Chlorpyrifos Pesticide Ban Approaches in California

In October of last year, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) announced that virtually all uses of the pesticide known as chlorpyrifos would be banned in the state after December 31, 2020.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide, acaricide and miticide used primarily to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests on a variety of food and feed crops. It has been used in both agricultural and non-agricultural areas since 1965. Chlorpyrifos is sold as a liquid, granules, water dispersible granules, wettable powders and water soluble packets.

This summer, the Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos Work Group, which was convened by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to evaluate potential alternatives to the pesticide, released their report. Towards Safer and More Sustainable Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos: An Action Plan for California identifies:

• Nonchemical and synthetic alternatives for growers and the relative toxicities of the alternative pesticides
• Biopesticide alternatives to chlorpyrifos derived from natural materials
• A five-year action plan to strategically manage pests using safer, less-toxic alternatives

“According to the Environmental Protection Agency, chlorpyrifos can cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans at high enough doses, meaning it can overstimulate the nervous system causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and at very high exposures, respiratory paralysis and even death,” said Joseph Frasca, LA Testing’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Exposure to pesticides can cause harm to not only workers, but also potentially to residents living in areas of use, and directly to the environment. This is why LA Testing offers industrial hygiene and environmental laboratory testing services to identify chlorpyrifos and many other organophosphate pesticides.”

To learn more about testing for pesticides or other environmental, health and safety issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: : AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail