TheMondayGarden.com, Eco-gardening at its best
April 8, 2006, Issue 201
Sorry-- there no pretty picture today as there are no pretty pictures of killer cancers. If any of you are still using pesticides, or have neighbors that are doing so, please read this unedited email that I received from an old friend and my answer to him.
This is real. If you use pesticides, you are causing this to happen.
Sue, Hi. You mentioned that chemicals to kill weeds and a link to Lymphoma. I have just started treatment for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Do you have any links to material that talks about the relationship to lymphoma? I have commented to my doctors that I have always had a physical reaction when my neighbors had their lawns treated. J
J -- I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear of your trouble. What is so shocking is that the industry and government have known for years about the pesticide - lymphoma link. Here are just a few references. Please stay in touch and my prayers for your complete recovery come with this email. Sue
To the readers: I found these links in 20 minutes. What will your kids find in the your lawn, the school yard and the park? What are your shoes tracking home to kill your cat?
"Pesticides" means anything that kills insects, non-insect bugs (e.g. spider mites), weeds and other perceived "pests". In the reports I read, weed killers were mentioned most often. So is a weed-free lawn worth killing your neighbors kid?
PESTICIDES LINKED TO LYMPHOMA 2001 report http://www.safe2use.com/ca-ipm/01-05-14a.htm-
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and specific pesticide exposures in men: cross-Canada
study of pesticides and health. 2001 http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GTARW.php
The annual incidence of lymphoma has nearly doubled over the last 35 years. The reasons for this increase are not certain --There is an apparent increase in lymphoma incidence in communities where farming is prevalent. Studies point to specific ingredients in herbicides and pesticides as being associated with lymphoma occurrence, but the quantitative contribution of such exposures to the frequency of lymphoma has not been defined. http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page?item_id=7030
Lymphoma Foundation of America's 2001 report
The majority of 117 scientific studies and articles show an increase in lymphoma in populations with higher exposures to pesticides, especially weed killers. http://www.lymphomahelp.org/execsum.php
Farmers who frequently use 2,4-D have a six-fold increase in non-Hodgkins lymphoma. ..A 1987 study by the National Cancer Institute showed that children living in pesticide-treated homes had nearly a 4 times greater risk of developing leukemia
http://www.toxicsinfo.org/Lawn/Pesticides%20&%20Cancer.htm
Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Risk of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/162/9/849
1996 FDA A relatively unknown yet deadly cancer has become more common in the last few decades and is now the sixth most common cancer in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute...studies on a possible relationship between pesticides and NHL http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/096_nhl.html
2000: newly published study has found that children exposed to pesticides in the home may be three to seven times more likely to develop non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/cancer/11/30/pesticide.lymphoma
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Cancer of the white blood cells, most commonly diagnosed as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, accounts for 90% of all lymphomas. It is the second most common cancer in the U.S....Closely associated with lymphoma are are chlorinated organic solvents, including chlorophenols, dioxins, PCBs, DDT, and the phenoxy herbicides," e.g. 2,4,5-T, and 2,4-D which are popular weed killers sold as Weed-B-Gone, Weedone, Miracle, Demise, Lawn-Keep, Raid Weed, Killer, Plantgard, Hormotox, and and Ded-Weed. Of 99 human studies, 75 indicate a significant connection between exposure to pesticides and lymphomas. Twenty-four show no relationship. One study of pet dogs indicates that exposure to 2,4-D, doubles a dog's chances of cancer. http://consumerlawpage.com/article/pesticides.shtml
Canadians Against Pesticides: PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AND YOUR HEALTH We know that pesticides harm health, but the manufacturers (eg Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow, Dupont etc.) have so much invested in the sale and promotion of pesticides (not to mention their sizable investments in the world of research, considerable contributions to political campaigns and ownership of the Genetically Engineered Crop industry), they would undoubtedly do anything to 'greenwash' the public into believing otherwise. Scientific and medical journals increasingly report the risks posed to human health by pesticides, including links between pesticides and diseases such as breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma-- site has many linkshttp://www.caps.20m.com/facts.htm
Photo credits: Sue Sweeney
© Sue Sweeney 2006
Comments (2)
Email from B: There's the problem. Although there is nothing on or in my lawn or plants except what God created, I can't control the school yards, parks or neighborhood practices. We leave shoes outside the house for that reason. Scary.--B
To B: Actually you do have a degree of control over school yards, parks or neighborhood practices.
Many people stuff copies of appropriate articles from TheMondayGarden.com in their neighbors' mailboxes or actually (gasp!) speak to them.
If the school yard or park looks too green, all of the neighbors, parents, and dog owners need to speak to the town managers. Weeds are better and cheaper than lymphoma.
Posted by S. W. Sweeney | April 10, 2006 10:34 AM
Posted on April 10, 2006 10:34
Toxicity is dose related. All pesticides are tested for NOELs. Ones with low margins for error do not make it to market. The ones which are marketed can be used by trained professional male operators without undue risks to the environment and to people. One response to the tragedy of pesticide toxicity is to enforce safe and judicious use by trained male operators who are accountable for proper disposal of waste.
Posted by Dr S Banerji | June 1, 2006 9:02 AM
Posted on June 1, 2006 09:02