Herbicide Additives Used To Prevent “Dicamba Drift” Pose Their Own Risk

Amines sometimes used to prevent “Dicamba Drift” – the movement of the herbicide dicamba through the atmosphere where it can cause damage to neighboring crops – have proven to be more volatile than dicamba itself, according to a study from Washington University in St. Louis.

When the amines volatalize, or turn into a vapor that moves easily in the atmosphere, they reportedly can pose risk to human health and affect climate by altering the atmosphere.

Additives, typically amines, are mixed with dicamba to “lock” it in place and prevent it from volatilizing, according to the article. Researchers reportedly have studied industrial applications, animal operations and environmental sources of amines, but not its use in herbicides. The study’s first author Stephen Sharkey determined that herbicide use is responsible for the release of about 4 gigagrams (4,000 metric tons) of amines annually in the United States.

Read the entire article here. https://source.wustl.edu/2022/10/study-shows-hazardous-herbicide-chemical-goes-airborne/