EPA bans pesticide Dacthal in a bid to protect unborn babies

The Biden administration on Tuesday issued an emergency suspension of all registrations for the pesticide. It was the first such emergency action the Environmental Protection Agency had taken in nearly 40 years, the agency said. It followed years of efforts by the administration to collect what it described as long-overdue information about the pesticide and the harm it could cause.

What is Dacthal? The pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA, is used to kill weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. Farmers often use the pesticide to protect Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, and onion crops, according to the EPA. Maintenance crews can also use the pesticide on turf, the EPA said.

What harm can this cause unborn babies? Unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to the pesticide could suffer from low birth weight and impaired brain development, the EPA said. And later in their lives, those children could suffer from a decreased intelligence quotient and compromised fine motor skills.

The EPA in 2022 briefly suspended the pesticide’s registration following a failure by AMVAC Chemical Corporation to provide research about the pesticide’s adverse effects for nearly 10 years. AMVAC is the only manufacturer of Dacthal in the United States. Later that year the company began submitting the studies the agency requested, the EPA said, and the registration was reinstated.

After the EPA assessed the research the company provided, it found that exposure to the chemical had severe adverse effects on pregnant mothers and other individuals even when they were using protective gear and following safety procedures. Following the EPA’s assessment, AMVAC proposed new procedures for limiting recreational use of the pesticide and prohibiting maintenance crews from using it on and around turf, the EPA said. However, the agency later determined those efforts do not do enough to protect individuals forced to use the chemical as part of their job.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s recent report in The Sift about the EPA shelling out $4 billion to fight greenhouse gas emissions.