Dacthal (DCPA) Pregnancy Exposure Investigation

Berger Montague PC is investigating claims that the pesticide Dacthal (DCPA) is linked to serious injuries to pregnant women and their unborn children.

EPA Action

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took extraordinary action in August 2024, announcing the emergency suspension of all registrations of the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA or Dacthal. This is the first time in 40 years the EPA has used its emergency suspension powers, emphasizing the urgency and severity of the health risks posed by Dacthal. 

The EPA is worried that unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to DCPA, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels.

Fetal thyroid hormone level changes are associated with the following, potentially irreversible, issues:

• low birth weight
• impaired brain development
• decreased IQ
• impaired motor skills later in life

“DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately,” Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff said. “It’s EPA’s job to protect people from exposure to dangerous chemicals. In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems,” he added.

What is Dacthal?

Dacthal is a pesticide registered to control weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. It is solely manufactured by AMVAC Chemical Corporation. The chemical is primarily used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.

Who may have been exposed?

Women are at risk if they were pregnant and worked at farms sprayed with Dacthal, particularly individuals that entered or worked in areas where Dacthal has already been applied, such as workers tasked with transplanting, weeding and harvesting. The pesticide has also been applied in public parks, residential complexes, golf courses, and athletic fields. Additionally, it might be possible for Dacthal to cause groundwater contamination.

About Berger Montague

Berger Montague is one of the nation’s preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. The firm is active in the fields of antitrust, commercial litigation, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities and whistleblower cases, among other practice areas. For more than 50 years Berger Montague has played leading roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $60 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.