November 2020 – EnviroSelects

Why Are Chemical Pesticides So Dangerous?

Since pesticides kill insect pests, such as the Japanese Beetle, imagine the effects of these chemicals in the human body. Aside from direct exposure to chemical pesticides, there is the danger of these chemicals leaching into the water supply.

When vast amounts of land are sprayed with pesticides, these chemicals sink deep into the ground and often find their way into the groundwater supply. Countless studies have linked pesticide exposure to cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and even ADHD. Because the dangers of chemical pesticides are so well documented, the Environmental Protection Agency is working at the federal level to control how people use pesticides.

Many Cities Are Leading the Way in Stringent Chemical Pesticide Restrictions

The EPA allows states to adopt their own chemical pesticide rules and regulations. Just like the EPA, states gain their power to put restrictions in place by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Many cities across the United States are becoming organic cities with no chemicals being used for weed or pest control. The following are some of the major cities that have adopted these stringent policies.

Tucson, Arizona
Several cities in California, including Burbank, Malibu, Laguna Hills, Novato, and San Clemente
Boulder, Colorado
Middletown and Oxford, Connecticut
Jupiter, Miami, and Stuart, Florida
Moscow, Idaho
Several cities in Illinois, including Franklin Park, Evanston, and Naperville
Story County, Iowa
Lawrence, Kansas
West Chester, Pennsylvania

There are at least twenty states that have begun the initiative to go as chemical free as possible. Even when handing invasive pests like Japanese Beetles, they use organic pesticides that are not harmful to the environment.

What Are the Benefits of Organic Pesticides?

With many cities across the United States now adopting organic pesticide laws, it makes sense this will eventually trickle down to the individual level. If a state’s park and recreation departments forbid chemical pesticides, it will not be long before the state and EPA step in to stop individuals from using them. There are many benefits to using Botanical Insecticides, including the following.

Botanical Insecticides are made from plant sources so they are not toxic to the environment. The main reason these natural insecticides are safer is because the components of these treatments break down into harmless compounds within minutes or hours of application.
Natural pesticides are chemically very close to the plants they derive from, so the soil can break them down without causing any toxic byproducts to develop.
Many city parks and recreation programs have found using these insecticides helps to reduce the costs of treating pests like Japanese Beetles.
Natural pesticides can target unwanted pests while being less harmful to beneficial insects. Creating the ideal balance between the protection of beneficial insect species, while eliminating unwanted pest insects is not always easy for parks and recreation departments.
Botanical Insecticides were widely used up until the 1940s when synthetic pesticides became available. Because of the dangers of synthetic chemical pesticides, botanical options are making a big comeback.

Most natural insecticides do not harm plant life and they are safe for humans and animals. Overall, using natural and organic means of insect elimination is safer for the environment. As with any pesticide, the products must be used according to exact instructions.

Choosing the Right Products Is Essential

Companies like Enviro Selects are leading the way in providing organic and natural products that reduce dangers to the environment and to your human health. Two of their proven and effective natural insecticides, Azaguard Insecticide and Bioceres WP are effective options that can be used in a variety of applications. These powerful broad-spectrum insecticides are both OMRI approved and safe for the environment, yet also powerful enough to kill many species of insects, including Aphids, Beetles, Sawflies, Webworms, and more.

Products like Zerotol Fungicide and Fiesta Herbicide can also be used to naturally keep parks and city land free of weeds and invasive algae to allow for healthy plant growth.

Conclusion

When these environmentally friendly products are used in conjunction with one another, parks and recreation departments can meet the stringent guidelines put forth at the state and federal level. These products help to ensure parklands are safer for wildlife and humans alike. Enviro Selects works diligently to ensure that all products they carry meet the guidelines set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Parents and childcare providers want what’s best for children. Obviously, this should include providing a clean and safe environment. Balancing cleanliness with safety can be more of a challenge than some care providers might think, though.

While harsh standardized cleaning supplies typically do a great job of removing pathogens, they can also expose young children and their caregivers to potentially dangerous chemicals. Thankfully, there are better solutions available on today’s markets. Instead of using harsh chemical cleaners, childcare providers can switch to low toxicity sanitizers for all of their cleaning needs.

Fewer Health and Safety Risks

There are a variety of benefits associated with switching to low toxicity cleaning solutions, the most obvious of which being that they are safer for children and childcare workers alike. Those doing the cleaning can benefit from reduced risk of negative health effects such as chemical burns and damage to the skin and eyes. There is also a substantially lower chance of negative long-term health impacts due to inhalation of cleaning solutions both during and after application.

Children can also benefit from the use of low toxicity cleaners and sanitizers. Exposure to traditional cleaning solutions has been shown to raise children’s risk of developing asthma, skin conditions, and other potentially serious health issues. Given that traditional chemical cleaners often leave behind harmful residues, switching to a more child-safe alternative can help to protect youngsters’ health both during and after cleaning.

Better for the Environment

Making the switch to organic, biodegradable low toxicity cleaners is better for the environment. This is true of both the immediate surroundings in which they are used and the far-reaching environmental consequences of their use.

Low toxicity cleaners ensure better air quality within daycares, schools, and other childcare facilities. They do not produce strong, chemical odors, nor do they leave dangerous fumes lingering in the air. Some of them do include subtle scents that will leave behind a pleasant smell instead of overwhelming children, parents, and care providers as soon as they walk in the door.

The environmental benefits of low toxicity cleaners also extend beyond the immediate environment in which they are being used. Switching to this more environmentally sound alternative to conventional cleaning solutions can help to reduce water and air pollution. It also produces fewer greenhouse gasses, which translates to less ozone depletion.

Improved Adherence to Sanitation Protocols

Most childcare providers aren’t too keen on using harsh chemical sanitizers. This can leave them with a difficult choice to make: follow protocols and expose themselves and the children in their care to dangerous toxins, or fail to adequately clean and sanitize the area, exposing the children to harmful bacteria, instead.

No matter what individual employees think about sanitation protocols, though, they’re put into place for a reason. No parent wants his or her child to be exposed unnecessarily to contagious diseases. It just isn’t safe.

Switching to low toxicity cleaners can help to improve adherence to sanitation protocols. Since it is not just less dangerous to employees’ health but also less unpleasant to apply these greener cleaners, most childcare workers are more likely to use them as intended. This, in turn, means that the children in their care will be less likely to be exposed to dangerous germs.

Choosing the Right Products

Not all low toxicity cleaning and sanitizing solutions are created equal, so it’s important for childcare providers to do some research prior to choosing products. They should look for a cleaning solution that is chlorine and ammonia-free that leaves behind no harmful residues. Solutions like SaniDate RTU are able to eradicate 99.9% of bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, Staph, and others without exposing children or their care providers to toxic chemicals. And the newly released SaniDate APD (All Purpose Disinfectant) concentrate, has an EPA label amendment approved for eradication of Coronavirus.

Only buy cleaning solutions that are registered with the EPA. This will help to ensure that their ingredients have been carefully evaluated and deemed safe. It’s important to look for EPA certification given that just about any cleaning company can start putting words like “green” and “eco-friendly” on their products, regardless of how safe they actually are for human contact.

Using Low Toxicity Cleaners

Unlike many more specialized traditional cleaners, low toxicity cleaners can be used on a wide variety of surfaces. That’s important for childcare workers. After all, small children don’t typically choose what to pick up and what to leave alone as carefully as their adult counterparts.

Low toxicity cleaners can be used to sanitize everything from tables and chairs to telephones and children’s toys. Since they don’t contain dangerous, toxic ingredients, they can even be used to sanitize kitchen countertops and other food prep areas.

The Take-Away

Keeping childcare facilities clean and sanitary is an absolute must, but it doesn’t have to involve the use of harsh and potentially dangerous cleaning solutions. Instead, facility managers should consider switching to a safer alternative such as SaniDate RTU. The workers, the children, their parents, and the environment will all be better off if they do.

Many States Are Implementing Stringent Restrictions on Chemicals for Parks and Recreation