EPA issues order to stop use of pesticide that can harm fetuses

The EPA has issued an emergency order to stop the use of a pesticide that can harm fetuses — the agency's first such move in almost 40 years.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday issued an emergency order to stop the use of a pesticide that can harm fetuses — the agency's first such move in almost 40 years.

The herbicide, called dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (also known as DCPA or Dacthal), is used to control weeds on a variety of crops, including broccoli, onions, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and strawberries.

But when a pregnant woman is exposed to the chemical, it can cause changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, the EPA said. That can have lasting consequences for the child, including low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ and impaired motor skills later in life, according to the agency's announcement.

Those risks prompted the EPA to use its authority to suspend the use of the pesticide.

“DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately,” Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said in a statement.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/epa-stops-use-pesticide-dcpa-harm-fetuses-rcna165422

---