The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a ban on the use of the herbicide DCPA, also known as Dacthal, in a bid to protect the health of unborn infants.
DCPA is registered for use in the United States to control weeds in both agricultural and nonagricultural processes. It is mainly sprayed on crops such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, onions, and cabbage, the agency said.
On Aug. 6, the EPA announced an emergency suspension of all DCPA registrations, banning the use of the chemical. The agency is taking this action because “unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to DCPA, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels.”...
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