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A fresh regulatory appeal from twelve health advocacy and farm worker coalitions is demanding the EPA to stop allowing the spraying of antibiotics on food crops across the United States, pointing to antibiotic-resistant proliferation and health risks to agricultural workers.

Farming Industry Sprays Millions of Pounds of Antimicrobial Pesticides

The farming industry uses about 8 million pounds of antimicrobial and fungicidal chemicals on US food crops every year, with a number of these substances banned in international markets.

“Annually the public are at greater risk from harmful bacteria and diseases because pharmaceutical drugs are used on crops,” said a public health advocate.

Superbug Threat Poses Serious Health Threats

The widespread application of antibiotics, which are critical for treating infections, as crop treatments on crops threatens public health because it can lead to superbug bacteria. Similarly, excessive application of antifungal pesticides can cause mycoses that are more resistant with existing medical drugs.

• Antibiotic-resistant infections affect about 2.8 million individuals and result in about 35,000 fatalities annually.
• Health agencies have linked “medically important antimicrobials” approved for pesticide use to antibiotic resistance, increased risk of bacterial illnesses and elevated threat of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Ecological and Health Consequences

Meanwhile, consuming chemical remnants on produce can disrupt the digestive system and increase the chance of chronic diseases. These agents also contaminate water sources, and are considered to damage pollinators. Typically economically disadvantaged and Latino field workers are most at risk.

Frequently Used Antibiotic Pesticides and Industry Practices

Agricultural operations use antimicrobials because they destroy bacteria that can damage or wipe out crops. Among the most frequently used agricultural drugs is streptomycin, which is commonly used in healthcare. Figures indicate up to 125k lbs have been used on US crops in a single year.

Agricultural Sector Lobbying and Regulatory Response

The petition coincides with the Environmental Protection Agency encounters urging to expand the use of medical antimicrobials. The citrus plant illness, transmitted by the vector, is severely affecting citrus orchards in Florida.

“I understand their desperation because they’re in difficult circumstances, but from a societal point of view this is certainly a clear decision – it must not occur,” the expert commented. “The fundamental issue is the massive problems caused by using pharmaceuticals on edible plants significantly surpass the agricultural problems.”

Other Solutions and Long-term Outlook

Specialists suggest simple crop management steps that should be tried initially, such as increasing plant spacing, developing more disease-resistant types of produce and locating infected plants and rapidly extracting them to halt the infections from transmitting.

The petition allows the EPA about 5 years to act. Previously, the regulator banned chloropyrifos in response to a parallel legal petition, but a judge overturned the agency's prohibition.

The agency can enact a prohibition, or has to give a justification why it refuses to. If the regulator, or a subsequent government, fails to respond, then the organizations can sue. The process could take more than a decade.

“We’re playing the extended strategy,” the expert stated.