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On October 23, the Tampa Tribune published an article written by Christian Wade entitled, “Herbicide Chemical Turns Up in Water.” The article noted that “recent tests conducted by a consulting firm hired by Tampa to monitor contamination from an old municipal landfill underneath a section of the golf course revealed higher-than-acceptable levels of arsenic in one of several groundwater testing sites.” Regrettably, the author assumes that semiannual application of the organic arsenical herbicide, MSMA, is the source of elevated levels of inorganic arsenic. It is far more likely that elevated levels of inorganic arsenic in this situation stem from any number of other reasons, such as the municipal landfill underneath, or the historical use of inorganic pesticides that are no longer in use, and not from the targeted spot-treatment application of MSMA on the golf course fairways. MSMA has long been proven to be safe and effective in controlling crabgrass and other invasive weeds in turf and on select crops such as cotton. In contrast to the author’s claim, inorganic arsenic is not an active ingredient of MSMA. It is known that MSMA tightly binds to the soil, even to sandy soils prevalent in Florida, and has limited ability to migrate to ground or surface water, or to transform to inorganic arsenic. Mr. Wade is correct that turf uses of MSMA, such as on golf courses, are scheduled to be phased out at the end of 2013. The Organic Arsenical Products Task Force reached an agreement with EPA in January 2009 to phase out the use of MSMA in Florida. However, it is important to note that as a part of the agreement, EPA agreed to review in 2012 new information on the perceived risks posed by MSMA and reconsider reregistration. The Task Force is confident that EPA will adhere to the terms of the agreement, carefully consider the weight of the evidence that is presented, and we hope agree with the Task Force that MSMA is safe for continued use.
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