🔗 Share this article

A newly filed legal petition from a dozen public health and agricultural labor coalitions is urging the US environmental regulator to stop authorizing the application of antimicrobial agents on food crops across the US, citing superbug proliferation and health risks to farm laborers.

Farming Sector Sprays Substantial Amounts of Antimicrobial Pesticides

The agricultural sector sprays around 8 million pounds of antimicrobial and fungicidal chemicals on American plants every year, with several of these substances restricted in international markets.

“Each year Americans are at elevated risk from toxic microbes and infections because human medicines are used on produce,” commented a public health advocate.

Antibiotic Resistance Creates Serious Health Risks

The widespread application of antibiotics, which are vital for treating human disease, as crop treatments on fruits and vegetables jeopardizes population health because it can lead to drug-resistant microbes. Likewise, frequent use of antifungal treatments can cause fungal infections that are less treatable with existing medical drugs.

• Drug-resistant illnesses impact about 2.8 million individuals and result in about thousands of deaths annually.
• Health agencies have connected “clinically significant antibiotics” approved for agricultural spraying to drug resistance, higher likelihood of pathogenic diseases and increased risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Ecological and Public Health Impacts

Furthermore, ingesting chemical remnants on food can disrupt the digestive system and elevate the likelihood of long-term illnesses. These substances also contaminate drinking water supplies, and are thought to harm pollinators. Typically low-income and minority agricultural laborers are most at risk.

Common Antibiotic Pesticides and Industry Methods

Farms use antimicrobials because they destroy pathogens that can damage or destroy plants. One of the most common antimicrobial treatments is streptomycin, which is commonly used in medical care. Estimates indicate as much as 125k lbs have been used on American produce in a one year.

Citrus Industry Influence and Government Action

The formal request comes as the regulator experiences demands to widen the application of pharmaceutical drugs. The crop infection, transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, is severely affecting citrus orchards in southeastern US.

“I recognize their desperation because they’re in dire straits, but from a public health standpoint this is absolutely a no-brainer – it should not be allowed,” the expert said. “The fundamental issue is the massive issues created by using medical drugs on food crops greatly exceed the crop issues.”

Other Approaches and Future Outlook

Experts recommend straightforward crop management steps that should be tested initially, such as increasing plant spacing, developing more disease-resistant strains of produce and identifying diseased trees and promptly eliminating them to prevent the infections from propagating.

The legal appeal gives the regulator about 5 years to respond. Several years ago, the organization prohibited a chemical in reaction to a parallel regulatory appeal, but a legal authority overturned the regulatory action.

The regulator can implement a prohibition, or has to give a reason why it will not. If the EPA, or a later leadership, does not act, then the organizations can sue. The procedure could take more than a decade.

“We’re playing the prolonged effort,” the advocate stated.