does the weed killer and fertilizers we use on our grass eventually reach our water tables or oceans?

Question

i'm thinking it's got to go somewhere. is it polluting everything?

Answer 1

Oh Yeah! On Cape Cod in Massachusetts the only lawn food you can use is all natural stuff such as a product called Neptune's Harvest! It is made of fish oils and seaweed stuff! Smells bad for a day, but it never hurts a thing.
I use beneficial insects, heavy mulch and natural fertilizers on my farm. I want my kids to die of old age , not cancer!

Answer 2

Absolutely! So can all that non-point source pollution like oil off of the roads and parking lots and pesticides. They cause problems in waterways, ground water, aquifers and very importantly, in the estuaries (where the river meets the sea). Estuaries are the nurseries, where many, many important fish and invertebrates (like shrimp and crabs) spawn and or grow up. Pollutants can cause die-offs directly or from lowered oxygen levels or get sequestered in the tissues of animals that get eaten by larger animals where the toxins accrete to levels that are dangerous for us to consume. I was on a research cruise where we worked in waters 200 miles south of the Mississippi mouth. We were still pulling up Mississippi sediments and finding significant levels of heavy metals and organic pollutants - at depths of wel over 600 meters!

Direct pollution from ship wrecks or platforms can be problems, but the vast majority of significant pollution is from land sources.

Answer 3

It is not as much as you would think. The plants and soil absorb most of the chemicals and process them out. Sure it can eventually reach water supplies, especially if they spill over onto the concrete or streets. When it gets onto concrete and such it will be washed up with rain water and enter the sewer systems and water supplies.
It is actually suggested that if you have to dump cleaning solutions or other chemical containing products (NOT hazardous) to do so on your lawn and not into any sewers or water supplies.

Answer 4

yes. tha's why canada is trying to ban most of them.

why do we care how green and manicured our grass, which is a weed, is?

I would rather have some nice clover..

also, the products that you use on your body, house and pets ALSO hurt the enviroment and seep into the water tables/oceans.

all of it's polluting everything.. same with those batteries that you throw out.. think of what tha's gonna do to the land in a couple of decades.. it's sad when you think about it..

poor kids and kids of kids.. they're doomed by our destruction..

Answer 5

I live in South Louisiana along the Mississippi River and that is why I drink bottled water. Otherwise I would hate to be drinking the crap from every farm land, chemical company, cow and person from the heartland of America.

Answer 6

If properly applied ( amount & weather condition ) it does not have as much effect as you'd think. It's important to not apply pesticides when it will rain and it's important to clean off any hard surfaces that the fertilizer lands on. And never blow your clippings into the street.
Farm runoof is worse.

Answer 7

Yes it does, and it causes problems. Fertilizers can do as much damage as pesticides when they get into streams, lakes, and rivers. They can cause uncontrolled algae growth, which eventually kills the fish. Pesticides can build up in the bodies of fish, and if they don't kill them, they can be absorbed by people and animals that eat them and affect their health.

Answer 8

Yep.