- Pesticide-Free Places
- Why worry about where they play?
- How to get listed on the map
- Make your yard pesticide‐free
- Landscaper help
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Why worry about where they play?
Young children are vulnerable
Young children and the unborn are especially vulnerable to many kinds of harmful chemicals.
- Children eat, drink and breathe more per pound of body weight than adults.
- Children’s organs and systems are continuously developing as they grow. Chemical exposure at certain points can have lifetime effects.
- Their behaviors are very different from adults. They put hands and objects in their mouths, live closer to the ground and have been known to eat dirt.
- Pesticide exposure to the very young can have immediate and long term health consequences.
Prevent unnecessary exposure to pesticides
- Studies of the long‐term health effects of pesticide exposures in children are lacking, particularly for low‐level exposures originating from food and the environment.
- However, studies conducted in a variety of settings have shown the potential for a number of long‐term health effects: cancers, nervous system effects and reproductive effects for both mothers and fathers. See the Pesticides Literature Review, the Ontario College of Family Physicians (PDF) for a summary.
Our environment is vulnerable
- Rain carries pesticides into local waterways, where salmon, water bugs and water quality can be affected.
- Bees and other pollinators can be harmed by chemicals meant for pests.
- Pets may also be affected or poisoned by pesticides, and they may carry pesticides into the home on their feet and fur.
How to worry less – take a precautionary approach
In public places choose a play area that is managed with few to no pesticides.
At home, try:
- Natural Yard Care techniques create an attractive lawn and garden with less pesticide use.
- Choose the least toxic yard and garden products with Grow Smart Grow Safe.
- Read labels and use fewer hazardous chemicals.
- Buy produce with lower pesticide residues.
- Buy safer toys.
- Buy safer art supplies.
At school or child care, you can ask about their pesticide use policy.
- Find child care providers in Washington who have committed to using few to no pesticides in the maintenance of their facility.
- Child cares may request a free consultation for making their site environmentally safer. Contact Gail Gensler 206‐263‐3082.
- Schools may participate in King County’s Green Schools program.
- Teachers may use the simple Seven Steps to a Healthier Classroom (PDF.)
