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Questions And Answers On Lawn Pesticides |
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For Your Information
The use of pesticides on lawns is gaining increased public visibility and corresponding concerns. The attached information may be helpful in answering some of the concerns that are certain to surface from pesticide users, lawn service customers, news media and other interested groups. Any questions not covered in the attached paper may be directed to Thomas Adamczyk at 703-557-1650.
Anne Lindsay, Director
Registration Division
1. What Chemicals are registered for home lawn use?
There are 223 chemicals that have home lawn uses. The large
majority are used infrequently. We estimate that 35 active ingredients
are used in over 90% of lawn treatments. (See attachment #1)
2. What data are required for evaluation of lawn chemicals?
Lawn pesticides fall under the category of terrestrial nonfood use.
The following data are required to evaluate the toxicity of such
products:
These data on the acute effects of lawn care pesticides are used to evaluate potential hazards that may be associated with the short term or intermittent exposure that results from their use. Highly acutely toxic pesticides are not registered for home lawn use.
Although the above requirements are those listed as minimum toxicity requirements, the chemical structure of new lawn pesticides has often led EPA to require additional studies such as oncogenic, teratogenic and subacute dermal and inhalation data.
3. Why aren't data routinely required to evaluate their longterm
toxicity?
Since exposure to lawn care pesticides does not occur on a routine
basis over long periods of time, the Agency has not routinely required
chronic toxicity data to evaluate potential hazards. However, because
the majority of the primary lawn care chemicals (29 out of the 35) also
are used on food or feed crops, the Agency does have more extensive data
bases for these chemicals including sub-chronic and chronic toxicity
data. Most of these 35 pesticides are included in the Agency's program
to reevaluate older pesticides. To date, Registration Standards have
been issued for 17 of them and the remainder of the old lawn care
chemicals will be reevaluated as the Agency completes its reregistration
efforts.
4. How frequently are lawns treated?
Homeowners and residents are not likely to receive long term or
chronic exposure to these pesticides. Even intensively managed lawns
receive, in most areas of the U.S., a maximum of five pesticide
applications a year and the maximum number of applications of any one
active ingredient is two. Below is an example of treatments applied by
lawn care companies for a home lawn in the temperate areas of the U.S.
5. What is EPA doing to improve regulation of pesticides used on lawns?
In addition to its reevaluation of individual pesticides, EPA is
currently reexamining its data requirements for these types of
pesticides. In particular, the Agency's current methods for estimating
exposure, including exposure to children, most likely overestimate
exposure. An experimental protocol for indoor pesticides has been
developed jointly by EPA, the California Department of Food and
Agriculture, Health and Welfare-Canada, and the National Agricultural
Chemicals Association. Further research with this protocol would allow
development of mathematical models that could generate more refined
exposure estimates for lawn pesticides. The Agency is also considering
whether to require additional subchronic toxicity data for these types
of pesticides and additional chemical-specific exposure data which could
be used when the mathematical models have been developed.
6. How many pesticide incidents attributed to lawn care pesticides have
been reported to EPA?
EPA has no firm data on the number of proven incidents, but based
on available information, believes that the incidents may be quite low,
and primarily involve misuse of a product where the product was not
applied correctly or those affected did not wait until the application
was dry before re-entering. Generally children and pets have the
greatest potential danger if these products are misused. In addition,
the Agency has received reports of some incidents where extremely
sensitive individuals have apparently had adverse reactions from
exposure to treated lawns.
There are also incidents of injury to desirable trees, shrubs and flowers from use of pesticides through drift, volatility and improper application. The herbicide labels however, warn the user of these effects and provide instruction on ways to minimize the likelihood of those events occurring.
If pest problems identified by careful monitoring lead to deterioration of the turf quality, renovation to promote healthy turf may be the wisest, most economical choice for the long term application. Lesser problems may be solved by use of chemicals on a short term or spot treatment basis with better cultural practices as a followup.
All of the above statements are parts of an IPM program advocated by EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) through the IPM staff. Research papers on state of the art technology for turfgrass IPM are being published by OPP this spring. The IPM Unit is also developing a workshop to focus on IPM strategies for pest problems on turfgrass in various parts of the country. The workshop will be taught by regional experts who are doing research on turfgrass pest control.
A guidance document on a turfgrass IPM strategy for golf courses and home lawns is planned for later this year. It is an outgrowth of discussions with golf course superintendents, with the lawn care industry, and with citizen groups concerned about the impact of lawn pesticide use on human health and the environment through direct exposure and through potential contamination of water resources. It can be used by local jurisdictions to evaluate IPM programs proposed by developers as part of the requirements for obtaining building permits for golf courses, and to develop IPM programs for maintenance of public lawn areas.
8. Should homeowners know more about pesticides use on lawns?
We support consumer awareness of pesticide use and
encourage.homeowners to obtain information on the pesticides which are
used on their lawn. Homeowners should be sure to read and follow the
label carefully for any products they apply themselves and should always
ask to see the label of any products commercial lawn care services used
before these products are applied. EPA has focused its efforts.on
providing guidance to homeowners on whether and how to choose pesticides
or commercial application services through pamphlets like its
"Consumer's Guide to Safer Pesticide Use" and through development of
turfgrass IPM strategies and instructional materials. EPA also maintains
a pesticide hotline (1-800-858-7378) for homeowners who want additional
information or who may need emergency medical advice if a pesticide
incident has occurred.
9. Isn't posting of lawns an important step to take?
Posting of lawns has been a controversial practice. EPA does not
require routine posting, but some states, (New York, for example)
require commercial applicators to post treated lawns. Any successful
posting program needs to address the following problems:
An alternate approach is to create a registry of those persons who want to be notified before a neighboring area is treated. The commercial applicators then notify these individuals whenever they are treating that area. Such ordinances originate at the local or state level.
| Atrazine(1,2) | Balan(1) | Betasan(1) |
| 2,4-D(1,2) | Dacthal(1,2) | Dicamba(1,2) |
| DSMA | Endothall(1) | Glyphosate(1,2) |
| MCPA(1,2) | MCPP | MSMA |
| Oxadiazon(1) | Pronamide (1,2) | Siduron |
| Acephate(1,2) | Baygon | Bendiocarb(1,2) |
| Carbaryl(1,2) | Chlorpyrifos(1,2) | DDVP(1) |
| Diazinon(1) | Malathion(1,2) | Methoxychlor(1) |
| Oftanol(1) | Trichlorfon(2) | Triumph(1) |
| Bayleton(1) | Benomyl.(1,2) |
| Chlorothalonil(1,2) | Diphenamid(1,2) |
| Maneb(1) | PCNB(1,2) |
| Sulfur(1,2) | Ziram(1) |
1Chemical also has food or feed uses.
2Registration Standard has been issued.
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For more information relative to pesticides and their use, please contact the PMEP staff at:
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