The Hogweed Problem

COSMETIC PESTICIDES:

What are they?
Why are they a threat to public health?
Why Brockton needs a pesticide by-law.

February 28, 2005

This presentation was modified from a similar presentation made in January, 2005 to the Municipal Council of Goderich. The Walkerton Healthy Community Initiative has been working together with several other citizen’s groups in Lake Huron watersheds to convince municipalities of the need to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides within municipal boundaries.

At this early stage, the WHCI wishes to inform Brockton Councilors of the particulars of cosmetic pesticide use, andto initiate a process whereby all stakeholders are invited to participate in the formation of a by-law that has the ultimate goal of protecting public health.

It is particularly important to recognize that children are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides, and at the same time, they have the weakest voices. It is our responsibility to keep them safe by ensuring that their exposure to harmful substances in the environment is limited as much as possible.

The way has been paved by over 75 Canadian communities to date. The tide of public concern over cosmetic pesticides is growing. Brockton has already shown timely initiative and leadership in adopting an IPM for its municipal lands. Now is the time for Brockton to continue to show leadership in the area of public health and caring.

Thank you for this opportunity.

The WHCI looks forward to participating in the process and assisting Council in any way.

Mary McGeachy, WHCI Secretary

Kelly Reid, Horticultural technician, WHCI Member

WALKERTON HEALTHY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

PESTICIDE PRESENTATION

1. PESTICIDES AND YOUR CHILDREN

We would all agree that our children and grandchildren are a cherished gift and represent our future. We ensure their safety in so many ways. Immunization, seat belt and bike helmet laws are a few examples of how we protect our kids. Having taken these precautions, should we not be equally concerned that evidence now shows that we may be poisoning their play areas? The underlying assumption that children’s health should be given the highest priority is what drives our mission today – to convince Brockton Council that a municipal by-law restricting or banning cosmetic pesticide use is essential.

2. SOURCES

Ontario College of Family Physicians literature review of more than 250 world-wide studies, published 2004.
"Making the Right Choices", produced in 2000 for the Standing Committee of Environment and Sustainable Development for the Federal Government.
Canadian and American Cancer Societies
Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Government of Canada

3. WHY DO WE USE PESTICIDES?

We create a need for pesticides by demanding low cost food.
To eradicate the threat of disease (eg DDT to kill Malarial mosquitoes)
To achieve the unachievable goal of having a perfect lawn. After World Wars I and II, chemical companies such as Bayer created a demand for compounds developed for warfare. They focused on the agri-food industry and suburban homeowners. Compounds such as parathion (an insecticide derived from nerve gas) were marketed to consumers with the goal of producing a perfect, green carpet of non-native grasses, ill-suited to the climate of northeastern North America.

4. WHAT ARE COSMETIC PESTICIDES

The term “pesticides” is an umbrella word which includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides
Organophosphates and carbamates are insecticides used to kill organisms such as white grubs (diazinon) and flying insects (malathion).
One quarter of herbicides used today are based on 2,4-D, the primary ingredient in Agent Orange (a defoliant used during the Vietnam War)
95% of lawn pesticides are tested to be carcinogenic.
Pesticide formulations may contain as little as 0.3% of the active ingredient, which is listed on the label. The rest is made up of inert (but not necessarily harmless) ingredients such as benzene, formaldehyde or some combination of 3,000 chemicals. Manufacturers are not required by law to list inert ingredients.
The combinations of inert ingredients are “trade secrets”. Although the ingredients of pesticides may be tested, they are not done so in combination. Combined effects may amplify toxicity by as much as 1,000 times.

5. A VISIT TO CANADIAN TIRE

This information is taken from the label of the common herbicide, Killex.
(Note: Trikill is the name of a product used by the Weedman that contains the same ingredients as Killex.)
The active ingredients belong to a group called phenoxy herbicides, which block nerve impulses.
Active ingredients:                    2,4-D 0.19%
                                               Mecoprop 0.09%
                                               Dicamba 0.018%
Inert ingredients: unknown

6. 2,4-D

Stimulates cancer growth
Delays fetal development
Promotes mutations
Hormone disruptor
Affects peripheral nervous systems
Water-soluble - significant because of its ability to enter groundwater and surface water ecosystems
Builds up in fatty tissues such as breast and reproductive organs and is released when the immune system is weakened.

7. MECOPROP

Negative effects on human reproduction
Possible carcinogen in humans
Absorbed through the skin
May, 2004 - After re-evaluating Mecoprop, the PMRA announced the phase out of products containing this substance by Dec, 2005. This is a good example of why we should err on the side of caution and not assume that chemicals are safe just because they have been government approved in the past.

8. DICAMBA

Volatile (easily evaporates into the air)
Not absorbed by most soils Water soluble
Slightly toxic to mammals

9. INERT INGREDIENTS

3,000 unknown chemical compounds
unlimited combinations – What are the synergistic effects?
No declaration of inerts is required by law

10. WHO/ WHAT IS AFFECTED?

Aquifers and municipal water
Aquatic species
Animals – pets and wildlife
Anyone exposed to toxic levels or long-term small levels – esp. golfers, soccer players, baseball players Women
Children
Fetuses

11. AQUIFERS AND MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER

Water-soluble pesticides can leach downward.
A Saskatchewan study showed pesticides in 13 of 14 wells.
Pesticides are not routinely tested for in drinking water, so we don’t know their levels.

12. AQUATIC SPECIES

Deformed frogs have been found in a number of areas in Canada and the US. Pesticide exposure has been blamed in several cases
Frogs are highly sensitive to contaminants and signal healthy or unhealthy ecosystems
Human health is directly linked to the health of the environment

13. ANIMALS

Pesticides travel across membranes and into the eggs of birds and reptiles.
Pets exposed to lawn chemicals are at risk to developing cancers. They also track residues into the house.
Pesticides may kill beneficial and non-target organisms such as butterflies, honey bees, bats and birds.

14. HUMAN HEALTH

Cancers associated with pesticide exposure include brain, breast, kidney, lung, pancreatic, prostate, thyroid, stomach, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia.
Mutations can also occur.
It should be noted that testing of the effects of pesticides on human health assumes male subjects with a weight of 70 kg. The following information specifically addresses the impacts of pesticides on women and children.

15. WOMEN

Fat-soluble, pesticides accumulate in our bodies over time and are released at potentially toxic level when illness results in our fat reserves being metabolized.
Developing embryos and fetuses are particularly sensitive to pesticides – birth defects.
A woman who spends a large part of her life exposed to such pesticides, risks having the pesticides released in her breast milk for her newborn to consume.
Women exposed to pesticides have a greater chance of developing breast cancer than those unexposed.

16. CHILDREN

The following points were taken from the OCFP Report.
Exposure sources include lawns, public play areas, treated decks, floors, pets and airborne drift.
Children, especially their brains, are most vulnerable during fetal development.
Herbicide use during pregnancy and childhood is associated with a two-fold increase in leukemia.
Small children are more vulnerable than adults because they have more contact with lawns and soil, have a smaller surface area to body mass ratio, and tend to put things into their mouths.
Low levels of exposure may cause learning disabilities, developmental delays, autism and behavioural disorders.
A Mexican study found exposure to pesticides resulted in mental and emotional delays.
Several studies found associations with kidney cancer and brain cancer.

17. AND THE FARM . . . .

A goal set by OMAF in the 1980’s has seen agricultural pesticide use reduced by 54% in Ontario over the past 20 years.
Farmers must take courses and be certified by the government to apply pesticides. Homeowners do not.
Rates of pesticide application in urban areas are 4 to 5 times higher per hectare than on farmland. Towns and cities are considered to be point sources for pesticide runoff. Sewage treatment does not remove them.

18. MY YARD, MY PROBLEM

Airborne drift spreads pesticides far beyond the boundaries of a town lot. One study detected pesticides in Texas that had originated in England just 7 days earlier.
1 million kg of pesticides are estimated to be present in Antarctica.
Levels of pesticides in arctic wildlife are alarmingly high.
Individuals who choose not to use pesticides in their own yards cannot escape being exposed. Municipal restrictions or a ban on pesticides will go a long way to protecting public health.

19. BUT THIS STUFF IS TESTED AND SAFE!!

Inert ingredients are not tested and combinations of inerts (3,000) are not tested. Of the 500 active ingredients in pest control products available in Canada, 300 were approved before 1980 and 150 before 1960.
The standards set by Health Canada are for adult males. Children are 4x more likely to suffer from the effects of pesticides.
Corporations have knowingly misled the public about the dangers of pesticides by calling them "safe, environmentally friendly and government approved".
Agriculture Canada has stated that "Registration . . . does not guarantee that it is safe . . . claim of safety is a violation of the Act".

20. THE ROLE OF MUNICIPALITIES

Federal and provincial governments have bowed to industrial lobbyists.
A bill that would limit pesticide use provincially in Ontario has been stalled.
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the right of Hudson, PQ to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides. "Every Council may pass such by-laws and make such regulations for the health, safety, morality and welfare of the inhabitants . . . . as may be deemed expedient . . . ".

21. WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING?

The Province of Quebec has banned the use of cosmetic pesticides and will discontinue the sale of pesticides in retail stores by 2005.
At least 75 Canadian municipalities have taken steps toward a ban. Most recently, 7 of 9 Councilors in Peterborough voted to ban pesticides by March 2006.
90% of Canadians want reforms to pesticide regulations. Loblaws companies (including Zehrs and Valu-Mart) no longer sell chemical pesticides.
Using alternatives, learning to live with weeds, reducing or eliminating lawn, using native plants.

22. ALTERNATIVES

IPM – Integrated Pest Management - utilizes all available non-chemical controls first - chemicals used only as a last resort, very sparingly to combat pests deemed to be a risk to human health. Congratulations to Brockton for adopting an IPM for town property last year.
Tolerance of a lawn with a diversity of species.
Acceptance that weeds and other pests are ineradicable, the vast majority are harmless, and our priority should be to protect human health, especially children.
Use natural and less harmful pest control products such as diluted dish soap, pyrethrins and corn gluten. There is a growing selection of natural products available from stores and lawn care companies.
Top seed with a variety of drought tolerant grasses and clovers. Aerate in spring to increase water retention.
Mow high and leave clippings on the lawn for natural fertilizer.
Plant native species, which are adapted to local pests and climate.

23. MUNICIPAL BY-LAWS

Templates exist.
Does not apply to farmers or building interiors.
Does not prevent use of traps.
Please see the list of websites included for more information.

24. EDUCATION BEFORE AND AFTER

The key to public acceptance.
WHCI’S purpose is to raise awareness and undertake public education.
There are many resources available.

	COSMETIC PESTICIDES: What are they? Why are they a threat to public health? Why Brockton needs a pesticide by-law. February 28, 2005 This presentation was modified from a similar presentation made in January, 2005 to the Municipal Council of Goderich. The Walkerton Healthy Community Initiative has been working together with several other citizen’s groups in Lake Huron watersheds to convince municipalities of the need to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides within municipal boundaries. At this early stage, the WHCI wishes to inform Brockton Councilors of the particulars of cosmetic pesticide use, andto initiate a process whereby all stakeholders are invited to participate in the formation of a by-law that has the ultimate goal of protecting public health. It is particularly important to recognize that children are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides, and at the same time, they have the weakest voices. It is our responsibility to keep them safe by ensuring that their exposure to harmful substances in the environment is limited as much as possible. The way has been paved by over 75 Canadian communities to date. The tide of public concern over cosmetic pesticides is growing. Brockton has already shown timely initiative and leadership in adopting an IPM for its municipal lands. Now is the time for Brockton to continue to show leadership in the area of public health and caring. Thank you for this opportunity. The WHCI looks forward to participating in the process and assisting Council in any way. Mary McGeachy, WHCI Secretary Kelly Reid, Horticultural technician, WHCI Member WALKERTON HEALTHY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE PESTICIDE PRESENTATION 1. PESTICIDES AND YOUR CHILDREN We would all agree that our children and grandchildren are a cherished gift and represent our future. We ensure their safety in so many ways. Immunization, seat belt and bike helmet laws are a few examples of how we protect our kids. Having taken these precautions, should we not be equally concerned that evidence now shows that we may be poisoning their play areas? The underlying assumption that children’s health should be given the highest priority is what drives our mission today – to convince Brockton Council that a municipal by-law restricting or banning cosmetic pesticide use is essential. 2. SOURCES Ontario College of Family Physicians literature review of more than 250 world-wide studies, published 2004. "Making the Right Choices", produced in 2000 for the Standing Committee of Environment and Sustainable Development for the Federal Government. Canadian and American Cancer Societies Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Government of Canada 3. WHY DO WE USE PESTICIDES? We create a need for pesticides by demanding low cost food. To eradicate the threat of disease (eg DDT to kill Malarial mosquitoes) To achieve the unachievable goal of having a perfect lawn. After World Wars I and II, chemical companies such as Bayer created a demand for compounds developed for warfare. They focused on the agri-food industry and suburban homeowners. Compounds such as parathion (an insecticide derived from nerve gas) were marketed to consumers with the goal of producing a perfect, green carpet of non-native grasses, ill-suited to the climate of northeastern North America. 4. WHAT ARE COSMETIC PESTICIDES The term “pesticides” is an umbrella word which includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides Organophosphates and carbamates are insecticides used to kill organisms such as white grubs (diazinon) and flying insects (malathion). One quarter of herbicides used today are based on 2,4-D, the primary ingredient in Agent Orange (a defoliant used during the Vietnam War) 95% of lawn pesticides are tested to be carcinogenic. Pesticide formulations may contain as little as 0.3% of the active ingredient, which is listed on the label. The rest is made up of inert (but not necessarily harmless) ingredients such as benzene, formaldehyde or some combination of 3,000 chemicals. Manufacturers are not required by law to list inert ingredients. The combinations of inert ingredients are “trade secrets”. Although the ingredients of pesticides may be tested, they are not done so in combination. Combined effects may amplify toxicity by as much as 1,000 times. 5. A VISIT TO CANADIAN TIRE This information is taken from the label of the common herbicide, Killex. (Note: Trikill is the name of a product used by the Weedman that contains the same ingredients as Killex.) The active ingredients belong to a group called phenoxy herbicides, which block nerve impulses. Active ingredients: 2,4-D 0.19% Mecoprop 0.09% Dicamba 0.018% Inert ingredients: unknown 6. 2,4-D Stimulates cancer growth Delays fetal development Promotes mutations Hormone disruptor Affects peripheral nervous systems Water-soluble - significant because of its ability to enter groundwater and surface water ecosystems Builds up in fatty tissues such as breast and reproductive organs and is released when the immune system is weakened. 7. MECOPROP Negative effects on human reproduction Possible carcinogen in humans Absorbed through the skin May, 2004 - After re-evaluating Mecoprop, the PMRA announced the phase out of products containing this substance by Dec, 2005. This is a good example of why we should err on the side of caution and not assume that chemicals are safe just because they have been government approved in the past. 8. DICAMBA Volatile (easily evaporates into the air) Not absorbed by most soils Water soluble Slightly toxic to mammals 9. INERT INGREDIENTS 3,000 unknown chemical compounds unlimited combinations – What are the synergistic effects? No declaration of inerts is required by law 10. WHO/ WHAT IS AFFECTED? Aquifers and municipal water Aquatic species Animals – pets and wildlife Anyone exposed to toxic levels or long-term small levels – esp. golfers, soccer players, baseball players Women Children Fetuses 11. AQUIFERS AND MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER Water-soluble pesticides can leach downward. A Saskatchewan study showed pesticides in 13 of 14 wells. Pesticides are not routinely tested for in drinking water, so we don’t know their levels. 12. AQUATIC SPECIES Deformed frogs have been found in a number of areas in Canada and the US. Pesticide exposure has been blamed in several cases Frogs are highly sensitive to contaminants and signal healthy or unhealthy ecosystems Human health is directly linked to the health of the environment 13. ANIMALS Pesticides travel across membranes and into the eggs of birds and reptiles. Pets exposed to lawn chemicals are at risk to developing cancers. They also track residues into the house. Pesticides may kill beneficial and non-target organisms such as butterflies, honey bees, bats and birds. 14. HUMAN HEALTH Cancers associated with pesticide exposure include brain, breast, kidney, lung, pancreatic, prostate, thyroid, stomach, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia. Mutations can also occur. It should be noted that testing of the effects of pesticides on human health assumes male subjects with a weight of 70 kg. The following information specifically addresses the impacts of pesticides on women and children. 15. WOMEN Fat-soluble, pesticides accumulate in our bodies over time and are released at potentially toxic level when illness results in our fat reserves being metabolized. Developing embryos and fetuses are particularly sensitive to pesticides – birth defects. A woman who spends a large part of her life exposed to such pesticides, risks having the pesticides released in her breast milk for her newborn to consume. Women exposed to pesticides have a greater chance of developing breast cancer than those unexposed. 16. CHILDREN The following points were taken from the OCFP Report. Exposure sources include lawns, public play areas, treated decks, floors, pets and airborne drift. Children, especially their brains, are most vulnerable during fetal development. Herbicide use during pregnancy and childhood is associated with a two-fold increase in leukemia. Small children are more vulnerable than adults because they have more contact with lawns and soil, have a smaller surface area to body mass ratio, and tend to put things into their mouths. Low levels of exposure may cause learning disabilities, developmental delays, autism and behavioural disorders. A Mexican study found exposure to pesticides resulted in mental and emotional delays. Several studies found associations with kidney cancer and brain cancer. 17. AND THE FARM . . . . A goal set by OMAF in the 1980’s has seen agricultural pesticide use reduced by 54% in Ontario over the past 20 years. Farmers must take courses and be certified by the government to apply pesticides. Homeowners do not. Rates of pesticide application in urban areas are 4 to 5 times higher per hectare than on farmland. Towns and cities are considered to be point sources for pesticide runoff. Sewage treatment does not remove them. 18. MY YARD, MY PROBLEM Airborne drift spreads pesticides far beyond the boundaries of a town lot. One study detected pesticides in Texas that had originated in England just 7 days earlier. 1 million kg of pesticides are estimated to be present in Antarctica. Levels of pesticides in arctic wildlife are alarmingly high. Individuals who choose not to use pesticides in their own yards cannot escape being exposed. Municipal restrictions or a ban on pesticides will go a long way to protecting public health. 19. BUT THIS STUFF IS TESTED AND SAFE!! Inert ingredients are not tested and combinations of inerts (3,000) are not tested. Of the 500 active ingredients in pest control products available in Canada, 300 were approved before 1980 and 150 before 1960. The standards set by Health Canada are for adult males. Children are 4x more likely to suffer from the effects of pesticides. Corporations have knowingly misled the public about the dangers of pesticides by calling them "safe, environmentally friendly and government approved". Agriculture Canada has stated that "Registration . . . does not guarantee that it is safe . . . claim of safety is a violation of the Act". 20. THE ROLE OF MUNICIPALITIES Federal and provincial governments have bowed to industrial lobbyists. A bill that would limit pesticide use provincially in Ontario has been stalled. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the right of Hudson, PQ to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides. "Every Council may pass such by-laws and make such regulations for the health, safety, morality and welfare of the inhabitants . . . . as may be deemed expedient . . . ". 21. WHAT ARE OTHERS DOING? The Province of Quebec has banned the use of cosmetic pesticides and will discontinue the sale of pesticides in retail stores by 2005. At least 75 Canadian municipalities have taken steps toward a ban. Most recently, 7 of 9 Councilors in Peterborough voted to ban pesticides by March 2006. 90% of Canadians want reforms to pesticide regulations. Loblaws companies (including Zehrs and Valu-Mart) no longer sell chemical pesticides. Using alternatives, learning to live with weeds, reducing or eliminating lawn, using native plants. 22. ALTERNATIVES IPM – Integrated Pest Management - utilizes all available non-chemical controls first - chemicals used only as a last resort, very sparingly to combat pests deemed to be a risk to human health. Congratulations to Brockton for adopting an IPM for town property last year. Tolerance of a lawn with a diversity of species. Acceptance that weeds and other pests are ineradicable, the vast majority are harmless, and our priority should be to protect human health, especially children. Use natural and less harmful pest control products such as diluted dish soap, pyrethrins and corn gluten. There is a growing selection of natural products available from stores and lawn care companies. Top seed with a variety of drought tolerant grasses and clovers. Aerate in spring to increase water retention. Mow high and leave clippings on the lawn for natural fertilizer. Plant native species, which are adapted to local pests and climate. 23. MUNICIPAL BY-LAWS Templates exist. Does not apply to farmers or building interiors. Does not prevent use of traps. Please see the list of websites included for more information. 24. EDUCATION BEFORE AND AFTER The key to public acceptance. WHCI’S purpose is to raise awareness and undertake public education. There are many resources available. <<Back