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A recent regulatory appeal from twelve health advocacy and farm worker organizations is urging the US environmental regulator to discontinue authorizing the application of antimicrobial agents on edible plants across the US, pointing to superbug spread and health risks to agricultural workers.

Farming Sector Sprays Large Quantities of Antimicrobial Crop Treatments

The crop production sprays about 8 million pounds of antimicrobial and fungicidal treatments on American produce every year, with many of these substances restricted in foreign countries.

“Annually US citizens are at increased danger from toxic pathogens and infections because human medicines are used on crops,” commented a public health advocate.

Superbug Threat Poses Serious Health Risks

The widespread application of antimicrobial drugs, which are critical for treating medical conditions, as crop treatments on produce threatens population health because it can lead to antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Likewise, excessive application of antifungal treatments can create fungal infections that are less treatable with existing pharmaceuticals.

• Drug-resistant illnesses affect about 2.8 million Americans and cause about 35,000 fatalities annually.
• Public health organizations have associated “medically important antibiotics” authorized for pesticide use to antibiotic resistance, greater chance of pathogenic diseases and increased risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Ecological and Public Health Consequences

Additionally, consuming antibiotic residues on crops can alter the human gut microbiome and raise the likelihood of chronic diseases. These chemicals also pollute water sources, and are thought to affect bees. Typically poor and minority agricultural laborers are most exposed.

Frequently Used Agricultural Antimicrobials and Agricultural Methods

Growers use antibiotics because they kill microbes that can damage or destroy plants. One of the most frequently used agricultural drugs is a common antibiotic, which is often used in clinical treatment. Estimates indicate as much as 125k lbs have been applied on American produce in a one year.

Citrus Industry Pressure and Regulatory Response

The formal request comes as the EPA experiences pressure to widen the utilization of human antibiotics. The citrus plant illness, carried by the insect pest, is destroying fruit farms in the state of Florida.

“I recognize their desperation because they’re in dire straits, but from a public health standpoint this is absolutely a obvious choice – it should not be allowed,” the advocate stated. “The fundamental issue is the massive issues generated by applying human medicine on edible plants significantly surpass the agricultural problems.”

Alternative Methods and Long-term Prospects

Experts propose straightforward crop management steps that should be implemented first, such as wider crop placement, developing more disease-resistant types of plants and locating sick crops and promptly eliminating them to halt the pathogens from spreading.

The petition provides the Environmental Protection Agency about half a decade to act. In the past, the organization outlawed chloropyrifos in reaction to a similar regulatory appeal, but a court blocked the EPA’s ban.

The regulator can impose a prohibition, or has to give a reason why it refuses to. If the EPA, or a subsequent government, does not act, then the groups can take legal action. The legal battle could last many years.

“We are engaged in the prolonged effort,” the advocate remarked.