As the campaign against herbicides containing glyphosate continues, another shot over the bow was fired upon the agri-chemical industry when the European Union announced plans to ban the use of chlorothalonil among its member countries.
The ban from member countries came after a report submitted by the European Food Safety Authority claiming chlorothalonil poses health and environmental concerns. Those who oppose the decision say the pending ban is overly precautionary.
The EFSA report claims that chlorothalonil is a threat to aquatic life, amphibians and even bumblebees. The report cited a Cornell University study that linked fungicides to pollinator decline. The EU also is considering a ban on neonicotinoid insecticides, that also are blamed for contributing to declines in pollinator populations.
Chlorothalonil has been registered for use in the United States since 1966 and in Europe since 1964, and since then has been one of the most widely used fungicides in agriculture and turf because of its multi-site mode of action and thus its low potential for resistance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency periodically reviews older chemistries, and chlorothalonil had been off patent for years and was an active ingredient in 210 fungicide products when the EPA reregistered it in 1998.
The EU's decision was prompted by agricultural and environmental factors, and users there can continue to use chlorothalonil until existing supplies are exhausted, a period which is expected to stretch into 2020, according to reports.
Chlorothalonil is known as an eye and skin irritant. It is a potential carcinogen in humans but has not been linked directly to any cases of cancer in people.
The decision is another reminder that users here should consider advocating for continued use of such products that fall under such intense scrutiny and that their efforts should focus on responsible pesticide use before access to such products is restricted or banned. To that end, growers throughout the EU have said the ban will result in increased crop failure, rising food costs and a growing threat of resistance to other fungicides. For example, the National Farmers Union in the United Kingdom says the cost of wheat production could increase by as much as 12 percent.
The news in the EU comes on the heels of repeated attacks of glyphosate use that culminated with the city of Miami approving a resolution to ban the use of herbicides containing glyphosate on city property.
