E.P.A. Suspends Use of Dangerous Pesticide Linked to Health Risks for Unborn Children

E.P.A. Takes Historic Action Against Dangerous Pesticide

In a significant move not seen in nearly four decades, the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) announced an emergency order on Tuesday that suspends all uses of a controversial weedkiller associated with serious health risks for unborn children. The pesticide in question, known as dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA (marketed as Dacthal), is commonly utilized on various crops, including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions.

The E.P.A. has flagged this pesticide due to its potential to cause a range of adverse health effects in infants whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. According to the agency, exposure to DCPA could lead to low birth weight, hindered brain development, decreased I.Q. levels, and impaired motor skills later in life.

“DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately,” stated Michal Freedhoff, the E.P.A. assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety. “In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems.”

The California-based AMVAC Chemical Corporation, the sole manufacturer of DCPA, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the E.P.A.’s decision.

This emergency order comes after years of what the E.P.A. describes as “unprecedented efforts” to compel AMVAC to provide comprehensive data concerning the health risks associated with the pesticide. The agency’s estimates indicate that pregnant women who handle DCPA products may face exposure levels that are four to twenty times higher than what is considered safe for unborn children.

Mily Treviño Sauceda, the executive director of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, also known as the National Farmworkers Women’s Alliance, hailed the E.P.A.’s decision as “historic.”