Toxicity of formulants and heavy metals in glyphosate-based herbicides and other pesticides.

•The comparative effects of glyphosate alone and 14 of its formulations were studied.•Glyphosate was not the major toxic compound in the herbicide formulations.•Petroleum-based compounds in herbicides were highly more toxic than glyphosate.•We identified arsenic, chromium, cobalt, lead and nickel in pesticide formulations.