For the first time in 40 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken emergency action to ban the use of dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalat (DCPA) or Dacthal.
DCPA is a pesticide registered to control weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, but is primarily used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.
The pesticide has been found to cause irreversible damage to fetuses in utero if they’re exposed to the chemical, and has been linked to low birth weight babies who later in life have been shown to have decreased IQ and impaired brain development and motor skills.
"DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately." — Michal Freedhoff, EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention said in a statement on Tuesday.
The sole manufacturer of the pesticide, AMVAC Chemical Corporation, proposed several changes, but the EPA said those changes did not “adequately address” the serious health risks for people who work with and around DCPA, and failed to provide sufficient data on DCPA and its health risks, according to the statement.
Current product labels specify that entry into treated fields must be restricted for 12 hours after application. However, the evidence indicates that for many crops and tasks, levels of DCPA in a treated field remain at unsafe levels for 25 days or more. Those who are pregnant could potentially be exposed to amounts four to 20 times greater than what the EPA has qualified as safe for the unborn.
The Emergency Order is effective immediately. EPA determined that the continued sale and use of DCPA products during the time it would take to follow the normal cancellation process poses an imminent hazard to unborn babies. While AMVAC has attempted to address these concerns, EPA has determined there are no practical mitigation measures that can be put in place to allow DCPA’s continued use.
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