Governor Pataki signed the law into legislation in August. Pesticide exposure can cause human illness. People who may be exposed should know about it in advance so they can take appropriate measures to protect themselves. It all boils down to the basic principle of showing common courtesy and being respectful of one's neighbor, their health and their property. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure because of their delicate and developing immune systems and nervous systems.
Exposure can occur by breathing it in, by ingestion, or by absorbing it through the skin.
Lawn furniture, toys, kiddy pools, gas grills, are handy items for pesticide residue to land on when the breeze is just right. It can unknowingly be tracked through the house as well. There is a clause in the new law that mandates schools and daycare centers give prior notice to all staff and parents before pesticide usage and application, and that is very good. However, children are more apt to be exposed to lawn pesticide at home than at school or daycare, especially in the summer, when they spend a lot of their time playing outside. Anyone who lives in a neighborhood where commercial lawn care companies often visit can quickly identify that oily, petrochemical smell that hangs in the air afterward.