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Your safety questions — answered

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Is 2,4-D harmful to human health?
2,4-D is an herbicide with a recognized safety profile and an established, decades-long record of regulatory review and approval. More than 90 regulatory bodies around the world that are charged with protecting human health and the environment have approved the safety of 2,4-D when used as directed – including Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).   

What about the presence of 2,4-D in human urine?
People can come into contact with 2,4-D in many ways, not just from agricultural use.  According to the EPA, 2,4-D does not stay in the human body.  2,4-D is flushed out of the human body through urine and if detected it is at levels literally thousands of times below what the EPA deems safe for humans – levels that have remained unchanged in the U.S. population for decades. More than 90 regulatory bodies around the world that are charged with protecting the human health and the environment have approved the safety of 2,4-D when used as directed.

Is 2,4-D a persistent chemical?
2,4-D is a biodegradable compound – not a persistent chemical – that breaks down quickly in the environment.

Is 2,4-D safe for the environment?
2,4-D meets all environmental safety standards when used as directed and helps farmers grow more food, keeping food costs down for consumers.  2,4-D has substantially increased no-till farming capabilities which lower greenhouse gas emissions and erosion.  Applying herbicides with multiple modes of action does not destroy the structure of the soil the way tillage does.

  Is 2,4-D safe for animals?
 2,4-D is not expected to harm animals when used as directed.

  • The U.S. EPA recently posted its final Biological Opinion on two major agricultural products containing 2,4-D ( following completion of the agency’s new process for complying with the Endangered Species Act.
    • This process determined that the use of these products, as specified in the approved product labels, are not likely to jeopardize any listed species or adversely modify their critical habitats.1
    • Additionally, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service concluded that this registration is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any species it analyzed.2

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1 https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-posts-final-endangered-species-act-biological-opinion-enlist-herbicide-products

2 https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0957-0055