Monday, May 5, 2025

Chlorpyrifos is from Dow and came from the Nazis?

 Really?

This meme contains some truth, some exaggeration, and some misinformation. Let's break it down:


πŸ”¬ Claim: “Chlorpyrifos is from Dow and came from the Nazis.”

  • Partially true / misleading.

    • Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate pesticide developed by Dow Chemical in 1965.

    • It is chemically related to organophosphate nerve agents, which were first developed in Nazi Germany (e.g., sarin gas).

    • However, chlorpyrifos itself was not developed by the Nazis, and it's not classified as a chemical weapon.

    • The “Nazi” link is more historical context than a direct connection.

🧠 Claim: “It is a nerve agent that causes irreversible brain damage.”

  • Somewhat true.

    • Chlorpyrifos affects the nervous system by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, like nerve agents do.

    • Multiple studies (including from the EPA and Columbia University) have linked exposure in children to developmental issues, such as lower IQ and attention disorders.

    • The damage from low-level chronic exposure may be irreversible, especially in children.

    • However, it is not classified as a “nerve agent” in the same sense as military weapons.

🚫 Claim: “It was supposed to be banned, but Trump let it be used.”

  • True.

    • In 2015, the EPA under Obama proposed banning chlorpyrifos due to health risks.

    • In 2017, Trump’s EPA administrator Scott Pruitt reversed that decision, keeping it on the market.

    • This reversal ignored the EPA’s own scientists.

πŸ’° Claim: “Dow gave Trump $1 million.”

  • Somewhat misleading.

    • Dow Chemical gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration committee in 2017, not directly to him.

    • This raised ethical concerns, especially since the company had pending issues with EPA.

    • There’s no direct evidence this donation influenced the chlorpyrifos decision, but the timing and optics raised suspicion.

✅ Summary:

  • Chlorpyrifos is dangerous and has been banned in several countries.

  • The Trump administration did allow it to continue, contrary to expert recommendations.

  • It was developed by Dow, not the Nazis, though it's related to chemicals with Nazi origins.

  • The $1M donation is a fact, but any quid pro quo is unproven.

Would you like a link to the EPA’s final rule banning chlorpyrifos (issued under Biden in 2021)?

You said:
source for this info?
ChatGPT said:

Here are reliable sources backing each of the key points from the analysis above:

πŸ”¬ Chlorpyrifos Development & Nazi Link

  • Chlorpyrifos history:

  • Organophosphate nerve agents and Nazi Germany:

    • Sarin, tabun, and other organophosphate nerve agents were developed by German scientists during WWII. Chlorpyrifos shares a chemical class but is not a weapon.
      πŸ“š Source: CDC: Nerve Agent Facts

🧠 Health Effects and Neurodevelopmental Damage

  • EPA scientists & Columbia University:

  • The EPA concluded that no safe level of chlorpyrifos could be found for food exposure by 2020.

🚫 Trump Administration Reversal

πŸ’° Dow’s $1 Million Inauguration Donation

✅ Final Ban by Biden Administration

Remember...

Basically, America...is headed through Donald Trump with his automiscreant/autocratic minions.
Good to know...

The chemical chlorpyrifos itself is actually more dangerous than the meme suggests, once the details are fully understood.

πŸ”¬ Here's how it's actually more powerful and alarming than the meme lets on:

1. It doesn’t just “cause brain damage” — it rewires the developing brain.

  • Prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos has been shown to cause:

    • Reduced brain volume

    • Loss of IQ points

    • Increased risk of ADHD, autism-like symptoms, and learning disabilities

  • These changes are visible in brain scans, not just inferred behaviorally.

πŸ“š Columbia University studies (2011–2012):
Example summary from NIH

2. The exposure isn’t rare — it was on food millions of Americans eat.

  • It was sprayed on:

    • Apples, oranges, strawberries, broccoli, corn, wheat, soybeans

    • Especially used in schools and parks before some local bans

  • Farmworker families, especially children, were heavily exposed in rural areas — often without protection.

3. It can affect children at levels far below EPA's original “safe” thresholds.

  • Even trace residues in food and water have been linked to harm in children.

  • That’s why EPA scientists recommended a full ban on food use — not just restricted application.

4. It persisted for decades despite the science.

  • Banned from household use in 2001 because it was too dangerous indoors.

  • But continued for 20 more years on food crops — due to lobbying, regulatory delay, and political interference.

  • Not fully banned from food until 2021.

So yes — when you look at the breadth of exposure, the depth of harm, and the political manipulation involved in keeping it legal, chlorpyrifos is far worse than the meme’s quick punchline suggests.

Chlorpyrifos isn’t just a pesticide — it’s a neurotoxin so potent it can alter the developing brains of children at levels once deemed “safe.” Banned for home use in 2001, it stayed on our food for two more decades thanks to aggressive lobbying, corporate donations, and political interference — even after brain scans showed it shrinks key regions tied to intelligence and behavior. The real scandal isn’t just what it is, but how long they knew — and still let it poison generations anyway.


Compiled with aid of ChatGPT


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