History of Dursban

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.