A known carcinogenic pesticide is still in use in California…and elsewhere
People who don’t live in California, and maybe some who do, think that the state is an uber-healthy place to live. However, California probably has just as many toxic areas and hazards as other states. From the Salton Sea, to wildfires and urban fires, to Valley Fever, to particulates in the Port of Long Beach area, you need to learn about what pollutants exist where you’re living. Surprisingly, a pesticide that is known developmental, neurologic and respiratory toxin is still in wide use across the state, even after U.S. government recommended the phaseout of methyl bromide (MeBr) in 2005. (Methyl bromide pesticide still widely used in California, raising health concerns)
Use of MeBr in farms in California largely ended in 2015, but exceptions have been allowed for the fumigation of freight containers and similar shipping needs; those uses continue to today. This shipping loophole causes much of the chemical to be concentrated in port areas like Long Beach and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Wilmington and San Pedro.
Researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health's Department of Environmental Health Sciences measured air levels of MeBr in a western Long Beach neighborhood that is home to an elementary school, 600 homes and parks, and is already ranked by the state as being in the top 25 percent of environmental hazards. They found that in 2023-24, the toxin level in the air was double the state’s recommendations (1.2 parts per billion) on average and even as high as 900 ppb on 2 occasions.
MeBr was used in 36 out of 58 counties across California from 2016-2022; these counties are home to more than 35 million people. The uses range from soil fumigation (agricultural growers inject MeBr about two feet into the ground to sterilize the soil before crops are planted) to nursery/greenhouse use, to shipping container fumigation. It dissipates rapidly into the air, so the highest concentrations are at the fumigation site, making it all the more concerning when high concentrations are measured in neighborhoods. Once released into the atmosphere, it also damages the earth’s ozone layer.
There are existing chemical and non-chemical alternatives to MeBr. For example, steam sterilization of soil is a viable alternative to using chemical fumigants for certain pests and soil types. Researchers are actively working to develop feasible, safer and economical alternatives to MeBr so that it can be phased out completely.
At high concentrations (most likely exposure for the fumigators), MeBr is corrosive to skin and eyes. It may also cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, malaise, confusion, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and skin, eye, and respiratory irritation. (Methyl Bromide (Technical Fact Sheet)) If the fumigant drifts to where children live, it may cause visits to the ER for asthma and respiratory-related illness. It is listed as an endocrine disrupting chemical by the EU. According to the California Proposition 65 List, methyl bromide has effects on reproduction and development. (Methyl Bromide)
The continued use of this fumigant by farmers and low-paid dock workers and overspill of MeBr into disadvantaged areas is another case of not protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Of course, we don’t want the pests, but at what cost do we want the products?
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash
