The agency says it poses a threat to unborn babies
of ConsumerAffairs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has used its emergency authority to ban DCPA (Dacthal), a weedkiller used in agriculture, saying it poses a threat to unborn children.
The last time the EPA used its emergency authority was 40 years ago when it suspended the use of ethylene dibromide, a pesticide.
Dacthal is used to control weeds in agricultural and non-agricultural settings. It has been commonly applied to grasses, artificial turf, crops including strawberries, cotton, field beans and vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.
The agency said it acted because unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to DCPA, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, and these changes are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life, some of which may be irreversible.
DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately, said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. Its EPAs job to protect people from exposure to dangerous chemicals. In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems.
Long overdue
EPA said it consulted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to understand how growers use DCPA and what alternatives might be available. It also consulted the results of more than 20 studies on the effects of the chemical.
The EPAs decision to finally suspend DCPA is welcome news, but its long overdue, said Environmental Working Group Senior Toxicologist Alexis Temkin, Ph.D. For years, EWG and other public health advocates have warned about the serious risks the weedkiller poses to farmworkers, pregnant people and other vulnerable populations.
In 1995 nearly 30 years ago the EPA classified DCPA as a possible carcinogen. That decision was based on a study conducted by Dachtals manufacturer in 1993, which showed it caused thyroid tumors in animals, suggesting similar potential threats to people.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-08-07 12:55:59
