Environmental Characteristics
Health and Safety Information
Why Vegetation Control
is Necessary in Your Community Roundup and AquaMaster have been widely used
More than 1,000 studies relating to the health,
by organizations such as Quail Unlimited, Ducks
safety and environmental effects of glyphosate,
Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy and the
Weed control in an urban setting is the active ingredient in Roundup and
Society for Ecological
important, not just for aesthetic reasons, AquaMaster have been conducted.
Restoration to remove
but also to protect property and to manage AquaMaster contains only glyphosate
unwanted vegetation
vegetation that can be harmful to people. Roundup庐 and water. Roundup has an added
in wildlife habitats.
herbicide is very surfactant, which is similar to those used
Poison ivy and poison effective against most in household dishwashing liquids.
The active ingredient binds
oak, for example, have no green vegetation, includ-
tightly to soil particles. It does
place in recreational ing hard-to-control The U.S. Environmental Protection
not build up in the soil, but
areas or around homes. plants, such as brush, Agency, before registering the
in fact is degraded over
Roadsides must be kept poison oak and thistle. active ingredient for use, reviewed
time by soil microbes
free of tall weeds so But it is also the herbicide of choice for use around extensive toxicological and
into naturally occur-
motorists can homes and gardens. AquaMaster庐 aquatic herbicide environmental data. The agency
ring substances, such
have unobstructed views. Weeds is very effective in controlling non-submerged vege- classifies glyphosate as "practically
as carbon dioxide. This
along railroads can pose a fire tation in and around lakes, streams and ponds. non-toxic" (the most favorable category possi-
drastically reduces the
hazard. Thorny bushes can cause ble) based on single-exposure oral, dermal and
potential for groundwater contam-
painful scratches, and ragweed inhalation studies. Furthermore, based on life-
ination. EPA has approved AquaMaster for applica-
contributes to hay fever. time feeding studies with laboratory animals,
tion directly onto aquatic vegetation.
Invasive, non-native EPA has placed glyphosate in Category E,
plants can (evidence of non-carcinogenicity for humans.) (1)
Hundreds of studies relating to the safety of
overwhelm
By law, all herbicides must include a glyphosate and glyphosate formulations to wildlife
nature parks. Weeds can
and the environment have been conducted, including
In the vast majority
crack sidewalks, tennis signal word (CAUTION, WARNING two major long-term ecosystem studies. (4), (5) These
courts, patios and drive-
or DANGER) on their label.
of urban uses, studies with birds, mammals, beneficial insects,
ways. Plants that clog
Roundup and AquaMaster labels soil organisms and aquatic organisms provide
drainage areas can cause
Roundup and conclusive evidence that proper use of Roundup
flooding or stagnant contain the CAUTION signal word, and AquaMaster will not cause any unreasonable
AquaMaster
water where
indicating least concern. adverse effects on the environment, including
mosquitoes can
are applied in wildlife. (6)
breed. And The surfactant in Roundup is on EPA鈥檚 list of
aquatic plants
a diluted spray that approved inert ingredients. The World Health
can diminish Organization (2) and an expert panel of toxicolo-
is more than 98
the enjoy- gists (3) reached similar conclusions after
ment of reviewing extensive data.
percent water.
recreational
lakes or ponds. The EPA-approved label for urban and residen-
tial uses of Roundup states that people and pets
Many communities use can return to a sprayed area after the herbicide
integrated vegetation management has dried. This advisory is not included as a
health precaution, but is intended to prevent the
approaches to control undesirable weeds. This
tracking of wet herbicide onto desirable
means they choose the right tool or tools for the
vegetation.
job. Sometimes a properly applied herbicide is
the best tool.
What Others Have Said
Integrated Vegetation Management
Systems
"The National Coalition Against the
When vegetation managers consider which tools
Misuse of Pesticides notes that the
to use, they consider many factors. Worker safety,
efficacy, cost and practicality are all important. glyphosate molecule on which Roundup
Roundup is effective in hard-to-reach areas,
is based is not on the group's list of
such as along fences, or around fire hydrants or
trees, which can be damaged by mowers or string
harmful chemicals. In fact, the Charles
For More Information...
trimmers. Steep slopes pose a risk of tractors or
mowers turning over, but herbicides can be direct-
Darwin Institute, a group that watches
ed to such areas. Mulching can help prevent the
Monsanto, the manufacturer of
growth of weeds, but if weeds eventually pop out for the protection of endangered
Roundup and AquaMaster herbi-
through the mulch, Roundup may be more practi-
cides, encourages the public to
species, went with Roundup to clear the
cal than hand-weeding or string trimmers.
become more knowledgeable about
weeds choking off the island habitat of
our products. More information can
the giant Galapagos turtles." be obtained by visiting our website:
www.monsanto.com
-- Wall Street Journal, Jan. 2, 1996,
or by calling 1-800-332-3111.
news article.
"Glyphosate has been used extensively
to control aquatic weeds and restore
Sometimes the sheer magnitude of the Roundup and AquaMaster are registered trademarks of
ecosystems鈥uring this period of use,
weed problem requires an effective Monsanto Technology LLC.
there have been no documented cases
herbicide, as in cases where invasive Always read and follow label directions.
vegetation takes over a park or wildlife of adverse effects on fish or aquatic (1) U.S. EPA, (1993) Re-registration Eligibility Decision: Glyphosate.
area. Mowing cuts down weeds, but they (2) WHO, (1994) Glyphosate. Environmental Health Criteria No 159.
invertebrates associated with (3) 鈥淪afety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup
will grow back. When Roundup and and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans,鈥? by Gary M.
AquaMaster are applied to green vegeta- Williams, Robert Kroes, and Ian C. Munro, Regulatory Toxicology
glyphosate use for this purpose." (6) and Pharmacology, Vol. 31, No. 2/1, pp. 117-165, April 2000.
tion, the active ingredient moves through (4) Forest Pest Management Institute, Proceedings of the Carnation
Creek Herbicide Workshop (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Ministry
the plant and destroys the root so the plant of Forests, Research Branch, 1989)
(5) "Fate of Glyphosate in an Oregon Forest Ecosystem," by
cannot grow back. And because it is not Newton, M., Howard, K.M., Kelpsas., B.R., Danhaus, R.
herbicidally active in soil, it is possible to Lottman, C.M. and Dubelman, S. 1984. Journal of Agricultural
and Food Chemistry, 32:1144
replant some desirable vegetation as soon (6) "Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment for Roundup Herbicide,"
by John P. Giesy, Stuart Dobson, and Keith R. Solomon.
as one day after application. Published in Reviews of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology, Volume 167, pp. 35-120, 2000.
170-01-016 (8/01)cii
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