The EPA Banned a Pesticide that Is Dangerous for Fetuses. What to Know

For the first time in nearly four decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday issued an emergency order to stop the use of a pesticide linked to serious health risks for fetuses.

The pesticide, dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal), is currently undergoing review as part of a process where registered pesticides get reevaluated every 15 years to ensure that they don’t have any adverse effects on human health or the environment.