Common pesticides are found in majority of human umbilical cords and harm endangered species

Center for Biological Diversity
Alternet
Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:18 UTC

The insecticides are widely used on popular crops such as corn, watermelon and wheat.

The Environmental Protection Agency last week released its first rigorous nationwide analysis of the effects of pesticides on endangered species, finding that 97 percent of the more than 1,800 animals and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act are likely to be harmed by malathion and chlorpyrifos, two commonly used pesticides. Another 78 percent are likely to be hurt by the pesticide diazinon. The results released today are the final biological evaluations the EPA completed as part of its examination of the impacts of these pesticides on endangered species.

"We're now getting a much more complete picture of the risks that pesticides pose to wildlife at the brink of extinction, including birds, frogs, fish and plants," said Nathan Donley, senior scientist at the Center. "The next step will hopefully be some commonsense measures to help protect them along with our water supplies and public health."

The three pesticides are all organophosphates, a dangerous old class of insecticides found in 87 percent of human umbilical-cord samples and widely used on crops such as corn, watermelon and wheat. Chlorpyrifos is currently under consideration to be banned for use on food crops in the United States. The World Health Organization last year announced that malathion and diazinon are probable carcinogens.

Comment: Read more about The myth of safe pesticides & the negative effects on children

Dr. Theo Colborn, one of the world's acknowledged leading experts on endocrine-disrupting chemicals and coauthor of Our Stolen Future, published a peer-reviewed study in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives that examined these issues. The study reviewed of many of the scientific papers and showed the widespread extent to which children and the unborn are exposed to numerous pesticides. Multiple pesticide residues have been found in semen, ovarian follicular fluid, amniotic fluid, maternal blood, placental and umbilical cord blood, breast milk, meconium of newborns, and in the urine of children. She writes, "It is fairly safe to say that every child conceived today in the Northern hemisphere is exposed to pesticides from conception throughout gestation and lactation regardless of where it is born."

The information from these numerous scientific studies shows that current regulatory systems around the world have failed to protect unborn and growing children from exposure to a massive cocktail of toxic pesticides. This has many serious implications especially the increase in a range of serious health issues in children and as adults later in life.

"When it comes to pesticides, it's always best to look before you leap, to understand the risks to people and wildlife before they're put into use," said Donley. "The EPA is providing a reasonable assessment of those risks, many of which can be avoided by reducing our reliance on the most toxic, dangerous old pesticides in areas with sensitive wildlife."

Following these final evaluations from the EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service will issue biological opinions to identify mitigation measures and changes to pesticide use to help ensure that these pesticides will no longer potentially harm any endangered species in the United States when used on agricultural crops. As part of a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, these biological opinions are on deadline to be completed by December 2017.

Comment: Interesting statement considering the following: Judge says EPA does not have to address call to label hazardous pesticide ingredients. Also, it is important to remember that the EPA favors industry when assessing chemical dangers!

• EPA lists two pesticides that are detrimental to the environment while ignoring glyphosate

According to The Guardian, "Almost all of the 1,700 most endangered plants and animals in the U.S. are likely to be harmed by [ these two pesticides]... Malathion, an insecticide registered for use in the U.S. since 1956, is likely to cause harm to 97 percent of the 1,772 mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and plants listed under the Endangered Species Act."

The pesticide is often used on fruit, vegetables, plants, and on pets to remove ticks. The second pesticide of chlorpyrifos, commonly used to exterminate termites, roundworms, and mosquitoes, was found to have an equally detrimental effect on America's flora and fauna. Of the hundreds of species listed, the few that were deemed not at risk are primarily the ones that have already been classified as extinct.

EPA officials also mentioned a third pesticide, diazinon, that has a slightly lesser impact, clocking in at harmful to about 79 percent of the endangered species. In addition, the World Health Organization announced in March of last year that malathion and diazinon are "probably carcinogenic to humans."

Perhaps most frightening about this announcement is that the EPA is the first agency of its kind to examine in depth the effects these chemicals have on wildlife. Even then, their results are lacking: they fail to mention other high-profile pesticides like glyphosate that could potentially have an equally harmful effect on the environment.