Co-Formulants: The Black Box of Pesticides’ Toxicity

According to the EU pesticides regulation (reg. 1107/2009/EC), co-formulants are substances that are not active ingredients and that are meant to increase the ‘efficacy’ of pesticide products. In reality, most co-formulants are powerful detergents (called surfactants/wetting agents/anti-foaming agents, etc.) that increase the toxicity of the active ingredient towards the target pest, but of course also to humans and other organisms. The pesticides regulation clarifies that the level of protection of human health and the environment against co-formulants must be the same as for pesticide active ingredients. However, this is not the case.

Scientific evidence shows that co-formulants can increase by several thousand-fold the toxicity of the active ingredient towards human cells. Indeed, surfactants help pesticide substances penetrate to the heart of our cells and damage them. Numerous co-formulants are also harmful per se: some are petrol derivatives with endocrine-disrupting or mutagenic or carcinogenic properties, others kill bees and other insects, fish, salamanders and frogs.