The national news agencies have been reporting on how the federal Environmental Protection Agency under an emergency has declared to stop use immediately DCPA pesticides.

Do you know what a pesticide is? Do you know the agency that is in charge of pesticides in the United States? Do you know the agency that enforces pesticide use in Ohio?

These are excellent questions and somewhat confusing to answer. Back in June, I authored an article for the Sentinel-Tribune about the importance of reading the pesticide label.

A product is likely to be a pesticide if it makes a claim to prevent, kill, destroy, mitigate, remove, repel or any other similar action against any pest. A pest may be an insect, fungus, virus, plants, rodents, mammals, and birds. A great way to check if a product is a pesticide is to look for an EPA Registration number and an EPA establishment number. Yes, the federal EPA governs all pesticides in the United States of America. If a product does not have both these numbers on the attached label it is not a pesticide.

For a product to become pesticide product manufacturers conduct multiple tests about the pesticide and provides all data to the eederal EPA. The EPA reviews the data and may ask the manufacturer to have product tested by an independent university. Once the EPA approves all the data, they produce the pesticide label that goes on the pesticide product.

A common household item is toilet bowl cleaners. One of these cleaners make a claim that it kills 99.9% salmonella, strep, MRSA, and cold and flu viruses. Checking the label it indeed had the EPA registration number and establishment number. Other common indoor household items may include ant and mice control products. Outdoor products may include tick and mosquito repellants, weed killers, vegetable and lawn insect killers, and fungicides.

Like all things in horticulture there’s always exceptions. The Food and Drug Administration also oversees some products that makes claims. Some common products that the FDA oversees is hand sanitizers, antiseptic wipes, and antibacterial soaps. The FDA has its own labeling guidelines.

Another exception is not all toilet bowl cleaners are labeled the same. I did a household check in our home and looked at the toilet bowl cleaner. It said it cleans and deodorizes. It does not make any claims to control or kill anything.

Like our toilet bowl cleaner, bleach is another product that makes no claims about killing or controlling pests. Both products are not governed by the EPA or the FDA. Even though they are very harmful and dangerous if accidently swallowed or contact eyes and may cause dermal issues. However, these types of products are governed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission with its own labeling guidelines.

Are you confused yet?

Remember the original stop use immediately of DCPA pesticides? An emergency suspension of Dimethyl Tetrachloroterephthalte (DCPA), trade name Dacthal. As of Aug. 7, 2024, the federal EPA published an emergency order to suspend the registration of pesticide products containing dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), also known as chlorthal-dimethyl. This product with the trade name Dacthal is a pre-emergent herbicide. This herbicide labeled as a pesticide is used to control weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, but is primarily used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions. The rationale for the stop use immediately is due to unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to Dacthal, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, and these changes are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life, some of which may be irreversible.

The EPA gives the authority for enforcement of all pesticide labels and in this case the stop use immediately requirement to the state’s Department of Agriculture departments. An example is if someone uses Dacthal in Ohio after Aug. 7, the Ohio Department of Agriculture has full regulatory enforcement power to bring the user into compliance.

Regardless, if a product is labeled a pesticide or not, remember the gold standard rule: READ AND FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS ON THE LABEL!