Brain-damaging Pesticide Has To Go!

The Safe Food Campaign applauds the call for submissions by the Environmental Protection Authority NZ (EPA) on a proposed ban of the insecticide chlorpyrifos, which has already been banned in 39 countries. The EPA has instigated this because of "new information about health and environmental risks", and is calling for submissions, especially from those who use this insecticide by 12 February.

“We applaud the EPA for judging the sprayer applicator and environmental risks to be too high to continue using the controversial insecticide,” said Alison White, Co-convenor of the Safe Food Campaign.

“However it is not just horticultural and agricultural workers who are at risk. The continued use of this brain-damaging pesticide is putting everyone at risk – and particularly children and babies in the womb – because of pesticide residues in food.”

Chlorpyrifos (and its chemical cousin chlorpyrifos-methyl) is found in a wide range of food in New Zealand, including baby food, raisins, peanut butter, anything containing wheat, frozen mixed berries, grapes, tomatoes, avocados, pears, mandarins, a range of summer fruit, broccoli and various green vegetables.

The Safe Food Campaign presented a petition to parliament in February 2023, asking for the insecticide to be banned and to use a provision in the HSNO Act for an immediate ban while the insecticide is being reassessed.

“A study has shown New Zealand children have high levels of this insecticide in their bodies compared to children overseas,” Ms White said, “and this is likely to come from food.”

“The evidence of harm to the prenatal brain, pubertal development, sperm production and neurotoxicity is alarming: chlorpyrifos, even in minute quantities such as is found in food, can cause this damage to those exposed, especially pregnant women, children and young adults.”

Chlorpyrifos in food is unsafe for ALL POPULATIONS, a US EPA reassessment of the insecticide concluded in 2016. The highest risk is for children aged 1–2 years old, with exposure levels in the USA 14,000% above the safety threshold for food.

Residues of chlorpyrifos have been found in the environment right around the world, including New Zealand. It has been detected in water, soil, sediment, crops, air, and also in the Southern Alps, the Arctic and Antarctica. Chlorpyrifos has been detected in 83% of NZ streams measured, with the chlorpyrifos concentration being higher than other pesticides. The highest levels found were in the Waikato. Adverse effects on bees and fish have been found in NZ.

Chlorpyrifos has been classified as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) under the United Nations Stockholm Convention because of its persistence, bioaccumulation, potential for long-range environmental transport and adverse effects, particularly on young children even at low levels. It is a signal to all countries to no longer use this pesticide. NZ’s continued use of this pesticide threatens its exports.

“We are pleased that our EPA is finally considering that this pesticide should no longer be used, and we urge them to issue a red alert for it, as they did for DCPA weedkillers in August this year. A much greater number of people are exposed to the brain-damaging chlorpyrifos, and babies in the womb especially are at risk,” said Ms White.

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