Environmental Protection Agency Pushed to Prohibit Spraying of Antimicrobial Drugs on US Food Crops Amidst Resistance Fears
A recent formal request from multiple health advocacy and farm worker organizations is urging the US environmental regulator to discontinue permitting the spraying of antimicrobial agents on produce across the United States, highlighting antibiotic-resistant development and health risks to farm laborers.
Farming Sector Uses Substantial Amounts of Antimicrobial Pesticides
The agricultural sector uses around 8 million pounds of antibiotic and antifungal treatments on US plants annually, with many of these agents prohibited in international markets.
“Annually the public are at elevated risk from harmful pathogens and infections because human medicines are applied on plants,” stated an environmental health director.
Antibiotic Resistance Presents Major Health Dangers
The overuse of antimicrobial drugs, which are critical for combating infections, as crop treatments on produce threatens population health because it can lead to superbug bacteria. Likewise, excessive application of antifungal agent treatments can lead to fungal diseases that are less treatable with currently available medicines.
- Treatment-resistant infections impact about 2.8m people and cause about thousands of mortalities per year.
- Public health organizations have linked “medically important antimicrobials” approved for crop application to treatment failure, greater chance of staph infections and increased risk of MRSA.
Environmental and Health Impacts
Additionally, eating antibiotic residues on crops can disrupt the intestinal flora and elevate the risk of chronic diseases. These chemicals also taint water sources, and are thought to harm insects. Frequently poor and Latino field workers are most exposed.
Frequently Used Antibiotic Pesticides and Industry Practices
Growers use antimicrobials because they destroy pathogens that can damage or wipe out plants. Among the most common agricultural drugs is a common antibiotic, which is commonly used in healthcare. Data indicate as much as 125,000 pounds have been applied on US crops in a single year.
Citrus Industry Influence and Regulatory Action
The petition is filed as the Environmental Protection Agency experiences pressure to widen the utilization of medical antimicrobials. The bacterial citrus greening disease, carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, is destroying fruit farms in the state of Florida.
“I understand their urgent need because they’re in dire straits, but from a broader point of view this is absolutely a clear decision – it should not be allowed,” the expert said. “The bottom line is the massive challenges caused by spraying pharmaceuticals on produce far outweigh the crop issues.”
Other Solutions and Long-term Outlook
Experts suggest basic crop management steps that should be implemented before antibiotics, such as wider crop placement, developing more disease-resistant strains of crops and identifying diseased trees and quickly removing them to prevent the infections from propagating.
The petition allows the Environmental Protection Agency about five years to respond. Previously, the agency banned a chemical in answer to a similar legal petition, but a legal authority blocked the regulatory action.
The agency can impose a prohibition, or is required to give a reason why it refuses to. If the Environmental Protection Agency, or a future administration, declines to take action, then the coalitions can sue. The legal battle could take many years.
“We are engaged in the prolonged effort,” the expert stated.
