The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is trying to determine the source of trace levels of two herbicides found in some compost used by gardeners that has damaged some vegetable plants but is not suspected to be a threat to human health.
Officials said Thursday that tests have detected low levels of two persistent herbicides – clopyralid and picloram – in some compost made at Chittenden Solid Waste District facilities.
The Health Department says it would not expect these low levels to cause consumers any harm and advises people to make their own informed decision about consuming produce grown in the affected compost.
So far the Agriculture Agency says there’s no apparent source of the contamination based on reported commercial pesticide use collected by the state.