Pesticides and environmental injustice in the USA: root causes, current regulatory reinforcement and a path forward

Abstract

Many environmental pollutants are known to have disproportionate effects on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as communities of low-income and wealth. The reasons for these disproportionate effects are complex and involve hundreds of years of systematic oppression kept in place through structural racism and classism in the USA. Here we analyze the available literature and existing datasets to determine the extent to which disparities in exposure and harm exist for one of the most widespread pollutants in the world - pesticides. Our objective was to identify and discuss not only the historical injustices that have led to these disparities, but also the current laws, policies and regulatory practices that perpetuate them to this day with the ultimate goal of proposing achievable solutions. Disparities in exposures and harms from pesticides are widespread, impacting BIPOC and low-income communities in both rural and urban settings and occurring throughout the entire lifecycle of the pesticide from production to end-use. These disparities are being perpetuated by current laws and regulations through 1) a pesticide safety double standard, 2) inadequate worker protections, and 3) export of dangerous pesticides to developing countries. Racial, ethnic and income disparities are also maintained through policies and regulatory practices that 4) fail to implement environmental justice Executive Orders, 5) fail to account for unintended pesticide use or provide adequate training and support, 6) fail to effectively monitor and follow-up with vulnerable communities post-approval, and 7) fail to implement essential protections for children. Here we've identified federal laws, regulations, policies, and practices that allow for disparities in pesticide exposure and harm to remain entrenched in everyday life for environmental justice communities. This is not simply a pesticides issue, but a broader public health and civil rights issue. The true fix is to shift the USA to a more just system based on the Precautionary Principle to prevent harmful pollution exposure to everyone, regardless of skin tone or income. However, there are actions that can be taken within our existing framework in the short term to make our unjust regulatory system work better for everyone.

Keywords: Agrochemicals; Children’s health; Classism; Environmental justice; Farmworkers; Pesticides; Racism; Regulation; Worker safety.

Fig. 1

The % BIPOC and % Low-income Population that Reside Near Pesticide Manufacturing Facilities that Have Violated Environmental Laws Compared to National and State Averages. The first column gives the Facility ID as found in EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database. The second and third columns provide the city and state the facility is located in. The fourth column indicates the environmental law(s) that the facility has violated: Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The fifth column provides the percent of people within one mile of the facility who do not identify as non-Hispanic, white (for the purposes of this Figure we have designated this population as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)). The sixth column provides the percent of people within one mile of the facility that have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. Columns 7–8 and columns 9–10 provide the national and relevant state averages of the percent of people who do not identify as non-Hispanic, white or have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. The bottom two rows compile the averages for each column for all facilities and facilities in California, Louisiana, South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Georgia, and Tennessee

Fig. 2

Average Urinary or Blood Pesticide/metabolite Concentrations in People of Various Demographic Groups in the USA. The first column identifies the class of the pesticide/metabolite. The second column identifies the specific pesticide/metabolite that was analyzed. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth columns contain the geometric mean of the urinary or serum concentrations of each pesticide/metabolite for the total population (Total Pop), whites, Blacks and Mexican Americans (Mexican Am), respectively. All values are urinary concentrations (non-creatinine adjusted) in μg/L for all pesticide/metabolite classes except “OC/legacy.” For the “OC/legacy” pesticide/metabolite class, values are serum concentrations in ng/g of lipid. The last column is the fold change between the pesticide/metabolite concentration in whites and the demographic group with the highest pesticide/metabolite concentration. The last row indicates the total number (and % of total) of pesticides/metabolites for which the concentration in the demographic group exceeded that of the total population

Fig. 3

High-end Urinary or Blood Pesticide/metabolite Concentrations in People of Various Demographic Groups in the USA. The first column identifies the class of the pesticide/metabolite. The second column identifies the specific pesticide/metabolite that was analyzed. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth columns contain the 95th percentile of the urinary or serum concentrations of each pesticide/metabolite for the total population (Total Pop), whites, Blacks and Mexican Americans (Mexican Am), respectively. All values are urinary concentrations (non-creatinine adjusted) in μg/L for all pesticide/metabolite classes except “OC/legacy.” For the “OC/legacy” pesticide/metabolite class, values are serum concentrations in ng/g of lipid. The last column is the fold change between the pesticide/metabolite concentration in whites and the demographic group with the highest pesticide/metabolite concentration. The last row indicates the total number (and % of total) of pesticides/metabolites for which the concentration in the demographic group exceeded that of the total population

Fig. 4

Export of Unregistered Pesticides to Different Nations Stratified by Wealth and % Workforce Poisoned. The first two bars represent the percentage of nations receiving import of unregistered pesticides containing any organophosphate (OP) or carbamate active ingredients from the USA. The first bar stratifies these nations by Gross National Income (GNI) – the two categories being high-income or low-to-middle income as defined by the World Bank. The second bar stratifies these nations by the percent of agricultural workers in each country that are estimated to experience an unintentional pesticide poisoning each year – the two categories being >30 and < 30%. The third and fourth bars represent the percentage of nations receiving import of unregistered pesticides containing prohibited organophosphate (OP) or carbamate active ingredients from the USA. The third and fourth bars are stratified identically to the first two bars. The only difference between “Unregistered Pesticides Containing any OP/Carbamate” and “Unregistered Pesticides Containing Prohibited OP/Carbamates” is that the former contain OP/Carbamates that are allowed for use in other, registered products in the USA while the latter contain OP/Carbamates that are completely banned for use in any product in the USA