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A newly filed regulatory appeal from a dozen public health and farm worker organizations is urging the EPA to cease authorizing the spraying of antibiotics on edible plants across the US, citing superbug spread and illnesses to agricultural workers.

Farming Sector Sprays Millions of Pounds of Antimicrobial Crop Treatments

The farming industry applies around 8 million pounds of antimicrobial and fungicidal pesticides on American food crops every year, with many of these chemicals banned in foreign countries.

“Annually the public are at elevated risk from harmful bacteria and infections because pharmaceutical drugs are applied on produce,” stated Nathan Donley.

Antibiotic Resistance Presents Serious Health Threats

The widespread application of antibiotics, which are critical for combating infections, as agricultural chemicals on fruits and vegetables jeopardizes community well-being because it can lead to superbug bacteria. Likewise, overuse of antifungal pesticides can create mycoses that are more resistant with existing pharmaceuticals.

• Treatment-resistant illnesses impact about 2.8 million Americans and cause about thirty-five thousand deaths each year.
• Regulatory bodies have linked “clinically significant antimicrobials” permitted for agricultural spraying to antibiotic resistance, greater chance of staph infections and higher probability of antibiotic-resistant staph.

Environmental and Health Consequences

Meanwhile, ingesting drug traces on produce can disrupt the human gut microbiome and increase the likelihood of chronic diseases. These agents also pollute drinking water supplies, and are considered to harm pollinators. Often economically disadvantaged and minority field workers are most exposed.

Common Agricultural Antimicrobials and Agricultural Methods

Agricultural operations apply antibiotics because they eliminate bacteria that can harm or kill produce. Among the popular antibiotic pesticides is streptomycin, which is often used in medical care. Figures indicate as much as significant quantities have been applied on domestic plants in a annual period.

Citrus Industry Influence and Government Action

The petition coincides with the Environmental Protection Agency encounters demands to widen the application of human antibiotics. The crop infection, transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, is destroying citrus orchards in southeastern US.

“I appreciate their critical situation because they’re in dire straits, but from a broader point of view this is certainly a obvious choice – it should not be allowed,” the expert said. “The bottom line is the massive problems created by spraying human medicine on edible plants far outweigh the agricultural problems.”

Alternative Solutions and Long-term Outlook

Specialists suggest simple farming steps that should be tested initially, such as increasing plant spacing, breeding more hardy varieties of plants and detecting infected plants and quickly removing them to halt the pathogens from propagating.

The petition provides the Environmental Protection Agency about 5 years to answer. Several years ago, the organization prohibited chloropyrifos in response to a similar formal request, but a legal authority overturned the agency's prohibition.

The organization can enact a ban, or must give a reason why it will not. If the regulator, or a subsequent government, fails to respond, then the coalitions can sue. The procedure could last more than a decade.

“We’re playing the prolonged effort,” the advocate concluded.