Pesticides and Home Exposures
Reducing toxic exposures from pesticides in your home and garden
After WWII, wartime chemicals were repurposed for agricultural and home pest control use, leading to widespread reliance on pesticides. While effective at controlling pests, these chemicals pose significant health risks, especially for children. This guide will help you understand these risks and explore safer, cost-effective alternatives to keep your family safe.
What is a Pesticide?
Pesticides are substances used to prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate pests. They’re common in homes and gardens to:
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Control insects (ants, slugs, snails, larvae)
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Prevent mold and mildew
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Manage or prevent weeds and unwanted vegetation
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Disinfect surfaces, including hand sanitizers
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Control rodents
Are pesticides harmful to human health?
Human health effects from pesticides often lack sufficient study, and usage instructions can be unclear. Improper use increases risks of exposure through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. Even residue from past applications can pose risks and can be especially harmful to children, whose bodies are still developing. Cellular damage from children’s pesticide exposures, even small amounts, can lead to long-term organ damage and diseases like cancer later in life.
Common Packaging Labels
The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) seal assures suitability of products for certified organic production or gardening, depending on the product and its intended use. This seal appears on organic pesticides that are compatible organic farming and gardening.
