Dursban

Dursban (chlorpyrifos), made by Dow Chemical Co., is one of the most toxic pesticides in existence. Dursban is known to be particularly harmful to children, and has been linked to serious neurological injuries and birth defects. Because of these dangers, most home and garden uses of Dursban were banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2000. However, that ban did not eliminate the danger posed by Dursban, as its use was permitted until stockpiles ran out. Shockingly, Dursban is still legally available in the U.S. for some purposes today.

Dow has a long history of misrepresenting the safety of Dursban. This deception allowed millions of children to be exposed to this dangerous chemical, and many suffered serious and debilitating neurological injuries. A number of lawsuits have been filed over the years against Dow Chemical that seek justice for victims of Dursban injuries. If you or someone you love suffered an illness that could be the result of Dursban exposure, you may be eligible to file a similar lawsuit.

Our Dursban lawyers are offering free consultations to anyone poisoned by Dursban. If you think exposure to this pesticide made you or a loved one ill, we want to hear from you today. Please contact one of our Dursban injury lawyers right away to protect your legal rights.

Dursban is an organophosphate pesticide that kills by attacking the nervous system. Such chemicals were first developed in the 1930s by the Nazi regime as chemical weapons. Dow Chemical began selling Dursban as a pesticide in 1965. Dursban is used for killing termites, cockroaches, ants, fleas and other insects.

Prior to the EPA’s phase out, Dursban was the most widely used household pesticide in the U.S., and could be found in more than 800 varieties of lawn, garden, household and termite products. It was widely used in new construction prior to foundation construction. It was also used to treat agricultural products.

Dursban is known to cause human and animal birth defects. It can cause profound growth and mental retardation when pregnant mothers are exposed. It also appears to cause lower birth weights of infants if mothers are exposed before and during pregnancy, something that is associated with lower IQs. Low-level exposure to Dursban is harmful to fish, birds, plants and animals. It damages the endocrine and immune systems.

Plaintiffs in Dursban lawsuits allege that exposure to the pesticide poisoned their children, thus causing nerve damage, including paralysis, as well as birth defects. Other maladies alleged in Dursban lawsuits include cancer, infertility, hepatitis, pancreatitis, paralysis and mental retardation.

In 2000, the EPA reached an agreement with Dow to stop production for nearly all household uses and the vast majority of termite-control uses. It also stipulated a steep reduction in the level of allowable pesticide residues on certain foods popular among children, such as apples and grapes. The agency also required that Dursban use be phased out in areas where children would be most likely to be exposed – schools, daycare centers, parks and recreation areas, stores and malls.

Under the phase-out, all stocks of the pesticide were to be available until they were used up. It’s impossible to know how many children were poisoned by Dursban during this time.

Dursban continues to pose a danger today, as it is still widely used in agriculture. The crops with the most intense chlorpyrifos use are cotton, corn, almonds, and fruit trees including oranges and apples.

Dow has been accused of making deceptive claims to protect its Dursban profits and conceal the pesticide’s horrific side effects. In 1995, for instance, Dow was fined $732,000 for not sending the EPA its reports on 249 Dursban poisoning incidents.

In 2003, Dow agreed to pay $2 million – the largest penalty ever in a pesticide case – to the state of New York. The state had filed suit against Dow for repeatedly violating a 1994 agreement that prohibited advertising that touted the safety of its pesticide products. However, an investigation found that almost immediately after the company entered into the agreement, it once again began to make misleading safety claims in its print, video and internet advertising.

Outside the U.S., Dow continues to market Dursban as safe. In Iran for example, Dow’s sales literature claims Dursban has “an established record of safety regarding humans and pets.” Since its June 2000 phase-out in the U.S., Dow has aggressively marketed Dursban in India as a safe household chemical.

It is important that Dow Chemical be held accountable for the nerve injuries, birth defects and other illnesses caused by Dursban. If you believe someone in your family was poisoned by this pesticide, our Dursban lawyers want to hear from you today. Please fill out our online form or call 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss your case with an experienced Dursban lawyer today.