The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released an emergency order to suspend all registrations of the pesticide Dacthal (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate or DCPA) because of potentially serious health risks. This is the first time the agency has used its power to suspend the use of a product in 40 years.
According to the EPA, exposure to the pesticide in pregnant mothers could increase the risk that the unborn child might experience changes in thyroid hormone levels. These changes are frequently linked to impaired brain development, decreased IQ levels, low birth weight, and impaired motor skills later in life.
Dacthal is a common pesticide that controls weeds in agricultural and non-agricultural settings. It is most often used on crops like cabbage, onions, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
Nine Organizations Urge EPA to Ban DCPA
The EPA warned farmworkers about Dacthal risks on April 1, 2024. At that time, the agency also sent a letter to AMVAC, the sole manufacturer of DCPA, alerting them to the fact that the agency was pursuing further action to protect workers and others who could be exposed.
The following month (May 2024), nine organizations representing farmworkers, public health officials, scientists, and consumers sent a letter to the EPA.
Given the serious and potentially permanent health risks associated with Dacthal—especially to pregnant people and their developing babies—the signees urgently requested that the agency do more than just warn about the risks. Instead, they asked the agency to “immediately use its authority under FIFRA [Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act] to curtail the use of DCPA in agriculture.”
Data from studies on the pesticide show that even a tiny dose could cause problems in rat fetuses—lower than those that affected the pregnant rats themselves. That suggests that pregnant people exposed to Dacthal may not suffer any ill effects themselves, but their unborn children could experience significant harm.
DCPA Manufacturer Cancels Use on Turf, but Not Other Applications
Dacthal has been associated with health risks for many years. In 2013, the EPA required AMVAC to submit more than 20 scientific studies supporting the product’s existing registrations. The data was supposed to include a study on the pesticide’s effects on human thyroid development and was due by January 2016.
AMVAC submitted several studies, but the EPA deemed them insufficient. The manufacturer submitted no research on thyroid issues at all. Because of this failure, in April 2022, the EPA issued a Notice of Intent to Suspend the product. In response, AMVAC submitted the required thyroid study, but the EPA still suspended the pesticide’s registration because of other outstanding data.
AMVAC continued to send study results and other data. The EPA lifted the suspension in November 2023. Meanwhile, the manufacturer voluntarily canceled the use of the product on turf in December 2023. Other applications remained in use.
Treated Fields May Pose Risks for 25 Days Or More After Application
The EPA analyzed the data AMVAC had sent. In May 2023, the agency released its assessments of the risks associated with DCPA. The most serious were to unborn babies and existed even when applicators used the proper personal protective equipment:
“EPA estimates that some pregnant individuals handling DCPA products could be subjected to exposures four to 20 times greater than what EPA has estimated is safe for unborn babies.”
The risks exist for pregnant people who aren’t applying the pesticide as well. Those entering or working in areas where the pesticide has been applied—particularly farmworkers who are harvesting or transplanting—may also put their unborn children at risk.
The manufacturer notes on its product labels that people should wait 12 hours after application to enter a treated field. The EPA noted, however, that “for many crops and tasks, levels of DCPA in a treated field remain at unsafe levels for 25 days or more.” Spray drift, as well—where the pesticide moves through the air—can also expose the surrounding population.
EPA Plans to Cancel the Use of DCPA
According to the EPA, AMVAC has attempted to address the concerns associated with its product, but the EPA “has determined there are no practical mitigation measures that can be put in place to allow DCPA’s continued use.” The agency plans to issue a notice of intent to cancel all DCPA products within 90 days.
Exclusively focused on representing plaintiffs, especially in mass tort litigation, Eric Chaffin prides himself on providing unsurpassed professional legal services in pursuit of the specific goals of his clients and their families. Both his work and his cases have been featured in the national press, including on ABC’s Good Morning America.
