2023-05-05 07:21:40
As work in the garden resumes, ANSES takes the opportunity to alert individuals to the dangers of homemade weed killer.
The long weekends and the return of the sun are synonymous with a return to the garden for all enthusiasts. And among the maintenance work to be carried out, removing weeds is necessary. To perform this task, two methods are possible. The first is to pull the affected plants by hand. While the second, the most widespread, is duse a weed killer.
While there is no danger when using a product sold on the market, more and more gardeners opt for the preparation of homemade products. This choice can be made for economic reasons but also practical because there are few references accessible to the general public. But making homemade mixtures is more dangerous than beneficial.
This is what ANSES recalls in a press release shared on April 25, 2023 on its official website. Indeed, these products can represent a real health risk, especially when specific products are mixed.
The danger of mixtures with bleach
ANSES warns gardeners regarding the unknown dangers of recipes offered on the Net. Indeed, some advocateuse very “effective” and inexpensive products such as bleach. Worse still: some gardeners recommend using hydrochloric acid to eliminate weeds.
“Homemade” weedkiller: never mix vinegar and bleach, warns ANSES https://t.co/jMiwewD6AA
— Ouest-France (@OuestFrance) April 25, 2023
But many gardeners are unaware that mixing these products with others like vinegar causes harmful chemical reactions. Generally, chlorine gas is released during preparation and spreading. In fact, gardeners can suffer from breathing difficulties.
While the most common symptom of this poisoning is coughing, some more sensitive patients may be hospitalized following inhaling these toxic fumes. ANSES also recalls that since the ban on many weedkillers on the market in 2019, the number of recorded poisonings has exploded.
Possible alternatives to prepare a natural weedkiller without risk to our health
In order to avoid poisoning, ANSES therefore urges caution and favor products where you can read the words “Use authorized in the garden”. However, this does not mean that homemade weed killers are to be banned. There are indeed ecological and safe alternatives to eliminate weeds in the garden.
For example, pouring potato cooking water or baking soda dissolved in boiling water remains very effective. In addition, these solutions are very economical and are not harmful to pets.
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