Without Pesticides, What Do I Do about Weeds and Insects?
Pesticides are poisons used to kill insects, weeds, disease organisms, and other unwanted living things. By their very nature, all pesticides are intended to kill some living organism.
In the mid twentieth century, pesticides like DDT became notorious for the devastating impact that they had on wildlife and the environment, including in the Detroit River. Although many of those chemicals have since been banned in North America, modern lawn care pesticides still tend to remain in the water column where they can affect aquatic organisms.
The long-term effects on human health from continuous exposure to low levels of chemical pesticides are a subject of ongoing debate. Some research shows that contact with pesticides may explain some reproductive and birth defects, brain and nervous system disorders, cancers, and organ dysfunction. Children are especially vulnerable because they are smaller and because of their rapid development.
Veterinarians regularly cite pesticide exposure as the cause of death or ill health in dogs and cats, who are low to the ground and ingest chemicals on their paws when grooming themselves.
Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development report on pesticides.
May 16, 2000.
How do Pesticides Impact the Detroit River?
Studies have shown that stormwater runoff from urban areas is the leading pollutant of rivers and lakes. A study in one Michigan watershed found that 75% of pollutant loadings to the Huron River were due to home-site activities, including urban pesticide use.
A large portion of the Detroit River is bordered on the Canadian side by privately-owned residences and municipally-owned parkland. Given the proximity of these properties to the Detroit River, frequent pesticide use is likely to have a significant negative impact on the health of the river. Although this link has not been specifically proved in this area, the link has been demonstrated in many other areas. The 1999 Detroit River Update stated that organic chemicals, including pesticides, are likely having toxic effects on fish. Research by the Canadian Wildlife Service has linked reproductive problems in birds with some commonly-used pesticides, and has found that large bird die-offs can occur even when pesticides are applied responsibly and properly. One group of birds that are especially vulnerable are waterfowl, which eat large quantities of foliage that may have been recently sprayed. Given the location of the Detroit River on major waterfowl migration routes, this could be especially problematic. Most chemical pesticides negatively impact frogs, some of which are threatened species in this area.
Even homeowners who don't live very close to the river can still impact water quality and wildlife through their pesticide use. When pesticides and fertilizers are applied to lawns, between 60 and 90% of chemical sprays are washed into sewers or drains/ rivers where they can negatively impact wildlife. Granular products also easily wash off into sewers or water bodies, especially if they are not applied carefully, and can be readily ingested by wildlife or pets.