Cancer Risks Prompt Proposal to Curb Use of Pesticide EBDC
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency called for curbs Monday on the pesticide EBDC, saying widespread use of the chemical on scores of crops from apples to tomatoes poses an unreasonable cancer risk.
The EPA proposed eliminating the use of the EBDC family of fungicides on 45 crops, but said its continued use on another 10 food products, including grapes, onions and cranberries, “do not present an unreasonable risk†to consumers.
The proposed restrictions would eliminate from agricultural use about 80% to 90% of the estimated 18 million pounds of EBDCs that are sold annually in the United States, according to government and industry officials.
EBDCs, or ethylene bisdithiocarbamate, are a group of pesticides that have been used since the 1930s to control fungi and protect a wide variety of food crops against damage from mold, mildew and fungal diseases. The group includes the specific fungicides maneb, mancozeb and metiram.
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