image by: HWN

HWN Suggests

2,4-D: The Most Dangerous Pesticide You've Never Heard Of

One of the cheapest and most common weed killers in the country has a name you've probably never heard: 2,4-D. Developed by Dow Chemical in the 1940s, this herbicide helped usher in the clean, green, pristine lawns of postwar America, ridding backyards everywhere of aesthetic undesirables like dandelion and white clover. But 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, as it's known to chemists, has a less wholesome side. There's a growing body of scientific evidence that the chemical poses a danger to both human health and the environment.

read full article

Featured

 One in three Americans have detectable levels of toxic weedkiller, study finds

Human exposure to 2,4-D has substantially risen despite a multitude of health and environmental concerns. Exposure to high levels of 2,4-D, an ingredient of Agent Orange used against civilians during the Vietnam war, has been linked to cancers including leukemia in children, birth defects and reproductive problems among other health issues.

Articles of Interest

2,4-D: Concerns about cancer and other serious illnesses

Both glyphosate and 2,4-D have been linked to cancer and other health problems, and there is little known about the synergistic toxicity of these chemicals.

Agent Orange in Your Backyard: The Harmful Pesticide 2,4-D

2,4-D was invented in the chemical boom during World War II, making it one of the oldest pesticides that's still legally on the market today. It was one of the two active ingredients in Agent Orange, the notorious Vietnam War defoliant. Despite decades of scientific studies showing links to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in humans (and Canine Malignant Lymphoma in household dogs), this chemical survives and thrives as one of the top three pesticides sold in the United States today.

Resources

5 Things to Know About 2,4-D, the “Possibly” Cancer-Causing Herbicide

Use of the third most popular pesticide in the U.S. is predicted to grow dramatically in the next few years.

EPA

2,4-D is a widely used herbicide that controls broadleaf weeds that has been used as a pesticide since the 1940s. It is used in many places including turf, lawns, rights-of-way, aquatic sites, forestry sites, and a variety of field, fruit and vegetable crops. It may also be used to regulate the growth of citrus plants. Products are sold in liquid (concentrated or ready-to-use), dust, or granule formulations.