EPA Bans Pesticide Dacthal in Emergency Order Citing Health Risk

The EPA suspended use of the pesticide Dacthal under an emergency order Tuesday, saying the chemical was so dangerous it needed to be removed from the market immediately.

Dacthal, also referred to as DCPA or dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, is registered to control weeds but is primarily used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The chemical can cause changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels that leave babies with lifelong health problems, and pregnant women may not always be aware of their exposure, the EPA said in a press release.

“These changes are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life, some of which may be irreversible,” the EPA said.

Farm workers who apply the pesticide or who work in fields where it’s in use are particularly vulnerable.

AMVAC Chemical Corp., the sole manufacturer of Dacthal, failed for years to submit proper data on the health impacts of the pesticide, the EPA said. The agency said that while AMVAC had tried to address its concerns, it determined there were no practical mitigation measures that could safely allow Dacthal’s continued use.

The suspension was the first time in nearly 40 years that the EPA has used its emergency authority under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act to immediately remove a pesticide from circulation.

But it had taken other recent steps to alert the public about health risks posed by Dacthal.

The agency suspended use of a high-concentration version of the pesticide last year, and in April put out a public warning to farm workers that “DCPA exposure represents a serious risk to pregnant workers and their children.”