For the first time in nearly 40 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an emergency order to suspend all registrations of the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (also known as DCPA or Dacthal) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The agency said it took the action to protect unborn babies whose pregnant mothers were exposed to DCPA, noting they could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, which are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ and impaired motor skills later in life. “DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
