Opposition Grows To 2,4-D Herbicide

A coalition of physicians and medical researchers is urging lawmakers to pressure EPA not to approve Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist Duo, a mixture of the herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate. The group discussed the human health and environmental risks of the mixture at a July 23 Capitol Hill briefing sponsored by the advocacy groups the Center for Food Safety and the Environmental Working Group. Last month, the coalition sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy claiming that 2,4-D has been linked to thyroid problems, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, low sperm count, and Parkinson’s disease. The group is also asking lawmakers to stop the Department of Agriculture from approving Dow’s corn and soybean seeds that have been genetically engineered to withstand the 2,4-D and glyphosate mixture. If approved, Enlist Duo would be used in combination with those seeds. Opponents argue that commercialization of 2,4-D-resistant corn and soybeans will lead to weeds that are resistant to both 2,4-D and glyphosate. The near-exclusive use of glyphosate by growers over the past 15 years has led to weeds that are resistant to that herbicide.