Chlorpyrifos was first introduced in 1965. But since its inception, studies have revealed the potentially harmful effects of chlorpyrifos on people, the planet, and animals. As such, it’s use in agriculture has become quite polarizing. While the EPA has delayed a ban on Chlorpyrifos, some states including Hawaii, California, New York, and (most recently) Oregon have created laws banning it. (CBS News) But for many farmers, the use of pesticides like chlorpyrifos can make or break a growing season. For many, especially larger growers, using pesticides can mean the difference between producing a high yield of healthy crops or losing them to disease. Such an event can be disastrous to their business, so many seek as much control over the growing process as possible.
What is Chlorpyrifos
Chlorpyrifos is a type of organophosphate insecticide used to control pests like termites, mosquitoes, and roundworms. In agriculture it’s used as a spray to protect a variety of food crops like corn, soybeans, fruit, nut trees, and other raw crops. Outside of agriculture it’s used to maintain golf courses, field turf, green houses, and even treat wooden utility posts or fences from termites. Many recognize it for its peculiar odor which smells like rotten eggs or garlic. (Christensen et al.)
What If This Pesticide is Found in the Water Supply?
Chlorpyrifos can be dangerous if ingested, touched, or inhaled. Once it’s in the body, it affects a person’s ability to use enzymes to send messages between nerve cells. Because of this, the nervous system cannot function properly resulting in symptoms varying anywhere from headaches and dizziness to convulsions and paralysis. In children it can even affect long-term brain development. (Hu)
Due to its widespread use in agriculture, there is a chance it can be found in water supplies. Although, few instances have been reported. The first is through soil. When Chlorpyrifos reaches soil after it’s sprayed on crops, it can take weeks to years for all of it to break down. It can runoff into streams or rivers and even get into groundwater. Chlorpyrifos is also known to travel long distances through air, which can eventually result in it coming in contact with water supplies and other household objects. To avoid contact during the application of the chemical, farmworkers wear protective suits and refrain from entering a treated field for 4-6 days afterwards.
How to Test for Chlorpyrifos
Testing for chlorpyrifos is important to keep it out of contact with people and animals. Methods include gathering air samples, examining residue (in sediment/soil), and sampling water. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al. #)
Chem Service offers Analytical Standards to Test for Chlorpyrifos
Chem Service produces organic and inorganic reference standards for research and testing including Chlorpyrifos. Certifications in ISO 90001:2015 and accredited to ISP/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 17034:2016 ensure you are receiving the highest quality product offered and know that the purity listed on your label is accurate and traceable.
Sources:
- CBS News. “California to ban controversial pesticide blamed for harming child brain development.” CBS, 8 May 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-bans-chlorpyrifos-pesticide-agriculture-state-child-brain-development/. Accessed 18 December 2020.
- Christensen, K., et al. “Chlorpyrifos General Fact Sheet.” National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University Extension Services, 2009, http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/chlorpgen.html. Accessed 18 December 2020.
- Hu, Xindi. “The Most Widely Used Pesticide, One Year Later.” Science in the News, Harvard University the Graduate School of Art and Sciences, 17 April 2018, http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/widely-used-pesticide-one-year-later/#:~:text=Chlorpyrifos%2C%20one%20of%20the%20most%20widely%20used%20pesticides&text=Introduced%20by%20Dow%20Chemical%20in,golf%20courses%20(Figure%201). Accessed 18 December 2020.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, et al. “Toxicological Profile for Chlorpyrifos.” 1995, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp84.pdf. Accessed 2020.
