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A fresh regulatory appeal from twelve health advocacy and agricultural labor groups is calling for the EPA to stop allowing the spraying of antimicrobial agents on produce across the United States, pointing to antibiotic-resistant development and illnesses to farm laborers.

Agricultural Sector Sprays Millions of Pounds of Antimicrobial Crop Treatments

The agricultural sector uses approximately 8m lbs of antibiotic and antifungal treatments on American food crops every year, with many of these substances prohibited in foreign countries.

“Annually the public are at increased danger from harmful pathogens and diseases because pharmaceutical drugs are sprayed on crops,” commented an environmental health director.

Superbug Threat Presents Significant Public Health Risks

The excessive use of antimicrobial drugs, which are vital for addressing human disease, as agricultural chemicals on fruits and vegetables endangers population health because it can lead to superbug bacteria. Likewise, excessive application of antifungal treatments can lead to mycoses that are less treatable with currently available medicines.

• Drug-resistant infections sicken about millions of Americans and result in about 35,000 fatalities per year.
• Regulatory bodies have connected “medically important antimicrobials” approved for crop application to treatment failure, increased risk of bacterial illnesses and higher probability of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Environmental and Health Impacts

Meanwhile, ingesting antibiotic residues on food can disrupt the digestive system and elevate the likelihood of chronic diseases. These agents also taint water sources, and are thought to damage pollinators. Often economically disadvantaged and minority field workers are most at risk.

Frequently Used Agricultural Antimicrobials and Industry Practices

Agricultural operations spray antibiotics because they kill bacteria that can harm or destroy crops. Among the popular antibiotic pesticides is streptomycin, which is commonly used in clinical treatment. Figures indicate up to 125,000 pounds have been used on American produce in a single year.

Citrus Industry Influence and Government Response

The petition is filed as the regulator faces demands to expand the application of medical antimicrobials. The bacterial citrus greening disease, carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, is severely affecting citrus orchards in southeastern US.

“I appreciate their critical situation because they’re in difficult circumstances, but from a societal point of view this is absolutely a obvious choice – it must not occur,” the expert stated. “The fundamental issue is the significant problems created by spraying medical drugs on produce significantly surpass the crop issues.”

Alternative Methods and Future Outlook

Experts suggest straightforward farming steps that should be tested first, such as wider crop placement, breeding more hardy varieties of crops and locating infected plants and rapidly extracting them to stop the infections from propagating.

The formal request provides the EPA about 5 years to respond. In the past, the agency prohibited chloropyrifos in answer to a parallel regulatory appeal, but a judge blocked the EPA’s ban.

The regulator can impose a restriction, or has to give a justification why it will not. If the EPA, or a subsequent government, declines to take action, then the groups can file a lawsuit. The legal battle could last more than a decade.

“We are pursuing the extended strategy,” the advocate remarked.