Last year, Bayer announced that it will stop selling glyphosate-based products for residential use in the U.S. Bayer recently settled the lawsuit for at least $23 million.
The emerging concern has been accompanied by mounting lawsuits-including a class-action consumer suit against Bayer, the manufacturer of Roundup, alleging that Roundup did not have adequate cancer warnings. So have some countries, including several in Europe such as Austria, France, and Portugal. They All Require Fossil FuelsĬommunities in several states have started restricting or banning the use of glyphosate. Read More: The Modern World Can’t Exist Without These Four Ingredients. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found “no evidence that glyphosate causes cancer in humans” when it reviewed the available data in a 2020 report, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies the compound as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” One 2019 meta-analysis of studies on the topic found that exposure to glyphosate was associated with an increased risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in humans. Glyphosate is the main active ingredient in Roundup, which is one of the most widely used weed killers in the world. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to large amounts of one or both of the chemicals can result in adverse effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to respiratory issues.
Exposure can occur via ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. Can lawn fertilizer and other treatments make you or your pets sick?Ī number of chemicals in lawn-care products have come under scrutiny in recent years over their potential health impacts-particularly the herbicides glyphosate and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (more commonly known as 2,4-D). At Texas A&M, a soil test starts at just $12, and while Segars says getting one every year is ideal, she acknowledges that every few years is probably more realistic for most people. She says that most states have universities or extension programs that offer affordable testing for the public. That way they can address the specific issue at hand.Ī soil test, which measures pH, nutrient levels, and more, can be a good place to start, suggests Chrissie Segars, a turfgrass specialist at Texas A&M University. To figure out what-if anything-you want to do to your lawn, people should start by asking themselves, “What is the problem and how can I treat that problem?” says Jennifer Sass, senior scientist at the environmental organization National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Fertilizers are meant to add nutrients to the soil, while herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides contain substances that target weeds, plant and animal pests, and bugs, respectively. People can apply a number of different products to their lawns, such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides. What are the different types of lawn treatments? Here’s what experts say people should do to keep their grass, and themselves, healthy-including some chemicals to consider using with caution, or avoiding altogether.
Nutrient runoff from yards can also have adverse impacts on the environment. These toxicants have been linked to cancer and other maladies in people and pets. Yet much of what people apply in backyards today still contains potentially harmful chemicals. Since then, pesticides and other lawn treatments have evolved, with newer, safer products.