August 7, 2006 -- Environmental activists have learned about dieldrin and permethrin and DEET. They know which chemicals are used to kill bugs and weeds, and they have built extensive databases on the health risks of exposure to each substance.

But the vast majority of any weed killer or insect repellent for sale on store shelves is something else entirely, a stew of chemicals that pesticide manufacturers need not identify. Known as "inert" ingredients, these chemicals can include everything from tap water to carcinogens.

Last week, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer joined 14 of his colleagues from other states in demanding that the Environmental Protection Agency require pesticide manufacturers to inform consumers about potentially hazardous inert ingredients by listing them on product labels. (continued)

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