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A newly filed legal petition from twelve public health and agricultural labor groups is calling for the EPA to cease allowing the use of antibiotics on edible plants across the America, citing superbug spread and illnesses to farm laborers.

Agricultural Industry Applies Substantial Amounts of Antibiotic Crop Treatments

The agricultural sector uses about substantial volumes of antimicrobial and fungicidal pesticides on US produce annually, with many of these chemicals banned in foreign countries.

“Each year US citizens are at elevated danger from dangerous pathogens and infections because medical antibiotics are used on produce,” stated a public health advocate.

Antibiotic Resistance Presents Significant Health Dangers

The excessive use of antibiotics, which are vital for treating human disease, as agricultural chemicals on fruits and vegetables jeopardizes community well-being because it can result in antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Likewise, overuse of antifungal pesticides can cause fungal infections that are less treatable with existing medical drugs.

• Drug-resistant illnesses affect about 2.8 million Americans and lead to about thirty-five thousand fatalities annually.
• Health agencies have connected “therapeutically critical antibiotics” approved for pesticide use to treatment failure, higher likelihood of staph infections and increased risk of MRSA.

Environmental and Health Impacts

Additionally, eating drug traces on crops can disturb the digestive system and raise the chance of long-term illnesses. These substances also pollute water sources, and are thought to damage insects. Often low-income and Latino agricultural laborers are most at risk.

Frequently Used Agricultural Antimicrobials and Agricultural Methods

Agricultural operations use antimicrobials because they eliminate bacteria that can harm or destroy crops. One of the most frequently used antibiotic pesticides is a common antibiotic, which is commonly used in healthcare. Estimates indicate up to 125k lbs have been sprayed on US crops in a one year.

Citrus Industry Lobbying and Regulatory Action

The petition coincides with the regulator faces demands to expand the use of pharmaceutical drugs. The bacterial citrus greening disease, transmitted by the insect pest, is destroying citrus orchards in Florida.

“I understand their critical situation because they’re in difficult circumstances, but from a broader point of view this is certainly a clear decision – it must not occur,” the expert stated. “The fundamental issue is the significant issues generated by applying pharmaceuticals on edible plants far outweigh the crop issues.”

Alternative Solutions and Future Outlook

Experts recommend simple crop management steps that should be implemented first, such as wider crop placement, breeding more robust strains of produce and locating infected plants and promptly eliminating them to halt the infections from propagating.

The formal request provides the EPA about five years to answer. Previously, the agency outlawed a chemical in response to a parallel legal petition, but a legal authority reversed the regulatory action.

The agency can enact a restriction, or has to give a reason why it won’t. If the Environmental Protection Agency, or a subsequent government, does not act, then the coalitions can sue. The procedure could last over ten years.

“We’re playing the long game,” the expert stated.