January 16, 1998
Toxic Ingredients Hide as "Inerts" in Pesticides
Over 650 chemicals that have been identified as hazardous by
federal, state, or international agencies are hiding behind
the misleading word "inert" in pesticide products, according
to a report released this week by the Northwest Coalition for
Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP). The report, "Worst Kept
Secrets: Toxic Inert Ingredients in Pesticides," documents
the hazards of so-called "inert" ingredients, over 2,500
substances that are added to pesticides but are not named on
product labels. U.S. regulatory agencies have few
requirements for testing toxicological or ecological effects
of inerts. Despite this lack of data, the new report shows
that over 25% of the chemicals used as "inerts" actually have
been identified as hazardous.
Inerts pose a wide variety of hazards, according to NCAP.
Almost 400 inert ingredients are or have been used as active
ingredients in pesticides. In addition, 209 are considered
hazardous air or water pollutants, 21 have been classified as
carcinogens, and 127 are occupational hazards. Many have been
identified by more than one statute or agency.
The report lists the following examples of what it calls
"active inerts"--ingredients that are or have been registered
in the U.S. for use as active ingredients in some pesticide
products, but have been cleared for use as inerts in other
products and are listed as inerts of unknown toxicity:
-- Chlorothalonil has been classified as a probable human
carcinogen by a U.S. EPA Scientific Advisory Panel.
-- Coal tar has been listed as a known human carcinogen by
the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
-- Chloropicrin is a severe respiratory tract irritant and
listed by U.S. EPA as a Restricted Use Pesticide.
As another example, the "inert" ingredient naphthalene is an
active ingredient in 16 currently registered products,
primarily moth repellents. It is also cleared for use as an
inert and is considered an "inert of unknown toxicity" by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA says this
despite the fact that the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR) first published a toxicological
profile of the chemical in 1989. The most frequent
manifestation of naphthalene poisoning is hemolytic anemia
(destruction of red blood cells), which can lead to varying
degrees of jaundice and liver enlargement. In children,
severe jaundice resulting from naphthalene-induced hemolysis
can result in permanent neurological damage, motor
disturbances, convulsions and death. Naphthalene is also
classified as one of the 100 substances most commonly found
at Superfund sites that pose "the most significant potential
threat to human health due to their known and suspected
toxicity to humans."
NCAP has filed a number of formal requests with U.S. EPA
under the Freedom of Information Act in an attempt to find
out how many pesticide products contain certain known or
suspected carcinogens, active inerts and/or endocrine
disruptors. Many of the requests are still being processed;
however, preliminary findings indicate that hazardous inerts
are sometimes widely used in pesticide products. For example,
cristobalite, a known carcinogen (according to the
International Agency for Research on Cancer), is an inert
ingredient in over 1,500 pesticide products.
NCAP's report calls for full label disclosure of all
ingredients in pesticide products. Consumers and workers have
a right to easy access to such information so that they can
make informed decisions and better protect themselves. NCAP
also recommends that mixtures of active and inert ingredients
found in pesticide products be assessed for a wide range of
effects including neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity,
teratogenicity, adverse reproductive effects and
mutagenicity.
The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides is a
five-state, grassroots membership organization that promotes
sustainable resource management, prevention of pest problems,
use of alternatives to pesticides and the right to be free
from pesticide exposure.
Copies of the report are available on NCAP's web page,
www.efn.org/~ncap/. Copies are also available by mail for
$3.00, postpaid.
Source/contact: Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to
Pesticides, P.O. Box 1393 Eugene, OR 97440; phone: (541) 344-
5044; fax: (541) 344-6923; email info@pesticide.org; web
page: http://www.efn.org/~ncap/.
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