Poison in the Well
We like to follow up on what the “Pesticide Action Network” is doing to minimize environmental impacts. We are constantly shocked by what the United States allows when compared to other countries. Statistics always seem to tell the story better. Azatrine:
is found in 70% of water samples taken in the United States.
is the most used herbicide on corn crops, sugar cane, and Lawns in Florida and the south east.
was banned by the EU in 2004, even in the home country of its creation: Switzerland
is deadly to amphibians, causing reproductive harm
exposure has been linked to prostate and breast cancer
76.5 million pounds are used in the US annually
All of this makes you wonder why the US is still using it. Could it be the 50 plus meetings that the EPA and Syngenta (atrazine’s manufacturer) held? We need to stand up to protect ourselves.
The most interesting information out there about atrazine is that it has been used in the United States since 1958, yet all references to cancer, ecological damage, and reproductive harm is followed with “inadequate” information available to prove anything. Over 50 years of usage and we still don’t know how it affects our health or the health of our environment with any high level of certainty. Is anyone else concerned with the scenario of “spray first, test later”?
Please join the fight for a clean healthy environment for all and keep pushing for more testing. Join the pesticide action network: http://www.panna.org/
References:
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/atrazine.htm
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts153.html
