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A fresh legal petition from a dozen public health and farm worker groups is calling for the EPA to cease permitting the spraying of antimicrobial agents on edible plants across the US, citing superbug spread and illnesses to agricultural workers.

Farming Sector Applies Millions of Pounds of Antibiotic Crop Treatments

The farming industry uses approximately 8m lbs of antibiotic and antifungal pesticides on American plants each year, with many of these substances banned in international markets.

“Annually Americans are at increased threat from dangerous bacteria and diseases because pharmaceutical drugs are used on plants,” stated a public health advocate.

Antibiotic Resistance Presents Serious Health Risks

The widespread application of antibiotics, which are vital for combating medical conditions, as crop treatments on produce threatens community well-being because it can cause antibiotic-resistant pathogens. In the same way, frequent use of antifungal pesticides can cause fungal infections that are less treatable with existing pharmaceuticals.

• Treatment-resistant illnesses affect about 2.8 million people and result in about thousands of deaths per year.
• Health agencies have connected “clinically significant antibiotics” permitted for pesticide use to antibiotic resistance, increased risk of pathogenic diseases and higher probability of antibiotic-resistant staph.

Environmental and Health Effects

Meanwhile, ingesting antibiotic residues on produce can disturb the human gut microbiome and raise the risk of chronic diseases. These chemicals also pollute drinking water supplies, and are considered to harm pollinators. Frequently poor and Latino agricultural laborers are most at risk.

Common Antibiotic Pesticides and Industry Practices

Agricultural operations apply antimicrobials because they eliminate bacteria that can damage or destroy produce. Among the most frequently used antimicrobial treatments is a common antibiotic, which is often used in clinical treatment. Estimates indicate up to significant quantities have been used on American produce in a single year.

Agricultural Sector Influence and Regulatory Action

The legal appeal is filed as the Environmental Protection Agency faces demands to widen the application of medical antimicrobials. The crop infection, carried by the vector, is devastating orange groves in the state of Florida.

“I recognize their desperation because they’re in difficult circumstances, but from a public health perspective this is absolutely a no-brainer – it cannot happen,” the advocate stated. “The fundamental issue is the massive problems generated by applying human medicine on edible plants far outweigh the farming challenges.”

Other Methods and Future Prospects

Experts propose simple farming actions that should be tried first, such as increasing plant spacing, developing more robust types of produce and identifying diseased trees and quickly removing them to prevent the infections from propagating.

The formal request allows the EPA about 5 years to answer. In the past, the agency prohibited a chemical in response to a similar formal request, but a legal authority reversed the regulatory action.

The agency can implement a prohibition, or is required to give a explanation why it won’t. If the regulator, or a future administration, does not act, then the coalitions can sue. The legal battle could take more than a decade.

“We are pursuing the long game,” Donley stated.