Archive for the 'Disease/Health Effects' Category
15
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 15, 2025) With residues of the widely used weed killer glyphosate (Roundupáľá´š) in the food supply long documented, scientific attention has turned to the synergistic effects of the weedkillerâ a magnified effect greater than the individual chemical effects added together. The authors of an article in World’s Poultry Science Journal write, âThe synergistic toxic effects of commercial glyphosate formulations and their bioaccumulation in animal tissues are often overlooked in current safety assessments.â Following up on a previous action, Beyond Pesticides is telling Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the agency must consider the effects of pesticides in the context in which they are used and promote the organic alternative. Glyphosate residues in animal feed, as well as in water and through other exposure routes from food generally and residential areas, pose risks to both animal and human health, as these residues can bioaccumulate. As previously examined by Beyond Pesticides, the effects of pesticides are not limited to the crops to which they are applied. Synergistic effects of multiple chemical exposures are the rule, rather than the exception.  With poultry, the herbicide enters the production system through residues in genetically engineered feed. An earlier article in Scientific Reports concludes that glyphosate’s […]
Posted in Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, Livestock, synergistic effects, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
12
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 12, 2025) A team of Argentinian researchers conducted a study published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology of the combined effects of the herbicide glyphosate and the pyrethroid insecticide cypermethrin. The researchers observed significantly higher apoptosis in cells exposed to the mixtures than to the individual pesticidesâa synergistic response. Apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death, is a standard way that tissues handle damaged cells to remove threats to their function. The researchers sought to investigate the cellular toxicity of each chemical, individually and in combination, and assessed whether the effects of the mixture were additive or synergistic. Additive effects occur when two individual chemicals amplify the same sort of response, often because the chemicals have similar structures. Synergism can occur when chemicals have different mechanisms of action but work together to create more powerful effects. Mixtures of pesticides are the least-studied area of research conducted for regulatory purposes. While regulators provide instructions to applicators regarding which pesticides can be applied together and combined in tank mixtures, there is no control over how pesticides travel through the environment once applied, as they flow through the air as spray drift, lodge in soils and water, and are incorporated into […]
Posted in Agriculture, apoptosis, cypermethrin, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, synergistic effects, Uncategorized | No Comments »
10
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 10, 2025)Â After being criticized by the chemical industry and allied agribusiness and service industry groups on the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) report in May, the strategy document, released yesterday, has tamped down efforts to reform government programs that regulate pesticides. There are no specific recommendations on improving the regulation of pesticides. Rather, the strategy appears to embrace business-as-usual and could even ramp up government efforts to tout the need for pesticides and claims that current regulatory reviews are effective and comprehensive. In a section of the strategy entitled âIncreasing Public Awareness and Knowledge,â the document says: âEPA, partnering with food and agricultural stakeholders, will work to ensure that the public has awareness and confidence in EPAâs pesticide robust review procedures and how that relates to the limiting of risk for users and the general public and informs continual improvement.â This is at odds with the earlier MAHA assessment report which identified pesticides as substances of concern that, citing deficiencies in chemical reviews, âmay be neglecting potential synergistic effects and cumulative burdens, thereby missing opportunities to translate cumulative risk assessment into the clinical environment in meaningful ways.â While the earlier report, Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment, […]
Posted in Agriculture, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Announcements, Atrazine, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, Children, Children/Schools, Chlorpyrifos, Clean Water Act, Corporations, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Glyphosate, Groundwater, Label Claims, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, Reflection, synergistic effects, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Water, Water Regulation | No Comments »
10
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 10, 2025) Published earlier this year, a review of over 1,700 studies in Nature Communications finds pesticides affect a diverse range of nontarget organisms and contribute to global biodiversity loss. The authors* reveal ânegative responses of the growth, reproduction, behaviour and other physiological biomarkers within terrestrial and aquatic systemsâ for nontarget plants, animals, and microorganisms. âTo our knowledge, there has been no systematic and overarching synthesis of how different types of pesticides affect the diversity of multiple non-target eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms across all trophic levels,â the researchers write. They continue, âFurthermore, current syntheses have not considered how the impacts of pesticides differ globally across climatic zones or for major mechanisms of exposure, such as those acting in aquatic or terrestrial environments.â In particular, pesticide regulatory risk assessments analyze a limited range of model species, including rats, zebrafish, clawed frogs, honeybees, and earthworms, among others. As such, they are unlikely to capture the variety of responses to pesticide exposure seen across the diversity of species and communities found in both managed and natural systems,â the authors state. *Authors include Beyond Pesticides 2023 National Forum speaker Dave Goulsonâsee the Daily News on his keynote address here. Research Results […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, Beneficials, Biodiversity, DNA Damage, Fungicides, Herbicides, Nervous System Effects, Pesticide Mixtures, synergistic effects, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
09
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 9, 2025) SprayDays California, the pesticide notification and mapping tool run by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), was updated in late August after public backlash (including from farmworkers), which identified inadequate notice of pesticide use to those who work in or live in proximity to agricultural fields. According to a DPR press release from August 28, these changes include attempts to bring down barriers for users so that, in the words of DPR Director Karen Morrison, the department can âprovide Californians with access to information and services.â While public health advocates view notification as a step that may allow people to leave a treatment area or take shelter to reduce exposure, groups continue to express concerns about a focus on notification to the exclusion of addressing the root causes of exposureâchemical-intensive agriculture, despite the viability of organic compatible practices and products. The groups criticize the continuous registration of pesticide active ingredients and product formulations without considering widely available practices and nonchemical and nature-based alternatives to pest management. These include regenerative organic principles and practices that draw inspiration from Indigenous land management and agroecological systems that have thrived in coexistence with nature. Recent Updates There are […]
Posted in 1, 3-dichloropropene, 1-3D, Alternatives/Organics, California, Driscollâs, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Pesticide Drift, State/Local, Uncategorized | No Comments »
08
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 8, 2025) Beyond Pesticides today called on Congress to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to incorporate real world science into its evaluation of pesticide safety calculations by recognizing that daily exposure involves multiple chemicals and synergistic interactionsâ a magnified effect greater than the individual chemical effects added together. The organization cites numerous scientific studies that call public attention to this issue; that a realistic assessment of the human and environmental harm potentially caused by pesticides cannot be evaluated based on single-chemical, single-species tests. Given the numerous complexities associated with this type of assessment, the group points to organic land management in agriculture and residential areas as a more cost-effective approach, sending this message to Congress: EPA must consider the effects of pesticides in the context in which they are used and with reference to the organic alternative. A recent study, covered by Beyond Pesticides in its Daily News, found that the presence of Varroa mites in combination with the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid increases the risk of bee mortality and disrupts the larval gut microbiome. The study found synergy (a greater combined effect) between Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees, and imidacloprid. The findings were published last […]
Posted in Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), esfenvalerate, Imidacloprid, Increased Vulnerability to Diseases from Chemical Exposure, Pollinators, synergistic effects, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
05
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 5, 2025) A study in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry finds permethrin, a commonly used synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, to be disruptive to the gut microbiome, altering microbiota and leading to increased formation of fat cells (adipogenesis) and metabolic disorders. With an aim to âcomprehensively elucidate the effects of permethrin on gut microbiota, lipogenesis, and the associated molecular mechanisms,â the study explores the adverse effects of permethrin exposure in adult mice through multiple experiments. âOur study provides the first in vivo [in a living organism] evidence suggesting a potentially causal relationship between permethrin exposure and the development of obesity, potentially mediated by specific gut microbiota-derived metabolites,â the researchers explain. They continue, âNotably, this work is the first to define a distinct microbiotaâmetaboliteâhost axis as a critical mediator of environmental toxicant-induced metabolic dysfunction.â Permethrin is widely used as an insecticide on crops, such as cotton, corn, and wheat, as well as on livestock, in indoor and outdoor areas, and for treating lice and scabies. Mosquito abatement programs often utilize permethrin, further adding to the various exposure routes of this neurotoxic chemical. (See additional uses and health effects of permethrin in Beyond Pesticidesâ Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe […]
Posted in Agriculture, Diabetes, Gut Dysbiosis, Metabolites, Microbiome, Obesity, Permethrin, pyrethroids, Synthetic Pyrethroid | No Comments »
04
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 4, 2025) A review of agricultural neonicotinoid insecticide regulations, published in Pest Management Science, evaluates the varied approaches being taken for bans and exemption-based restrictions in the European Union (EU), Canada, and the United States (U.S.). Despite an ever-growing and overwhelming body of science linking neonicotinoids (neonics) to adverse effects on pollinators and other nontarget species, the regulations fall short in protecting the environment and wildlife. The review, with the history and current status of neonics, lends further support for a full transition to organic agriculture and land management that removes neonicotinoid exposure routes and subsequent health threats. With the application of this widely used class of neurotoxic system insecticides increasing, so too has the concern over the long-term chronic effects on pollinators and other species from exposure. This concern, backed by scientific literature, has âled to increased governmental regulations since the mid-2010s, particularly in agricultural settings,â state the authors from Iowa State University and Washington State University. They continue, âThese regulations have varied in terms of approach, geography, and timeline, starting with a ban implemented by the European Union (EU) and evolving into exemption-based regulations across two Canadian provinces and five U.S. states as of this […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Beneficials, Biodiversity, California, Canada, Clothianidin, dinotefuron, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), European Union, Illinois, Imidacloprid, Minnesota, neonicotinoids, New York, Pollinators, Quebec, Rhode Island, thiacloprid, Thiamethoxam, Vermont | No Comments »
03
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 3, 2025) A study in Environmental Entomology shows that habitat and open space near agricultural fields become a killing field of pesticides, threatening biodiversity due to contamination from toxic drift. The study detected 42 pesticides, including several neonicotinoids, which are among the most lethal threats to pollinators. The research reveals the complexity of pesticide flow through the environment and the inadequacy of current methods of protecting nontarget organisms, including honey bees, bumblebees, and hundreds of other species of native bees worldwide. Their catastrophic declines is tied to pesticides in large part and highlights the inadequacy of current pesticide reduction strategies, such as integrated pest management (IPM) and now other loosely defined concepts like âregenerative,â in an attempt to protect the environment and nontarget organisms in chemical-dependent land management and agriculture. (See What the Science Shows on Biodiversity.) The researchers on the study, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cornell University and Michigan State University, put silicone bands on fence posts in open areas adjacent to highbush blueberry fields on 15 farms in western Michigan. Silicone takes up chemicals in the atmosphere which can then be extracted and analyzed. The fence posts were placed at seven intervals ranging […]
Posted in Agriculture, Drift, Pesticide Drift, Pollinators, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
02
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 2, 2025) It did not go without notice to U.S. grassroots environmental and public health advocates that earlier this month, over two million people in France signed a âfirst of its kindâ petition that ultimately prevented the overturning of the countryâs ban on bee-killing neonicotinoid insecticides. The action was widely covered in France, including in Le Monde. This uprising, organized by 23-year-old French masterâs student Eleonore Pattery, emphasizes the importance of individuals in communities mobilizing people to protect the planet from pesticides that are having a devastating adverse effect on health and the environment. The grassroots push in France taps into a deep public concern about health and the environment that is emblematic of the level of public engagement needed to thwart the high level of chemical industry, agribusiness, and allied corporate influence that undermines basic protections. Industry interests have long been embedded in federal environmental and public health laws. For example, federal and state pesticide laws (the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and similar state laws) allow widespread exposure to toxic chemicals despite the availability of nontoxic alternatives that are both efficacious and cost-effective. Without public engagement, as seen in France, significant improvements in law are constantly […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Alternatives/Organics, European Union, International, neonicotinoids, Pesticide Regulation, Uncategorized | No Comments »
29
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 29 – September 1, 2025) It is recognized, especially on Labor Day, that the adverse effects of pesticides, with the preponderance of science accumulating every day, put workers (those who handle pesticides and are exposed through inhalation and skin absorption) at elevated risk above rates in the general population. The harm to workers is exacerbated by additional and cumulative exposure to pesticides that occurs through daily lifeâresidues in food, water, and landscapes. Beyond Pesticides is reaching out to its network and urging people and organizations to: On Labor Day, ask your Mayor to lead a transition to practices and product procurement that protect workers with criteria that meet organic standards in landscaping and food purchasing. With the dismantling of federal government programs charged with establishing protections and ramping up deregulation of the chemical, agribusiness, and allied industries, safety strategies for workers who are the backbone of society fall to local governments and people whose decisions should not result in hazardous worker exposure to toxic pesticides. Municipality and school district purchasing of food grown with toxic chemicals results in poisoning of farmworkers, their children, and their communities. Purchasing and applying toxic lawn care products or contract services results in […]
Posted in Agriculture, Announcements, Children, Children/Schools, Farmworkers, Holidays, Lawns/Landscapes, Occupational Health, Parks, Parks for a Sustainable Future, State/Local, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
28
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 28, 2025) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on August 12, 2025, released a statement, âEPA Announces Action to Protect Endangered Species from Insecticide Methomyl,â in which the agency announced label changes for methomyl, a carbamate insecticide, with mitigation measures that are being criticized as allowing great risks to biodiversity and human health. The label changes, following the National Marine Fisheries Serviceâs (NMFS) final biological opinion issued on January 1, 2024, actually establish mitigation measures to be determined by applicators using the Bulletins Live! Two website prior to use. EPA claims that this grower determined action will meet the standards of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by âreduc[ing] runoff and spray drift from treated areas into speciesâ habitats.â However, the process does not include monitoring and oversight to determine whether the rigorous standards of ESA are being met. The agency says that mitigation tracking is âat the field or farm level,â but it is not required to be submitted to the agency. EPA announced on August 20 that it is holding a 90-minute public webinar on September 16, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET to provide information on the ecological runoff/erosion and spray drift mitigation measures that can […]
Posted in Agriculture, Aquatic Organisms, Biodiversity, Carbamates, Cardiovascular Disease, Drinking Water, Endangered Species Act (ESA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Methomyl, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Regulation, Water, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | 1 Comment »
26
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 26, 2025) A scientific review in Worldâs Poultry Science Journal highlights the adverse health effects on avian species from exposure to the widely used weed killer glyphosate (Roundupáľá´š) throughout the process of poultry production. The herbicide enters the poultry production system through residues in genetically engineered feed. An earlier article in Scientific Reports concludes that glyphosateâs (GLP) âwidespread application on feed crops leaves residues in the feed,â while residues are âfound to be common in conventional eggs acquired from grocery stores.â In analyzing the biochemical, toxicological, and ecological impacts of glyphosate on poultry, particularly chickens, the authors find a wide body of evidence linking glyphosate and its metabolite (breakdown product) aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) to debilitating hazards that extend beyond mortality. These sublethal effects include disruption of the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal disease; decreased productivity and diminished reproductive health; hepatic and kidney toxicity; growth and developmental impacts, including teratogenicity and embryotoxicity; endocrine disruption and oxidative stress; and impaired immune functions. The effects of glyphosate, as have long been documented in the scientific literature and covered by Beyond Pesticides here, range from negative impacts on biodiversity and the environment to food safety risks and human health implications. Residues of […]
Posted in aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), Birds, Cancer, contamination, Developmental Disorders, Endocrine Disruption, Genetic Engineering, Glyphosate, Herbicides, Intestinal Damage, Livestock, Microbiome, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Residues, Reproductive Health | No Comments »
21
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 21, 2025) The presence of Varroa mites in combination with the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid increases the risk of bee mortality and disrupts the larval gut microbiome, according to a study of the synergy (a greater combined effect) between Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees, and imidacloprid. The study in Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology adds to the growing body of science on the severely declining bee population by investigating the toxic effects of both the parasites and pesticide stressors in honey bees (Apis mellifera). âGiven that V. destructor may increase beesâ sensitivity to imidacloprid by compromising their physiological health and immunity, this study systematically assesses the effects of V. destructor infestation and imidacloprid exposure on honey bee survival, detoxification enzyme activity, and gut microbiota,â the authors explain. The intestinal tract and gut microbiome are crucial for digestion, metabolism, nutrient absorption, immune regulation, and pathogen defense. Within honey bees, the gut microbiome is “highly susceptible to external environmental stressors, such as pesticide exposure and parasitic infections [and] these disturbances can lead to microbial imbalances, ultimately affecting bee health.â (See studies here and here.) Previous research earlier this year, captured in Daily News Variability […]
Posted in Beneficials, Biodiversity, Imidacloprid, Microbiome, neonicotinoids, Pollinators, synergistic effects | No Comments »
19
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 19, 2025) A new study from Argentina highlights the importance of applying the concept of the exposome (total exposures over lifetime) as a scientific framework, the value of biomonitoring, and findings of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study documents the presence and effects of pesticides on maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. The results show that pregnant Argentine women are exposed to dozens of pesticides, and that certain mixtures of these chemicals are associated with harm to pregnancy outcomes, especially among rural women. The exposome, the authors write, comprises the ânon-genetic factors that may be involved in the development or aggravation of human disease. The prenatal exposome includes all environmental chemicals that the mother is exposed to during pregnancy (maternal exposome) and those chemicals that reach the placenta and fetus from the maternal circulation (fetal exposome).â The authors emphasize that understanding the exposome almost by definition requires studying mixtures of environmental chemicals rather than analyzing the effects of each in isolation. The second important aspect of the study is its use of biomonitoring. The researchers analyzed urine samples from 90 pregnant women in various gestational stages from rural and urban regions of Argentina. The researchers also collected demographic […]
Posted in Agriculture, Argentina, Atrazine, Fungicides, Herbicides, Propazine, Reproductive Health, triazophos, Uncategorized, vinclozolin | No Comments »
18
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 18, 2025) With pesticide manufacturers pushing to stop cancer victims (and others suffering adverse effects) from suing them under longstanding âfailure to warn law,â U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) is proposing to uphold this unequivocal right to protection. Senator Booker has introduced the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act (S. 2324) to protect the rights of farmers and consumers to hold pesticide manufacturers responsible for the harm caused by their toxic products. This effort comes in the wake of congressional and state legislative attacks on âfailure-to-warnâ liability claims that are taking place in response to extraordinary jury verdicts against Bayer/Monsanto for harm caused by glyphosate weed killer products like Roundup.áľá´š 📣 Beyond Pesticides, with allied organizations across the U.S., is asking the public to “Tell your U.S. Senator to co-sponsor S. 2324, the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act.” This bill will amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1972 (FIFRA) to create a federal right of action for anyone who is harmed by a toxic pesticide. Despite growing peer-reviewed scientific evidence linking widely used pesticides to a host of health harms, including cancers, birth defects, endocrine disruption, Parkinson’s disease, and infertility, the chemical industry and its allies in elective office are pushing to deny victims access to […]
Posted in and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Bayer, Cancer, Chem-China, Congress, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Failure to Warn, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Glyphosate, Herbicides, Label Claims, Monsanto, Pesticide Regulation, Preemption, Syngenta, Take Action | No Comments »
15
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 15, 2025) In analyzing the data present in an article in Data in Brief, concerning levels of pesticide biomarkers are present in the urine of adolescents and young adults that are linked to numerous health implications. The biomonitoring data, collected at two time points from participants in a longitudinal cohort study in the agricultural county of Pedro Moncayo, Ecuador, encompasses a total of 23 compounds used as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides and their associated metabolites (breakdown products), which include organophosphates, pyrethroids, and neonicotinoids. The results highlight the disproportionate risks to a Latin American population that occur as a result of living in areas with heavy chemical-intensive agriculture. âThis article presents urinary pesticide metabolite concentrations for 665 participants in the âStudy of Secondary Exposure to Pesticides among Children, Adolescents, and Adultsâ (ESPINA), which were collected during two follow-up assessments,â the authors describe. The first sampling period from July to October 2016, referred to as Follow-up Year [FUY]-8b, includes 529 of the participants, while the second sampling period from July to September 2022 (FUY-14a) includes 505 of the participants. All participants are within the agricultural community of Pedro Moncayo. As the authors note, âThe ESPINA study aimed to include […]
Posted in 2,4-D, acetamiprid, Agriculture, Biomonitoring, Children, Chlorpyrifos, Clothianidin, Cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, DEET, Deltamethrin, Diazinon, fenpropathrin, Flumethrin, flupyradifurone, Glyphosate, Imidacloprid, International, lambda-cyhalothrin, Malathion, mancozeb, Maneb, Metabolites, neonicotinoids, Occupational Health, organophosphate, Parathion, Permethrin, pyrethroids, Repellent, Sulfoxaflor, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Synthetic Pyrethroids, thiacloprid, Thiamethoxam, tralomethrin | No Comments »
14
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 14, 2025) A review in Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology links various classes of environmental pollutants including pesticides and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), both of which Beyond Pesticides has extensively covered, to adverse effects on the female reproductive system and common mechanisms of toxicity. These chemicals âdisrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG), impair ovarian function, and contribute to reproductive dysfunction through mechanisms such as oxidative stress, hormonal disruption, and epigenetic [gene expression or behavior] modifications,â the authors say. This leads to menstrual irregularities, infertility, and pregnancy complications, as well as increases in the risk of reproductive system disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and ovarian cancer, among others. âAdditionally, transgenerational effects mediated by epigenetic modifications, germ cell damage, and placental transfer may adversely affect offspring health, increasing the risk of reproductive dysfunction, neurodevelopmental disorders, metabolic diseases, and cancer,â the researchers explain. This study, integrating recent epidemiological and experimental findings, provides an overview of major chemical classes that threaten womenâs health and highlights the need for immediate action. As the authors point out, female reproductive health is important not only for those who choose to plan for a family but also for the overall well-being […]
Posted in Birth defects, Cancer, contamination, Developmental Disorders, DNA Damage, Endocrine Disruption, Epigenetic, Glyphosate, Infertility, Miscarriage, multi-generational effects, organochlorines, organophosphate, Oxidative Stress, PCOS, Reproductive Health, synergistic effects, Women's Health | No Comments »
13
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 13, 2025) The data on the adverse effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos, still widely used in food production, continued to accumulate with the latest being a study published in PLOS One that finds perinatal exposure to the chemical in mice can alter sleeping patterns, lead to brain inflammation (particularly in female individuals), and impact gene expression linked to immune response and epigenetic effects. The adverse health effects are greater overall in female mice than male mice, emphasizing the significance of disproportionate impacts across species. Chlorpyrifos has been a threat to human and ecological health for decades, originally as a general-use pesticide for homes, gardens, and agriculture, and then restricted to most nonresidential uses in 2000. Currently, the chemicalâs permitted uses include food and feed crops, golf courses, as a non-structural wood treatment, and adult mosquito control for public health (insect-borne diseases) uses only. According to health and environmental advocates, there is a long history of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failure to adequately protect human and environmental health from chlorpyrifos, which is linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, brain, kidney, and liver damage, and birth and developmental effects. It took 21 years after negotiating a stop […]
Posted in Brain Effects, Chlorpyrifos, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Epigenetic, Immunotoxicity, Litigation, Sleep Disorders, Uncategorized | No Comments »
12
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 12, 2025) Last week on August 9, the United Nations observed International Day of the Worldâs Indigenous Peoples, a critical acknowledgement of Indigenous âfood sovereignty, food security, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience,â as outlined in the report of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Eighteenth Session (July 14â18, 2025). As the report states, under Article 20 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, âIndigenous Peoples possess distinct economic systems rooted in traditional knowledge, practices and resources and have the right to sustain, strengthen and develop these systems in accordance with their cultures, traditions, values and aspirations.â It continues, âWhen deprived of their means of subsistence and development, this article provides that Indigenous Peoples are entitled to just and fair redress.â In a statement recognizing the importance of the day, Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K. Barume, focuses on the need for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recognize that, âIndigenous Peoples have long been stewards of knowledge, biodiversity, and sustainable living [and] [w]ithout their meaningful participation, AI systems risk perpetuating historical injustices and deepening the violation of their rights.â Meanwhile, the current U.S. administration has shifted away from federal […]
Posted in Chlorpyrifos, Drift, Environmental Justice, Indigenous People, Native Americans, Occupational Health, Parathion, Pesticide Drift, pyrethroids, Uncategorized | No Comments »
08
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 8, 2025) In a study published in Environmental Pollution, researchers have detected eighty pesticides (35 insecticides, 29 fungicides, and 11 herbicides, and metabolites) in the ambient air of a rural region of Spain (Valencia) between 2007 and 2024. Despite these dramatic findings, the authors conclude that there is âno [observable] cancer risk,â âno inhalation risk for adults,â and only one pesticide concentration (the insecticide chlorpyrifos) showing âa potential risk to toddlers.â However, the authors did not conduct an aggregate risk assessment that would typically consider all routes of exposure to the individual pesticides detected, including through water, food, and landscapes. Not considered by the authors are the potential effects of pesticide mixtures and full pesticide product formulations (with all potentially toxic ingredients), also a deficiency in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of pesticides under federal law. Of concern, as well, are other contaminants in pesticide products, including but not limited to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), heavy metals, plastics (including microplastics), which contribute to chronic diseases and health risks, and adverse effects to ecosystem stability exacerbated by the climate crisis. Background and Methodology âThis work aims to conduct a further study on the situation of […]
Posted in Abamectin, acetamiprid, air pollution, Azoxystrobin, Bendiocarb, Bifenthrin, boscalid, Carbendazim, Carbofuran, Chemicals, Chlorothalonil, Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Diazinon, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate, Diuron, Endosulfan, endothall, Ethoprop, fenbuconazole, Fenthion, Fipronil, fludioxonil, Glyphosate, Imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin, Malathion, Methidathion, Permethrin, Pesticide Drift, pirimicarb, Propargite, Pyriproxyfen, spinosad, Thiamethoxam, Trifluralin, Uncategorized, vinclozolin | No Comments »
07
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 7, 2025) The novel study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology is the largest investigation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women to date, finding evidence of heightened risks when exposed to insecticides through data collected from over 400 eligible women in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS). AHS participants include a cohort of thousands of licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses from Iowa and North Carolina, with this particular study as the first to consider the link between pesticide exposure and RA as it affects womenâs health.  âGrowing evidence suggests farming and agricultural pesticide use may be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but few studies have examined specific pesticides and RA among farm women, who may personally use pesticides or be indirectly exposed,â the study authors explain. The findings reveal that organochlorine insecticides that continue to persist in the environment, as well as organophosphate and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides used in public health or residential settings, correlate with RA diagnoses in women. As shared in previous Daily News, for the most part organochlorine pesticides, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), are no longer used worldwide, but the legacy of their poisoning and contamination persists. These compounds are primarily made up of chlorine atoms, […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Arthritis/Joint Inflammation, Carbamates, Carbaryl, Carbofuran, Coumaphos, DDT, Fungicides, Lindane, Malathion, mancozeb, Maneb, Metalaxyl, organochlorines, organophosphate, Permethrin, pyrethroids, Rheumatoid arthritis, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Women's Health | No Comments »
06
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 6, 2025) A study published in Science of The Total Environment finds that âchronic pesticide exposure alters metabolism and impairs fish growth and health.â With increasing concern about the long-term consequences of pesticide persistence in ecosystems, the scientific literature continues to expand the body of research findings on adverse effects, including impacts on marine or aquatic ecosystems and organisms. Given the known and growing risks, there is an ongoing movement to move beyond petrochemical-based chemicals for agriculture and land management by adopting policies and programs that advance organic criteria and principles, as outlined in national organic law and practiced by tens of thousands of certified farmers and land managers across the country, and even more at the international level. Background and Methodology âThe objective of this study was to assess the physiological responses of juvenile P. lineatus exposed to environmentally relevant pesticide mixtures by integrating multiple biological endpoints across sub-individual and organismal levels,â the authors write. The study was conducted at two sites in the Tibagi River watershed located in ParanĂĄ, a southern region in Brazil. There was a reference site (RFS) and an agricultural site (AGS), the former having minimal pesticide contamination and the latter having […]
Posted in Carbendazim, Drift, Endosulfan, Fipronil, Pesticide Drift, Uncategorized, Water, Water Regulation | No Comments »