Gauteng Smallholder October 2015 | Page 19

IN THE HOME Cleaning the chemical fog in your home Y our home may be spotless, but did you know that the atmosphere could nonetheless contain a toxic fog of airborne chemicals found in common household finishings, detergents and chemicals? This witches' brew includes chloroethylene, found in printing inks, paint, adhesives From page 16 and paint stripper; formaldehyde, found in paper, particle board, plywood panelling and synthetic fabrics; benzene, found in plastics, synthetic fibres, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides, as well as car exhaust smoke, tobacco smoke, glue, paint and furniture wax; xylene, found in the printing rubber, leather polish and fertilizers. and paint industries, as well as All of these chemicals have tobacco and vehicle exhaust an adverse effect on humans, smoke, and ammonia, found Continued on page 18 in window cleaners, floor EUCALYPTS distance apart to give the canopy space to flower. A lack of good quality and variety of forage can lead to unhealthy bee colonies and absconding swarms. The Working for Water (WfW) programme seeks to prevent ruinous eco-damage in bee foraging areas by clearing invasive species, implementing biocontrol programmes and restoring the functioning of natural ecosystems. During 2013-2014, WfWaffiliated nation-wide teams cleared 639 621 ha infested with invasive species, rehabilitated 19 580 ha, restored 105 wetlands, removed aquatic invasives from 195 000 ha of water surface, did 1 900 biological control releases and implemented fire-breaks across 95 523 ha. 17 www.sasmallholder.co.za