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Shore Line Times (Connecticut)
June 22, 2005
Herbicide poses minimal threat to humans,
officials say
By: CHRISTEN KELLEHER, Staff Writer
The goal: To make Lake Quonnipaug a weed free
zone. Pending Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
agency approval, parts of the north and south cove in Lake Quonnipaug
will be treated with the herbicide known as Sonar SRP.
The herbicide will be used to control invasive weeds and plants,
which threaten fish and other animals in the water and on nearby
land.
The herbicide will be sprayed across an area of less than five
acres.
Spraying, which began this week and continues through June
30, is part of a research effort on the
control of aquatic weeds by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment
Station.
According to the company that produces
Sonar SRP, SePRO in Carmel, Ind., the two ingredients that could
threaten animals are fluridone and pyridinone.
These two ingredients could, in large doses, also be harmful
humans. Potential health effects at large doses include eye
irritation and respiratory difficulty.
Inhalation can irritate the upper respiratory tract including
the nose and throat, and excessive inhalation of the substance
could lead to long-term lung damage.
Anyone who inhales large doses of the herbicide should immediately
be exposed to fresh air.
To avoid breathing the dust, people should wear a respiratory
mask and wash their hands thoroughly after applying the herbicide.
If the chemical gets on skin, it is advised to wash immediately
to avoid burns, absorption or irritation.
Fluridone in animals has been shown to cause liver and kidney
damage and repeated exposure to the chemical may give animals
a disabling disease of the lungs called "silicosis."
Manufacturers of the herbicide recommend following precautions
carefully to avoid adverse effects. In order to avoid impact
on threatened or endangered species, users of the product should
not dump the chemical in the water or apply to any trees or
shrubs growing in the water. Application to such plants could
be harmful.
The herbicide in its liquid form is a dark gray color. It also
comes in a dark brown pellet variety with a faint musty odor.
Company representatives say that the substance is not flammable
but if burned, can emit a toxic fume.
Swimming at Lake Quonnipaug will not be restricted while the
herbicide is being applied.
Guilford Environmental Planner Leslie Kane was not available
for comment.
Greg Bugbee of the Office of Soil and Water at the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven was not available
for comment.
©Shore Line Times 2005
