The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered an emergency stop on the widely used pesticide DCPA (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate), also known as Dachtal. The EPA’s rare emergency stop order is particularly significant for pregnant women and their unborn children.
The Risks of DCPA During Pregnancy
DCPA has long been used as a weed killer in agriculture. However, studies have increasingly shown that this chemical poses significant health risks. For pregnant women, exposure to DCPA can lead to severe complications, including developmental issues for their unborn children.
Research has linked pesticide exposure to a range of adverse outcomes, such as birth defects, low birth weight, and developmental delays.
“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.
“It’s EPA’s 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. That’s why for the first time in almost 40 years, EPA is using its emergency suspension authority to stop the use of a pesticide.”
Long-Overdue Data Led To The Emergency Stop Order
The EPA’s emergency stop order for DCPA is the first such order the agency has issued in 40 years. The Biden-Harris administration ordered the collection and analysis of long-overdue data to address DCPA’s risk to public health.
DCPA Has Been Under Investigation For More Than A Decade
DCPA’s health effects have been under investigation for years. Still, those efforts were stalled when the pesticide’s sole manufacturer, AMVAC Chemical Corporation, refused to provide complete data on DCPA’s effects on thyroid development.
After pressure mounted, the company finally submitted the data more than six years after the initial deadline.
The EPA has determined that DCPA poses considerable health risks even when proper protective equipment is worn and engineering controls are implemented.
AMVAC Continued Selling The Product Despite Warnings
While AMVAC stopped selling pesticides for use on turf, it continued to produce pesticides for use on crops.
Agriculture Drive notes that The Environmental Working Group, “a consumer watchdog organization, found DCPA on nearly 60% of kale samples tested by the Department of Agriculture, with the pesticide also present on many collard and mustard green samples.”
The EPA will issue a notice to cancel the production of DCPA within 90 days, however the complete ban of the product could take months or even years.
While the ban may take years, the EPA has issued a complete ban on selling the product “due to the serious and imminent harm posed.”
