Dangers Associated with Herbicides

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring brought environmental science and conservation was a catalyst of the environmental movement that emerged in the 1960’s. The book exposed the dangers of herbicides, pesticides and agricultural chemicals that cause harm to flora and fauna alike. Carson’s work exposed that the chemical companies were not as transparent with the dangers associated with agricultural chemicals as these chemical manufacturing companies led the general public to believe.

An Excerpt in Silent Spring exemplifies the dangers associated with agricultural chemicals:

“A Who’s Who of pesticides is therefore of concern to us all. If we are going to live so intimately with these chemicals eating and drinking them, taking them into the very marrow of our bones – we had better know something about their nature and their power.”

Since the publication of Silent Spring progress has been made with regards to government oversight, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  and studies regarding the true costs associated with chemicals used to assist agriculture and minimize floral and faunal pests that can damage or destroy crops.

While the EPA, regulations and oversight entities have helped minimize the volume of dangerous products available to the public -and reducing access to the most dangerous products – herbicides, pesticides and chemicals are used regularly.

While many of these chemicals are used under the proper conditions and directions, risks still exist for individuals in close contact with agricultural chemicals. They also increase risk of certain birth injuries and ailments for civilians not in the agricultural community.

Several instances of government entities and manufacturers over the years have led the public to believe that their products were much safer than the reality of the existing dangers

Monsanto

Monsanto is the parent company of Roundup and was one of the manufacturers of Agent Orange.

Agent Orange

In the 1960’s and early 1970’s, Monsanto, one of the nine manufacturers of Agent Orange, manufactured chemicals used in Operation Ranch Hand as herbicide chemicals in South East Asia. South Vietnamese and American politicians alike claimed that defoliants were legal and an accepted tactic of war since the British had used Agent Orange in the Malayan peninsula in the 1950’s.

South Vietnamese and the United States failed to report the dangers of these herbicides, health impacts and birth defects that the rainbow herbicides (including Agent Orange, Agent Pink, Agent Purple, Agent Blue and Agent White) had on flora and fauna in the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia especially in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. As part of The United States’ defoliant and herbicidal warfare campaign to clear out jungle in an effort to minimize movement by the VietCong during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. More than twenty million gallons of herbicide was dropped on the jungles causing catastrophic damage to the environment as well as serious health issues and birth defects for Vietnamese soldiers, American soldiers and future generations to follow.

Both American and Vietnamese soldiers sued as part of class action lawsuits to hold the manufacturer responsible for the death, and damage caused. Vietnam claims that the usage of Vietnam caused more than 400,000 deaths as a result of cancer and other ailments caused by this herbicide- 150,000 children were born with birth defects.

However, Monsanto has stated that the company should not be liable for damages associated with injuries and deaths from this herbicide. Spokeswomen Jill Montgomery stated “We are sympathetic with people who believe they have been injured and understand their concern to find the cause, but reliable scientific evidence indicates that Agent Orange is not the cause of serious long-term health effects”

The 20th century’s legal troubles would extend into the 21st century, albeit, with a different herbicide.

Roundup

Roundup is the most commonly used weed killer in history. This herbicide has been linked to cancer and several class action lawsuits have been filed resulting from Roundup’s link to non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Glyphosate is one of the main ingredients used by Monsanto in Roundup. Glyphosate has been linked to cancer and with an increase of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 41%.

Monsanto continues to claim that Roundup weed killer is safe for use, and refutes the evidence that correlates cancer to glyphosate.

Paraquat

Paraquat is an organic compound that has been utilized regularly in herbicides. This highly toxic substance has been linked to serious ailments, including Parkinson’s disease.

This chemical was first produced for commercial purposes in 1961 and has been sprayed on crops including corn, soy and corn. Although this chemical was reapproved by the EPA in the United States in October 2020, several other geo-political entities including the European Union, Brazil and China have banned the chemical.  Reports by the EPA have stated that three drops of paraquat, “can be fatal, and there is no antidote.”

Agricultural and commercial workers are highly prone to suffering the ill effects of paraquat and farmers and ranchers that have used it can be exposed over time to neurological disorders.