Archive for the 'Malathion' Category
02
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 2, 2024) Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, which took place last month, evokes concern about the growing body of science linking pesticide exposure to neurological effects linked to depression. Recent studies reveal elevated rates of psychiatric disorders, including suicide, among farmers, with problems more common for males. Through systematic reviews, meta-analyses, surveys and interviews, and blood sampling, these three studies add to the growing body of science linking pesticide exposure to neurological impacts. First, in the Journal of Agromedicine, researchers from Greece and the United Kingdom review eight studies and find a significant positive association between pesticide poisoning and depression in agricultural populations.1 Second, a study in Toxicology shows a link between depression in Brazilian farmers and pesticide exposure, most notably with glyphosate usage.2 Third, the latest study in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology focuses on work by researchers from Spain in identifying farmers exposed to chlorpyrifos, mancozeb, and malathion that have higher rates of depressive symptoms and suicide attempts.3 Through a meta-analysis of published research, the authors of the Agromedicine journal article identify pesticide poisoning as a risk factor of depression. With depression affecting more than 264 million individuals worldwide, this is a field of interest with […]
Posted in Atrazine, behavioral and cognitive effects, Chlorpyrifos, Depression, Farmworkers, Glyphosate, Malathion, mancozeb, men's health, Oxidative Stress, Paraquat, Permethrin, simazine, Suicide | No Comments »
11
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 11, 2024) Published in Science of The Total Environment in May, a comprehensive literature review of population-based studies finds strong linkages between direct and acute pesticide exposure and elevated risk of breast cancer (BC). A majority of the studies analyzed in this review were based on population groups in the United States, but also extends to Australia and three European countries (Greece, France, and Italy). Included in these studies are women who worked in chemical-intensive agricultural settings, directly sprayed pesticides in their at-home gardens, and/or handled pesticide-contaminated clothing. The findings in this literature review underscore organic advocatesâ concerns of relying on pesticide substitution models that inevitably impact the health of land stewards, farmers, farmworkers, and the broader public rather than transforming food systems to an organic model that bans the use of toxic petrochemical-based pesticides. The goal of this review was to synthesize existing literature on pesticide exposure and breast cancer to determine the specific pathways and underlying mechanisms that contribute to female participantsâ heightened risk. This literature review was published online by researchers at the University of Arizonaâs R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy and Coit Center for Longevity and Neurotherapeutics and the Laboratory of Tumor […]
Posted in Atrazine, Breast Cancer, Chlordane, Chlorpyrifos, Dieldrin, Farmworkers, Glyphosate, Malathion, terbufos, Uncategorized | No Comments »
08
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 8, 2024) In an unexpected turnaround, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced at the end of April a Proposed Interim Decision (PID) to discontinue all but one application of the insecticide acephate. Acephate is an organophosphate pesticide, a well-known neurotoxicant, widely banned globally, including in the European Union. Under the proposal, all uses would end except for the injection of trees that do not produce fruit or nuts. In its proposed action, EPA asks the manufacturer to offer the agency a voluntary settlement, a process that typically compromises the health of the public, workers, and the environment. Acephate, an organophosphate (OP) pesticide, is approved for use in both agricultural settings, including crops like cotton and soybeans, and nonagricultural applications, such as injections for forestry trees. Acephate affects the nervous system by inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. Importantly, chronic, low levels of exposure can cause a range of adverse human health outcomes, from cancer to birth defects, reproductive and developmental problems, and learning disabilities. While the proposed April interim decision, if it comes to pass, is welcomed by advocates, some are concerned that EPAâs proposal does not fully critique the scientific documents and conclusions on risk that […]
Posted in Acephate, Malathion, organophosphate | 2 Comments »
01
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 1, 2024) A study published in Science of The Total Environment finds an insecticide ban would be economically beneficial in preventing Parkinsonâs disease (PD). Despite differing pesticide exposure scenarios, PD risk lowers without pesticide exposure, especially insecticides that elicit neurotoxicity. In fact, a study published in 2023 notes high exposure to household pesticides, which are primarily insecticides, increases the risk of developing Parkinsonâs disease (PD) two-fold. There is a multitude of epidemiologic research on Parkinsonâs disease demonstrating several risk factors, including specific genetic mutations and external/environmental triggers (e.g., pesticide use, pollutant exposure, etc.). However, several studies find exposure to chemical toxicants, like pesticides, has neurotoxic effects or exacerbates preexisting chemical damage to the nervous system. Studies suggest neurological damage from oxidative stress, cell dysfunction, and synapse impairment, among others, can increase the incidence of PD following pesticide exposure. Despite the widespread commercialized use of household pesticides among the general population, few epidemiologic studies examine the influence household pesticides, mainly insecticides or disinfectants, have on the risk of PD. Additionally, many studies demonstrate the association between PD onset and occupational (work-related) pesticide exposure patterns. Parkinsonâs disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, with at least one million Americans […]
Posted in Acephate, Carbaryl, Dimethoate, Malathion, Methomyl, Naled, Parkinson's | No Comments »
14
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 14, 2023) A study published in Scientific Reports finds a link between pesticide exposure and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) through oxidative stress and apoptosis (cell death) in the placenta. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is the loss of three or more successive pregnancies before 24 weeks of gestation (pregnancy) and signifies an underlying reproductive health issue. The study highlights that pesticides’ endocrine-disrupting (ED) properties can have varying adverse impacts on biological processes, including immunology, metabolism, and reproduction. Pregnant women experience frequent exposure to environmental pollutants that pose serious health risks to both mother and newborn. Many known pollutants (e.g., heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyl, and pesticides) are chemicals with ED properties that can move from the mother to the developing fetus at higher exposure rates. Additionally, pregnant women are experiencing exposure to an increasing number of dangerous industrial chemicals. With a range of scientific data highlighting chemical exposures during pregnancy as a critical window of vulnerability, public awareness of these threats is growing. The study notes, “They are associated with an increasing placental OS [oxidative stress] and placental apoptosis. Specific measures should be taken to decrease maternal exposure to these pollutants’ sources, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries.” For RPL, the research investigated pesticide components in blood plasma, […]
Posted in Birth defects, Chlorpyrifos, Dieldrin, Malathion, Miscarriage, Reproductive Health | No Comments »
17
Nov
(Beyond Pesticides, November 17, 2022) A report published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology finds organophosphate (OP) insecticides and the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19) illicit similar damage to the heart and co-occurring exposure to both can escalate cardiac (heart) injury. Previous research suggests OPs may increase the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to cause COVID-19, especially among vulnerable individuals with underlying medical conditions. OPs have a wide range of biological usesâfrom insecticides to flame retardantsâthat make these chemicals ubiquitous, significantly contributing to ecosystem contamination. These compounds have a global distribution, with evaporation and precipitation facilitating long-range atmospheric transport, deposition, and bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals in the environment. OPs are highly toxic, originating from the same compounds as World War II nerve agents, and residues are consistently present in human and animal blood, urine, tissues, and milk. Moreover, OPs are one of the leading causes of poisoning globally. Therefore, it is vital to understand how OP exposure will impact human health in conjunction with other immunologically compromising diseases like COVID-19. Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death globally. Additionally, heart conditions are one leading cause of disability in the U.S., as research demonstrates environmental pollutant exposure can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and cardiac […]
Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Chlorpyrifos, coronavirus, COVID-19, Malathion, organophosphate, synergistic effects | No Comments »
06
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 6, 2022) A new study finds alarmingly high levels of PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) âforever chemicalsâ in commonly used pesticides, calling into question assurances from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that contamination is limited to storage containers. For some pesticides, PFAS levels are nearly one billion times higher than the EPAâs recently updated Health Advisory for the PFAS chemical PFOS. âIf the intent was to spread PFAS contamination across the globe there would be few more effective methods than lacing pesticides with PFAS,â said Kyla Bennett, PhD, of the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. âThese findings point to an appalling regulatory breakdown by EPA.â A team of researchers based in Texas, including scientists from Texas Tech and the U.S. Department of Agricultureâs (USDA) Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, participated in the study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. Ten different formulated pesticide products were tested for 24 different PFAS substances. The pesticide products selected were determined based on unexpected PFAS contamination at USDAâs research facility. During the course of conducting a separate study on plant uptake of PFAS, detectable levels of PFAS were found in plants intended to be used as unexposed controls. […]
Posted in 3M, Agriculture, contamination, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Imidacloprid, Inerts, Malathion, neonicotinoids, PFAS, spiromesifen, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | 2 Comments »
28
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 28, 2022) A report published in Chemosphere finds organophosphate (OP) insecticides readily contaminate drinking water resources, threatening human, animal, and ecological health. OPs have a wide range of biological usesâfrom insecticides to flame retardantsâthat make these chemicals ubiquitous, significantly contributing to ecosystem contamination. These compounds have a global distribution, with evaporation and precipitation facilitating long-range atmospheric transport, deposition, and bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals in the environment. OPs are highly toxic, and residues are consistently present in human and animal blood, urine, tissues, and milk. Considering 90 percent of Americans have at least one pesticide compound in their body, primarily stemming from dietary exposure, including food and drinking water, advocates maintain that current restrictions on their use must adequately detect and assess total chemical contaminants. Water is the most abundant and crucial chemical compound on earth, essential to survival, and the main component of all living things. Less than three percent of that water is freshwater, and only a fraction of that freshwater is groundwater (30.1%) or surface water (0.3%) readily available for consumption. However, ubiquitous pesticide use threatens to reduce the amount of available freshwater as pesticide runoff, recharge, and improper disposal tends to contaminate adjacent waterways, like rivers, streams, lakes, or underground watersheds. With rivers and streams only accounting […]
Posted in Diazinon, Malathion, organophosphate, Water | 1 Comment »
21
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 21, 2022) With a history of unenforceable and impractical pesticide label restrictions resulting in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) findings of ludicrously small or no risk, the agency is at it again with its latest announcement that spins its approval of the continued use of the deadly organophosphate insecticide malathion as âprotecting threatened and endangered species.â This just the latest example of an irresponsible federal agency falling far short, as the nation and world sit on the brink of biodiversity collapse and deadly pesticide-induced diseases. Tell EPA to protect endangered species. Tell Congress to make sure the Biden administration protects endangered species. The announcement follows the release of a final biological opinion by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which, according to the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), ârelies on scientifically unfounded assessment methods imposed during the Trump administration [and] stands in sharp contrast to the agencyâs 2017 conclusion that 1,284 species would likely be jeopardized by malathion.â Meanwhile, the National Marine Fisheries Service, a sister agency to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, released an updated biological opinion that determined malathion and two other toxic organophosphate pesticides are causing jeopardy to virtually every endangered U.S. salmon, sturgeon, […]
Posted in Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Malathion, Pesticide Regulation, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
11
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 11, 2022) With a history of unenforceable and impractical pesticide label restrictions resulting in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) findings of ludicrously small or no risk, the agency is at it again with its latest announcement that allows the continued use of the deadly organophosphate insecticide malathion. This just the latest example of what advocates see as an irresponsible federal agency falling far short, as the nation and world sit on the brink of biodiversity collapse and deadly pesticide-induced diseases.  In a head-spinning development, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced on March 8 its final Biological Opinion (BiOp) on malathion, which opinion claims that the commonly used insecticide poses no extinction risk to any protected animal or plant. The FWS review and BiOp are part of EPAâs evaluation of whether malathion â an organophosphate insecticide that causes serious damage to many organisms â should retain its registration. The Executive Summary of the BiOp concludes: âOur findings suggest that no proposed species or candidate species would experience species-level effects from the action [i.e., registration and thus, permitted use of malathion], and, therefore, are not likely to be jeopardized. We also conclude the proposed action is not […]
Posted in Biodiversity, Cancer, Corteva, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Malathion, Nervous System Effects, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
24
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 24, 2022) Widespread, intensive pesticide use for mosquito control has allowed genetic mutations to persist among mosquito populations, causing subsequent resistance to future chemical exposure. According to a study published in Scientific Reports, two common species of female mosquitoes learned to evade pesticides following non-fatal exposure through smell. More concerning is the survival rate of these pre-exposed mosquitoes, as it is more than double that of unexposed mosquitoes. Insects, including mosquitoes, use various sensory and cognitive abilities like vision, smell, and hearing to navigate the ecosystem for survival and reproduction. Mosquitoes associate sensory stimuli like smell to a positive or negative experience, thus facilitating a response. Considering the two species of mosquitoes in this study are a vector for numerous diseases in humans, including dengue and Zika and West Nile viruses. Hence, this study highlights the significance of addressing pest resistance in pest management strategies, particularly to mitigate disease exposure and effects. The study notes, â[The] findings highlight the importance of mosquito cognition as determinants of pesticide resistance in mosquito populations targeted by chemical control.â It is essential to understand insect behavior that propagates vector-borne disease transmission that exacerbates the widespread public health crisis. Scientists attribute memory […]
Posted in Deltamethrin, Malathion, Mosquitoes, Permethrin, Propoxur, pyrethroids, Resistance | No Comments »
19
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 19, 2021) Exposure to the insecticide malathion increases risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. According to study co-author Nicholas Osborne, PhD, CKD is on the rise in developing countries in Southeast Asia and Central America, and, “[n]early one in 10 people in high income countries show signs of CKD, which is permanent kidney damage and loss of renal function.â Although CKD risk increases with age, and is associated with other health factors like smoking, heart disease, and diabetes, cases without clear cause are increasingly common, indicating the that environmental factors are likely playing a role. Researchers began with data drawn from the United Statesâ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an ongoing study that assesses Americansâ health and nutritional status through interviews, physicals, and other health tests. Urine samples taken from individuals enrolled in NHANES 2001-2004 and 2007-2010 (tests within years between these dates did not analyze specific pesticides) were reviewed for the presence of pesticides, and compared against data collected on kidney function. In addition to malathion, 2,4-D, chlorpyrifos, and 3-PBA, the major metabolite for most synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Agriculture, Chlorpyrifos, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kidney failure, Malathion, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Uncategorized | No Comments »
21
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 21, 2021) Western states are in the midst of one of the largest spray campaigns in recent history, targeting native grasshopper species on more than two million acres of rangeland with highly toxic insecticides. Grasshopper populations have exploded this year due to the Westâs ongoing drought, and government officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are hoping that hazardous pesticide use will stop the voracious winged insects from consuming forage used by cattle operations. Environmental groups are urging changes to the program, which has conducted insecticide campaigns against the native grasshoppers since the 1930s. âAerial application of insecticides on this scale will eliminate millions of insects that pollinate, recycle plant nutrients and perform natural pest control,â said Sharon Selvaggio, Pesticide Program Specialist with the Xerces Society. âInsecticide sprays on this scale across native ecosystems are short-sighted and unsustainable.â According to a June 2020 press release, USDAâs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is spending $5.3 million dollars of taxpayer money in order to conduct what it calls âsuppression treatments.â APHIS claims the $5.3 million will protect $8.7 million worth of agricultural resources, but advocates argue that the agency has failed to meet the âlevel of economic […]
Posted in Agriculture, Carbaryl, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Malathion, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
19
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 19, 2021) As reported by VTDigger, Vermontâs Endangered Species Committee recently took action to uphold the stateâs endangered species law. The committee announced that a mosquito control program in the Champlain Valley, which uses the toxic pesticides malathion and permethrin, is threatening five species of endangered bats â all of which are on Vermontâs list of threatened and endangered species. The committee voted unanimously to recommend to the state Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources that the spraying program in the Brandon, Leicester, Salisbury, Goshen, Pittsford Insect Control District be allowed only via special permit. Learn about safer mosquito management and insect-borne diseases at Beyond Pesticides website pages. The bats inhabit the Insect Control Districtâs five towns, which are host to important feeding habitat for these creatures, as well as maternal roosting colonies where baby bats are born and raised during the months when the pesticides are typically sprayed. In addition, the nighttime spraying of these compounds along 190 miles of road in these communities hangs in the air for hours, putting nocturnally active bats â who fly through the toxic mist or consume insects contaminated with the chemicals â at risk. Mason Overstreet of Vermont […]
Posted in Bats, Malathion, Mosquitoes, Permethrin, Pollinators, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
21
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 21, 2020) Women now account for one in four agricultural jobs in the United States, and these important workers face unique challenges to their health and well-being, as outlined by a report published by Boise State University scientists. Farmworkers, often immigrants, or from communities of color, are frequently referred to as âinvisibleâ, despite the essential job they perform getting food to Americanâs dinner tables. With their struggle and plight outside of the view of mainstream news, it is critical that U.S, residents better understand the lives they lead, and their daily obstacles, to inform how their conditions can be improved. “In this study, we tried to understand the women that we were working with what their concerns were and what their challenges were rather than coming in and just saying what we thought the concerns were,” Cynthia Curl, PhD, Associate Professor at Boise State University, told Idaho News 6 (IN6). To better assess the well-being of women farmworkers, researchers conducted mixed method data collection, through surveys, focus groups, and urinary analysis for pesticide body burden. Surveys were received from 70 Latina farmworkers, with 22 participating in focus groups and 11 in semi-structured interviews. An assessment of pesticide […]
Posted in Agriculture, Farmworkers, Malathion, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Uncategorized | No Comments »
07
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 7, 2020) Research out of the Silent Spring Institute identifies 28 registered pesticides linked with development of mammary gland tumors in animal studies. Study authors Bethsaida Cardona and Ruthann Rudel also report that many of the pesticides they investigated behave as endocrine disruptors; breast cancers in humans are significantly influenced by hormones generated by the endocrine system. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledges that nine of these 28 pesticide compounds cause mammary tumors, but dismisses the evidence of the other 19. The results of this research, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, evince Beyond Pesticidesâ long-standing argument that the risk assessment process used by EPA for its pesticide registration process is substantially inadequate to protect human health. The co-authors cite, as the catalyst for this research project, a Cape Cod residentâs outreach to the Silent Spring Institute several years ago, asking for information about the herbicide triclopyr because utility companies wanted to spray it on vegetation below local power lines. (The compound has also been used by the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest.) They reviewed more than 400 EPA pesticide documents on the health impacts of many registered pesticides for this research, conducted as part […]
Posted in Atrazine, Breast Cancer, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Malathion, Triclopyr, Uncategorized | No Comments »
20
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 20, 2020) Does your community spray toxic pesticides for mosquitoes? In a well-intentioned but ill-informed attempt to prevent mosquito-borne illness such as West Nile virus, many communities spray insecticides (adulticides) designed to kill flying mosquitoes. If your community is one of these, then your public officials need to know that there is a better, more-effective, way to prevent mosquito breeding. Tell your public officials to stop spraying pesticides and adopt a mosquito management plan that protects public health and the environment. The problem with mosquito pesticides. Two classes of insecticides are favored by mosquito spray programsâorganophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids. In order to better target flying mosquitoes, adulticides are generally applied as ultra-low-volume (ULV) formulations that will float in the air longer than usual. Pesticides are toxic chemicals and can exacerbate respiratory illnesses like Covid-19.Organophosphates, which include malathion (Fyfanon), naled (Dibrom), and chlorpyrifos (Mosquitomist for public health uses only) are highly toxic pesticides that affect the central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Symptoms of poisoning in humans include numbness, tingling sensations, headache, dizziness, tremors, nausea, abdominal cramps, sweating, incoordination, blurred vision, difficulty breathing, slow heartbeat, loss of consciousness, incontinence, convulsions, and death. Some organophosphates have been linked to […]
Posted in Asthma, Cancer, Chlorpyrifos, Liver failure, Malathion, Mosquitoes, Naled, PBO, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Take Action, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
28
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 28, 2019) A set of documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity reveals that the Trump administration has known for over a year â and actively concealed â that the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos jeopardizes the existence of 1,399 endangered species. Top officials at the U.S. Department of the Interior, including Acting Secretary David Bernhardt, were privy to and prevented the release of a âbiological opinion,â completed by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2017, which contains a full analysis of the extensive environmental impacts wrought by three organophosphate insecticides. While chlorpyrifos is the worst of the three, the censored biological opinion includes similarly concerning findings for two other organophosphate pesticides, malathion and diazinon, which are currently jeopardizing 1,284 and 175 species, respectively. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that that all organophosphates have a common mechanisms of effect and therefore the multiple exposures to these pesticides lead to a cumulative risk. âIt’s outrageous that Trump, Bernhardt and the industry hacks inhabiting this administration are speeding the extinction of nearly 1,400 endangered species by refusing to take any action on chlorpyrifos,â said Lori Ann Burd, environmental health director at the Center for Biological Diversity […]
Posted in Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Dow Chemical, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Malathion, Uncategorized | No Comments »
09
Nov
(Beyond Pesticides, November 9, 2018)Â A Tunisian study (published in January 2018) on the effects in pre-pubertal mice of exposure to malathion â an organophosphate pesticide first registered for use in the U.S. in 1956 â demonstrates significant distortion of liver and kidney biochemistry and function in the animals. Deleterious effects include compromise of feeding ability, metabolism performance, neurologic deficits, reduction of overall body weight, and simultaneous increases in the weights of livers and kidneys, with structural anomalies and lesions in those organs. Organophosphates (OPs) have raised alarm bells for years. Some, such as chlorpyrifos and diazinon, have had their registrations cancelled for household uses because of the extreme health risks to children, but agricultural, golf course, and âpublic healthâ (mosquito control) uses remain commercially available and in use. Recently, Beyond Pesticides reported on research whose investigators support â and called publicly for â a worldwide ban on the compounds because of the serious health and environmental risks they pose, particularly for children. Beyond Pesticides has written extensively on OP pesticides, including malathion and chlorpyrifos. Both are used widely in agriculture. Chlorpyrifos has been the subject of quite a ping-pong match in recent years: a scheduled ban by the Environmental Protection […]
Posted in Kidney failure, Liver failure, Malathion, Oxidative Stress, Uncategorized | No Comments »
18
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 18, 2018) Pesticide residue doesnât announce itself âit isnât colored, it doesnât glow or reflect light, and after an initial application doesnât put out a discernible odor – but it is likely ubiquitous in rural U.S. homes, according to a study published by Cornell University researchers late last month. The study is a warning specifically to households with young children, who are at increased risk of health effects from even minute levels of pesticide exposure. âNumerous health problems occur from exposure to pesticides, such as cancer, birth defects, leukemia and ocular [vision-related] toxicity, among a number of other health issues,â said Joseph Laquatra, PhD, coauthor of the research. âHouseholds with crawling toddlers should be concerned, as toddlers will accumulate pesticide residues on their hands and then ingest them due to hand-to-mouth behaviors.â Researchers focused in on 132 households in rural counties of New York State that agreed to test for pesticide residue inside their home. Wipe samples were collected from both carpeted and non-carpeted areas, and tested for pesticides used commonly as part of agricultural production in the region. The pesticides analyzed included 15 compounds ranging from organophosphates like chlorpyrifos and malathion, to synthetic pyrethroids like resmethrin, […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Atrazine, Children, Chlorpyrifos, Household Use, Malathion, organophosphate, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Uncategorized | No Comments »
17
Jan
(Beyond Pesticides, January 17, 2018) The organophosphate insecticides chlorpyrifos, malathion, and diazinon are likely to jeopardize the continued existence of endangered species and adversely modify their critical habitats, according to the newly released report from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The insecticide cholorpyrifos, whose ban was rescinded by the Trump Administration last year, despite overwhelming evidence of neurological and brain damage to children, is once again being shown to be too toxic for continued use. Under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), any agency action requires a finding that it âis not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered species or threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of habitat.â The December 31, 2017 Biological Opinion from NMFS followed an ecological assessment that relied upon multiple lines of evidence to determine effects to species and their designated habitats. These include âthe direct and indirect toxicity of each chemical to aquatic taxa groups (e.g. fish, mammals, invertebrates); specific chemical characteristics of each pesticide (e.g. degradation rates, bioaccumulation rates, sorption affinities, etc.); expected environmental concentrations calculated for generic aquatic habitats; authorized pesticide product labels; maps showing the spatial overlap of listed speciesâ habitats with pesticide use areas; […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, Chlorpyrifos, contamination, Diazinon, Federal Agencies, Malathion, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Residues, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
24
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 24, 2017) After contributing $1 million to Donald Trumpâs presidential festivities, pesticide maker Dow Chemical Co. is asking the Administration to set aside previous findings of federal scientists across multiple agencies that confirm the risks that organophosphate pesticides pose to about 1,800 critically threatened or endangered species. This comes after the Administration abandoned plans to restrict the brain-damaging pesticide chlorpyrifos, also an organophosphate pesticide created by Dow, despite mountains of evidence that show the chemicalâs neurotoxic impacts on childrenâs brains. In letters sent to government officials, lawyers for Dow urge Administration officials and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set aside âbiological evaluationsâ that detail how three highly toxic organophosphate insecticides âchlorpyrifos, malathion and diazinonâ harm nearly all 1,800 threatened and endangered animals and plants, claiming the process to be âfundamentally flawed.â Federal agencies tasked with protecting endangered species âEPA, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of Agricultureâ have worked for years to identify the risks posed by pesticides to threatened and endangered species under to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under Section 7 of ESA, states that any agency action must find that it âis not likely to jeopardize […]
Posted in Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Malathion, Pesticide Regulation, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
07
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 7, 2017) After years of legal battle, the Colorado Court of Appeals last week affirmed a ruling that Colorado rancher, James Hopper, must serve two days in jail and pay a $7,500 fine for spraying pesticides that drifted unto his neighborâs farm in violation of a 2012 court order protecting his neighbors. In 2012, organic farmers Rosemary Bilchak and her husband Gordon MacAlpine, were granted a permanent injunction prohibiting pesticide applications within 150 feet of the property line in order to reduce pesticide drift. Last weekâs decision bolsters a legal precedent that wafting pesticides can constitute a trespass against which adjacent landowners and people with health sensitivities are protected. The legal battle began in 2011 when Mr. Hopper obtained his Colorado pesticide applicatorâs license and applied the adulticide Fyfanon, which contains the organophosphate insecticide malathion, to kill mosquitoes on his property. However, the pesticide drifted onto Ms. Bilchak and Mr. MacAlpineâs organic vegetable farm. In 2012, a District Court Judge ruled that they have a right not to have their property invaded by other people or things, and prohibited Mr. Hopper from fogging for mosquitoes within 150 feet of his neighborâs property or allowing the pesticides to drift, […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Announcements, Biodiversity, Biological Control, Biomonitoring, Chemicals, Colorado, Contamination, contamination, Corporations, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Events, Genetic Engineering, Malathion, Mosquitoes, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, State/Local, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »