🔗 Share this article Environmental Protection Agency Pressured to Prohibit Application of Antibiotics on US Food Crops Amidst Superbug Fears A recent legal petition from twelve health advocacy and agricultural labor groups is calling for the EPA to discontinue allowing the application of antimicrobial agents on food crops across the America, highlighting superbug development and illnesses to agricultural workers. Farming Industry Applies Large Quantities of Antimicrobial Crop Treatments The crop production uses around 8m lbs of antimicrobial and fungicidal treatments on American plants annually, with many of these agents prohibited in foreign countries. “Each year Americans are at greater threat from harmful pathogens and infections because pharmaceutical drugs are used on produce,” stated Nathan Donley. Superbug Threat Poses Major Health Dangers The excessive use of antimicrobial drugs, which are critical for treating human disease, as pesticides on fruits and vegetables endangers community well-being because it can result in antibiotic-resistant pathogens. In the same way, overuse of antifungal agent pesticides can lead to fungal infections that are less treatable with currently available medicines. Treatment-resistant infections affect about 2.8 million people and cause about thirty-five thousand mortalities per year. Public health organizations have linked “therapeutically critical antibiotics” authorized for agricultural spraying to treatment failure, greater chance of pathogenic diseases and higher probability of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Ecological and Health Effects Additionally, ingesting chemical remnants on produce can alter the intestinal flora and raise the likelihood of chronic diseases. These agents also pollute aquatic systems, and are believed to damage bees. Typically economically disadvantaged and Latino agricultural laborers are most at risk. Common Antibiotic Pesticides and Industry Methods Growers use antimicrobials because they kill bacteria that can damage or wipe out plants. One of the popular agricultural drugs is streptomycin, which is often used in clinical treatment. Estimates indicate up to 125,000 pounds have been applied on domestic plants in a one year. Citrus Industry Pressure and Regulatory Response The formal request is filed as the regulator encounters demands to expand the utilization of human antibiotics. The citrus plant illness, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, is devastating citrus orchards in southeastern US. “I recognize their urgent need because they’re in difficult circumstances, but from a public health point of view this is definitely a clear decision – it must not occur,” the advocate said. “The key point is the enormous problems created by using pharmaceuticals on produce far outweigh the agricultural problems.” Alternative Solutions and Future Prospects Specialists suggest straightforward crop management measures that should be tried first, such as increasing plant spacing, breeding more robust varieties of plants and identifying sick crops and rapidly extracting them to stop the diseases from spreading. The petition allows the Environmental Protection Agency about five years to respond. Several years ago, the regulator outlawed a chemical in answer to a comparable formal request, but a court blocked the agency's prohibition. The regulator can enact a prohibition, or must give a justification why it refuses to. If the regulator, or a subsequent government, does not act, then the coalitions can sue. The process could require many years. “We are pursuing the prolonged effort,” Donley concluded.