Water Quality
Background
The specialty chemical industry faces the continuing claim that pesticide use on lawns, golf courses, commercial properties and right-of-ways is harming water quality--resulting in adverse health effects. While the suggestion persists that lakes, streams and underground water supplies are being contaminated by pesticides, the results of university research and EPA nationwide well water studies refute these claims.
Facts
Well managed turf protects water. In studies at Pennsylvania State University, researchers found that the impact of well managed turfgrass on water quality appears to be positive in nature such that pesticide runoff is insignificant. The study concluded that the potential for water pollution from lawn and commercial uses of chemicals was considerably less than other urban pollutants not associated with well managed turfgrass areas.
An Ohio State University study found that thatch and other underlying soil residues retained nearly all the applied pesticides during the first two weeks after application. Residues in the soil were less than one part per million over 34 weeks of sampling. This means virtually all the applied pesticide was binding to thatch and surface residues rather than leaching.
Presence of pesticides in well water is minimal. There are no known reported cases of adverse health effects from drinking pesticide-contaminated water. Even in areas where pesticide use is most heavily concentrated, the presence of pesticides in wells has been found to be minimal.
In a five-year, $12 million study, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tested more than 1,300 wells nationwide. The study found that:
0.8% of community water supplies and 0.2% of rural wells exceeded lifetime health advisory standards; and 99% of all wells in the country contain no pesticide traces exceeding EPA standards for safety.
Present Doesn’t Mean Harmful. Advances in analytical chemistry have made it possible to detect the presence of substances at levels never thought possible. The ability to detect chemicals at parts per million has virtually been replaced by measurements at parts per billion, parts per trillion and parts per quadrillion. To find a substance present in water has more to do with our ability to detect its presence, not a determination of risk.
The federal standard for safe exposure limits on individual chemicals (called the maximum concentration level) is set at levels far below the amount thought to cause some adverse health effect among the most vulnerable persons in our society after a lifetime of exposure. Even when a tiny percentage of water supplies are found in violation of these standards, the elevated levels are often brief or seasonal and are still far below the concentrations which might threaten public health.
Industry Commitment
The specialty chemical industry works daily to ensure the protection of water resources. Product manufacturers and suppliers provide extensive personnel training, descriptive consumer information and clear, complete label instructions for all marketed products. This, combined with promotion of proven safe-use practices, helps maintain the safety and quality of lakes, streams and underground water supplies.