Regarding Roundup's "inert" ingredients

This past weekend, my family exchanged fruits and veggies from their home-grown gardens. We ended up with a big pot of eggplant, peppers, basil, tomatoes, and cucumbers; and this started me thinking about pesticide use in small family gardens such as these. Then, today I ran across an article that addresses the toxicity of some of the "inert" ingredients in the common pesticide, Roundup. From Environmental Health News:

"Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup’s inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells.

The new findings intensify a debate about so-called “inerts” — the solvents, preservatives, surfactants and other substances that manufacturers add to pesticides. Nearly 4,000 inert ingredients are approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, is the most widely used herbicide in the United States. About 100 million pounds are applied to U.S. farms and lawns every year, according to the EPA.

Until now, most health studies have focused on the safety of glyphosate, rather than the mixture of ingredients found in Roundup. But in the new study, scientists found that Roundup’s inert ingredients amplified the toxic effect on human cells—even at concentrations much more diluted than those used on farms and lawns.

One specific inert ingredient, polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA, was more deadly to human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells than the herbicide itself – a finding the researchers call 'astonishing.'"

What I found most interesting about the article is the idea that it's not the main toxic chemical compound in the solution that is causing these specific problems--it's the combination of the toxic chemical compounds and inert" ingredients. Which brings about a question....what are "inert" ingredients? From the article:

"The term “inert ingredient” is often misleading, according to Caroline Cox, research director of the Center for Environmental Health, an Oakland-based environmental organization. Federal law classifies all pesticide ingredients that don’t harm pests as “inert,” she said. Inert compounds, therefore, aren’t necessarily biologically or toxicologically harmless – they simply don’t kill insects or weeds.

[...]But some inert ingredients have been found to potentially affect human health. Many amplify the effects of active ingredients by helping them penetrate clothing, protective equipment and cell membranes, or by increasing their toxicity."

Check out the article; then let us know what you do in your home gardens to eliminate or reduce weeds without the use of pesticides.