Question from Brad Carroll
Hi. I use a “natural” herbicide called Matran EC. The main active ingredient is clove oil, while the inerts are wintergreen oil,
butyl lactate, and lecithin. I like this product, but I do have a question.
While I think 3 out 4 known natural substances is good, the butyl lactate is an ingredient that I know nothing about, and have been unable to find anything regarding it on the internet: where it comes from, how it is made, and whether it would be considered truly natural or not.
Debra’s Answer
Butyl lactate is “the butyl ester of natural L(+)-lactic acid, produced by
fermentation from sugar. It is a clear and colorless liquid of low volatility,
having a characteristic odor.” You can find more technical data on this at http://www.2-ethylhexyllactate.com/ (click on the “datasheets” link and find butyl lactate on the list).
As to whether it is natural–perhaps someone with more knowledge of chemistry than I can jump in and correct me if I am wrong–my understanding is that butyl is a particular carbon structure derived from butane, which is a hydrocarbon derived from petrochemicals. So this is “natural” in the sense of many so-called “natural” ingredients that are derived partially from plant or animal sources and partially from petrochemicals (I discuss this thoroughly on pages 30-32 in my book Home Safe Home).
It is a toxic substance, found, among other places, in the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, NIOSH being the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and on the Centers for Disease Control website at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pel88/138-22.html.
The EPA actually has an exemption for butyl lactate at http://www.epa.gov/EPA-PEST/2002/September/Day-03/p22369.htm, finding it to be “of low concern.”
