In an unprecedented move, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an emergency order to halt the use of a pesticide known to pose serious health risks to unborn babies. The pesticide in question is dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), commonly referred to as DCPA, which is widely used as a weedkiller on crops like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions.

Exposure to DCPA during pregnancy has been found to impact fetal thyroid hormone levels, leading to long-lasting health issues such as low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life. Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Michal Freedhoff, emphasizes the urgency of removing DCPA from the market, stating that babies born to unsuspecting mothers could face irreversible lifelong health problems.

What sets this action apart is that the EPA has taken more than 40 years to intervene, despite the European Union having banned DCPA in 2009. Environmental and public health advocates have voiced their frustrations at the slow response by the EPA. Freedhoff reveals that EPA scientists have made repeated attempts to acquire crucial health risk data from AMVAC Chemical, the sole manufacturer of DCPA. However, the company withheld the information until November 2023, making it clear that the proposed measures by the company were ineffective, unenforceable, and unimplementable.

AMVAC, responsible for selling DCPA under the brand name Dacthal, has yet to respond to the EPA's order for comment. In an attempt to mitigate some of the risks, the company voluntarily withdrew all Dacthal used on turf in December. However, the EPA determined this action insufficient to protect farmworkers and others frequently exposed to the herbicide.

DCPA has been in use in the United States since the late 1950s. Its persistence in the soil poses a threat as the pesticide lingers and contaminates subsequent crops, including kale, broccoli, cilantro, green onions, and mustard greens. In fact, the Agriculture Department's analysis of kale samples in 2017 found DCPA residue on nearly 60% of the tested samples, illustrating the extent of its widespread use.

The EPA warned farmworkers about the risks of DCPA in April and pledged to take swift emergency action. The order temporarily suspends all registrations of the pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, with permanent suspension expected within the next 90 days.

The emergency action by the EPA has received positive feedback from various groups. Mily Treviño Sauceda, executive director of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, commended the move as a crucial step in safeguarding the reproductive health of farmworkers. However, Jeannie Economos, coordinator of the pesticide safety and environmental health program at the Farmworker Association of Florida, expressed regret that the action was taken too late to protect workers who have been exposed to DCPA for decades. She raises important questions about the number of people affected and the babies born with low birth weight during this time.

Economos urges the EPA to not only ban harmful pesticides but also encourages the industry to transition away from toxic agrochemicals, highlighting the impact on farmworkers, wildlife, the environment, and human health.

The EPA's emergency order signifies a critical step in addressing the dangers posed by DCPA, but it also underscores the need for more comprehensive measures to protect workers and consumers alike.