The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has warned people about potential health hazards posed by the use of the herbicide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), or Dacthal.
EPA said the use of Dacthal causes significant health risks to pregnant individuals and their developing babies exposed to DCPA.
The agency said it will be pursuing action to address the serious, permanent, and irreversible health risks associated with the pesticide as quickly as possible.
EPA has also issued a letter to AMVAC, the sole manufacturer of DCPA, restating the risks the agency found and stating that due to the serious risks posed by DCPA, the agency is pursuing further action to protect workers and others who could be exposed.
EPA said it is taking this rare step of warning farmworkers about these concerns while it works on action to protect workers because of the significant risks the agency has identified.
DCPA is a herbicide registered to control weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, but is primarily used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.
EPA estimates that some pregnant individuals handling DCPA products could be subjected to exposures from four to 20 times greater than what current DCPA product label use instructions indicate is considered safe.
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