skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

New Study Prompts Closer Look at Farm Pesticide Safety

play audio
Play

Tuesday, August 21, 2012   

PHOENIX - A new look at the effects of a common farm pesticide on children has stepped up calls for the EPA to further restrict or even ban its use. Chlorypyrifos is a chemical sprayed on fruit trees and a wide variety of crops, and also used on feedlots for insect control.

The latest of many safety studies followed the same children from birth to age seven, and found boys exposed to the chemical had lower memory scores, a key risk for a lower IQ. That doesn't surprise Emily Marquez, Ph.D., a staff scientist for the Pesticide Action Network (PANNA).

"It causes problems in brain development, so that's why we're concerned about children in particular being exposed to chlorpyrifos. And also, it acts at doses that are much lower and causes these problems with brain development, in animal models."

Manufacturer Dow AgroChemical says chlorpyrifos has been "widely used and extensively studied for decades," is registered for use in more than 100 countries, and prevents major crop losses by controlling pests. It is used in Arizona on alfalfa, cauliflower, lemons and cotton.

The EPA phased chlorpyrifos out of indoor and home use beginning in 2000, but concerned watchdog groups have been asking for a full ban since 2007. Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles says they're still in court, now challenging the delay.

"I think that the agency shies away from the issue because it is so controversial, and it would just be better for them if they could go forward with the status quo. But the status quo is poisoning people - poisoning children, poisoning farm workers - and that's not right."

The EPA says farm workers can limit their exposure with personal protective equipment, including double layers of clothing when mixing or loading sprayers. The agency is set to re-evaluate chlorpyrifos in 2015. Challengers are asking to do it sooner.

Last month, the EPA revised its standards for spray drift. Now, when farmers apply chlorpyrifos, the spray can only contain two pounds of active ingredient per acre, down from six pounds. For all crops except citrus fruits, the standard was already two pounds or less, but Marquez says the move is encouraging.

"That is a good thing, that they're considering bystanders in their policy, as people who are also impacted by pesticide drift. Children are definitely among those in that group."

The EPA says farm workers can limit their exposure with personal protective equipment, including double layers of clothing when mixing or loading sprayers. The agency is set to re-evaluate chlorpyrifos in 2015. Challengers are asking to do it sooner.

Information about the study is at bit.ly/Mldu4I. PANNA information is at www.panna.org. The Dow AgroChemical site is www.chlorpyrifos.com.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021