Chlorpyrifos: Damaging You and Bees

Over the past year, chlorpyrifos, a synthetic chemical, has been popping up consistently in the news. First, with the chemical linked to bee colony collapse disorder. Now, with new research: according to a study from the New Zealand’s University of Otago, bees suffer severe learning and memory impairment after ingesting small amounts of chlorpyrifos. The chemical was also linked to development and neurological issues after exposure in fetuses, infants, children, and pregnant women.

Even though this synthetic pesticide is now applied on crops throughout the world, Dow Chemical originally developed chlorpyrifos as a chemical weapon in World War II. Now, over 5 million pounds are sold to commercial farmers every year in the United States alone.

This has led to unprecedented distribution and application of this dangerous chemical. In 2012, research from the University of California at Berkeley showed that 87% of umbilical-cord blood samples studied had traces of chlorpyrifos. Since this synthetic chemical has been shown to negatively impair brain development in fetuses, we are actively applying a dangerous chemical to our food and the environment that not only damages our health, but also the health of future generations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), despite many industry specialists advocating for the complete ban of chlorpyrifos, decided to allow the chemical’s use in commercial agriculture. When brought before the US Senate last month, the director of the EPA offered no supporting data to defend his decision, claiming instead he had relied on “interagency dialogue.” The next review of chlorpyrifos will not take place until 2022.

With the reversal of the decision to ban chlorpyrifos, this synthetic chemical will continue to permeate our environment and our bodies unless we make a change! That change needs to be a shift in thinking and practices to organic, sustainable agricultural methods, instead of the dangerous reliance on synthetic agrochemicals seen in conventional agriculture today. By using sustainable methods, like neem-based pesticides and fertilizers, we can feed the world with nutritious, organic food that has no adverse side effects.