For the first time in 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency has banned the sale of a weed-killing pesticide that harms the health of farm workers, pregnant women and even unborn babies.

Pesticides – DCPA or Decthal is commonly used in the agricultural industry worldwide to control weeds in plants, fruits and vegetables – the trendiest and most consumed plants like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.

How harmful is DCPA?,

According to experts, DCPA can cause a variety of fatal and irreversible health problems in the fetus, such as impaired brain development, low birth weight and thyroid imbalances. The agency says it has had difficulty obtaining critical health data from the pesticide’s manufacturer in a timely manner and has decided it is not safe to allow it to be sold continuously.

Doctors say that in many cases it can also cause infertility in women. According to various studies, this chemical is also a potential high-risk factor for cancer and liver tumors in both men and women. The EPA says it has been asking DCP manufacturers to submit data on the pesticide’s health effects for more than a decade before they go into compliance in 2023. In April, the agency issued a warning to farm workers on the “serious, permanent and irreversible health risks” associated with the pesticide after it was assessed that the pesticide was dangerous even if a worker was wearing personal protective equipment while using it.

The manufacturing company had instructed people to stay away from fields where the pesticide had been sprayed for 12 hours, but agency officials said it could remain at dangerous levels for more than a month.

DPCA is made by AMVAC Chemical Corp. It previously unveiled new protocols to help farm workers keep people safe. It proposed longer waiting periods for workers before working in fields spraying pesticides, and limits on the amount of the chemical they can handle. According to federal officials, the company’s proposed changes are not enough, and the emergency order was necessary because the normal review process would take too long and put people at risk.

However, environmental advocates have applauded the decision. “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. “The EPA is taking the right step in immediately halting the use of this pesticide.”

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