Poisoned Food, Poisoned Brains
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POISONED FOOD, POISONED BRAINS: MAPPING DANGEROUS PESTICIDES IN THE FOODS WE EAT POISONED FOOD, POISONED BRAINS Mapping dangerous pesticides in the foods we eat BACKGROUND Since the mid-1960s, staple fruits and vegetables chlorpyrifos from food, it is unclear EPA will do so. in the U.S. have been sprayed with chlorpyrifos, Recent reporting from The Intercept shows that for one of many dangerous organophosphate pesti- years, chemical companies like Dow have strong- cides on the market. Multiple studies have linked armed, tricked, or persuaded EPA into relying chlorpyrifos to permanent harms to the developing on flawed science and keeping harmful pesticides brains of children, including reduced IQ, loss of — including chlorpyrifos — on the market. These working memory, and attention deficit disorders. lobbying maneuvers are most likely ongoing as the Chlorpyrifos is sprayed on apples, all major citrus August deadline looms. crops, table grapes, strawberries, and cherries. It is To keep the record straight, Earthjustice reviewed also used on corn, the country’s largest crop. and extracted data from EPA human health risk The dire health consequences of organophosphates assessments, as well as agricultural pesticide usage like chlorpyrifos are not accidental. In the 1940s, data from the United States Geological Survey the Nazis weaponized organophosphates as a form (USGS). The data Earthjustice compiled, catego- of chemical warfare. After World War II, German rized, and analyzed, which also includes informa- chemical companies repurposed this class of nerve tion on 16 other organophosphates, is available to agents for agricultural use. And now, more than half download and explore in a searchable database at a century later, millions of pounds of chlorpyrifos earthjustice.org/organophosphates. The database are manufactured and sold every year by agrochem- shows which crops are sprayed, the foods that con- ical conglomerates like Dow Chemical (now Corteva tain high levels of organophosphates, links to health Agriscience)1, ADAMA Agricultural Solutions Ltd., risks evaluations, and a brief regulatory history. Cheminova (owned by FMC Corporation), Gharda This is the first time that risk findings and USGS Chemicals, Ltd., and Platte Chemical Company, Inc. mapping data on organophosphates as a whole, and (part of Loveland Products, Inc.). chlorpyrifos in particular, have been collated. Chlorpyrifos is one of dozens of organophos- phates that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reauthorized for use in agricultural fields Manufacturers with chlorpyrifos registrations in 2006. In the early 2000s, EPA agreed with in the US: Dow AgroSciences, then the largest manufacturer Nufarm Americas, Inc., FMC Corporation, of chlorpyrifos, to end most residential uses but BASF Corporation, Southern Agricultural not most food uses. In April 2021, after years of Insecticides, Inc., Adama Makhteshim LTD, litigation led by Earthjustice and its clients, the 9th Drexel Chemical Company, Control Solutions, Circuit Court of Appeals ordered EPA to ban all Inc., Makhteshim Agan of North America, food uses of chlorpyrifos or retain only those it can Inc., Tide International, USA, Inc, Liberty find safe for workers and children. Crop Protection LLC, Central Garden and Pest 2 EPA must unveil its rule by August 20, 2021. While Company, Gharda Chemicals International. the only sensible and lawful action would be to ban EARTHJUSTICE.ORG 1. Corteva, the largest manufacturer of chlorpyrifos, said it would stop manufacturing in 2021. Lorsban, the product name of chlorpyrifos, is still PRESS CONTACT: promoted on Corteva’s website. Alejandro Dávila Fragoso, 2. http://npirspublic.ceris.purdue.edu/ppis/product.aspx 1 National Media Strategist [email protected] POISONED FOOD, POISONED BRAINS: MAPPING DANGEROUS PESTICIDES IN THE FOODS WE EAT KEY TAKEAWAYS • The most recent government data says the too. Government reports show that farmworkers United States used over 5.6 million pounds of and people who live, work, or go to school near chlorpyrifos on agricultural land in 2017. agricultural fields where chlorpyrifos is used • California, Minnesota, North Dakota, and experience dangerously high levels of exposure Kansas used the most chlorpyrifos. Of the top 10 and are at elevated risk of harm. counties that used the most, four are in California • Children between one and two years old are and five are in North Dakota. most at risk of harm from chlorpyrifos, as they • Chlorpyrifos is allowed on 48 food commodities, face dietary exposures of more than 140 times including fruits, vegetables, meats, and their off- EPA’s so-called level of concern. shoot products. The commodities that have the • In its 2016 Refined Drinking Water Assessment, highest allowable levels of chlorpyrifos are sugar which is the only such assessment that attempted beets, corn, and citrus. Cilantro, basil, and raisins to find a chlorpyrifos exposure level that would have residue levels that exceed allowable limits, be safe for children, EPA said drinking water according to the most recent government data. across the nation is likely contaminated with • Anyone living near where chlorpyrifos is used unsafe levels of chlorpyrifos. EPA’s high end can be exposed to unsafe levels through air (drift) estimates indicate that in the most contaminated or drinking water, according to government stud- areas, chlorpyrifos contamination may be 12,000 ies, which note that food is a method of exposure higher than levels of concern. REPORT FINDINGS Chlorpyrifos Hot Spots Across the United States Pounds of organophosphate 1 - 1,000 100,000 USGS low estimates for chlorpyrifos use in pounds across US harvested croplands, or Crop Reporting Districts (“CDR”). The USGS E-pest low model more accurately reflects state use as it assumes no chlorpyrifos on crops for which data is not reported in a CDR. High estimates account for chlorpyrifos use that may happen but may not be reported and cannot be verified. The map reflects only agricultural crop usage in 2017, and does not reflect other uses like golf courses, or plant nurseries. Chlorpyrifos use data pertaining to non-contiguous states and U.S. territories, including Hawai’i, Alaska, and Puerto Rico were not made available by the USGS and are not reflected on this map. EARTHJUSTICE.ORG PRESS CONTACT: Alejandro Dávila Fragoso, 2 National Media Strategist [email protected] POISONED FOOD, POISONED BRAINS: MAPPING DANGEROUS PESTICIDES IN THE FOODS WE EAT Chlorpyrifos is used in nearly every major agri- highest chlorpyrifos use are Grand Forks, Pembina, cultural state and all over the country. The most Cavalier, Walsh, and Ramsey. The adjacent coun- recent available government data shows a down- ties of Towner and Nelson in North Dakota, along ward trend of use, but nonetheless the U.S. sprayed with Marshall and Polk counties in Minnesota, all 5.6 million pounds of chlorpyrifos on fields in one fall in the top 20 counties with highest chlorpyrifos year. According to the same 2017 data, California, use by volume, creating a sizeable agricultural hot Minnesota, North Dakota, Kansas, Florida, and spot. The combined use of chlorpyrifos across these Washington state used the most. And while California two states account for almost 27% of the annual approved a chlorpyrifos ban in 2019, which would usage in the United States from 2017. phase out most, but not all, agricultural uses of the Studies have shown that psychosocial stress from pesticide by December 2020, this does not mean the factors like poverty and racial injustice can make state will be chlorpyrifos free. In fact, states that have communities like those in Yakima and Grant adopted bans cannot prevent foods with chlorpyrifos counties in Washington state, which have higher residues from being sold or consumed in the state.3 percentages of poverty than the national average, Only EPA can do that with a federal ban. more vulnerable to harm from chlorpyrifos ex- Of the top 10 counties that use the most chlorpy- posure.4 Hispanic or Latinx communities are also rifos by volume, four are in California and five twice as likely to live in these two counties with are in North Dakota. In California, those coun- heavy chlorpyrifos use compared to the rest of ties are Kern, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings, which Washington state, according to 2010 US Census all border each other and are in the San Joaquin data. EPA does not take these factors into account Valley. In North Dakota, the counties with the when assessing risks. Volume (thousands) Concentration Volume (thousands) Concentration 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 200300400500 100 0 0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 California GeorgiaCalifornia1 Georgia Kings, CA Denver, ColoradoKings,1 California Denver, CO Georgia Ariz onaGeorgia2 Arizona Fresno, CA Gila, ArizonaFresno,2 California Gila, AZ Louisiana FloridaLouisiana3 Florida Kern, CA Greenlee, ArizonaKern,3 California Greenlee, AZ Texas LouisianaTexas4 Louisiana Imperial, CA Essex, New JerseyImperial,4 California Essex, NJ Mississippi CaliforniaMississippi5 California Monterey, CA Gulf, FloridaMonterey,5 Gulf, California FL Arkansas MississippiArka6 ns as Mississippi Tulare, CA Apache, ArizonaTulare,6 California Apache, AZ Minnesota South Ca roliMinne na7 sota South Carolina Jackson, OKChattahoochee, GeorgiaJacks7 on, OklaChattahoochee, homa GA North Dakota AlabamaNorth8 Dakota Alabama Tillman, OKWest Feliciana, LouisianaTillman,8 OklahomaWest Feliciana, LA Oklahoma Arka nsOklahoma9 as Arkansas