Homeowners and commercial property owners should be certain that the pesticides used on their property are applied and disposed of property. Here are some tips:
Disposal of pesticides down household drains is illegal. Household
and non-industrial wastewater is collected by sewer lines that carry
the used water to wastewater treatment plants. These plants, however,
are not intended to treat chemicals like pesticides that are not
Tests indicate that as little as one teaspoon of Diazinon® down
a sink or toilet can injure or kill the sensitive microorganisms
used to monitor water quality. Research is being conducted to discover
if any wastewater processes can remove Diazinon® and other pesticides
that have been linked to potential stream contamination through
household drains.
For more information about alternatives for controlling pests, please contact your local nursery representative or local county extension agent. They can recommend solutions for indoor and outdoor use.
An informed public can make sure that our streams and lakes remain
free of chemicals. Pesticides and other chemicals used on landscapes
can enter our streams and lakes as runoff during rains or due to
treatment with too much pesticide. Pesticides carried off lawns
by rain or sprinklers enter the storm sewers, which empty directly
into nearby streams. Significant quantities of Diazinon® have
shown up in storm water samples collected during storm events.
Even very small amounts of pesticides poured down the sink or improperly
used can enter streams or lakes and kill the microscopic plants
and animals that fish depend on for food. In some studies, as little
as one teaspoon of Diazinon® rinsed down a sink was enough to
show up in local creeks.
Agricultural and landscape experts are working to develop alternative pesticides that are less toxic to the environment. For example, Nematodes (worms) are commercially available and eat landscape insects. Experts also caution that most insects are beneficial in the garden or soil.