Tell EPA to disclose inert ingredients in pesticides

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering changing their rules to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose “inert” ingredients. Disclosure of inert ingredients on product labels is important to consumers who want to be aware of all potentially toxic chemicals, both active and inert ingredients, in pesticide products.

Pesticides pollute our creeks and streams when rainwater runoff from farm fields, suburban lawns, or roadside embankments carry these chemicals into our public waterways. Studies have shown that pesticide pollution has contributed to the worldwide decline of amphibians and other aquatic life, may be linked to a number of human cancers, and harms reproductive and developmental processes by disrupting human hormone activity.

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What is an inert ingredient?

Pesticide products contain both "active" and "inert" ingredients. The terms "active ingredient" and "inert ingredient" are defined by the federal law that governs pesticides (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act). An active ingredient is one that will “prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate any pest.” By law, the active ingredient must be identified by name on the pesticide product's label together with its percentage by weight.

All other ingredients in a pesticide product are called "inert ingredients." An inert ingredient is one that “is not active” but that is intentionally included in a pesticide product. Despite the fact that in most contexts the term “inert” is synonymous with benign, such is not the case with pesticides. Called “inerts” by the law, the name does not mean non-toxic.

Pesticide products often contain more than one inert ingredient. Inert ingredients play key roles in the effectiveness of pesticides. Examples include inerts that prevent caking or foaming, extend product shelf-life, or solvents that allow herbicides to penetrate plants.

Why disclose inert ingredients?

Disclosure will assist consumers and users of pesticides in making informed decisions. When ingredients are identified on product labels, as are ingredients in packaged food and cosmetics, consumers can choose to purchase products that meet their personal preferences. It is likely that pesticide manufacturers who currently use more toxic inert ingredients in their pesticide products will in the future choose less toxic ingredients in order to meet consumer preferences.

The current EPA consideration of inert ingredient disclosure is the result of separate petitions filed in 2006 by 14 states and 22 environmental groups, which noted that more than 350 inert ingredients used in pesticides are classified as toxic, carcinogenic, flammable or otherwise hazardous under various EPA regulations (Greenwire, Aug. 2, 2006). In 1998, the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides released a report, "Worst Kept Secrets: Toxic Inert Ingredients in Pesticides,” which documents the hazards of so-called "inert" ingredients.

In some cases, inert ingredients have been found to be more toxic and harmful than the product’s active ingredients. In the June 23, 2009 issue of Scientific American, the article “Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells,” proves that we are using chemicals without full and complete disclosure of their impacts to the environment and on human health. The herbicide discussed in this article is glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide in the United States. The study found that one inert ingredient in RoundUp (a popular herbicide of which the active ingredient is glyphosate) was more deadly to human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells than the herbicide itself.

Pesticide use in Oregon

The Oregon Pesticide Use Reporting System requires anyone other than homeowners to report their pesticide use (agriculture, forestry, urban, etc.). The report disclosed that 40 million pounds of active ingredient pesticides were used in Oregon in 2007. The 2008 report states that 20 million pounds of pesticides were used in Oregon. The “Southern Oregon Coastal” region, which includes the Rogue Basin, reported more than 2.2 million pounds of pesticide use in 2007 and more than 3 million pounds in 2008 (placing it third in statewide pesticide use).

This is a self-reporting system and likely does not indicate the total amount of pesticide applications in Oregon. Also, the discrepancy between 2007 and 2008 is inconclusive but is likely a reporting error in the system. Unfortunately, the state cut funding for this program and there will be no reporting requirements for 2009, 2010, 2011. The state legislature may allocate funds in 2011 to begin reporting requirements again in 2013.

On federal lands, the BLM released a proposal in 2009 to increase the use of herbicides in Oregon. In their analysis, the BLM stated, “Relatively little toxicity information is known on inert ingredients” and that “inerts associated with the application of herbicides may contribute to acute toxicity to fish.”

Speak up for disclosure

Please send a comment to the EPA and ask that they require public disclosure of all inert ingredients in pesticides registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Comments are due April 23, 2010.

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Office of Pesticide Programs

Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001

(703) 308–8811; leifer.kerry@epa.gov