Ethylene Dibromide (EDB) (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Jan. 31, 1985 |
| Report Number |
IP0280E |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Ethylene dibromide (EDB) has been produced in the United States since the mid-1920s. Currently most EDB is used as an additive to leaded gasoline, but approximately 10 percent is used as a pesticidal fumigant in citrus groves and in grain and milling equipment. It is this latter use which has recently become the center of controversy. Laboratory animal tests have shown EDB is a highly potent carcinogen and mutagen and can cause reproductive problems. Concern has arisen over both pesticide workers' exposure to the chemical and EDB contamination of food stocks and groundwater. The Environmental Protection Agency has imposed an emergency ban on most agricultural uses of EDB. This Info Pack contains background material on EDB and the controversy surrounding it. Additional information may be found in a public library by consulting such sources as the Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin, the New York Times Index, and the General Science Index.
