You might believe you’re promoting health by piling your plate with fruits and vegetables, yet experts caution that these nutritious staples could be tainted with carcinogenic chemicals.
According to the latest data from the US Geological Survey collected in 2019, farmers in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas have been utilizing high quantities of the toxic herbicide 2,4-D.
This chemical was once an active ingredient in Agent Orange, the defoliant used by American forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forests and crops, and it is now a commonly used herbicide for controlling weed growth near crops.
Farmers across the Midwest and southern states typically spray the pesticide over corn plants, soybeans, rice, wheat, hay, barley, oats, rye, sugarcane and tobacco.
Due to its ability to completely destroy vegetation, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified 2,4-D as a ‘possible human carcinogen’ in 2015.
The classification came as a result of multiple studies suggesting that high exposure to the herbicide could damage human cells and was seen to cause cancer in animals.
While direct exposure to Pesticide 2,4-D is rare for most Americans, the toxins from the herbicide can accumulate in the body through eating unwashed grains and other crops.
And while the chemical may only be used on crops in select states, the crops from those states are shipped nationwide – indicating that all Americans are at a risk.
Pesticide 2,4-D is a widely used herbicide that helps controls the growth of weeds such as clovers and dandelions around a variety of field, fruit and vegetable crops
David Goldsmith, an environmental epidemiologist at George Washington University in Washington, DC, said: ‘The public needs to be informed and vigilant about the use of herbicides, keeping them away from children and schools.’
He told Newsweek: ‘I am concerned if farmers or farmworkers are not using effective safety gear and thus may be excessively exposed via inhalation or skin contact.
‘I am also concerned that 2,4-D may contaminate drinking water sources. Although, I believe that there is a direct risk for people who buy produce from fields that have had 2,4-D used on them.’
Talking about why the herbicide was being heavily used only in certain states, Gurumurthy Ramachandran, director of the Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health noted that it was due to their particular type of produce.
He said: ‘The Midwest, Great Plains, and Northwestern US have the highest 2,4-D usage, largely because these regions are the primary producers of corn, soybeans, wheat, and other field crops that are commonly treated with 2,4-D.’
No usage of the toxic pesticide was seen in states such as California – known for producing artichokes, broccoli, carrots and lettuce – and states in the New England region.
Sparse use of 2,4-D was reported in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming – all known for producing onions, potatoes, carrots, lentils, sweet corn, beans, peppers and pumpkins.
The data also showed low use by farmers in Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, where agricultural produce is mostly focused on celery, peas, brussels sprouts, okra, radishes, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Shockingly, data from the CDC also shows that Kentucky has the high rates of cancer in the US – particularly lung, colon and pancreatic cancers – followed closely by Iowa and Louisiana.
Federal agencies across the US, including the Environmental Protection Agency, have deemed 2,4-D as safe for humans, despite research suggesting otherwise.
While not completely banned across the entire European Union, 2,4-D is heavily restricted and its use is significantly curtailed in many countries in the region.
In one such instance, the herbicide not been approved for use on lawns and gardens in countries like Denmark and Norway.
Due to its capacity to completely destroy vegetation, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified 2,4-D as a ‘possible human carcinogen’ in 2015
A 2022 BMC study found that one in three Americans had higher than acceptable levels of exposure to the toxic herbicide and were at the risk of leukemia in children, birth defects and reproductive problems in adults.
According to Natural Resources Defense Council, scientists have also previously found links between exposure to 2,4-D and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a form of blood cancer) and sarcoma (a soft-tissue cancer).
Additionally, the agency warned that high exposure to the herbicide can negatively alter the functioning of various hormones including estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormones – paving the way for the development for cancer.
Gerald LeBlanc, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, told Newsweek: ‘IARC has classified 2,4-D as a Group 2B carcinogen, which means that it is possibly carcinogenic to humans.
‘In my estimation, 2,4-D might cause cancer in humans, but only at unrealistically high exposure levels.’
However, it is possible that the herbicide can cause internal body damage over time if consumed through foods.
Toxins are often stored in fat tissues, organs such as the liver and kidneys and even within nerve cells and bone marrow when ingested.
An overload of harmful toxins in the body can eventually cause fatal damage to cells, tissue and crucial organs.
Ramachandran noted: ‘The issue is that pesticides can remain on or in food, and chronic dietary exposure has been linked to increased risks of metabolic syndrome, cancers, and other health problems.
‘They can also contaminate water, air, and soil, potentially affecting people living near treated fields or those exposed through drift and runoff.’
As a result, he advised Americans to ‘wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consumption; consider choosing organic produce to reduce dietary pesticide exposure, especially for children and pregnant women; and avoid entering fields or areas recently treated with pesticides and follow posted warnings.’
