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A recent legal petition from twelve public health and agricultural labor groups is demanding the US environmental regulator to stop authorizing the application of antibiotics on edible plants across the America, citing superbug spread and health risks to agricultural workers.

Farming Sector Uses Substantial Amounts of Antimicrobial Crop Treatments

The crop production applies around 8 million pounds of antibiotic and antifungal chemicals on US produce each year, with a number of these chemicals restricted in foreign countries.

“Annually Americans are at greater danger from dangerous microbes and diseases because pharmaceutical drugs are used on produce,” commented an environmental health director.

Superbug Threat Creates Serious Health Dangers

The overuse of antibiotics, which are critical for combating infections, as pesticides on crops endangers public health because it can lead to superbug bacteria. Likewise, excessive application of antifungal agent treatments can cause mycoses that are harder to treat with present-day pharmaceuticals.

• Drug-resistant illnesses sicken about 2.8m Americans and result in about 35,000 mortalities each year.
• Health agencies have connected “therapeutically critical antibiotics” approved for pesticide use to antibiotic resistance, greater chance of bacterial illnesses and increased risk of MRSA.

Environmental and Public Health Consequences

Furthermore, consuming antibiotic residues on produce can disrupt the digestive system and increase the likelihood of long-term illnesses. These chemicals also contaminate water sources, and are considered to affect pollinators. Often economically disadvantaged and Latino farm workers are most at risk.

Frequently Used Agricultural Antimicrobials and Industry Practices

Farms apply antimicrobials because they eliminate pathogens that can damage or kill crops. One of the popular agricultural drugs is a medical drug, which is commonly used in medical care. Data indicate approximately 125k lbs have been applied on American produce in a single year.

Citrus Industry Influence and Government Action

The formal request coincides with the regulator encounters demands to widen the use of medical antimicrobials. The bacterial citrus greening disease, transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, is severely affecting citrus orchards in southeastern US.

“I appreciate their critical situation because they’re in serious trouble, but from a public health perspective this is definitely a clear decision – it should not be allowed,” Donley stated. “The key point is the massive challenges created by spraying medical drugs on edible plants significantly surpass the agricultural problems.”

Other Solutions and Long-term Outlook

Advocates propose basic crop management actions that should be implemented first, such as wider crop placement, developing more hardy types of produce and locating sick crops and quickly removing them to stop the infections from spreading.

The petition provides the EPA about half a decade to answer. In the past, the agency outlawed a pesticide in response to a parallel formal request, but a legal authority overturned the regulatory action.

The regulator can implement a ban, or has to give a reason why it won’t. If the regulator, or a future administration, declines to take action, then the groups can sue. The legal battle could require over ten years.

“We’re playing the extended strategy,” the advocate stated.