Fields Of Drift: GMO Weed Killer Exposure On Playing Fields And Parks

Originally published in EWG’s AgMag Blog by Mary Ellen Kustin 

An EWG survey of athletic fields and parks in a six-state sample of small-town America shows that more than 90 percent of these recreational areas are within 1,000 feet of a corn or soybean field where two toxic weed killers could well be sprayed, meaning that anyone playing there is likely to be exposed. More than 56 percent were within 200 feet.

That’s because the government recently approved the widespread use of the two herbicides – glyphosate and 2,4-D – on genetically engineered, or GMO, crops, which account for 90 percent of all corn and soybeans grown in the United States.

This growing season corn and soybean farmers in 15 states now have the option of planting GMO crops that can withstand repeated spraying with the glyphosate and 2,4-D mixture sold by Dow AgroSciences under the brand name Enlist Duo. Sprayed herbicides readily drift through the air, potentially exposing people and the environment nearby.

View the photos and read the entire blog here.