Weedkiller online risk to gardeners

INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH weedkillers are being sold to amateur gardeners online, environmentalists are warning.

Pesticides, used by farmers and groundsmen, often contain high concentrations of chemicals and users must be trained and certified to use them.

experts warn they can endanger wildlife if used recklessly, dumped or poured down drains to end up in the water supply.

But a greenpeace investigation found vendors are using eBay and other websites to sell ‘very strong’ or ‘ultra-strong’ products to gardeners who may fail to dilute them enough. Many products contain glysophate, a chemical linked to types of cancer.

The Crop Protection Association further claims that professional pesticides, some of which include powerful chemical glysophate, have amateur gardeners as their ‘target audience’.

In a paper on the sale of the products, it states: ‘They often do include the word “professional”, however there is a belief that this is being used to highlight that the product is better or “stronger” than the products typically available for amateur gardeners.

‘In order to attract purchasers, the products are often supplied complete with lightweight disposable gloves and a measuring cup, not something which a professional user would expect to be supplied.’

Nick Mole, from environmental campaign group Pesticide Action Network UK, said: ‘Without proper training, amateur gardeners could misapply these products, posing a risk to their own health and the environment.’

An eBay spokesman said: ‘eBay has no tolerance for illegal sales of pesticides on our marketplace.’