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A recent legal petition from multiple health advocacy and farm worker organizations is urging the EPA to cease permitting the application of antimicrobial agents on edible plants across the US, highlighting superbug development and illnesses to farm laborers.

Farming Industry Sprays Large Quantities of Antibiotic Crop Treatments

The farming industry sprays about 8 million pounds of antibiotic and antifungal pesticides on US produce every year, with many of these chemicals restricted in international markets.

“Each year US citizens are at greater threat from toxic pathogens and infections because medical antibiotics are used on crops,” commented Nathan Donley.

Antibiotic Resistance Creates Serious Health Risks

The widespread application of antibiotics, which are essential for treating human disease, as agricultural chemicals on produce jeopardizes public health because it can result in superbug bacteria. Likewise, overuse of antifungal agent pesticides can create fungal diseases that are less treatable with existing pharmaceuticals.

• Antibiotic-resistant infections affect about 2.8 million individuals and result in about 35,000 deaths each year.
• Health agencies have associated “clinically significant antimicrobials” permitted for crop application to antibiotic resistance, greater chance of bacterial illnesses and increased risk of antibiotic-resistant staph.

Environmental and Public Health Impacts

Meanwhile, ingesting antibiotic residues on food can disturb the digestive system and elevate the risk of persistent conditions. These substances also taint water sources, and are considered to damage insects. Typically low-income and Hispanic agricultural laborers are most exposed.

Frequently Used Agricultural Antimicrobials and Agricultural Practices

Agricultural operations apply antibiotics because they kill microbes that can ruin or wipe out plants. Among the most common antibiotic pesticides is streptomycin, which is frequently used in medical care. Estimates indicate as much as 125k lbs have been sprayed on US crops in a single year.

Citrus Industry Influence and Regulatory Action

The petition is filed as the EPA experiences pressure to expand the utilization of human antibiotics. The crop infection, transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, is severely affecting citrus orchards in Florida.

“I understand their urgent need because they’re in difficult circumstances, but from a public health perspective this is absolutely a obvious choice – it must not occur,” the advocate stated. “The key point is the enormous problems generated by using pharmaceuticals on food crops significantly surpass the crop issues.”

Alternative Methods and Future Prospects

Advocates recommend simple agricultural measures that should be tested before antibiotics, such as wider crop placement, developing more hardy types of produce and identifying infected plants and rapidly extracting them to stop the pathogens from spreading.

The legal appeal gives the EPA about 5 years to act. Several years ago, the organization banned a pesticide in answer to a comparable regulatory appeal, but a court reversed the agency's prohibition.

The agency can impose a prohibition, or must give a justification why it won’t. If the regulator, or a future administration, declines to take action, then the organizations can file a lawsuit. The legal battle could require over ten years.

“We are engaged in the prolonged effort,” Donley remarked.