What Is Chlorpyrifos, the Common Pesticide the EPA Is Now Banning From Food Crops?
Korin Miller
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Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide that’s often used in agriculture. The FDA has banned products using the chemical after finding a link to certain health risks.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday that the agency plans to ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on all food. The EPA said it will revoke all “tolerances”—an amount of a pesticide that is allowed on food—for chlorpyrifos.
The EPA also said in its announcement that it will cancel registered food uses of chlorpyrifos. The move was in response to a court order that directed the EPA to issue a final rule in reaction to a 2007 petition filed by Pesticide Action Network North America and Natural Resources Defense Council. That petition requested that the EPA revoke all chlorpyrifos tolerances because those tolerances were not safe. It’s important to note that the EPA’s ruling only impacts the use of chlorpyrifos on food—not other areas.
The EPA previously denied the petition in 2017 under the Trump Administration. “Today EPA is taking an overdue step to protect public health. Ending the use of chlorpyrifos on food will help to ensure children, farmworkers, and all people are protected from the potentially dangerous consequences of this pesticide,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a press release.
What is chlorpyrifos, exactly?
Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide, acaricide (meaning it’s poisonous to ticks or mites), and miticide (mite poison) used mostly to control pests that lurk on foliage or in soil, the EPA says. The pesticide works by interfering with nerve cell signaling, “causing [the] death of insects and pests,” says Jamie Alan, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.
The substance has been used as a pesticide since 1965 in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings to kill bugs. Chlorpyrifos that aren’t used on food are sold in the form of liquids, granules, water-dispersible granules, wettable powders, and water-soluble packets, the EPA says.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday that the agency plans to ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on all food. The EPA said it will revoke all “tolerances”—an amount of a pesticide that is allowed on food—for chlorpyrifos.
The EPA also said in its announcement that it will cancel registered food uses of chlorpyrifos. The move was in response to a court order that directed the EPA to issue a final rule in reaction to a 2007 petition filed by Pesticide Action Network North America and Natural Resources Defense Council. That petition requested that the EPA revoke all chlorpyrifos tolerances because those tolerances were not safe. It’s important to note that the EPA’s ruling only impacts the use of chlorpyrifos on food—not other areas.
The EPA previously denied the petition in 2017 under the Trump Administration. “Today EPA is taking an overdue step to protect public health. Ending the use of chlorpyrifos on food will help to ensure children, farmworkers, and all people are protected from the potentially dangerous consequences of this pesticide,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a press release.
What is chlorpyrifos, exactly?
Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide, acaricide (meaning it’s poisonous to ticks or mites), and miticide (mite poison) used mostly to control pests that lurk on foliage or in soil, the EPA says. The pesticide works by interfering with nerve cell signaling, “causing [the] death of insects and pests,” says Jamie Alan, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.
The substance has been used as a pesticide since 1965 in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings to kill bugs. Chlorpyrifos that aren’t used on food are sold in the form of liquids, granules, water-dispersible granules, wettable powders, and water-soluble packets, the EPA says.
Why is chlorpyrifos potentially harmful?
The main reason the EPA cited for the ban is that chlorpyrifos has been found to inhibit an enzyme that can lead to neurotoxicity (which alters the normal activities of the nervous system). It’s also been linked to potential neurological issues in children.
“Chlorpyrifos works by inhibiting an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, causing an increase in acetylcholine in your body,” Alan explains. “Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is critical for controlling bodily processes such as your heart rate. When you get too much acetylcholine, you get side effects like confusion, seizures, trouble breathing, excess drooling, and a slow heart rate.”
Research shows that chlorpyrifos exposure has been linked to lower birth weights, reduced IQs, and other developmental problems in children. “The EPA issued a 2016 report that found evidence of issues with cognitive development in exposed children, including links to attention difficulties, autism, intelligence declines, problems with the working memory, and increased odds of tremors,” Darin Detwiler, LP.D., associate teaching professor of food safety at Northeastern University and author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions.
Detwiler says that another concern is the health impact on farmworkers. He explains that those who routinely come in contact with pesticides like chlorpyrifos during pest management operations—as well as during general crop raising and harvesting activities— are at risk. Even if they’re using maximum personal protective equipment and engineering controls. “Their routine contact with pesticides may occur over an entire season or across many years,” Detwiler says.
The EPA has determined that the current agricultural exposures from the use of chlorpyrifos in food do not meet safety standards, leading the agency to say that the current threshold does not guarantee safety from the chemical. Hence, the move to ban the substance.
What products is chlorpyrifos used on?
Chlorpyrifos is usually used on soybeans, trees that grow fruits or nuts, broccoli, cauliflower, and other row crops, the EPA says. However, certain states like California, Hawaii, New York, Maryland, and Oregon have already restricted the use of the pesticide on food. It’s worth noting, however, that chlorpyrifos can get into drinking water “due to drift from spray applications,” Detwiler says.
Going forward, you should feel pretty confident that your food will be chlorpyrifos-free. However, buying organic produce and foods, if you have the means, is the best way to protect yourself from harmful chemicals in the food you eat, Detwiler says. Regardless of the type you buy, it’s still important to wash all produce thoroughly before eating. Check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guide to washing fresh fruits and vegetables here.
The main reason the EPA cited for the ban is that chlorpyrifos has been found to inhibit an enzyme that can lead to neurotoxicity (which alters the normal activities of the nervous system). It’s also been linked to potential neurological issues in children.
“Chlorpyrifos works by inhibiting an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, causing an increase in acetylcholine in your body,” Alan explains. “Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is critical for controlling bodily processes such as your heart rate. When you get too much acetylcholine, you get side effects like confusion, seizures, trouble breathing, excess drooling, and a slow heart rate.”
Research shows that chlorpyrifos exposure has been linked to lower birth weights, reduced IQs, and other developmental problems in children. “The EPA issued a 2016 report that found evidence of issues with cognitive development in exposed children, including links to attention difficulties, autism, intelligence declines, problems with the working memory, and increased odds of tremors,” Darin Detwiler, LP.D., associate teaching professor of food safety at Northeastern University and author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions.
Detwiler says that another concern is the health impact on farmworkers. He explains that those who routinely come in contact with pesticides like chlorpyrifos during pest management operations—as well as during general crop raising and harvesting activities— are at risk. Even if they’re using maximum personal protective equipment and engineering controls. “Their routine contact with pesticides may occur over an entire season or across many years,” Detwiler says.
The EPA has determined that the current agricultural exposures from the use of chlorpyrifos in food do not meet safety standards, leading the agency to say that the current threshold does not guarantee safety from the chemical. Hence, the move to ban the substance.
What products is chlorpyrifos used on?
Chlorpyrifos is usually used on soybeans, trees that grow fruits or nuts, broccoli, cauliflower, and other row crops, the EPA says. However, certain states like California, Hawaii, New York, Maryland, and Oregon have already restricted the use of the pesticide on food. It’s worth noting, however, that chlorpyrifos can get into drinking water “due to drift from spray applications,” Detwiler says.
Going forward, you should feel pretty confident that your food will be chlorpyrifos-free. However, buying organic produce and foods, if you have the means, is the best way to protect yourself from harmful chemicals in the food you eat, Detwiler says. Regardless of the type you buy, it’s still important to wash all produce thoroughly before eating. Check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guide to washing fresh fruits and vegetables here.
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