Globally, an estimated 46 percent of farmers are victims of unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning every year.
What’s the solution to this problem?
Ban the hazardous pesticides causing unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning.
We can start with the five most deadly pesticides sold in the U.S., classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “extremely hazardous”: aldicarb, chlorethoxyfos, ethoprophos, phorate, and terbufos.
If you eat non-organic food, you may be exposed to levels of these pesticides that, while not acutely toxic, may cause neurological problems in the long-term.
TAKE ACTION: Ban the Pesticides Classified by WHO as Hazardous, Including These Top Five!
There are four categories of hazardous pesticides: extremely hazardous, highly hazardous, moderately hazardous, and slightly hazardous. The World Health Organization separates these from pesticides that are “unlikely to present acute hazard in normal use.”
To put the WHO’s list in perspective, take the example of paraquat, listed by the WHO as “moderately” hazardous. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s paraquat warning is, “One sip can kill.” It has collected many verified instances of death after the accidental ingestion of tiny amounts.
All four grades of hazardous pesticides listed by the WHO can cause unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning.
Which of these are used in agriculture in the U.S.?
There are about 150, including five pesticides listed by the WHO as extremely hazardous that are used on our food in the U.S.:
Aldicarb
Aldicarb is the most deadly pesticide on the market, responsible for the largest foodborne pesticide poisoning in U.S. history and the world's worst industrial accident. Banned in 103 countries, aldicarb has the lowest lethal dose (LD50) of any pesticide used in the U.S.. It kills 50 percent of test animals is just 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight. Aldicarb causes nausea, blurred vision, tremors, and other neurotoxic symptoms at extremely low levels.
In 2010, the EPA and Bayer, the only U.S. aldicarb manufacturer, agreed to end its production because of the unacceptable dietary risks to infants and young children. But the next year, AgLogic, the new owner of Bayer’s aldicarb business, got approval to use it on cotton, peanuts, beans, soybeans, and sugar beets. It’s also allowed on sweet potatoes. The EPA found that preschoolers eating sweet potatoes treated with aldicarb are exposed to more than three times the level that the agency says is safe.
Currently, the Trump Administration is trying to expand aldicarb’s use to Florida for citrus greening, even though Environmental Protection Agency scientists are reportedly worried that levels in orange juice would be so high it would be unsafe for children to drink.
Chlorethoxyfos
Chlorethoxyfos/chlorethoxyphos is an insecticide in the family of organo phosphorus compounds which attack the human nervous system in ways similar to military nerve agents and are deadly if ingested or inhaled.
Banned in 29 countries, chlorethoxyfos is sold in the U.S. by AMVAC Chemical Corporation (American Vanguard Corporation) under the brand-name Fortress for use on corn in Illinois, Minnesota, and Nebraska.
AMVAC has made a “booming business” of selling the world's most toxic pesticides, long after they’ve been abandoned by other companies as too risky. As the Los Angeles Times reported, AMVAC works to “keep those chemicals on the market as long as possible, hiring scientists and lawyers to do battle with regulatory agencies.”
Ethoprophos
Ethoprophos is another neurotoxic organophosphate insecticide sold by AMVAC. Known as MOCAP 10G, it was banned in the EU in 2019 due to the harm it causes to children’s brain development. It is allowed in California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Residues are allowed on bananas, beans, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, hops, peppermint, pineapples, potatoes, spearmint, sugarcane, and sweet potatoes. Residues aren’t allowed on cilantro or sweet bell peppers, but they have been found.
Phorate
Phorate, yet another neurotoxic organophosphate insecticide sold by AMVAC. Marketed as Thimet in the U.S., it is banned in 38 countries. It is allowed in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Residues are allowed on beans, beets, coffee, corn, cotton, hops, peanuts, potatoes, sorghum, soybeans, sugarcane, and wheat.
Terbufos
Brand-named Counter, terbufos is banned in 34 countries, while being allowed on corn, sorghum, and sugar beets in Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Residues are allowed on bananas, beets, coffee, corn, and sorghum.
Terbufos is the fourth neurotoxic organophosphate insecticide marketed by AMVAC on this list.
Take Action
It’s time to end the era of pesticide poisonings and industrial disasters that are an unavoidable part of the production and use of hazardous pesticides.
TAKE ACTION: Ban the Pesticides Classified by WHO as Hazardous, Including These Top Five!