Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals
Planned Ont. ban on cosmetic use of pesticides to be toughest in North America
Canadian Press Article online since April 22nd 2008, 0:00
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
TORONTO - Ontario's proposed ban on the sale and cosmetic use of pesticides will be the toughest such legislation in North America once it becomes law next year, supporters said Tuesday.
The legislation, introduced on Earth Day, will take effect more quickly and go further than a similar law in Quebec, the only other Canadian province to have banned pesticides, said Gideon Forman of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
"The number of products that are going to be banned for use is far bigger than the Quebec list," Forman said.
"Quebec was phased in over three years. This is coming in much, much faster. So it's a huge improvement over Quebec, actually."
Quebec was considered to have the toughest standards in North America after banning 20 active ingredients, which took more than 200 lawn-care products off the market. The final phase of its Pesticide Management Code, first introduced in March 2003, went into effect in 2006.
More than 300 pesticide products will be prohibited for use in Ontario once the ban is fully implemented in 2009, Forman said.
His group was among a coalition of environmental activists and health professionals that banded together to lobby for a pesticide ban, which Premier Dalton McGuinty pledged to enact during last fall's election campaign.
Experts, such as the Ontario College of Family Physicians, have warned that the long-term effects of exposure to pesticides can be devastating, especially to pregnant women and children.
"There's a lot of research that shows children who are exposed to pesticides are at greater risk for leukemia, which is a very serious situation, to put it mildly," Forman said.
Ontario's ban will likely take effect next spring, but there will be a few exceptions, McGuinty said. Pesticides will still be allowed for use in farming, forestry or health and safety, such as controlling mosquitoes that can carry diseases like the West Nile virus.
Golf courses will also be able to use pesticides, but must meet certain conditions to minimize the effects on the environment - regulations that haven't yet been drafted.
"What we want to do today is recognize a right that you and I enjoyed when we were growing up, which of late has not been formally recognized," McGuinty said in announcing the ban from the backyard of a private Toronto home, as young children wearing "Say No to Pesticides" T-shirts played nearby.
"It's the right of kids to play in the grass, to roll around in the grass and to learn how to do somersaults on the grass without compromising their health."
The ban is aimed at replacing a patchwork of local pesticide bylaws that cover about half the province, but McGuinty said municipalities will be able to introduce tougher rules if they choose.
Many details of the plan, such as the penalties for using pesticides, have yet to be worked out, which has frustrated opposition parties.
"There's no meat on the bones," said Opposition Leader Bob Runciman, whose party supports the idea of a ban. "That's the reality."
Municipalities will be asked to enforce the ban, but Ontario also has its own inspectors, said Environment Minister John Gerretsen.
The Liberals have also budgeted $10 million over the next four years for enforcement and education, he said.
"We've got nine or 10 inspectors around the province doing this stuff," Gerretsen said.
"But the best way to enforce it is by banning the sale of the product. Once the sale of the product is banned, then we're quite confident that people will adhere to that."
NDP critic Peter Tabuns said he's not convinced the province will step up to the plate, given that it's not doing a good job of enforcing existing environmental regulations.
"That's less than one inspector per million people," he said. "I don't think that's enough to actually enforce the act."
The proposed ban also sets a "very bad precedent" because it puts a danger label on products that Health Canada has already deemed safe, said Peter MacLeod of CropLife Canada, a pesticide industry association.
"We think this will impact people's perception about food safety," he said. "We think this will impact people's perception about the safety of our medical supply.
"I mean, you're questioning Health Canada."
Lawns and gardens represent only about four per cent of the pesticide business across Canada, he said, with the vast majority used in agriculture.
Some pesticide products are "packaged" in Ontario from active ingredients that are made in the United States, Europe and Asia, MacLeod said.
Bylaw foes predict bad weed season
TRACEY TYLER
LEGAL AFFAIRS REPORTER
Ontario's highest court has upheld the City of Toronto's
general ban on pesticides, ruling that municipalities across
the province have generous powers to pass bylaws for the
health and well-being of their citizens.
A Toronto bylaw restricting pesticide use took effect nearly
two years ago, on May 23, 2003.
Soon after, CropLife Canada, a trade association that
includes pesticide producers, challenged the bylaw, arguing
it was enacted under narrow health powers that the city was
only supposed to use in an emergency, such as an outbreak of
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Other municipalities have been waiting for the court's
decision before introducing similar restrictions.
The association also argued the city had no authority to
pass the bylaw because federal and provincial laws were
already in place regulating pesticide manufacturing and use.
But in a unanimous decision yesterday, a three-judge panel
of the Ontario Court of Appeal said the law has recognized
since the 1990s that municipal councils have broad powers to
enact bylaws to meet "the legitimate interests" of the
community and that various levels of government can have
complementary pieces of legislation.
Since no other legislation specifically gives the city the
power to regulate pesticide use and since the restrictions
it adopted did not conflict with any federal or provincial
law, Toronto council had the legitimate authority to enact
the bylaw under general health and well-being provisions of
the Municipal Act, said Justice Kathryn Feldman, writing for
a panel that included Justices Stephen Goudge and Susan Lang.
Dr. David McKeown, Toronto's medical officer of health,
called the decision "an important public health victory."
But a pesticide industry representative called it a
"disappointing" ruling likely to usher in a season of summer
blight.
"It looks like the Great Toronto Dandelion Festival is a
go," said Debra Conlon, president of the Urban Pest
Management Council.
She added that while the city has the power to pass such a
bylaw "that doesn't make it sound public policy."
But Gideon Forman, executive director of the Canadian
Association of Physicians for the Environment, one of six
intervenors in the case, disagreed.
"We think it's a real shot in the arm for the organic
(gardening) sector and, plus, there's just a lot less poison
out there," he said.
Conlon said Health Canada has confirmed "these products can
be used safely."
"The bylaw is not going away and it's here to stay," said
Councillor Joe Mihevc, vice-chair of the city's board of health.
"Friday the 13th isn't as bad a day as some people would
lead you to believe," he said, noting the court awarded the
city $50,000 in legal costs, which comes on top of $59,000
it was awarded after the association's challenge was
dismissed by the Superior Court in 2003.
Apart from pesticides, the case was also important because
it was the first to test the breadth of power elected
officials have under a revised Ontario Municipal Act,
particularly when it comes to passing bylaws aimed at the
health and safety of citizens.
These so-called general "welfare" powers were also front and
centre when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2001 that
the town of Hudson, Que., had the authority to enact a bylaw
regulating pesticide use. Hudson did so under the general
welfare provisions of the province's Towns and Cities Act.
But Scott Maidment, a lawyer representing CropLife, argued
the Supreme Court's decision did not apply in Toronto's
case. Although the Ontario Municipal Act contained similar
general welfare provisions, the act was overhauled in 2001
and those powers were drastically narrowed, he said.
Feldman disagreed. The province, in introducing the updated
act, said it was giving municipalities "the tools they need
to tackle the challenges of governing in the 21st century,"
she said.
If the government meant to restrict its power to pass bylaws
aimed at the well-being of residents, it would have spelled
it out clearly, Feldman said, adding it would be a step
backwards to read the legislation as anything less than
giving elected officials considerable latitude.
With files from Paul Moloney
Comprehensive review of pesticide research confirms the link between pesticide exposure and serious illnesses; children are particularly vulnerable
TORONTO, April 23, 2004 /CNW/ -The Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP)
is strongly recommending that people reduce their exposure to pesticides
wherever possible after releasing a comprehensive review of research on
the effects of pesticides on human health. Released today, the review
shows consistent links to serious illnesses such as cancer, reproductive
problems and neurological diseases, among others. The study also shows
that children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides. The review
found consistent evidence of the health risks to patients with exposure
to pesticides. "Many of the health problems linked with pesticide use
are serious and difficult to treat - so we are advocating reducing
exposure to pesticides and prevention of harm as the best approach",
said Dr. Margaret Sanborn of McMaster University, one of the review's
authors.
Principle Findings of the Review:
- Many studies reviewed by the Ontario College show positive
associations between solid tumours and pesticide exposure, including
brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer,
among others.
- Previous studies have pointed to certain pesticides, such as 2,4-D and
related pesticides, as possible precipitants of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
(NHL), and the findings of the College's review are clearly consistent
with this.
- It is clear from the review that an association exists between
pesticide exposure and leukemia. According to the College, the
implication of pesticides in the development of leukemia warrants
further investigation and also, political action.
- The review team uncovered a remarkable consistency of findings of
nervous system effects of pesticide exposures.
- Occupational exposure to agricultural chemicals may be associated with
adverse reproductive effects including: birth defects, fetal death and
intrauterine growth retardation.
Pesticide Effects and Children:
Children are constantly exposed to low levels of pesticides in their
food and environment, yet there have been few studies on the long-term
effects of these exposures. Nevertheless, the College reviewed several
studies that found associations between pesticide exposures and cancer
in children. Key findings include:
- An elevated risk of kidney cancer was associated with paternal
pesticide exposure through agriculture, and four studies found
associations with brain cancer.
- Several studies in the review implicate pesticides as a cause of
hematologic tumours in children, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and
leukemia.
- Some children have overall increased risk of acute leukemia if exposed
to pesticides in utero or during childhood, especially for exposure to
insecticides and herbicides used on lawns, fruit trees and gardens, and
for indoor control of insects.
What the Public Should Do:
Given the wide range of commonly used home and garden products
associated with health effects, the College's overall message to
patients is to avoid exposure to all pesticides whenever and wherever
possible. This includes reducing both occupational exposures, as well as
lower level exposures that occur from the use of pesticides in homes,
gardens and public green space. The College also advocates exposure
reduction techniques such as:
- Researching and implementing alternative organic methods of lawn and
garden care and indoor pest control.
- Proper use of personal protection equipment, including respirators for
home and occupational exposures.
- Education on safe handling, mixing, storage and application when
pesticide use is considered necessary.
What Family Physicians Should Do:
In the wake of this systemic review, the College is advocating that
family physicians take the following measures:
- Screen patients for pesticides exposure at a level that may cause
significant health problems, and intervene if necessary.
- Take patient pesticide exposure history when non-specific symptoms are
present - such as fatigue, dizziness, low energy, rashes, weaknesses,
sleep problems, anxiety, depression.
- Focus efforts on prevention rather than on researching the causes of
chronic or terminal disease.
- Consider high-risk groups (e.g. children, pregnant women, seniors) in
their practices.
- Advocate reduction or pesticide risk/use to individual patients.
- Advocate reduction of pesticide risk/use in the community, schools,
hospitals and to governments.
The Ontario College of Family Physicians is a provincial chapter of the
College of Family Physicians of Canada and is a voluntary,
not-for-profit association that promotes family medicine in Ontario
through leadership, education and advocacy. The OCFP represents more
than 6,700 family physicians providing care for remote, rural, suburban,
urban and inner-city populations in Ontario. The OCFP is the voice of
family medicine in Ontario. At the heart of the organization is the
building and maintenance of high standards of practice and the
continuous improvement of access to quality family practice services for
all residents of Ontario.
The OCFP Study is available on the Ontario College's
For the full release go to the following url:
Ontario College of Family Physicians
PRESS RELEASE
Pesticide Hazards
Pesticide Hazards: Family Doctors to Release Comprehensive Review of
Research Today
TORONTO, April 23 /CNW/ - TODAY, the Ontario College of Family
Physicians (OCFP) will release the results of Canada's most
comprehensive review of research on the effects of pesticides on humans,
and the implications for family physicians.
The results of the systemic review cover studies done since 1992, and
describe the findings regarding major adverse pesticide health effects,
including:
- Solid tumours, including brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer
and pancreatic cancer, among others
- Leukemia
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Genotoxic effects
- Skin diseases
- Neurological diseases
- Reproductive effects
- Vulnerable patient groups, including children
Who:
Margaret Sanborn, MD, CCFP, FCFP, McMaster University Donald Cole, MD,
FRCP(C), University of Toronto
Cathy Vakil, MD, CCFP, Queen's University
Mandy Weselak, BN, MSc
Jan Kasperski, RN, MHSc, CHE, Executive Director and Chief Executive
Officer, OCFP
=============================
The problem with pesticides
PESTICIDES CONTRIBUTE more than 50 million kilograms annually to the chemical brew in Canada. Hectare for hectare, urban lawns and greenspaces are sprayed more intensively than most farms.
Residential use of pesticides is increasing steadily. Pesticides do not stay put, but move through the ecosystem of the entire planet.
Many common pesticides used in the home and garden pose significant human health risks. A study by the Ontario College of Family Physicians states that Canadian children face "undeniable risks" from exposure to pesticides. Children, because of their physiology and behaviour, are exposed to greater quantities of pesticides than adults, and are more vulnerable to their toxic effects. A National Cancer Institute survey in the US indicated that children are six times more likely to get childhood leukemia when pesticides are used in the home and garden.
Some pesticides used on urban lawns have the potential to disrupt human hormone and endocrine systems. This disruption has been linked to decreased immune system function, alterations to the brain and reproductive system, behavioural changes such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and increased susceptibility to breast and testicular cancer.
The best protection that you can offer your garden against pests and diseases is to use common gardening practices to keep your plants vigorous and healthy. Start with a variety of plants, give them good growing conditions and inspect regularly for pests and diseases.
The following gardening tips should minimize pests and diseases in your yard:
Choose suitable species for your growing region and conditions. Purchasing seeds and plants for your climactic zone will ensure that your plants are robust and therefore able to fend off pests and disease.Grow disease-resistant plant varieties in your garden. Plants are often bred to resist bacterial, viral or fungal diseases.
Promote diversity in your garden through companion planting and crop rotation. It will be more difficult for insect pests and diseases to find their favourite plant if your garden plants are arranged according to their beneficial effects upon one another.
Provide good growing conditions. Provide adequate sun and water, good air circulation, and keep the garden free of diseases debris. Irrigate to deliver water to the roots instead of the foliage.
Provide fertile soil by incorporating compost and other organic matter. Test your soil to ensure nutrients are available for plant growth. Robust plants are more pest and disease-resistant.
Inspect regularly for pests and diseases. You will have a better chance of controlling outbreaks when they are still small and localized.
If your plants don't look healthy, correctly identify the problem. Try the following physical and biological methods to control pests and diseases.
Manual controls:
Squish insect pests or hand pick and drop them into soapy water.
Dig out weeds by hand, making sure to remove the roots.
Prune off diseased parts and destroy.
Heat:
Burn weeds with a specially designed propane weed torch.
Scald weeds with hot water.
Lures and traps:
Install insect lures and traps, including phermone baits that will attract the insect pests to your trap.
Physical barriers:
Install floating row covers to exclude insect pests.
Apply mulches to prevent growth of weeds and to prevent soil-borne fungi from splashing on leaves.
Put collars around plants to deter cutworms.
Natural predators and parasites:
Many insects play a beneficial role by lowering pest populations. "Beneficials" eat decaying matter and/or other insects, and some can also parasitize pest insects.
Encourage beneficial species already present by providing fresh water and a diversity of plants for food and shelterl
Release commercially grown predators or parasites.
Learn to appreciate bats, birds, toads and spiders.
Beneficial organisms:
Beneficial organisms treat specific garden problems, while having little impact on people, pets the environment or other beneficial organisms.
Apply beneficial bacteria such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), or beneficial nematodes.
Organically acceptable products
Some commercially available products use soaps, oils or natural pesticides extracted from plants to control pests. These products should only be used with great care when physical and biological controls have failed. Always follow the directions and precautions on the labels.
Insecticidal soaps and oils
Soaps and oils are nontoxic to people and pets; however, they may harm some plants. Test spray on a few leaves and wait several days to see if damage appears before spraying the entire plant. They will kill good organisms as well as the target pests.
Botanical pesticides
Pesticides extracted from plants with insecticidal properties (rotenone, pyrethrum) tend to break down quickly in the environment; however, they are sometimes toxic to people, pets and wildlife when first applied. Never apply rotenone next to water because it is very toxic to fish.
Try some of these home recipes for controlling pests and diseases:
Simple Soap Solution
2 tbsp soap flakes
1 litre water
Mix soap flakes into water. Spray on garden pests. Good for your lawn as well.
Garlic Oil
(From Rodale's Controlling Pests and Diseases)
85 g of minced garlic
1 tsp mineral oil
water
1 tsp liquid dish soap
Soak minced garlic in mineral oil for 25 hours. Strain out the garlic and add 600 ml water and 1 tsp liquid dish soap. Mix thoroughly. Spray plants with a solution of 1 to 2 tbsp of garlic oil mixture in 600 ml water. This will control a wide range of insects and some fungal diseases.
Fungicide
(From Rodale's Controlling Pests and Diseases)
1 tsp baking soda
1 litre water
1 tsp soap flakes
Dissolve 1 tsp baking soda in 1 litre warm water. Add up to 1 tsp soap flakes to help solution cling to leaves. Spray top and bottom surfaces of plant to control diseases.
Soap and Oil
(From Rodale's Controlling Pests and Diseases)
1 tbsp liquid dish soap
1 cup oil (peanut, safflower, corn, soybean or sunflower)
1 cup water
Add 1 tbsp liquid dish soap to 1 cup oil. Mix 1 to 2 tsp of the prepared soap and oil base to 1 cup water. Spray plants to control a variety of insect pests.
Neem Spray
1 bar Neem soap (from health food store)
1 litre water
Shave 1 tbsp off the bar of Neem soap. Add this to 1 litre water and let it sit for one hour. Spray on pests.
This really sucks! Commerical strawberry growers in California use tractor-mounted vacuums to remove bugs from the plants. In your home garden, try a hand-held rechargeable vacuum to gently skim the tops of infected plants. This works for potato and cucumber beetles, aphids, earwigs and many other pests. Empty the vacuum into a bucket of soapy water to drown the bugs.
The Green Communities Association published a Pesticide Free Naturally Action Kit for use in the home, which includes:
* a pesticide-free lawn sign
* factsheets on health impacts
* tips on how to engage neighbours in discussions about pesticide use
* Children's Activity Pack
* information on effective alternatives to pesticides, including home recipes
Get your copy of the Action Kit! Send $6.42 cheque or money order for each copy to Green Communities Association, Box 928, Peterborough ON K9J 7A5. Contact Kellie for information about bulk order rates.
DON'T USE 'EM!
What you can do in Haliburton County:
1. Don't use pesticides in your home or on your property.
2. Support a local initiative to ask the County for a ban on cosmetic pesticides.
3. Write letters to local, provincial and federal politicians asking them to ban cosmetic pesticides. Write letters to newspapers. Make your feelings known!
God: on lawns
God: Hey Frank, you know all about gardens and nature - what in the world is going on down there on Earth? What in the world happened to the dandelions, violets, thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of oil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colour by now. All I see are patches of green.
St. Francis: It's the people who settled there, Lord. They started calling your flowers “weeds” and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
God: Grass? But it is so boring and it's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these people really want grass growing there?
St. Francis: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing it and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
God: The spring rains and the warm weather probably make the grass grow really fast. That must make people very happy.
St. Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they cut it - sometimes two times a week.
God: They cut it? Do they bale it, like hay?
St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it into bags.
God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
God: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize it to make it grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
St. Francis: Yes, sir.
God: These people must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
St. Francis: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
God: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the summer they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
St. Francis: You'd better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, people rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
God: No way!! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
St. Francis: After throwing the leaves away they go out and buy something called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of leaves.
God: And where do they get this mulch?
St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.
God: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
St. Catherine: “Dumb and Dumber,” Lord. It's a real stupid movie about ….
God: Never mind - I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis!
