EPA Pressured to Prohibit Spraying of Antimicrobial Drugs on American Food Crops Amidst Resistance Worries
A newly filed legal petition from twelve health advocacy and agricultural labor organizations is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to cease permitting the spraying of antimicrobial agents on edible plants across the US, highlighting superbug spread and health risks to farm laborers.
Agricultural Sector Sprays Millions of Pounds of Antibiotic Pesticides
The farming industry uses around 8m lbs of antimicrobial and fungicidal pesticides on American food crops every year, with many of these agents banned in foreign countries.
“Every year US citizens are at increased risk from dangerous pathogens and diseases because medical antibiotics are sprayed on plants,” said a public health advocate.
Antibiotic Resistance Poses Serious Public Health Risks
The overuse of antibiotics, which are vital for addressing infections, as crop treatments on crops jeopardizes public health because it can result in superbug bacteria. Likewise, excessive application of antifungal treatments can lead to fungal infections that are harder to treat with present-day medicines.
- Treatment-resistant diseases sicken about 2.8m Americans and lead to about thirty-five thousand fatalities each year.
- Health agencies have connected “therapeutically critical antibiotics” authorized for agricultural spraying to antibiotic resistance, increased risk of pathogenic diseases and increased risk of antibiotic-resistant staph.
Environmental and Health Effects
Furthermore, eating chemical remnants on food can alter the intestinal flora and increase the risk of chronic diseases. These agents also contaminate drinking water supplies, and are believed to damage bees. Frequently economically disadvantaged and minority farm workers are most at risk.
Frequently Used Antibiotic Pesticides and Agricultural Practices
Agricultural operations use antibiotics because they kill pathogens that can harm or destroy plants. One of the most common agricultural drugs is streptomycin, which is often used in clinical treatment. Estimates indicate approximately 125k lbs have been sprayed on US crops in a annual period.
Agricultural Sector Pressure and Government Action
The formal request coincides with the regulator encounters pressure to expand the use of medical antimicrobials. The bacterial citrus greening disease, carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, is severely affecting fruit farms in southeastern US.
“I appreciate their critical situation because they’re in serious trouble, but from a societal point of view this is certainly a obvious choice – it should not be allowed,” Donley commented. “The fundamental issue is the significant challenges caused by spraying medical drugs on edible plants greatly exceed the agricultural problems.”
Alternative Approaches and Future Outlook
Specialists suggest simple agricultural measures that should be implemented first, such as wider crop placement, developing more robust strains of crops and identifying sick crops and rapidly extracting them to prevent the infections from propagating.
The formal request allows the Environmental Protection Agency about 5 years to answer. Several years ago, the agency prohibited a chemical in reaction to a similar formal request, but a court overturned the agency's prohibition.
The regulator can impose a prohibition, or is required to give a reason why it refuses to. If the EPA, or a later leadership, does not act, then the groups can sue. The procedure could last more than a decade.
“We’re playing the long game,” the advocate concluded.
