Add these facts to cotton fibers section ... 4'2. # a t Gt+ *

Source: Cotton, Health and the Environment &,;t; Le-:+-

1- ca- &6 - &u\\eJrcL"- a bulletin by the National Cotton Council and Cotton Incorporated

undated (1995) 4505 Creedmoor Rd, Raleigh NC 27612 eQ%b5 >q -c;S-h (3"L".

Many methods are used to control pests in cotton farming. The National Cotton Council and Cotton Incorporated advocate the use of Integrated Pest Management, a combination of methods including natural, genetic, cultural and chemical methods for pest control. These include such techniques as quarantine of bales transported among growth regions, pheromone traps, sterile pest release, deep cultivation, host free periods, field flooding, and chemical pesticides. In addition, harvesting machine lubricants and cleaners; fertilizers; defoliants and plant growth regulators; and other chemicals are used. These chemicals of course to some extent become trace residues

Who can doubt that the present growing awareness of the environ- ment is a hopeful sign for the future of the planet! The greater aware- ness, however, often is accompanied by misconception and inaccurate information. Some of the inaccuracy concerns cotton -- its production, and processing into consumer products. The U.S. cotton industry, therefore, offers Cotton, Health and the Environment as a source of reliable information for concerned citizens.

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Cotton is a safe and renewable resource. In the United States, its production and processing are conducted within a regulated system that provides strong protection for the consumer and the environment.

Cotton is comfortable. Its unique moisture transporting properties are unrivaled by any other fibers. Worn next to the skin, these prop- erties are perceived as “comfort.”

Cotton is a fiber, feed and food crop About two thirds of the har- vested crop is composed of the seed. Much of this is used for animal feed. Cottonseed oil is a common component of many food items. In the U.S., pesticides for cotton are regulated on the basis that it is a food crop. U.S. cotton also passes strict international scrutiny. For example, the Bremen Cotton Exchange commissioned an indepen- dent study, conducted by independent European laboratories, which determined that conventionally grown US. cotton fiber was suffi- ciently free of pesticides that, theoretically, it could be used as a foodstuff in Germany.

Cotton products can be dyed. and finished as fire fipm chemicals as desired Dyes and finishes free of harmful chemicals are readily available.

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The U.S. is by far the largest cotton exporter in the world. In most years, more than one-fourth of the cotton in international commerce is of U.S. origin. Domestic and international consumers can be assured that U.S. cotton and cotton textiles are produced and processed by using the most advanced, the most regulated and the most environmen- tally sound systems in the world. U.S. cotton farmers are knowledge- able. The great majority of modern farmers are well educated. Further- more, they are required to take courses and pass examinations to obtain licenses to use pesticides. U.S. farmers are also business people. They cannot squander their resources. Soil erosion, excessive water consump- tion and unnecessary chemical applications are too expensive.

Today’s farming techniques spare vast areas of land from the plow. For food crops only, a Hudson Institute study notes that without today’s advances in high-yield farming, an additional IO million square miles of land -- an area roughly equal to the size of North America -- would be needed to feed the world’s current population of 5.5 billion. Today’s U.S. farmers produce twice as much food and fiber as they did in I950 on the same amount of land. With the promise held by bio- technology, the next generation could see three times the amount of food produced as today.

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Q. What is a chemical?

A. Chemicals range from compounds as simple as table salt or household ammonia to compounds as complex as penicillin, synthetic pyrethroids or the glyphosate found in garden weed sprays.

Q. Who uses agricultural chemicals?

A. Almost everyone uses agricultural chemicals, including lawn and garden hobbyists; home insect control firms; agencies that maintain public highways, golf greens and other landscaped areas; individual home owners; and, of course, farmers. The following chart is a sum- mary of who uses agricultural chemicals on a percentage basis.

A r 6 i d 3 &hiA, I990 I991 I990 I991

Agriculture 80% 79 % 71% 70 % Indus trial/Commercial/ Government 16% 17% 17% 18% Home & Garden 4% 4% 12% 12% Percentage of Total Used on Cotton 5% 5% 5% 5 %

Q. Why are pesticides used?

A. Food and fiber crops are more productive when they do not have to compete with weeds for light, moisture, nutrients and space -- hence the incentive for using herbicides. Exposed to sunlight, plants capture elements from air, water and soil, combining them into food compo- nents like proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins. If insects are not controlled, they consume and spoil a significant amount of the crops and food produced -- hence the incentive for using insecticides. In the early IggO’s, for example, high consumer prices paid for melons, lettuce and broccoli were the result of whitefly infestations in western production areas. Cotton was also damaged by whitefly infestation.

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Q. Why arefertiliqrs used?

A. Fertilizers replace soil components such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, boron, molybdenum and many others that are extracted from the soil and removed from the fields when crops are produced. It is not possible to continue production from an area unless the nutrients taken from the soil are replaced. Only in extremely primitive, low-production agriculture is it possible for these elements to be recycled by nature. It is, therefore, necessary to use fertilizers to replace the depleted elements. Some atmospheric nitrogen can be captured and added to the soil by leguminous manure crops. A small amount of the area needed for food and fiber production could be fertilized with animal waste or with composted waste from general sources.

Q. Who approves chemicals for use in agriculture?

A. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approves chemicals for use in agriculture, but only after extensive testing for effectiveness and safety. To ensure that no health or environmental concerns remain unresolved, each product is subjected to more than 120 separate tests. EPA approval takes 8 to I O years a t a cost of $ 3 5 million to $50 million per compound. In addition, for any pesticide use involving food or animal feed crops, EPA is responsible under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) for setting maximum legal levels (toler- ances) for pesticide residues in food or feed. The legally allowable pesticide residue on crops has wide safety margins -- in lettuce, for example, a I 50-pound adult would have to consume 3,000 heads of lettuce a day for life to ingest the relative dose found to cause a mea- surable effect in mice.

Q. Are there naturally occum'ng toxic chemicals?

A. Yes. Many food and fiber plants have survived throughout evolu- tion because they contain toxins that protect them from the forces of nature. Agriculturalists throughout the ages have selected strains with the lowest possible levels of toxins so that humans and animals may safely use them. Potatoes and cassava are good examples of staple food crops that make such toxins. Bacteria and fungi are everywhere, includ-

ing in our food supply. They often produce toxins that cause food poisoning if the toxins are ingested in sufficient quantity. Scientists have learned how to reduce the amounts of all toxins in the food system to levels that do not harm us because the dosage is very low.

Q. How safe is the system f o r storing, handling and using farm chemicals?

A. The safe storage, handling and use of agricultural chemicals is regulated by the EPA under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). FIFRA also requires review and re-registra- tion of previously registered compounds, which means that the levels Qf pesticides allowed in food or feed are constantly under review. Certain products, classified by the EPA as “restricted use pesticides,” may only be applied by a licensed applicator. Licensing involves training and testing in pest identification, mixing, application, safety practices and emergency handling techniques for pesticides. I t is in the grower’s interest to apply agricultural chemicals as efficiently as possible.

Q. How do we know that agricultural chemicals arc not misused?

A. There are strict, legally-enforceable penalties for not using chemicals according to the instructions on the container label. Chemi- cals are generally applied by certified applicators and are used correctly, but may be misused by some people, just as some pharmaceutical chemicals are misused. Backyard gardeners are probably more likely to misuse chemicals than are farmers who depend on these tools for a living.

Q.‘Are agricultural chemicals used indiscriminately?

A. No. Fields are checked by trained insect scouts to identify the species present and estimate their numbers. Based on the data collected, specific insecticides are prescribed only if their use is indicated, if they are safe with regard to location (e.g. away from schools) and if they are used in accord with the label restrictions. The high cost of using chemicals is a natural incentive for restraint.

Q. What precautions arc associated with using agricultural chemicals?

A. The safety precautions are many and include measures to mini- mize drift due to droplets being carried off target by wind currents, prevent seepage into ground water and control soil erosion from fields.

Q. What are agriculturalists doing about i d e n t ~ i n g and solving problems.

A. Historically, farmers have been leaders in management of their land so that it remains productive. They seek to be environmentally responsible while producing abundant supplies of food and fiber by:

I. Employing state-of-the-art technology (computer modeling, elec- tronic monitoring and remote sensing) and management techniques to plan the most efficient pesticide and fertilizer use.

2. Utilizing integrated pest management programs to incorporate cultural and natural controls with judicious use of plant protection chemicals.

3 . The use of biotechnology to produce varieties that require fewer chemical inputs.

4. Modifications in application techniques and amounts of pesti- cides in environmentally sensitive areas.

5. Adherence to laws and regulations that ensure clean air mainte- nance, wetlands protection and use of conservation tillage programs.

6. Development of alternative fuels to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

7. Increasing yields and reducing overall inputs per pound of food and fiber produced.

The application of science to agriculture is a dynamic process. Researchers at land-grant universities, a t the U.S. Department of Agriculture and in the cotton industry continually investigate crop production systems, their limitations and environmental effects. Food and fiber safety comprise an essential foundation for product quality.

Q. Dogarments or food products made from cotton contain dangerous levels of pesticides?

A. No. For food or garments to contain dangerous levels of pesti- cides, a major breakdown in use and processing protocols would have to occur. Levels of pesticides that exceed tolerances have not been detected in cotton or its products.

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Q. How selective are pesticides.

A. No pesticide controls all pests. The three principal classes of pesticides -- herbicides, insecticides and fungicides -- are for control of weeds, insect pests and fungal diseases of plants, respectively. There is further selectivity within each category. Obviously, herbicides must be selective for certain weed plants since the crop itself is a plant. Insecti- cides also vary greatly in their selectivity. Some insecticides control several orders of insects, while others control only a few. Fungicides tend to be quite selective and specific -- those that control diseases of foliage, for example, frequently have no effect on organisms causing soil-borne plant diseases.

Q. What arc 3encficials?”

A. The term “beneficials” is used to describe insects that prey on other insects that cause damage to crops, usually without themselves causing any damage. Protecting “beneficials” is one of the farmer’s most powerful weapons against crop-damaging insect pests.

Q. What is LPM?

A. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an ecologically sensitive strategy in insect control -- a strategy in which all available techniques (natural, genetic, cultural and chemical) are evaluated and consolidated into a unified program to regulate insect populations so that economic damage is avoided and environmental and sociological disturbances are minimized.

Q. Does LPM apply to cotton?

A. Yes. Cotton IPM programs (such as the boll weevil and pink bollworm programs) have been the role models for other agricultural commodities.

9. What is the boll weevil eradication program?

A. It is a strategy based on the biology of the insect and a knowledge of the vulnerable links in its life cycle -- such as interrupting its prepa- ration for over-winter survival and denying it a food supply when it emerges in the spring. Traps baited with pheromones also are used to capture females emerging after winter. Insecticides are used in the initial stages, but once eradication has been accomplished, the quantity of pesticides is reduced at least 70 percent from what was formerly

needed. Elimination of the boll weevil helps re-estabhh the natural ecology of the cotton field.

Q. How is the pink bollworm managed?

A. The pink bollworm (PBW) is managed in a variety of ways ’

dependent upon location. Management techniques include:

I. Quarantine -- Laws regulate the movement of cotton and require the treatment of seed and lint before shipment. Proper sanitation of gins, mills and warehouses by burning trash and waste, and by fumi- gation, also is required.

2. Pheromone traps -- The female sex pheromone “Gossyplure” is used to monitor infestations and to disrupt mating. It is also used in combination with an insecticide for an “attract and kill” approach to control. This technique is most effective where populations are low.

3 . Sterile moth release -- Mass releases of sterile male moths have helped successfully suppress pink bollworm in California’s San Joaquin Valley. An intensive trapping program is used for early de- tection. When an infestation occurs, releases are made to reduce the mating success of native PBW

4. Cultural control -- The basis of this program is a mandatory “host- free” period of about 90 days. Other practices include the manage- ment of the crop for “earliness,” deep cultivation (at least 6 inches), flooding fields following stalk destruction and crop rotation. These methods have proven successful since PBW lives only on cotton and hibernates only in fields where it hatched, unless it is mechanically removed.

5 . Chemical control -- The objective of these treatments is to sup- press adult populations before they deposit eggs. Timing of insecti- cides is determined through use of pheromone traps that detect in- creased moth flight activity and examination of susceptible bolls to detect ongoing damage.

Q. What is Conservation tillage?

A. The basic principle of conservation tillage is to leave sufficient residue on the soil surface to reduce soil erosion. This is accomplished by leaving crop residue or by planting a cover crop during the fallow period. Research has shown that conservation tillage reduces soil loss by 8 I percent, surface run-off by 3 I percent and soil sediment concen- tration in run-off water by 66 percent.

Q. What is organic farming?

A. Organic farming is a production system that attempts to use no artificial chemical inputs. Organic farming practices include conserva- tion tillage, the use of legume-fixed nitrogen, interplanting, substitu- tion of organic waste materials for inorganic fertilizers and use of IPM systems and biological pest control. Many materials used in this system are, in fact, pesticides -- sulfur, Bordeaux solution and Bacillus thuringiensis, for example. These materials are distinguished from synthetically formulated chemical pesticides because they are derived from naturally occurring toxic substances. Typically, organic farming requires more information, hand labor, time and management per unit of production than conventional farming.

Q. Can cotton be grown organically?

A.Yes. About 50,000 bales of organic cotton were grown in 1993. Organic practices must be adapted to the biological and physical conditions of the farm and the region.

Q. Are animal and green manures used in cotton production?

A. Yes. Cotton is often planted following small grains used for grazing or conservation. Winter legumes may also be used for this purpose with the additional bonus that they fix nitrogen for the summer crop. The use of winter legumes is limited by climate -- they are not easily established except in the southernmost U.S.. Animal manures also are used widely in crop agriculture, including for the fertilizing of cotton. Whether green manures, animal manures or artificial fertilizers are used, the plants all receive the mineral nutrients in the identical chemical form. The principal limitations to the wider

use of animal manures are the health and environmental difficulties associated with their storage, the high costs of transportation and their relative scarcity in many crop-growing areas.

Q. How much cotton is used annually; how much land is used togrow it?

A. I993 -- U.S. Cotton production:

Planted acres:

Harvested acres:

Domestic Consumption:

Exports:

Yield:

16.2 million bales

I 3.4 million

12.8 million

10.3 million bales

6.5 million bales

607 lb./acre of fiber and over 900 lb./acre of seed

Q. Are naturally colored cottons available?

A. Yes. Currently, varieties with green or brown lint are produced

Q. Why are dcfliants used?

A. The U.S. cotton crop is machine harvested. To permit efficient harvesting, the leaves must be removed. Removing the leaves also minimizes staining of the lint and helps eliminate a source of excess moisture. In storage, molds can grow in wet cotton, resulting in loss of fiber quality. Much of the U.S. crop is naturally defoliated by frost, but at least 5 0 percent is chemically treated. The practical impact of eliminating defoliation treatments would be to require most cotton to be picked by hand, thus returning the field worker to drudgery and adding substantially to the cost of cotton products at retail.

commercially in the U.S.

Q. What happens to chemicals in the environment?

A. Pesticides in the environment are subject to the same physical, chemical and biological forces as are all materials. The metabolism of pesticides in crop plants and their transformation and decomposition in the soil and water are experimentally determined by mandatory protocols specified by the EPA. Pesticides found to have long persis-

ten

tence in the environment, such as the formerly used DDT, have been banned in the U.S. for about 20 years. Modern pesticides are relatively short-lived, being degraded by microorganisms, ultraviolet light and other natural forces in the environment.

Q. Are heavy metals used as pesticides?

A. Currently, none are used. Few heavy metals were ever used in U.S. agriculture. The EPA took action against the distribution of all man- made products containing the heavy metals -- lead, mercury, cadmium and nickel -- in the 1970’s. Since that time, all such uses of heavy metals as, for example, lead in the manufacture of gasoline, have been phased out.

Q. Does cotton farming harm the environment?

A. Whether the land is cleared of its native flora and fauna for shopping centers, apartment complexes, subdivisions or agriculture, a man-made environment is created. It is no longer part of the natural ecology. Of the many man-made environments, farming, including cotton farming, is one of the more beneficial examples of stewardship of the land. Agriculture depends on the biological health of the soil- water-life-based system. Farmers manage their farms using proven practices that conserve the land as a sustainable resource that farm and urban families rely on for food, drinking water, recreation and economic prosperity.

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5 r , , t i L d Q. Are wastesgenerated by cotton textile manufacturing mills and are there any

end uses f o r the waste?

A. Much of the fiber wastes are regenerated into other products such as yarns, fabrics, nonwovens, battings, etc. All other waste materi- als are recycled for energy, animal food, compost, etc., or disposed of according to local, state and federal regulations. Many textile mills today are either approaching zero solid waste discharge or are working toward that goal.

Q. Are the chemicals used to process cotton safe to workers?

A. Yes, they are either safe or used in a safe way, since various federal and state regulations address chemical safety issues. These regulations generally include all industrial chemical uses including textiles. One such occupational safety and health regulation is Hazard Communica- tion. This regulation comprehensively addresses the issue of evaluating the potential chemical and physical hazards of chemicals and requires communicating such information.

Any chemicals which may be used by the textile industry are required

Q. How are cotton textile dyeing andfinishing processes impacting the environment?

A. All effluent from textile mills must meet local, state and federal clean water regulations, and mills are required to have National Pollut- ant Discharge Elimination System permits. Larger mills have their own waste treatment facilities, which constitute a huge investment, or have to meet requirements of publicly owned treatment works. Mills are committed to improvement through low impact processing technology. Also, incorporation of new technology such as ultra- and nano-filtra- tion systems are capable of removing most chemicals and dyes from wet waste streams. Concentrates accumulated can be disposed of by means of incineration or other approved safe methods.

by various regulations to be used in a safe manner.

Q. What environmental and energy improvements are being incorporated in cotton wetjnishing?

A. Recent improvements include lower energy requirements, chemi- cal recovery and reuse, water conservation, materials recycling, tech- niques to minimize waste and effluent controls and monitoring of all chemical processes for protection of worker and environment.

Q. Is formaldehyde used as a component in cotton textile processing?

A. Yes, formaldehyde can be a component of the resins used to give textiles easy-care properties. Recent developments have reduced the levels of formaldehyde well below the regulatory limits established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The use of products such as durable press resins, upon heat curing, do liberate low levels of formaldehyde. However, these levels are below OSHA minimum thresholds.

Q. Are chemicals used in cotton textile processing being reused or r e y l e d ?

A. Yes, and this practice is increasing every year. Chemicals are costly and reuse is economical. Two examples are polyvinyl alcohol used for warp yarn sizing and sodium hydroxide used for mercerization. Both of these are recovered and reused.

Q. Ake there haqardous air emissions produced by cotton textile mills?

A. Textile finishing operations can emit a few of the air pollutants that are regulated under the Clean Air Act. However, air emissions are strictly monitored and must meet state and federal regulatory guide- lines. Techniques are available to meet these requirements and are employed when necessary.

Q. Are natural dyes f o r cottonfeasible alternatives to synthetic dyes?

A. Not from a large scale standpoint and only for specialty applica- tions. For the following technical and environmental reasons, they are not a viable alternative:

* the natural resources are presently not available; * they are unsuitable for some fibers and have limited color range; - ecologically risky dyeing methods because of the chemicals needed

- they have distinctly poorer colorfastness properties.

to apply them; and

Synthetic dyes meet today’s colorfastness requirements and have been refined and developed to diminish their environmental impact.

Q. What is the impact of cotton textiles on indoor air quality?

A. The impact of cotton textiles on indoor air quality is minimal or

Q, Is hot water required to launder cotton consumer products?

A. Not required; cold water can be used. Because of state-of-the-art

nonexistent.

non-phosphate detergents, however, warm water is often used.

Q. What i s the environmental impact of discarded cotton textiles?

A. Cotton is biodegradable under normal circumstances and should have minimal impact on the environment. Discarded cotton textiles are often recycled into other products such as nonwovens, paper products, etc.

How does cotton compare?

allergies.

9. krious allergies and skin problems havr been attributed to textile products.

A. Cotton fabrics are often recommended for persons having skin