Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Beyond Pesticides offers resources below to evaluate the health and ecological effects of specific chemical exposure from ACTIVE INGREDIENTS in pesticide products, as well as regulatory information and supporting scientific documents. Because various pesticide products can contain more than one active ingredient, it is important to READ the LABEL to determine chemical components.

With 192 different active ingredients and counting, it is essential to establish the connection between the use of these chemicals and their respective hazards.

View the step-by-step guide on how to search for the active ingredient(s) in pesticide products below:

1. Go to U.S. EPA's Pesticide Product and Label System and enter the product name. The generic product name may vary.
   
2. After searching, click on the chemical ingredients tab or the link for the most recent label to find Active Ingredients.
                Chemical List                                            Label List 
   
   If one selects the chemical ingredients tab, skip to Step 4 . If not, proceed to step number 3
   
   
3. To find the active ingredient(s) on the label, search for the page in the document containing the date of registration. Usually, the active ingredients section occurs within the first few pages of the label document.
   
   
4. Return to the Beyond Pesticides Gateway and search for the active ingredient name in the yellow box to the right or from the list below. 
   
   

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Acetic Acid (Vinegar)

General Information

• Product Names:

  Ecosharp Weed & Grass Killer (Ecoval Corp)
  Ecosharp Weed & Grass Killer Ready To Use (Ecoval Corp)
  Weed Works Weed & Grass Killer (Organic Works, Inc) 
  Burnout II Weed and Grass Killer Concentrate (St. Gabriel Laboratories)
  Moss Killer Concentrate (St. Gabriel Laboratories)
  Weed Pharm (Pharm Solutions Inc.)

• Chemical Class: Carboxylic acid
• Uses: Least-toxic weed managment
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Least-toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Not documented
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Not documented
• Neurotoxicity: Not documented
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Not documented
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (27)
• Birth/Developmental: Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Yes (27)
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Not documented
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented

Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database

• Dandelions
• Mold
• Pantry Moths
• Wasps and Yellowjackets
• Poison Ivy
• Annual Bluegrass
• Crabgrass
• Ground Ivy
• Knotweed
• Plantains
• Japanese Knotweed
• Chickweed
• Deer

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Factsheet (3/2001)
  • Registration Review Decision: Pending
• Supporting information:
  • 8 Steps to a Toxic-Free Lawn (Beyond Pesticides)
  • Least-toxic Control of Weeds (Beyond Pesticides)
  • NCAP Pesticide Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
  • PAN Pesticides Database: (Pesticide Action Network)
• Studies:
  • Organic Weed Control With Vinegar. Webber, C. et. al. 2005. Oklahoma Agriculture Experiment Station Departmental Publication . Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
  • Spray Weeds With Vinegar? Comis, D. 2002. USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
  • Influence of Acetic Aacid on Regrowth of Dioecious Hydrilla from Root Crowns . Spencer, DF and Ksander, G. 1995.Journal of Aquatic Plant Management