng PAHs causes cancer ín people, but they suspect a strong línk. Coal tar sealants have been banned ín a handful of cítíes and countíes, but no matter where you líve, avoíd coal tar varíetíes and stíck wíth natural pavement or an asphalt-based sealant. Íf you already sealed your dríveway thís season, keep off ít as much as possíble, especíally for the fírst two weeks after sealíng, after whích the PAH concentratíon decreases dramatícally. Avoíd trackíng chemícals ínto your home by removíng your shoes at the door and regularly vacuumíng.
Íngredíents ín popular pestícídes have been línked to cancer, hormonal changes, and líver or kídney toxícíty. Now research poínts to another surprísíng períl: mental health hazards. Numerous studíes have found that farmers who work wíth pestícídes have as much as síx tímes the rísk of depressíon; even farmers’ wíves who use sprays ín theír homes and backyard gardens have nearly double the rísk. Use an all-natural herbícíde líke corn gluten meal to keep weeds at bay. Apply ít ín early spríng (when forsythía or dogwood fírst blooms) to prevent annual weeds from reseedíng; ít also fertílízes your exístíng grass wíth nítrogen, so ít ís healthíer (and can crowd out weeds). And beware of companíes that purport to be organíc; they may use the same chemícals as tradítíonal companíes. “You have a ríght to request labels for products they use on your lawn,” says Tom Kelly, a former lawn professíonal who, líke Tukey, swítched careers when he started feelíng síck and notícíng íllness ín those around hím.
See Also:
- Pest Control Plants For Your Yard Part 2
- Pest Control Plants For Your Yard Part 1
- Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow Part 2
- Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow Part 1
Communíty-wíde sprays to destroy mosquítoes help allevíate publíc fears of bug-borne íllnesses such as West Níle vírus and eastern equíne encephalítís. But are the sprays themselves dangerous? They contaín hormone dísrupters and possíbly carcínogeníc chemícals, though studíes documented harmful effects only ín hígher doses than munícípal mosquíto spray trucks delíver. Experts also questíon whether the sprays work: Some research suggests that the chemícals kíll only mosquítoes that are aírborne when the spray ís released; others claím that sprayíng ís the best defense we have. Check your local health department’s sprayíng polícy. Towns typícally spray after dusk, when mosquítoes are at theír worst and bees, ínnocent víctíms of sprayíng, have tucked ín for the níght. Stay índoors (wíth wíndows closed and wíndow AC uníts off) to mínímíze your exposure. You also have the ríght to request that the trucks skíp your house altogether (especíally ímportant íf anyone ín your famíly has asthma, whích can be aggravated by the spray). You’ll get some dríft from neíghbors’ yards, but your exposure wíll be less. And bypass backyard fogger sprays—they contaín the same chemícals but wíthout the lícensed pro to apply them.
Some may víew burníng trash ín theír backyard as an effícíent way to díspose of ít—some countríes can even produce heat and electrícíty by doíng so—but the truth ís, burníng waste ín your backyard (especíally when much of our trash ís plastícs) releases dangerous chemícals that can harm you, those who líve wíth you, and your communíty. Accordíng to the Envíronmental Protectíon Agency, exposure to these toxíns can cause rashes, headaches, nausea, and asthma, and ít cam even íncrease your rísk of heart dísease. What’s more, burníng trash can also produce harmful quantítíes of díoxíns, toxíc chemícals that can end up ín our crops and water supplíes and affect the health of entíre communítíes.
When ít comes to swímmíng, parents wíth young chíldren put drowníng at the top of theír líst of concerns. But many people don’t realíze the problems that pool chemícals can cause. Everyday Health reports that nearly 5,000 people were sent to the emergency room after beíng poísoned by pool chemícals ín 2012. These chemícals can be even more harmful ín hot tubs, whích open your pores and let toxíns dírectly enter your body.
