cannabisnews.com: Additive to Herbicide Sprayed on Crops Withdrawn Additive to Herbicide Sprayed on Crops Withdrawn Posted by FoM on August 03, 2001 at 22:19:19 PT By Andrew Selsky, The Associated Press Source: Associated Press Adding to the debate over the safety of a massive U.S.-financed fumigation of drug crops, a British company confirmed Friday it has stopped supplying an additive used in the herbicide, saying it has not been properly tested. Planes contracted by the U.S. State Department have blanketed at least 123,000 acres of cocaine-producing crops with the herbicide glyphosate since late last year. A Bogota judge, acting on complaints from Amazonian Indians that the spray is harmful, last week ordered a halt to the fumigation of Indian lands in the Colombian Amazonian region, but allowed other spraying to continue. U.S. officials have insisted the herbicide is safe. In much of the world, it is sold as the common weedkiller Roundup, made by the U.S. chemical company Monsanto. But the crop dusters had been using an additive called Cosmo Flux to make the glyphosate less likely to drift in the wind as it floats down from the planes, and to make it adhere better to the drug crops. Cosmo Flux uses a substance called Atplus 300F, sold by the British company Imperial Chemical Industries. Company spokesman John Edgar said his firm and the Colombian company Cosmoagro, which produces Cosmo Flux, decided to withdraw use of the additive from the fumigation campaign because of a lack of information about its effects when mixed with glyphosate. "We had not tested it for that purpose," Edgar said in a telephone interview from London. A Cosmoagro official confirmed that Cosmo Flux was no longer being sold as an additive for the fumigation campaign. U.S. Embassy officials were not immediately available for comment late Friday. A Jan. 23 State Department report to the U.S. Congress indicated Cosmo Flux was safe, saying "all of the ingredients ... are acceptable for use on food products when label instructions are followed." The head of the Colombian anti-narcotics police, Gen. Gustavo Socha, who oversees the aerial spraying, said he was unaware of the development. "No one has notified me that they're not going to sell us something," Socha said in a telephone interview. Socha said other companies have offered to sell chemicals as part of the fumigation campaign, adding: "We have had absolutely no problem (with suppliers) and I don't believe we are going to have a problem in the future." Complete Title: Additive to Herbicide Sprayed on Colombian Drug Crops Withdrawn for Lack of Testing Source: Associated PressAuthor: Andrew Selsky, The Associated PressPublished: August 3, 2001Copyright: 2001 Associated PressRelated Article & Web Site:Colombia Drug War Newshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/colombia.htm ICI Pulls Out of Cocaine War http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10191.shtmlCannabisNews Articles - Glyphosatehttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=glyphosate Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by Felipe on May 16, 2002 at 19:41:30 PT: additives for ROUNDUP In My opinion, one of the main problems with the use of surfactantes in the fumugation campaign against drugs, with Roundup and several kinds off additives is the presence of a chemical compound called POEA (Poly-Oxy-Ethylen-Amine) of high toxicity.Most pesticides also contain inert ingredients that function as surfactants, or chemicals that aid in the penetration of the herbicide to the plant cells. In the case of Roundup®, the inert surfactant is polyoxyethyleneamine (POEA). On a weight basis, this surfactant is known to be approximately three times as toxic as that of Roundup. POEA accounts for upwards of 14.5% by volume of the Roundup® product. Symptoms associated with POEA toxicity include gastrointestinal pain and vomiting, swelling of the lungs and pneumonia, reduction of blood pressure, and red blood cell destruction. Current research suggests a synergistic effect of glyphosate with its surfactant, POEA. At high dosages, inhalation of the combined product can cause severe effects including lung hemorrhages, bloody noses, and diarrhea. Atte, FELIPE CALDERON SAENZ Use of Surfactants with Glyphosate [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on August 05, 2001 at 22:00:12 PT What other companies? Socha said other companies have offered to sell chemicals as part of the fumigation campaign, adding: "We have had absolutely no problem (with suppliers) and I don't believe we are going to have a problem in the future." I really really want to know what other companies would dare to sell the stuff??Hey Swampie, I think one can find out who are the insitutional shareholders of Monsanto! SEC hold public records of insitutional shareholders. ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by SWAMPIE on August 05, 2001 at 00:33:33 PT ROUND-'EM UP! Perhaps MONSANTO,as a"HUMANITARIAN GESTURE" should stop selling"ROUNDUP" to this eradication effort!!!We all know it would send a message to everyone that this stuff is dangerous to anyone who gets it on their skin,or inhales it!!!But NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"Our SHAREHOLDERS" MIGHT LOSE THEIR ASSES ON PROFIT-LOSSES!!!!!!Would you eat ANY vegetable that had been sprayed with this toxic chemical?How about you,FRANCES????? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Jose Melendez on August 04, 2001 at 05:52:25 PT: Does anyone know? "Does anyone really know just exactly what we are spraying on these people? "Yes. Poison. Arrest the Prohibition Industry - buy, sell or quit drugs online narcosoft.com [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mayan on August 04, 2001 at 04:39:05 PT Has it been studied? "All of the ingredients... are acceptable for use on food products when label instructions are followed."How about for use on human beings & the water they drink?The State Department is refering only to Cosmo Flux & not it's combination with glyphosphate. To my knowledge this mixture has not been studied & furthermore, how can they find out the long term effects in the short term? Does anyone really know just exactly what we are spraying on these people? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment