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| Publication Type:
| Professional |
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| Author(s): | Cooper, Richard J. |
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| Author Affiliation: | Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
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| Title: | Turfgrass pesticides and the environment |
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| Source: | North Carolina Turfgrass. Vol. 6, No. 3, Winter 1988, p. 26-28. |
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| Publishing Information: | Raleigh, NC: The Turfgrass Council of North Carolina, Inc. |
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| Keywords: | TIC Keywords: Pesticides; Toxicity; Chemical toxicity
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| Abstract/Contents: | Opposition to the use of pesticides, including turfgrass pesticides, has increased greatly during the past decade. To understand the risks associated with pesticide exposure, one must first understand the concept of toxicity. Toxicity is the extent to which a substance is poisonous to humans and other animals. The risk associated with exposure to anything potentially toxic depends on toxicity of the material, and the amount of exposure to the material. Hazard risks equal pesticide toxicity times exposure. In order to decrease the risk associated with a pesticide, one may either reduce the toxicity of the material or the amount of exposure to the material. Four areas of public concern associated ith pesticide use include their potential for: acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, allergic reactions (pesticide sensitivity), and environmental pollution. The term LD50 is used to characterize acute toxicity. It is the amount of undiluted pesticide active ingredient that will result in the death of 50 percent of the test population (usually mice, rats or some other lab animal). Acute toxicity from turf pesticides is an extremely rare phenomenon that might result, for example, from accidental ingestion of a pesticide concentrate. The purpose of this article is to emphasize that the current anti-pesticide furor is based on emotional reaction and is not supported by scientific fact. The greatest risk from pesticides lies not with the general public, but with those handling concentrates and spray solutions without proper safety precautions. |
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| Language: | English |
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| References: | 9 |
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| ASA/CSSA/SSSA Citation (Crop Science-Like - may be incomplete):
Cooper, R. J. 1988. Turfgrass pesticides and the environment. N.C. Turfgrass. 6(3):p. 26-28. |
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MSU catalog number: SB 433 .A1 N52 |
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