Alas yes! Fungicides and insecticides have long been in the dock, not only because they degrade the environment, but also because their use is suspected of causing extremely serious health consequences. In addition to the asthma they cause, they also appear to be involved in the large increase in cancer “hormone-dependent” (breast, prostate, thyroid) as well as in those that affect children (brain tumors, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and in leukemia.
Admittedly, farmers are the most exposed, as are the populations who live next to large spreading areas, and the level of risk is in no way comparable if a plant is sprayed every three years, although it better to skip it. If only to avoid increasing pollution of the rivers and groundwater into which all these products flow (90% of rivers and 60% of groundwater are contaminated).
If you cannot bring yourself to see your aralia wither away, at least you should avoid buying the most toxic products (black cross on an orange background). You should then take the time to read the labels thoroughly and follow the recommendations to the letter: always wear gloves, never drink or smoke, ventilate as much as possible and rinse your hands, face and neck thoroughly after use.
Garden centers offer more and more alternative products. Some, like the Botanic chain, have even made it their specialty.
If insecticides are allowed, aren’t they safe?
It would be too beautiful! At least a few dozen substances are certainly very dangerous. Their proven harmfulness to bees has long led to suspicion of a comparable dangerousness for humans. Recent work (published in “Plos One” by Kimura-Kuroda J. et al.) has further confirmed this. Moreover, for the first time, last December, the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) itself recognized that insecticides from the neonicotinoid family “can have an impact on the development of the human nervous system” and that a reassessment of acceptable exposure limits is warranted. More generally, the agency considers that the procedure for accepting pesticides should be revised to make it compulsory to carry out studies evaluating the neurotoxicity of these products. It was time !
Since May 2012, farmers can have Parkinson’s disease recognized as an occupational disease caused by these treatments.
In addition, a collective expertise carried out by Inserm in June 2013 evokes “the presumption of a link between exposure to pesticides and Alzheimer’s disease”, the risk of which would be multiplied by four. An American study (“Jama Neurology”) also revealed a link between exposure to DDT and the risk of developing a more severe form of Alzheimer’s disease. When we know that this insecticide has been banned since 1972, but that three-quarters of people who have been exposed to it still have it in their blood, there are legitimate concerns.
That’s not all. Studies have shown that certain insecticides increase the risk of diabetes by 250%. And many others have highlighted the impact on reproduction: drop in fertility, increase in miscarriages and premature births, anomalies of the sexual apparatus of boys whose mothers have been exposed.
Who hasn’t heard of the chlordecone scandal either, this organochlorine insecticide used from 1981 to 1993 to treat banana trees? It was discovered in 1999 that it was the source of significant pollution in Guadeloupe and Martinique. In some places, groundwater contains levels 100 times higher than the norm, and this product is found in the blood of 90% of pregnant women. How can we be surprised if certain cancers explode (multiple myeloma)? Intended to protect crops from pests, these products are made to kill, we should not forget that. In addition, the parasites develop resistances which quickly make the insecticides less effective. So, let’s face it, the risk is not worth it!
Are herbicides really harmful?
Among toxic phytosanitary products, herbicides have nothing to envy to insecticides. Many of them (like the famous Lasso) contain benzene, which is recognized as a carcinogen. And who hasn’t heard of the famous Round up from the Monsanto firm, the most sold in the world, whose active ingredient, glyphosate, does not seem more benevolent? But the other “families” of weedkillers are no more harmless. Carbamates are clearly carcinogenic (tumours of the prostate, blood and skin in particular) and increase the cases of Parkinson’s disease; phenoxyherbicides can cause fetal deaths, etc. In addition, the studies generally relate to an isolated active molecule, whereas several are sometimes combined and adjuvants are added to them, these mixtures being likely to reinforce the toxic effects.
How else to get rid of weeds?
In the flowerbeds
“It’s the easiest,” explains Violette Egon, landscape gardener and garden expert. All you have to do is spread a good layer of compost or leaves: the weeds will not go through and you will obtain at the same time a mulching effect allowing you to reduce watering. » Important note: if years of weedkiller have made the soil very compact, it must be loosened beforehand using a grelinette (a kind of large fork), which will aerate the soil without damaging the roots.
For walkways and patios
“Our ancestors poured coarse salt there in the spring,” recalls Brigitte Lapouge. No need to put a lot, it sterilizes radically. But you have to be careful that the rain doesn’t make it run off on plants and the vegetable patch! »
Another option often mentioned by organic gardeners : the boiling water. Effective in making weeds disappear the moment they show up, thermal weeding is not perfect, however. For large paths, going back and forth with the kettle is tedious… and takes almost as much time as manual weeding. There are also devices, increasingly used by communities. They are a bit expensive (from 150 €), but they can be shared between neighbours. However, as with chemical weed killers, the weeds will come back. The operation must therefore be repeated approximately once a month.
This is why the ideal “is to anticipate, when designing the garden, advises Violette Egon. At the location of the terrace and walkways, we will first lay a geotextile under the slabs or gravel, as well as curbs on the sides. The existing plants will no longer be able to grow and the spontaneous plants that arrive carried by the wind will be much less rooted.
Ultimate solution: abandon the game and allow vegetation between the tiles. “You can sow directly with ground covers, such as sedum, dwarf carnations, yarrow, etc., suggests Violette Egon. It’s pretty cool! »
Gardening without chemicals is possible
To have a beautiful natural and healthy garden, without any chemicals, all it takes is a little common sense and a few tips.
“Buy your plants from a nearby nursery, to have plants adapted to the climate and the soil”,
recommends Brigitte Lapouge.
Think of the associations of plants whose “unity is strength”. Lavender near roses to chase away aphids, imperial fritillaries against moles, zinnias or gaillardias to protect green beans, etc.
Call animals and insects to the rescue. Everyone knows today that ladybugs eat rose aphids (more than a hundred a day) but, as old as agriculture, biological pest control is not limited to that. Bedbugs to protect tomatoes and eggplants from white flies, small nematode worms against caterpillars…, professionals use no less than fifty different insects against pests. A tricky practice though. “If the caterpillars become too numerous, it is better to install nesting boxes for tits which will feast on them”, defends Brigitte Lapouge.
4 Bring old recipes up to date. “These are simple preparations, non-toxic to human health. But you have to have a light hand, explains Brigitte Lapouge. For example, on tomatoes or fruit trees attacked by mildew, spraying Bordeaux mixture (water+copper sulphate+lime) three times a year is sufficient, or even diluted clay. “. Against moss in lawns, garden expert Violette Egon advises putting iron sulphate around March-April, not mowing too close, which favors its appearance and that of weeds, as well as draining the soil. Other old remedies: spraying rapeseed oil against scale insects, chimney ash to block slugs, etc.
5 Finally, there are ranges of natural products (in garden centers or on the Internet), including pheromone-based traps that attract butterflies to avoid worms in fruit.
