I'm a water quality professional, and I hear all the time when people dispose of harmful chemicals on the ground or in streams, "It's okay...it's biodegradable!".
There is no legal definition for the term 'biodegradable', yet it is used on countless product labels containing regulated chemicals that are extremely harmful to humans and the environment when introduced via consumer or commercial use. The use of the currently undefined term on product labels is misleading since it in no way indicates any degree of safe contact. But, 'biodegradable' has been legally used by manufacturers to imply that their product is safely disposed of directly to the environment. We must develop a definition that clearly states that the 'biodegradable' designation does not mean 'safe to dump/use anywhere'.
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