JEDDAH: The Jeddah Mayoralty is going to use weed killer to eradicate the weed and grass that have grown between tiles of the wall of Umm Al-Khair Dam. This was after officials realized that the growth of these plants would cause more cracks in the dam's walls over time, increasing the seepage of water and threatening the stability of the structure that is meant to protect the residents of Umm Al-Khair Planned District. Dr. Nabeel Abu Khatwah, Professor of chemistry at the Faculty of Science at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), stressed the need to kill the weed, grass and other plants using “Roundup Brand Weed and Grass Killer” by spraying it manually. He pointed out that this weed killer is environmentally safe. It is available in shops selling agricultural goods at SR50 for a 20 liter barrel. Dr. Khatwah said this is the best weed killer available on the world market because it kills the roots of the harmful shrubs, weed and grass and prevents regrowth. However, sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that this weed killer is hazardous because it is inflammable if exposed to a cigarette, for example. The reason for this is that a large quantity of inflammable gas is emitted if the weed killer is kept or mixed in closed uncoated iron vessels. The weed killer then reacts with the vessel's material to produce large quantities of inflammable gas.
