Cdn Govt to Review Pesticide Use Including 2-4-D



B. McPherson
One might ask why two poisons are now being sprayed on our food crops.
While the federal officials would say that routine reviews are done on pesticides the cynic would say that they were pressured into it by the Ecojustice Foundation. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency has announced that they will review the safety of 383 products that contain 23 active ingredients. These are chemicals currently in use in Canada.

While many of these chemicals have exotic sounding names, one, 2,4-D is familiar to farmers and householders alike. It is used on golf courses and GM food crops to kill broadleaf plants. This plant hormone causes broad leafed plants to outgrow their roots. This is the major ingredient in Agent Orange. It has become the go to chemical to kill broad leaf weeds. According to the American EPA, the annual usage in that country is 46 million pounds of 2, 4-D.

While the links between 2,4-D exposure  and cancer, kidney failure, spontaneous abortions, developmental difficulties, neurotoxicity are not definite in humans, they have been shown in lab animals.

Many people do not understand that there are some close metabolic links between animals and plants. 2,4-D is a hormone. Many women going through menopause are advised to consume soy products because they carry phytoestrogens(plant estrogens). So there is the very real possibility that spraying those pesky dandelions in your beautiful lawn with this chemical is endangering the health of you, your kids and the family pet. Whether it is long term sub chronic exposure or acute exposure, this chemical needs to be treated with respect.

Do not confuse this poison with that other common poison glyphosate(Roundup) the links to cancer and birth defects are even more established here.

Less well known, but commonly used pesticides being reviewed are Bromoxynil, carbaryl, chlorthal-dimethyl, trifluralin, trichlorfon.

Further reading: PAN Pesticides, EPA 


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