Concerned Citizens of Montauk is urging home gardeners and professional landscapers alike to stop adding synthetic fertilizer on their lawns, flower beds, and vegetable gardens.
These products “can pose serious risks to both human health and the environment,” the organization said in a recent newsletter. That’s because they often contain “forever chemicals” like PFAS that do not break down over time and have been linked to cancers, hormone imbalances, developmental delays in children, as well as other harmful side effects.
While synthetic fertilizers carry nutrients often found in “water-soluble forms designed for quick absorption by plants,” C.C.O.M. said they also introduce high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment. When these elements make their way into bodies of water, they have been shown to cause blue-green algal blooms that are toxic to humans and pets.
“The good news is: Now you know, and there’s a solution,” C.C.O.M. said. “If you plan to fertilize in the spring, ask your landscaping service or local garden retailer for organic fertilizers, with no more than 12 percent nitrogen and free from PFAS chemicals and plastic coatings.”
The organization points to a helpful website, liwater.org/fertilizers, for a list of products that are much safer all around.
“Improving our environment is possible, one home at a time,” C.C.O.M. concluded.