Kateri Kosek

I think it's fair to say that Americans have an unhealthy obsession with their lawns. Between the herbicides and insecticides applied by commercial lawn care fleets and those bought and applied by homeowners themselves, Americans dump at least 80 million pounds of pesticides on their yards each year, much more per acre than agriculture. By this time of year, the little yellow stakes warning of a pesticide application pop up in many a public and residential lot, and the plastic-y scent of fresh chemicals can often by detected, wafting through the neighborhood.

The biologist and activist Sandra Steingraber writes a lot about "toxic trespass," the notion that human beings are, on a daily basis, exposed to a slew of toxic chemicals, byproducts of industries near and far that contaminate our environment and enter our bodies without our consent. But in the case of lawn pesticides, we have no outside entity to blame; we are poisoning ourselves — and our children, our neighbors, our pets, our water and our birds.

Fifteen million birds are estimated to die each year from pesticide contamination. A 2013 study implicated it as the "most likely leading cause" of declining numbers of grassland birds, which are likely exposed to agricultural pesticides. Seven million birds are thought to die from lawn chemicals alone, but because dead birds are rarely recovered, these numbers are surely much higher.

Also, countless birds exposed to chemicals suffer "sub-lethal" effects such as eggshell thinning, hormone disruption, lethargy, impaired immune systems and lack of appetite, all of which compromise their ability to reproduce, migrate, or survive.

Birds may be particularly vulnerable to pesticides. On the ground, they can easily mistake granular pesticide for seed, and their mobility gives them access to a wide array of toxic areas. They can gobble up contaminated insects, or be affected by the culling of their food sources. "High rates of ventilation and inhalation of vapor and fine droplets" also make them susceptible to airborne pesticides, according to the Defenders of Wildlife.

Children, somewhat similarly, are particularly vulnerable to pesticides. They tend to play near the ground and they absorb more toxins for their size relative to adults, while their developing organs can't detoxify as well, elevating their risk for cancers, brain damage from neurotoxins, development disorders, and hyperactivity. A comprehensive 2003 report by Environment and Human Health, Inc., "Risks from Lawn-Care Pesticides" (available online), cites scientific literature that has found that children exposed to home pesticide use had increased incidences of childhood leukemia, brain cancer and soft tissue sarcomas.

Lawn chemicals don't just disappear after a couple of days. They are the most likely variety to turn up in surface water, where they damage aquatic organisms and the birds that depend on them. The most commonly used chemicals persist long enough to seep into groundwater and private wells. Residues are tracked indoors, where they accumulate and linger in dust, carpets and surfaces, exposing children "at levels 10 times higher than preapplication levels" (Beyond Pesticides).

Many people assume chemicals on the market have been proven safe, but they have simply been registered with the EPA, who admits no pesticides are 100 percent safe. Pesticides are inherently toxic substances, and most of the inert ingredients, which comprise the majority of the products but aren't even listed in the ingredients, are of "unknown toxicity" or highly toxic. Health assessment data from pesticide manufacturers doesn't account for real-world scenarios: actual product formations, chemical combinations, chronic low dose exposures and long-term toxicity.

Numerous studies have linked common lawn pesticides to cancer, birth defects, nervous system and organ damage, as evident when reading the above-listed report. For example, while the EPA classifies four of the most common pesticides (2,4-D, glyphosate, MCPP, and dicamba), as having insufficient data to assess human carcinogenicity, all have been associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the sixth most common malignancy in America.

The regulatory system for toxic chemicals in this country is broken. Only a small fraction are adequately tested, and even when questionable results are found, the chemicals stay on the market, innocent until proven guilty. The problem with this approach is that science doesn't render absolute proof, especially considering that we can't test chemicals on humans using controlled experiments. The question is, how much proof do we need?

Lush, healthy lawns are attainable without the use of toxins, which also destroy many organisms beneficial to the soil. Too many dandelions? Adjust the soil pH. Weeds and pests are more often symptoms of specific problems, so a blanket chemical treatment isn't nearly as effective as methods such as soil aeration, composting, biological pest control, planting native species that are naturally acclimated to the area, and not mowing grass shorter than 2 or 3 inches.

BeyondPesticides.org has extensive tips for achieving a naturally healthy lawn. Dutchess County appears to have some options in natural lawn care, but do careful research, because even companies billing themselves as natural may use some toxic chemicals.

A chemically treated lawn is ecologically dead. If our goal is to surround our homes with sterile patches of uniform green, even while raising cancer risks for our children, we should reevaluate our priorities. If an aesthetically pleasing lawn is so important, isn't the healthy lawn teeming with native plants, birds and butterflies — even the occasional dandelion — more beautiful?

Kateri Kosek is a member of the Waterman Bird Club.