Spring is here, so here come the pesticides! But before you reach for yours, please think twice - pesticides are poisons. And before you consider using a pesticide, promise yourself you'll read the label and think a moment about what it says. Be aware that the ill-effects of pesticides on our health and environment are well documented.

Pesticides are hazards to human health

The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported that, each year, approximately 20,000 children are involved in common household pesticide poisonings. In the case of acute pesticide toxicity, according to Massachusetts Poison Control, "Harm to the body can occur within minutes of being poisoned by a chemical pesticide. Symptoms include: headache, nausea, diarrhea, stomachache, and flu-like symptoms. Poisoning can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact."

The effects of long-term or repeated lower level exposures to a toxic substance do not appear immediately and may take months to years to produce signs and symptoms. In 1983 it was found that pesticide applicators have 3 times the risk of developing lung cancer. In 1986 several lawn fungicides were classified as "probable" carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. One of the products, mancozeb, reacts with sunlight to form a "known" carcinogen. In 1993, a study found that the common pesticide Dursban (chemical name chlorpyrifos) caused immune system disorders in people when their homes were treated with it. In 1995, researchers at the University of Southern California School of Medicine found that low levels of chlordane caused neurological disorders, attention deficit disorder symptoms, and "probably irreversible dysfunction of the brain." In 1996, a study found that working as a golf course superintendent significantly increases the risk of dying of four types of cancer: brain, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, prostate and large intestine. In 1998, the American Public Health Association reported that just a small amount of toxin exposure during critical periods of development can have an irreversible effect lasting a lifetime. In a comparative study in Mexico, children exposed routinely to pesticides demonstrated decreases in stamina, coordination, memory, and the ability to draw familiar objects. In 2001 the United States General Accounting Office concluded that pesticides can have an adverse effect on human health and the environment, and federal agencies should be doing more to encourage pesticide use reduction.

Do you love your dog or cat?

Cancer is the number one killer of dogs and cats in this country. Many pesticides, their breakdown products, their inert ingredients, or their contaminants have been implicated in causing cancer. Your pets' habits, such as grooming and eating grass, increase their risk of exposure to pesticides, and they can't read warning signs to stay off the treated grass of your or your neighbor's property. A National Cancer Institute study found in 1991 that dogs whose owners used common broadleaf weed killers containing 2,4-D, had twice the rate of lymphoma (a cancer of the immune system) as dogs whose owners did not use it.

Tell the world you care

A 1995 survey of homeowners found that "A lawn is considered a source of beauty, pleasure, and economic value; an integral part of one's home, sending a clear message to others about the kind of people who live in the house." Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but a large expanse of perfectly green, uniform lawn without a single weed or blemish also sends the message that the homeowner does not realize the serious environmental and health effects of pesticides. Nor do they realize that they are unwittingly exposing themselves, their neighbors, and their community to risk from toxic chemicals. The point is, you can have an attractive lawn and beautiful yard, without using any chemical pesticides. People all over the country are doing just that by using organic lawn care and native plant landscaping. These techniques have the added benefit of reducing the fertilization and water needs of your yard. You can tell the world you have great taste, AND you care.

Avoiding secondary-pesticide exposure

The Wellesley Pesticide Awareness Campaign is trying to reach every Wellesley household with information and assistance for transitioning from common pesticide use to healthier and wiser pest management, but in reality it takes time to get the word out. Even if you, like many people in Wellesley, don't use pesticides, you can still be subjected to secondary-pesticide exposure. What can you do to avoid this? It is impossible to know the risk from a single exposure, but realize that for each exposure you avoid, you're making a deposit into your health bank for the future. If you transition to organic lawn care, you deposit a windfall, and your neighbors get some too!

this section up to making the switch could be boxed if necessary

Here are some tips for avoiding pesticides in your own Wellesley neighborhoods:

? Teach children to stay away from lawns and other areas where pesticide warning signs are posted. Pesticides persist for weeks to months. Keep children off treated lawn areas even after the pesticide warning signs are gone. Children's health is particularly sensitive to pesticide toxins.

? Avoid taking walks or exercising where you see landscapers applying chemicals, where you find a smelly, chemical odor, or on pesticide granules or powder residues on streets and sidewalks.

? Take off your shoes when you enter your house.

? Keep your pets off treated lawns. They track pesticides back into your own home.

? If your neighbors spray, ask them to notify you in advance so you can keep your children and pets inside, cover play equipment, sandboxes, garden vegetables and lawn furniture, and close windows to keep the spray or vapor cloud from drifting into your home.

? Educate your neighbors and friends about safe, ecological approaches to insect and weed control. Make sure they've seen our new "Healthy Lawns and Landscapes" brochure, available at Bread and Circus or the Town Hall.

Making the switch

If you are interested in transitioning to non-toxic lawn care, the Wellesley Pesticide Awareness Campaign would like to help. We realize it is not always easy to do, and it can take time. But your lawn can be green - AND healthy. Some of our local garden centers are very willing to help you get started on organic lawn care, for instance Needham Garden Center in Needham, and Russell's Garden Center in Wayland. The Natural Resources Commission can offer suggestions for books and resources, and maintains a list of ecologically minded landscapers. You can get on our e-mail list and receive updates on local ecological lawn and landscape workshops, the latest techniques and materials, and to find out about simple less-toxic pest control techniques. And if you want to know more, read up! There are a lot of great books out there in including "Tiny Game Hunting" by Klein and Wenner, or "Edaphos: Dynamics of a Natural Soil System" by Paul Sachs. Visit www.ci.wellesley.ma.us/nrc/pesticide, call the Natural Resources Commission at 781-431-1019 x294, or e-mail us at nrc@ci.wellesley.ma.us. Do it today! We look forward to your call.

Sarah Little is Wellesley's pesticide awareness coordinator, working under the Natural Resources Commission.