Together we can realize a future that is free of biocides…
What is a biocide?
A chemical substance designed to kill living organisms.
2, 4-D is one of the most widely-used biocides.
2,4-D is:
An environmental health issue,
An environmental justice issue,
A biodiversity issue.
It is everyone’s issue.
How 2,4-D works:
2,4-D kills plants by changing how certain cells grow.
2,4-D targets broadleaf plants (dicots), leaving behind monocot-dominated grass-scapes [1].
After application, 2,4-D travels to the meristems of the target plant causing uncontrollable and lethal overgrowth [1].
2,4-D is made using oil.
In general, biocides like 2,4-D are “synthesized from petroleum” [2].
2,4-D is an environmental health issue:
2,4-D is an “agent of global change,” meaning that is a human-made substance that is growing exponentially with human activity. However, much remains unknown about 2,4-D, including whether or not it causes cancer in people [3].
2,4-D is an environmental justice issue.
Historically, agricultural workers have been disproportionately affected [4,5]. This remains true, yet the applications of 2,4-D have continued to expand. 2,4-D is used in every ecosystem type: it is used in agriculture, in lawns, on roadsides, in ponds, and in forests [6].
2,4-D is a biodiversity issue:
2,4-D is “toxic to birds and mammals” [6]. Additionally, one of the chemical forms of 2,4-D “can be highly toxic” to marine life [6].
2,4-D is everyone’s issue.
One in three people in the U.S. have detectable levels of 2,4-D in their urine [7]. Yet, 2,4-D usage is increasing. The amount applied in agriculture increased by “67% between 2012 and 2020” [7].
What can be done?
Beyond Pesticides, Re:wild Your Campus, and Kiss the Ground are working towards a better future.
Beyond Pesticides:
This DC-based nonprofit is equipping its supporters to advance organic policies. Each week, they share a concrete action you can take to “have your voice heard.”
Re:wild Your Campus:
This youth-led nonprofit is helping school grounds “go organic.” Students can join their supportive, nationwide network of changemakers.
Kiss the Ground:
This LA-based nonprofit promotes regenerative agriculture, a farming philosophy that works in harmony with nature. Looking to support herbicide-free producers? Kiss the Ground has you covered.
Sources
[1] “2,4-D General Fact Sheet.” National Pesticide Information Center, 2009. http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/24Dgen.html.
[2] Jungers, Gérald, Florence Portet-Koltalo, Julie Cosme, and Gilles-Eric Seralini. “Petroleum in Pesticides: A Need to Change Regulatory Toxicology.” Toxics 10, no. 11 (November 6, 2022): 670. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10110670.
[3] CDC: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “2,4-D -- ToxFaqs.” https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts210.pdf, 2024.
[4] Gordon, Robert. “Poisons in the Fields: The United Farm Workers, Pesticides, and Environmental Politics.” Pacific Historical Review 68, no. 1 (February 1, 1999): 51–77. https://doi.org/10.2307/3641869.
[5] Porter, Jayson Maurice. Rings of Fire: Arsenic Cycles Through Racism and Empire in the Americas., February 1, 2024. https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/rings-of-fire/.
[6] Environmental Protection Agency. “Ingredients Used in Pesticide Products: 2,4-D.” https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/24-d, 2024.
[7] Freisthler, Marlaina S., C. Rebecca Robbins, Charles M. Benbrook, Heather A. Young, David M. Haas, Paul D. Winchester, and Melissa J. Perry. “Association between Increasing Agricultural Use of 2,4-D and Population Biomarkers of Exposure: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2014.” Environmental Health 21, no. 1 (February 10, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-021-00815-x.