FREE ESSAY ON PESTICIDES

PESTICIDES

Pesticides: What are they?
Pesticides are chemicals that are used to destroy pests. In the agricultural industry,
pesticides are classified into two categories, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic. A
carcinogenic pesticide is a substance or agent producing or inciting cancer. Conversely,
a non-carcinogenic pesticide is substance that does not produce or incite cancer. Most
agricultural pesticides were registered in the 1950's, with no standard regulations. The
most considerable standard prior to the amendments of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) was, if a revocation of a pesticide occurred, would it have an
impact on the prices or availability of food to the consumer? Today, the 208 pesticides
used in the United States are regulated by the FFDCA. Bills such as, The Delaney Clause
and The Food Quality Protection Act have modified and enforced pesticide regulations.
Consumer concerns with the usage of pesticides in the agricultural industry, in regards
to health factors, have overwhelmed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
demand they enforce pesticide regulations. With the assistance from other organizations
such as the Senate Agriculture Committee (SAC), National Academy of Science (NAS),
National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Consumers Union (CU), the EPA has made a
notable progress. Throughout the years, consumers have pushed for research of the
chemicals and substances that produce agricultural pesticides and what these pesticides
do to our internal system. Congressman, James J. Delaney was also convinced that too many
pesticide chemicals were found in foods. So in 1958, the House Select Committee
investigated the use of chemicals in food products and amended section 409 of the FFDCA,
in result creating The Delaney Clause. 
The bill The Delaney Clause was implemented to avoid carcinogenic pesticides in the
United States food supply. According to Congressional Reports, the intent of the bill was
to reduce public exposure to a wide range of health effects, including nerve damage,
reproductive failure, birth defects, and cancer due to hazardous pesticides. Although
these health effects have not been proven in human life form, it has been proven that
some pesticides are carcinogenic in lab animals. However, the bill overlooked many
aspects of the agricultural industry and encompassed many loopholes. For instance, there
were no requirements for the protection of infants and children. Pesticide residues, or
rather allowable tolerances, were based on economic benefits. In other words, would it
have an impact on the prices or availability of food to the consumer? If the pesticide
was deemed carcinogenic, it was prohibited to weigh the benefits in the production of raw
and processed foods. Furthermore, farmers had no obligation to inform consumers of the
pesticide tolerances and residue levels. The bill, "prohibited the approval of food or
feed tolerances for pesticide residues in processed food or animal feed if the pesticide
is found to induce cancer in man or animals, regardless of the level of risk."
(Congressional Research Service: Report for Congress. 1995.) Nonetheless, the EPA
interpreted the language of the amendment to mean "de minimis", meaning low carcinogenic
levels. 
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Les vs. Reilly, did not agree with the EPA's
interpretation of "de minimus" and rather ruled a strict literal interpretation of the
1958 amendment to mean, "zero risk". The court case Les vs. Reilly challenged the EPA's
legal responsibility to research, test, approve or revoke agricultural pesticides. 
Petitioners seek review of a final order of the EPA permitting the use of four pesticides
[Benomyl on citrus and rice, Mancozeb on barley, grapes, and rye, Phosmet an insecticide,
and Triflualin a Herbicide] as food additives although they have been found to induce
cancer. Petitioners challenge the final order on the ground that it violates the
provisions of the Delaney clause, which prohibits the use of any food additive that is
found to induce cancer. 
(FindLaw.com, Line 18) Les vs. Reilly settled on July 08, 1992. The case established the
EPA's legal responsibility to revoke certain carcinogenic pesticides found in raw and
processed foods, no mater how small the risk. In result, under the provisions of the
court, EPA has proposed to revoke nine "de minimis" pesticides. Lynn Goldman, EPA
Assistant Administrator for Prevention, stated "This administration remains committed to
comprehensive reform of our pesticide food safety laws, to establish a consistent,
health-based standard for all pesticide residues in food. A standard is needed that will
protect everyone, especially children…until then, EPA must comply with the Delaney
Clause as it stands [after the verdict was rendered]." (Qtd. in Metro News Brief.
Interview.) While the resulting actions of this case were based on legal grounds, EPA is
continuing to evaluate all 208 pesticides involved as part of its ongoing re-registration
program. But what are the EPA's re-registration standards? The 1996, Food Quality
Protection Act, sets an exorbitant new standard. 
In 1996, both Houses passed The Food Quality Protection Act also known as "The Nation's
New Pesticide Law", crafted by Congressmen Henry Waxman and Thomas Bliley. The bill was
enormously created in part of the "1993 report by the NAS, Pesticides in the Diet of
Infants and Children." (Fenske, Line 20) First, the legislation has significantly proven
to protect the public from the most hazardous agricultural chemicals. Second, the
legislation has resolved long-standing differences between the pesticide industry and
environmental groups. Third, it has forced the pesticide industry to think of the
consumer and not in terms of cost-benefits, or as an economic benefit. Last but most
significantly, the legislation sets an extremely strict new standard to protect consumers
from pesticides in their diet. However, the bill has also opened a new can of worms. What
is the EPA's, the consumers, the agriculture and pesticide industries responsibilities?
Ten years ago, it was the consumer's responsibility.
The pesticide Alar, used on apples, was found to have poisoned bordering water
reservoirs. Neighboring communities' were complaining of like symptoms. Although no
intense research was brought about, it was confirmed the pesticide used in the nearby
apple orchards poisoned the water. In 1988, "60 Minutes" aired an unproven report that
set off a scare over the pesticide, Alar. Ten years later, the Federal Government posed
"that the U.S. food supply is the safest in the world." (Burros, 14) In response, a
representative of the Consumer Union group disagreed and stated, "that in a majority of
cases, domestic produce had more, or more toxic, pesticide residues than imported
produce." (Burros, 14) Consumer reports (published by the Consumer Union) is swaying to
agree with "60 Minutes" unproven report, questioning the toxicity tolerance in the
pesticides used on some of the fruits and vegetables consumed. "It's not about fear of
food…its about giving people information to make smart choices" Edward Groth,
director of technical policy and public service for Consumers Unions, stated to the New
York Times. This is not the first publication that has set off a scare in the pesticide
industry; a book by the name of "Silent Spring" introduced the world to the ups and downs
of pesticides. Although the book opened the worlds eye's to the hazardous effects of
pesticides, the matter is still unresolved. 
As an aide to consumers, the National Resources Defense Council has summaries containing
just the chemical classes of pesticides. (A classified list of pesticides, in which each
major class of pesticides is subdivided into chemical classes.) But is it the consumer's
responsibility to research what the health-based standard whichever crop is, before
putting them in their mouths? Well according to the 1958 bill, the Delaney Clause, yes it
was. Growers had no obligation to report the levels of pesticide residues left on crops,
to the consumer. According to the 1996 bill, The Food Quality Protection Act, the EPA
must prepare an annual list of pesticides that fail to meet the "zero risk" standard.
Additionally, they must supply grocery stores with a report of crops in which these
pesticides were used and display this information to consumers. The New York Times
advised to peel your produce or buy organically grown fruits and vegetables. Some
scientist advice only to eat organically grown fruit while other scientist advises not to
fear produce. What is a consumer to do? 
"Every day, scientists learn more about the health threats posed by pesticides."
(Reigart, Line 9) The concern at most, is with the health factors that pesticides may
impose in our internal systems. For instance, a child's immune system develops at a rapid
rate, in comparison to an adult, therefore a child's exposure to pesticides would be far
greater. "It is now well established that relatively low low-level exposures to toxic
chemicals, occurring at critical stages of development, can cause permanent
damage…the results of these injuries may range from poor school performance and
behavior to alteration of the reproductive organs." (Reigart, Line 40) With the passing
of The Food Quality Protection Act, carcinogenic pesticides will no longer be utilized in
the agricultural industry. Several researches and articles I have come across recommend
some type of "pesticide tracking system". With a tracking system, determining if a
pesticide is cancer causing would be based on reliable and valid data, not estimated
figures. Furthermore, a tracking system would provide accurate data for cancer maps,
researches, and studies. 
We can agree the 1996 bill has strictly redefined pesticide regulations. Where pesticides
are no longer classified by category of chemicals, but rather what chemicals are in each
pesticide. The government is now funding research studies in universities to assist the
EPA in its re-registration process. The EPA's re-registration process will retest all 208
pesticides to determine if they are carcinogenic. This type of project will incorporate
independent researches as well as projects to produce cancer maps of the U.S. water
reservoirs. 
In 1998, the government funded the "National Water Quality Assessment Pesticide Synthesis
Project" to research any agricultural lands surrounding water areas (i.e. streams,
rivers, and ground water) and produce cancer maps. Cancer maps exhibit which waters are
fouled and cancerous due to pesticides, industrial chemicals, and other factors. These
maps should indicate if any of the 208 pesticides used in the United States are
carcinogenic and have contaminated the U.S. water reservoirs due to the floating
pesticides or pesticide spills. For instance, Sacramento's Highway 99 closed for several
hours due to a pesticide spill on a February day earlier this year. The Sacramento Bee
reported it as an accident and a clean up. The Bee did not report what techniques were
used to clean up the spill or how long after the spill did the clean up take place. If
wind can carry pesticides when they are applied to crops, what is to say that wind or
rain can not carry pesticides away in a spill. The data for the maps were provided by the
National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP). 
The problem with the data is, until the early 90's there were minimal standards for
researching, testing, or approving agricultural pesticides. The data the maps were based
on are only a few years old. In fact, the cancer maps are based on a four-year spread,
1990 - 1993 and 1995 (no data was available for 1994). The data was collected through
solicitation from state to state. In return the states provided estimates on cropland and
not on non-cropland, such as non-commercial pesticide usage. The 1992 Census of
Agriculture Report noted, "for some states there were no published surveys or expert
opinions from field specialists…pesticide use profiles were assumed to be the same
as an adjacent state". The report further concluded the data was sufficient "in spite of
the limitations…the data would provide a useful overview of the regional patterns
of pesticide use based on distributions of crops and the associated intensity of use by
compound". With the Food Quality Protection Act, projects now have a standard for
researching, testing, or approving agricultural pesticides.
Many organizations have dedicated efforts in regulating the use of pesticides. This paper
has defined the term pesticide, and identified possible health effects which carcinogenic
pesticides induce in the human body. This paper has differentiated the many organizations
and laws that regulate pesticides. Last but not least, this paper has also introduced the
many ways the EPA, and other assisting organizations efforts to preserve a strict
regulation of pesticide usage.