Eugene, Oregon --A new analysis shows that the number of secret "inert" ingredients used in pesticides almost doubled in 10 years and that over a quarter of these "inerts" ingredients are hazardous to public health and the environment. The report Toxic Secrets: "Inert" Ingredients in Pesticides, 1987-1997 [PDF 200k] found that secret "inert" ingredients increased 93% for a total of 2311 chemicals and that 26% are hazardous to the public and/or the environment while the majority of inerts' toxicity remain a mystery. Yet this information is not provided on product labels.

Toxic Secrets, authored by the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) and released by Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR), documents the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) inability to protect public health and the environment from the dangers of pesticide ingredients called inerts. Inert ingredients, which can make up to 99.9 percent of a pesticide formulation, can be as toxic as the active ingredient. However, only 7 of 2311 inert ingredients are disclosed on product labels.

In 1987, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a policy designed to "reduce the potential for adverse effects" from the use of 1200 inert ingredients in pesticide products and "encourage the use of the least toxic inerts available." Today, the number of inerts has not only grown, but these materials continue to be kept secret from the public. The report found:

* Inerts identified by EPA as "unknown toxicity" rose 122% in ten years. This represents a jump from 800 to 1779 chemicals.

* Over 600 inert ingredients have been classified as hazardous by other regulatory programs, or federal or international agencies. For example, 20 are known or suspected carcinogens, 187 inerts are considered hazardous air and water pollutants, 12 have been assessed as "extremely hazardous," and 118 are regarded as occupational hazards.

"What you don't know can hurt you when it comes to pesticides," said Sandra Marquardt, Toxics Consultant for NCAP and the report author. "These mystery pesticide ingredients which can be hazardous are applied on our produce, parks, schools, and communities, and the secrets are growing."

Toxic Secrets also reveals that in California over 152 million pounds of inert ingredients were used by agriculture and liscensed pest control applicators in 1995. California has the most comprehensive pesticide use reporting system in the nation which includes reporting the amounts of inert ingredients used.

"Not only do we need full label disclosure, Oregon needs full reporting of pesticide use," said Caroline Cox of NCAP. 3How can we reduce pesticide use or evaluate our exposure to these toxics when we don1t know where they are being used and in what amounts?"

Toxic Secrets also found that one aspect of EPA's inerts program potentially made manufacturers more accountable: granting consumers the right-to-know. When manufacturers were required to list their ingredients on the label because the ingredient was indentified as "of toxicological concern," manufacturers chose to drop the product containing a hazardous inert from their product line or switch to an alternative ingredient. The number of List 1 "hazardous" inert ingredients fell from 57 in use in 1987 to 8 in 1997, an 86 percent reduction and the number of products containing a List 1 inert went from approximately 1300 products in 1987 to 40 in 1997, a 97 percent reduction.

"For over a decade EPA has chosen to ignore publicly available information indicating the toxicity of numerous chemicals in favor of a policy based on inertia, disinterest and secrecy," said Cox. "We demand full disclosure of all pesticide ingredients today."

NCAP is a grassroots, regional organization that promotes sustainable resource management, prevention of pest problems, use of alternatives to pesticides, and the right to be free from pesticide exposure. Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP); PO Box 1393; Eugene, OR 97440 (541) 344-5044