OCTOBER 27, 1999
Washington, Oct. 28--A massive government review has concluded that the most widely used insecticide in the United States poses excessive safety risks to millions of American each year who are exposed when they use the chemical to kill bugs in their homes or gardens, or consume food contaminated with the compound.
The findings, posted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its web site (www.epa.gov/pesticides) late yesterday, are especially significant because the pesticide, which kills pests and injures humans by disrupting their nervous systems, has been registered and heavily used in the United States since 1965. The government study says that the majority of the U.S. population is exposed to the chemical each year. According to the Federal Centers for Disease control, 82 percent of Americans already have the insecticide in their bodies.
According to the government, a recent Minnesota study found the bug killer at detectable levels in over 90 percent of school children examined.
"This government study firmly supports our research and position," said EWG analyst Todd Hettenbach. "Dursban must be banned."
Federal officials are expected to make an announcement today on their findings.
The insecticide, chlorpyrifos, is manufactured by Dow Chemical and marketed for over 800 uses, many under the trade name Dursban. The chemical is used in homes, schools, hospitals and daycare centers to kill a wide range of insects. Dursban is also the top insecticide used on crop fields. Residues of the chemical are found on dozens of crops, including vegetables and grains.
The government review was triggered by a food safety law passed in 1996 that required regulators to reexamine hundreds of pesticides to make sure they are safe for children.
There are several safer alternatives to Dursban widely available. Some of these are also manufactured by Dow Chemical. Consumers are advised to return any unopened Dursban products or others containing chlorpyriphos, to the store where they were purchased. Opened products should be taken to your local community hazardous waste collection facility.
| Method of Application | Percent of EPA's Safe Dose |
| Hand spreader of granules | 10,000 |
| Hand application of granules | 1,765 |
| Sprayer attached to hose (residential) | 1,304 |
| Application with hand sprayer (inside) | 811 |
| Application with hand sprayer (outside) | 435 |
| Push spreader application of granules | 273 |
| Home application of termiticide with paint brush | 214 |
| Indoor Crack and Crevice Spray | 150 |
| Sprayer attached to hose (bushes and shrubs) | 130 |
| Insecticide dust | 120 |
| Low concentration ant dust | 51 |
| Exposure Route | Percent of EPA's Safe Dose |
| Lawn Application (liquid) | 4,000 |
| Dog Collars | 3,750 |
| Cat Collars | 968 |
| Lawn Application (granules) | 411 |
| Residues left in carpets after extermination | 319 |
| Roach Spray in Kitchen | 231 |
| Aerial and Ground-based Mosquito Fogger | 13 |