The pesticide can lead to debilitating neurological damage and cognitive impairment for children.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, August 30, 2021 – The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) ruled last week that chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient in the insecticide Lorsban, will be banned effective February of next year, 2022.
For decades, health organizations have been pushing for the ban. Chlorpyrifos is one of the most used conventional insecticides in the United States. More than 1 million pounds of chlorpyrifos is sprayed on crops across the country every year. These crops include corn, soybeans, peaches, strawberries, apples, and walnuts.
Although chlorpyrifos itself is not toxic, the way that the body breaks it down creates a toxic reaction in the body. Adults may experience adverse short-term side effects following exposure, but children tend to be heavily affected long-term due to their inability to break down the ingredient after exposure. Research conducted by the EPA has repeatedly concluded that children who were exposed to chlorpyrifos may be a direct cause of their children’s neurological damage diagnoses for those exposed prenatally or up to 5 years old.
Families living in agricultural communities have been at risk, even if they personally do not work in the fields. Frequent crop blow-over has exposed children in neighboring communities resulting in extreme immediate reactions and less detectable cognitive conditions.
This ban is a strong move to ensure protection for those previously at risk.
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If you have questions about chlorpyrifos and its harmful side effects, reach out to our team at call (405) 433-7414.