Concern Over Growing Use Of Pesticides

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32166, 9 December 1969, Page 11

Concern Over Growing Use Of Pesticides

WASHINGTON. Every year the lands, crops and foliage of the United States are doused with 800 million pounds of synthetic organic pesticides.

If this annual national “consumption" were distributed evenly—which it is not —the total would amount to 220 pounds a square mile of territory, including city and country, lakes and rivers. More than 300 organic pesticidal chemicals are in use in literally thousands of different formulations.

There is hardly any doubt that chemicals have been a big factor in achieving the near miracles of production and food quality that are the particular pride of American agriculture. Pesticides have also made large contributions to human health throughout the world by helping eradicate disease-bearing insects and other pests. Use Curbed But there is also little doubt that the increasing use of chemical pesticides is becoming a matter of concern to many. On October 29, reflecting this, the Government took strong steps to curb the use of one chemical, the herbide called 2,4, 5-T. A recent report of the American Chemical Society noted that American production of all pesticide chemicals rose 18 per cent from 1965 to 1967. Traces of at least one pesticide, D.D.T., can be found in water, soil, air and in the fat tissues of virtually all living persons. There is no evidence that these minute traces have been directly harmful to man, but there is clear evidence that excessive pesticide use

is harmful to wildlife. In large quantities many pesti- > tides are also poisonous to > man. ' Action Taken

Although herbicides control plant rather than insect life, they are generally lumped with insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides under the label pesticide. Studies done by the bionetics research laboratories indicated that offspring of mice and rats given relatively large doses of 2,4, 5-T during pregnancy suffered a greater number of birth defects than would be normally expected. Responding to this, Dr Lee A. Dußridge, science adviser to the President and executive secretary of the President’s Environmental Quality Council, announced action affecting several Federal agencies. Included were the Departments of Agriculture; Health, Education and Welfare; Interior; Defence—and even State, which took on the iob of advising other nations on the American actions and making available the technical data on which the actions rest. Many Agencies In sum, the actions amounted to sharply restricted use, not outright ban. The episode illustrated the fact that many Government agencies are concerned, in complex multiple ways, with overseeing the use of pesticides. A Federal spokesman explained that the announcement came from Dr Dußridge because of his role in the President’s Environmental Quality Council, established in June as a result of increasing concern over environmental problems. It is primary members include the President and Vice President, Dr Dußridge and six Cabinet officers—the heads of the Departments of H.E.W., Housing

and Urban Development; Transportation; Agriculture; Interior, and Commerce. Agriculture has the primary responsibility for registering and authorising the use of pesticides after the manufacturers demonstrate the compounds* efficacy and safety when used as intended. The Food and Drug Administration, a unit of H.E.W., has the responsibility for ruling on the acceptability of traces of any pesticides chemical in food or its raw materials. Many other agencies become involved through their own programmes in which pesticides are used or through their responsibilities for safeguarding the environment For example, the Department of Transportation could be involved through programmes using herbicides to control weed growth along airport runways. Interior is very much involved through its concern for wildlife and preservation of the environment

Monitoring Role And another interagency group, on which the Federal users of pesticides are represented, plays a co-ordinating role in the important area of monitoring. This rather pub-licity-shy group is the Federal Committee on Pest Control. It originated during the Kennedy Administration. The committee has an advisory role oh many aspects of pesticide use and seems to serve as a gentle catalyst to get things done by the Federal agencies involved. In the field of monitoring it is responsible for a programme that checks pesticide presence in soil, water, the estuaries, food for humans and feed for animals and in people. It is just developing an effort to monitor pesticides In the air.

Despite such activities by the Federal Government and by state and local agencies as well, many conservationists and health workers believe that not enough is being done rapidly enough in controlling man’s use of these poisonous chemicals within the United

States. A week ago, several major conservation groups asked the Government to ban D.D.T. as dangerous both to man and wildlife. At least one foreign country, Sweden, has already taken such action.— Copyright. “New York Times” News Service.