[APWG] Re: [ma-eppc] Fw: frogs & roundup - surfactant environmental fate

[SteveYoung at aol.com]

Jil and others - 
 
I understand that the Roundup surfactant, polyethoxylated tallowamine, can  
be highly toxic as per below. Does anyone have any insight into its behavior in 
 the environment in terms of issues such as lifetime (does it break down 
quickly  or not), toxic metabolites/breakdown products, etc.?? I know that 
glyphosate is  touted for among other things its rapid breakdown and now I'm 
wondering about  the surfactant. For example, if an area outside a buffer distance but 
still not  too far from a waterbody is treated, how much potential is there 
for the  surfactant to get into the water at potentially toxic levels? If the 
surfactant  breaks down rapidly into nontoxic products of course that would be 
a good thing.  Just curious... Cheers,
 
    Steve Young
 
In a message dated 4/5/2005 4:10:27 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
Jil_Swearingen at nps.gov writes:


Hi,

Please see article below about the impacts of the  surfactant
"polyethoxylated tallowamine" on amphibians. The surfactant is  an
ingredient in Roundup. Glyophosate was not responsible for the frog  kills.

Thank you,

Jil

----- Forwarded by Jil  Swearingen/NCR/NPS on 04/05/2005 01:35 PM -----

Bruce Badzik       
To:            
04/04/2005 03:11       cc:                      
PM PDT                 Subject:  Fw: frogs & roundup           




In case you have not seen this yet. It is  important to note that at the
bottom of the article, it notes that it is  not glyphosate that causes the
problem, but the surfactant. This is  something that is not new news,
contrary to the last line of the article.  That is why there is Aqua Master
(formerly Rodeo), it is Roundup without  the surfactant. The use of Roundup
in a manner such as done in this study  would be a violation of the law.

[snip]




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