Stop Using Herbicides! (instead use natural corn gluten meal to stop weeds)
by Charles Caccia,
Senior Fellow at the Institute of the Environment,
University of Ottawa
Here
Are Ten Reasons For Not Using 2,4-D
10.
Precautionary Principle not applied - The
Pest Control Products Act (2002) promises enhanced
protection of health, safety and the environment with
the Precautionary Principle. Implementation of the
Precautionary Principle is delayed until after the
proposed re-registration of 2,4-D, according to a
Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) PowerPoint
Presentation (May 17, 2004).
9. Call to Phase Out
Cosmetic Use Ignored - A House of Commons
Committee report titled 'Making The Right Choice for
The Protection of Health and the Environment' (On May
16, 2000) called for a "five-year phase out of
pesticides used for cosmetic purposes" on lawns
and gardens across Canada. This phase-out, which
would include 2,4-D, has been ignored.
8. Business Interests
Override Public Interests - The PCP Act's
definition of 'Confidential Business Information'
(CBI) means that we cannot verify claims made in
support of pesticide registration. Peer review is
impossible. All testing is secret - even the methods
of analysis are considered confidential.
7. Herbicide Health
Effects Continuing - A study in the
peer-reviewed journal "Environmental Health
Perspectives", noted that the commercial,
off-the-shelf mixture of 2,4-D, Dicamba and Mecoprop
may pose serious reproductive risks. (see: Par
III) Herbicide health effects reported in
recent peer-reviewed literature include cancers, type
2 diabetes, and reproductive and neurological
problems.
6. Relevant Dioxins
Ignored By PMRA - Dioxins - toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative
chemicals -may contribute to herbicides' health
effects. 2,4-D is contaminated to some extent
with dioxins,
predominately those with 2 or 3 chlorine atoms. Under
Canada's Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), dioxins
with more than 2 chlorine atoms are targeted for
virtual elimination. The PMRA asked for analyses of
dioxins with 4 or more chlorines. This is in
contravention of CEPA. Worse still, dioxin analyses
were still missing when the PMRA claimed that
"2,4-D can be used safely on lawns and
turf".
5. Synergistic Effects
Unknown - 2,4-D is usually mixed with other
herbicides such as Dicamba and Mecoprop, as well as
formulants and contaminants (see: Par
III). The synergistic effects and negative
health impacts of this toxic mixture are not clearly
understood and are not assessed by the PMRA.
4. Break-down Products
Overlooked - The typical smell of 2,4-D is
the first break-down product - the very toxic
2,4-dichlorophenol. Break-down products were not
assessed by the PMRA in the re-evaluation of 2,4-D.
3. Serious Health
Warnings Withheld From Homeowners - Domestic
products have no health warnings, but the label for
commercial packaging does state:
"2,4-D may cause severe irritation to the eyes.
Prolonged breathing of 2,4-D may cause coughing,
burning, dizziness or temporary loss of muscle
coordination. Other possible effects include fatigue,
muscle weakness or nausea. Treat
symptomatically."
2. Sale & Use of
2,4-D Prohibited in Quebec - In the Province
of Quebec 2,4-D (all chemical forms) is among the
list of active ingredients prohibited for sale and
for lawn maintenance purposes on private lawns and
commercial green spaces, as of April 2006. In
addition, 2,4-D is not approved for use on lawns and
gardens in countries such as Sweden, Norway and
Denmark.
1. Misleading
Statements regarding 2,4-D - On April 11,
2005, the Chair of the House of Commons Standing
Committee on Health found the PMRA media release
headline concerning 2,4-D "safety"
(February 21, 2005) to be quite misleading, and
recommended that a press release be issued to correct
the false impression. The PMRA has not issued a
correction concerning the "safety" of
2,4-D.
Version: September 24,
2005
Community Web.
