The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it will ban the use of endosulfan which is one of the only organochlorine pesticides still in use in the United States. According to Scientific American, endosulfan “is a chlorinated insecticide that is chemically similar to DDT, which was banned nearly 40 years ago. Like DDT, endosulfan builds up in the environment and in the bodies of people and wildlife, and it is transported around the world via winds and currents. Nearly all other organochlorine pesticides already have been banned.”
Endosulfan is used on crops such as vegetables, fruits, and cotton. According to the EPA, the use of endosulfan is not harmful to humans through dietary exposure, but new research shows that it poses “unacceptable risks” to farm workers and wildlife due to inhalation and contact with skin.
“In late 2007, the EPA updated its assessment of endosulfan's risks based largely on new research showing effects on the developing brains of lab animals and studies of farm workers that showed their exposure was greater than previously believed despite use of protective equipment. Two months later, California officials—who also were reviewing the risks of endosulfan—reported an even higher risk to workers than the EPA reported.”
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the EPA is required to review the economic risks and benefits before canceling a pesticide’s registration and banning the substance. According to the EPA, it has “evaluated the human health and ecological risks as well as the benefits of endosulfan uses. While a few crop uses have relatively high benefits for growers, the nationwide benefits to society as a whole are low for all uses of endosulfan and do not exceed the risks. EPA has determined that pesticide products containing endosulfan do not meet the standard for registration under FIFRA.”
For access to the EPA press release, risk assessments, and other information, click here.
To read the Scientific American article, click here.
To read the Wisconsin Ag Connection story, click here.
For information on endosulfan from EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System, click here.
Posted: 06/17/2010
