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23-09-2004, 01:43 PM

(paghat) wrote in message ...
In article , "Carolyn LeCrone"
wrote:

A neighbor uses vinegar to kill weeds growing in cracks in the street and
sidewalk. Does the vinegar degrade? Are there long term negative affects?
Carolyn

The acetic acid in vinegar is highly caustic & commonly recommended as an
organic herbicide. It is also used to acidify overly alkaline soil, though
such chemical tinkering with the soil has a bad accumulative effect & it
is better to acidify soil with compost or peat.....

A 20% acetic acid solution would kill everything within two hours of contact,
but could also be harmful to skin contact; I wouldn't recommend looking
for a stronger source than kitchen vinegar, but there are horticultural
grades of acetic acid that are even stronger than necessary, 25% acetic
acid, which could really do a number on your lawn if you're sick of all
that greenery....

Strong acetic acid solutions produce very nasty fumes in addition to
causing chemical burns to the skin and eyes. They must be handled
with care. Long rubber gloves and splash-proof goggles are a must.

Anybody who formulates stop baths for photography knows what it is
like to work with 28% acetic acid or glacial (essentially pure) acetic
acid---you definitely don't do the mixing in a closed space.

J. Del Col