Yes! You can see an example here.

Pesticides are chemical or biological substances designed to kill, control or repel a variety of living organisms, such as insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), mold or fungus (fungicides) and rodents (rodenticides). They are poisons, and their use is regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Conventional pesticides are all active ingredients other than biological pesticides and antimicrobial pesticides. Conventional active ingredients are synthetic chemicals that prevent, mitigate, control, destroy, or repel any pest from weeds to rodents. 

A selective herbicide kills certain plants but not others. Herbicides labeled for control of weeds in lawns, for example, will kill broadleaf weeds like dandelions and thistles, but will not kill grasses.  2,4 – D is the most common “selective” herbicide used in broadleaf control in turf grass. 

Bacteria, fungi and arthropods in soil that break down organic matter into nutrients for plants or they can be insects which are beneficial to landscape health by eliminating pests or performing other beneficial functions. Often these beneficial organisms can be killed unintentionally by treatments targeting pest species or other harmful chemical treatments.

Several pesticides commonly used in lawn care are classified as probable or possible carcinogens by the EPA. Some of these and other pesticides are associated with a variety of other health problems including damage to the liver, kidneys, and nervous and endocrine systems, and acute skin irritation and respiratory distress (1). Infants and young children, whose body systems are still developing, are particularly susceptible to these risks, as are pregnant women and the elderly and infirm. Inadvertent exposure to pesticides can occur when they are applied without notice on neighboring properties, or in apartment buildings, schools or daycare centers. To limit the likelihood of inadvertent exposure and the resulting health risks, a number of state laws now require that individuals be notified when pesticides are being applied in these areas(1). 

The prevailing regulatory approach in the United States is reactionary rather than precautionary. Instead of requiring industry to prove their safety.

The cornerstone of pesticide regulation is a fundamentally flawed process of “risk assessment” that cannot begin to capture the realities of pesticide exposure and the health hazards they pose. EPA officials remain reliant on research data submitted by pesticide manufacturers. Before a pesticide is registered for use on a particular commodity or site, it must be approved for that use by the EPA. Tests are performed by the manufacturers to determine whether the product or its residues on foods presents unreasonable risks to people, wildlife, fish, and plants. U.S. EPA reviews the data submitted by the manufacturers and either approves or disapproves the studies. A summary of rejection rates for these studies shows that historically 20-50% of the manufacturers’ studies submitted for evaluation of pesticides are rejected as inadequate (4). During the delay while the studies are being re-done, the pesticide can be sold as before, even without knowing what the health effects of exposure might be.

A second patent was filed in 1974 by Monsanto as an herbicide (United States Patent 3,799,758). Monsanto claims that glyphosate, which kills plants by disrupting the shikimate pathway, has no effect on humans because the shikimate pathway is not present in mammals. However, several studies now suggest harm to mammals from glyphosate based herbicides through a variety of different mechanisms (Myers 2016, Ibrahim 2016a).

The main difference between conventional synthetic lawn fertilizers and slow release organics is solubility, or how quick they dissolve in water. Synthetic fertilizers dissolve rapidly, releasing nitrogen quickly into the soil. They promote quick “green up” and shallow root systems. They do not last very long, and quickly leach into ground or surface waters after a rain event, preventing most of the nitrogen from actually being absorbed by your plants. This causes pollution that can lead to algal blooms. Slow-release organic fertilizers, along with compost and compost tea, work by providing food to microbes living in your soil. These in turn produce nutrients for your grass. They are less soluble than synthetics, leading to less leaching of nutrients, and lessening the need for frequent fertilizer applications. A second patent was filed in 1974 by Monsanto as an herbicide (United States Patent 3,799,758). Monsanto claims that glyphosate, which kills plants by disrupting the shikimate pathway, has no effect on humans because the shikimate pathway is not present in mammals. However, several studies now suggest harm to mammals from glyphosate based herbicides through a variety of different mechanisms (Myers 2016, Ibrahim 2016a).

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Yes. View our Weed Tech Control List below.

• Foamstream
• Weedtechnics

No, compliance with regulations that do not themselves protect the public health and is not relevant to human health. Rather it is intended to protect from legal liability by hiding behind guidelines promoted by the EPA which unfortunately has been heavily influenced by the industries it regulates. 

There is now peer reviewed research on the negative health effects associated with chronic, ultra-low doses related to accumulation of glyphosate in the environment.

Today, the general consensus of weed scientists is that herbicide resistance is inevitable when farmers and land managers rely too heavily on synthetic pesticides for weed management. “Sole reliance on glyphosate by many producers is believed to be the primary factor in the evolution of weed resistance to glyphosate,” according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. 

“Superweeds”— are herbicide-resistant weeds—often referred to as are nuisance plants that have developed resistance to one or more herbicides. 

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The substance itself, or its breakdown products do not have an adverse effect on human health as defined by applicable Federal regulations. 

• Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) listed substances shall be allowable. 
• All substances listed as allowable by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Organic Food Program shall be allowable. All products certified by an accredited organic certifier such as WSDA shall be allowable.

Read the label, and check to see if the products are listed on Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) or listed as allowable by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Organic Food Program.

Yes there is a list of National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances – Code of Federal Regulations

For negative health impacts of synthetic pesticides in general see the National Pesticide Information Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pesticide Exposures.

For negative impacts of pesticides on children’s health: The Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research – University of Washington.