New York State will gradually ban chlorpyrifos from 2021 05-23-2019

New York State has recently passed legislation No. S5343 of the Senate and legislation No. A2477B of the state assembly to ban the utilization of chlorpyrifos in this State. This is considered as a significant triumph of protecting children’s health. According to this news, New York may become the first state of stopping the use of chlorpyrifos in 2021.


Previously, Hawaii State also issued a ban from chlorpyrifos in 2018. However, the ban will not come into effect until the end of 2022.


Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphorous ester that originates from the same chemical family as sarin nerve gas. As a pesticide in agriculture, chlorpyrifos is used to prevent insect pests from fruits and vegetables, such as apples, tangerines, broccolis and corns.


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) already drew a conclusion in 2016 that all application of chlorpyrifos is not safe. In spite of scientific evidence, under Donald Trump’s control the EPA had to decline the ban from this pesticide.

 

Chlorpyrifos does serious harm to the health of infants and children according to studies

It is demonstrated in several studies that exposure to chlorpyrifos can have a detrimental effect on infants and children, causing weight loss at birth, IQ reduction, lack of concentration as well as late motoric development.


According to the result from a recent research conducted by the Independent Scientific Review Group on Toxic Air Pollutants in California, chlorpyrifos can affect the health of children and sensitive groups with less exposure to it seriously, damage of brain and neurodevelopment included. Just in April this year, chlorpyrifos was listed as Toxic Air Contaminant in the California Law, with a definition that chlorpyrifos can cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or serious disease, or is a toxic air pollutant that harbours a great potential risk in human health. The Pesticide Administration was required to take necessary measures regarding the health of farm workers and residents nearby the areas used with pesticides.


In terms of controlling pests, the use of chlorpyrifos covers a wide range of crops, such as alfalfa, almond, tangerines, cotton, grapes, and walnuts. In the past decade, the consumption of chlorpyrifos faced a drop due to the existence of safer alternatives of the pesticide. From 2005 to 2009 the consumption of chlorpyrifos underwent a decrease by 50% from 2 million pounds to around 900 thousand pounds. Since 2001 the EPA has been banning household from the use of chlorpyrifos. In 2015, the Pesticide Administration confirmed chlorpyrifos as restricted substance. A permission from Agriculture Commissioner was required in order to use it. In addition, any application of chlorpyrifos must be recommended by licensed Pest Control Consultant under the supervision of professionals with a licence.

 

China already banned vegetable cultivation from chlorpyrifos in 2016

China controls highly toxic pesticide in a strict way. Pursuant to the announcement No. 2032 of China’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2013, using chlorpyrifos for vegetable cultivation was forbidden. From the end of 2014, the registration of using chlorpyrifos and triazophos on vegetables was revoked. From the end of 2016 the China’s Ministry of Agriculture totally banned the use of chlorpyrifos on vegetables.


For more information about China’s pesticide market, please have a look at our monthly newsletter Insecticides China News.

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