Fourteen states petitioned the U.S. EPA to require pesticide manufacturers to list all ingredients on their product labels.
They hope to force manufacturers to disclose even "inert" ingredients in pesticides that, according to state officials, still pose health hazards.
The request came in the wake of a 10-year EPA study of all pesticides used in the United States.
The review evaluated 237 pesticide ingredients, and will result in a ban on the pesticide lindane, which can cause seizures and brain tumors. Agency officials claimed that the review practically guarantees safety, but critics believe that the review process was tainted with political maneuvering and does not go far enough.
Currently, the EPA only requires that "active" toxic ingredients need to be listed on labels. However, the "inert" ingredients that are not specifically designed to kill pests and weeds, such as organophosphates and carbamates, are sometimes known or suspected causes of cancer, nervous system disorders, birth defects, liver and kidney damage, and environmental problems.
These ingredients can make up 99 percent of a pesticide.
It is no mystery that pesticides are toxic to human life; 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides are known to cause cancer.
Numerous studies have shown that pesticides may contribute to:
And evidence only continues to mount regarding the harm pesticides can do to your health. This is especially true for the farmers we rely on for our food. But they're not the only ones in danger; the average person carries around at least 13 harmful pesticides in their bodies, if not more.
The EPA already requires prescription drugs, foods and cosmetics to list inert substances, so not requiring it for pesticides makes no sense whatsoever. As the Attorney General of New York, Eliot Spitzer, pointed out, why require a listing of the ingredients that harm insects, but not those that harm people?
At least lindane, the carcinogenic pesticide that is currently also still used to treat head lice and scabies, will get the boot when its current license ends. But some EPA staff scientists worry nothing much will change following this 10-year review. They think that the corrupted and compromised FDA will continue to bend under pressure from big business interests.
While all the political wrangling is going on, please take responsibility for your own health by following some simple steps that can reduce your exposure to pesticides: