The ban on acephate comes a week after a ProPublica investigation highlighted the EPA’s controversial finding that the bug killer doesn’t harm the developing brains of children.
The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a proposal this week to ban a controversial pesticide that is widely used on celery, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.
The EPA released its plan on Tuesday, nearly a week after a ProPublica investigation revealed the agency had laid out a justification for increasing the amount of acephate allowed on food by removing limits meant to protect children’s developing brains.
But rather than banning the pesticide, as the European Union did more than 20 years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed easing restrictions on acephate.
The federal agency’s assessment lays out a plan that would allow 10 times more acephate on food than is acceptable under the current limits. The proposal was based in large part on the results of a new battery of tests that are performed on disembodied cells rather than whole lab animals. After exposing groups of cells to the pesticide, the agency found “little to no evidence” that acephate and a chemical created when it breaks down in the body harm the developing brain, according to an August 2023 EPA document.
It's so nice of the US to offload corporate responsibility to individual citizens. None of the money of course. But you all need to do your part to keep the quarterly earnings up!
I'll sacrifice mine and my family's life to the line! All praise the line, line go up!
It depends on who you ask tbh. I looked this up a while back* (but less than a year ago) and science basically said that water + scrubbing certain produce is fine and recommended, and adding anything else doesn't really do much. I'll try to find the article I read.
*Just wanted to add that the reason I looked it up was because of a post my friend made on Facebook asking people how they prep their produce (and chicken) - way too many people said they do soap and water....
Edit: here is a guide from science from 2010 (PDF WARNING)
the agency had laid out a justification for increasing the amount of acephate allowed on food by removing limits meant to protect children’s developing brains.
That seems very very wrong, in a bad political machination sort of way. I hope they have scientific reasons and proof to backup that change.
The federal agency’s assessment lays out a plan that would allow 10 times more acephate on food than is acceptable under the current limits.
Wow, okay, that seems like a huge jump in quantity.
The proposal was based in large part on the results of a new battery of tests that are performed on disembodied cells rather than whole lab animals.
While I hate how animals are used for testing in general, when it comes to the safety of children, I still would want them to test/verify on animals, instead of just individual cells in the petri dish.
TL;DR: Wash those mofo veggies like crazy before eating, and pray, especially if you're pregnant or have young children about.
Yeah but the article is intentionally worded to provoke outrage. What if it was more like …..
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US EPA tested a common common pesticide and found little to no evidence of an impact on developing brains, so is relaxing restrictions on levels allowed on common fruit
Yeah but the article is intentionally worded to provoke outrage.
A lot of posting in communities online are like that, unfortunately.
But still, I highlighted the particular parts that do not seem to be argued, and seem to be accurate, actual facts. So I was able to respond to just those three facts.
US EPA tested a common common factor pesticide and found little to no evidence of an impact on developing brains, so is relaxing standards on levels allowed on common fruit
The fictional rewrite you did though does not talk to the points that I've highlighted (how it was tested, the changing quantity times amount, etc.).
So one could say it's obfuscating, and not ethical as well (AKA sales/propaganda).
US EPA tested a common common pesticide and found little to no evidence of an impact on developing brains, so is relaxing restrictions on levels allowed on common fruit
Probably because that wasn't what the EPA found because they did their tests on disembodied cells. There was zero testing on animals, which could/would have shown far different results.