EPA Issues Emergency Ban Of Pesticide, Citing Risks To Unborn Children

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an emergency order to suspend all uses of the weedkiller Dacthal , also known as dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate or DCPA. The decision, announced on Tuesday (August 6), is based on the agency's findings that the herbicide poses serious health risks to unborn babies. This is the first time in nearly 40 years that the EPA has issued such an order.

Dacthal is widely used on crops such as broccoli , brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions. According to the EPA, fetuses exposed to the herbicide could suffer from low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life. The agency estimates that pregnant women handling DCPA products could be subjected to exposures four to 20 times greater than what the EPA has deemed safe for fetuses.

"DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately," said Michal Freedhoff , the EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety.

The sole manufacturer of Dacthal, AMVAC Chemical Corporation, has not yet responded to the EPA's order. The agency's decision follows several years of efforts to get AMVAC to submit its own data on the pesticide and its health risks.

Despite the immediate effect of the ban, it could still take months for the product to be pulled off shelves due to procedural requirements. If the order is contested, it could take several years.