An ‘unlikely’ carcinogen

Auckland Council’s Mike Tucker says glyphosate-based herbicide is one of the weed-control methods used on roadsides and in parks to kill weeds and pest plants.

He says the herbicide is approved by the NZ Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for the control of specific weed species and the EPA and Ministry for Primary Industries classify it as having low human toxicity.

The most likely potential human exposure to it in public spacesmaintained by the council is contact with the skin as a result of touching sprayed weeds, he says.

‘‘Inhalation of herbicide spray droplets is a possible but unlikely exposure pathway given the controls in place with our contractors, which include the practice of holding the spray wand close to the ground and spraying not being permitted on windy days.’’

Tucker says international concerns over glyphosate have focused on its use as weed control on edible crops rather than the treatment of weeds on park or property boundaries.

The EPA released a report in August last year stating glyphosate is ‘‘unlikely’’ to be carcinogenic, he says.