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Use of toxic pesticides increased in California
Despite new regulations in California, there was an increase in the use of the dangerous pesticide called 1,3-D; exposure in the air also rose in some areas.
In California, despite new regulations said to protect health and the environment, there was an increase in the use of a dangerous fumigant. According to state records, farmers used about one million pounds more of the chemical known as 1,3-dichloropropene or 1,3-D last year compared to 2023 and 2024, before the regulations came into effect.
California regulators adopted a new rule in January 2024 aimed at reducing the chemical's release into the air to lower cancer risk. However, implementation data revealed increased use especially in the Kern and San Joaquin regions. In the areas with the highest increase, the chemical was mostly used in almond and grape cultivation.
Increase notable in some regions
According to state records, there was also a significant rise in the adjusted total pounds calculation. This calculation takes into account application methods, weather conditions, and other factors affecting the chemical's escape into the air. Accordingly, this value nearly doubled in Kern and San Joaquin, and increased by about 20% statewide.
Measurements at one of six air monitoring points operated by the state in the town of Delhi in Merced County showed that 1,3-D levels increased by 30% in the first three quarters of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year. Delhi stands out as an agricultural area with a significant portion of its population being of Latin origin.
Merced County is also known as the area where the use of this chemical was suspended for five years after alarmingly high 1,3-D was detected at a middle school in 1990. The public health approach assumes there is no safe exposure level for carcinogenic substances.
Health risks caused by the chemical
1,3-D can cause serious symptoms in the short term such as shortness of breath, chest pain, eye irritation, and dizziness. Agricultural workers in California have also experienced nausea, dizziness, and headaches due to exposure.
A study published in China in 2023 reported the first death believed to be caused by inhalation of 1,3-D. The study described a 50-year-old greenhouse worker who was exposed briefly to the chemical in a poorly ventilated environment and died more than a week later from kidney failure and brain swelling.
It is stated that 1,3-D is currently banned in 40 countries. Nevertheless, California officials argue that instead of completely stopping the use of the chemical, they have adopted a regulatory approach focused on reducing exposure.
Regulators and criticisms
California's Pesticide Regulation unit announced that the rules enacted in 2024 introduced setback distances to protect residential areas, required deeper soil injection, and new covering methods to reduce gas emissions. A spokesperson said these methods could reduce total emissions while maintaining usage levels.
Environmental and labor rights advocates opposing this argue that the rules have failed to meet their goals. The campaign director of a coalition uniting public interest groups across California stated that despite the new regulations, 1,3-D use has increased and the rules have failed.
An expert working at a nonprofit legal and occupational health organization examined air data from Delhi and found that the average 1,3-D level in the air rose by 30% in the first three quarters of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The same expert said the main goal of the regulations was to reduce emissions, not usage, but the results did not meet this objective.
Agricultural workers and supporting communities have been pressuring regulators for years through lawsuits, media campaigns, and protests. Groups that returned to court in February claimed the agency failed to fulfill its duty to protect workers and the public from the "toxic and carcinogenic fumigant."
Double system, single chemical
In California, there are two separate safety levels for the same chemical. In 2024, a separate threshold was introduced for bystander risk around residential areas, and another rule targeting occupational exposure came into effect at the beginning of 2026. Critics say this dual system does not fully account for the higher risk faced by agricultural communities living and working adjacent to fields from childhood to old age.
In a defense submitted to the court, it was argued that both regulations fail to meet the legal protection obligations of authorities and do not sufficiently protect public health. Meanwhile, the county-based annual cap that was valid under the previous system remained in effect by court order until January.
State records show that a township in Kern County already exceeded the old annual cap, and several townships in Kern and Merced approached this limit in the first quarter of the year. A spokesperson said the increase was linked to unusually extensive replanting activities in vineyards and orchards in Kern County.
Officials say they are monitoring areas with high usage and that full-year data is needed to draw meaningful conclusions. Nevertheless, communities continue to demand stricter protections for 1,3-D, which has been at the center of debate for years.
The board also published a plan in 2024 to accelerate sustainable pest management and declared eliminating the negative impacts of pesticides on human health and the environment as one of its main goals. However, recent data shows the gap between this goal and field usage trends is widening.
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