The Environmental Protection Agency issued a ban on a herbicide, saying it poses a threat to the health of farm workers, pregnant women and unborn children.
The pesticide, known as DCPA or Dacthal, is used in the agricultural industry to control plants, vegetables and fruitsusually on household staples broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.
The weedkiller could affect fetal thyroid hormone levels, the agency said Tuesday statementwhich can lead to low birth weight, impaired brain development and other complications for babies.
A peer-reviewed study published in ScienceDirect said the chemical could also be a possible cause of cancer.
This is the first time in 40 years that the agency has invoked its emergency powers to stop the use of a dangerous pesticide. Dacthal has been on the market since 1958.
EPA had called its manufacturer to submit data on the health effects of the DCPA for more than 10 years before its final compliance in 2023.
In April, the authority issued a warning to farm workers about the “serious, permanent and irreversible health risks” associated with the pesticide, and indicated that it could take regulatory action to discontinue the pesticide.
Environmental advocates applauded the decision, which they say was long on the way.
“Farm workers should not have to put their children at risk by doing the work necessary to grow our food,” Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm Workers, said in a statement posted by Earthjustice. “EPA is taking the right steps to immediately stop using this pesticide.”
The ban took effect immediately, according to the EPA.