EPA, Bayer agree to phase out pesticide

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The manufacturer of the crop pesticide aldicarb has agreed to end its use in the United States, as it no longer meets food safety standards, officials said.

Bayer CropScience reached the agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after a risk assessment conducted by the agency found aldicarb, an N-methyl carbamate insecticide, no longer meets the agency's rigorous food safety standards and may pose unacceptable dietary risks, especially to infants and young children, an EPA release said Tuesday.

In toxicological studies, aldicarb at levels higher than those typically found in food had the potential to cause sweating, nausea, dizziness and blurred vision, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, the EPA said.

Bayer has agreed first to end aldicarb use on citrus and potatoes and will adopt risk mitigation measures for other uses to protect groundwater resources.

The company will voluntarily phase out production of aldicarb by Dec. 31, 2014. All remaining aldicarb uses will end no later than August 2018.

Aldicarb is s a systemic insecticide marketed solely as a granular pesticide under the trade name Temik.

During the phase-out, the pesticide will continue to be registered for use on cotton, dry beans, peanuts, soybeans, sugar beets and sweet potatoes, the EPA said.