Archive for the '3-D' Category
18
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 18, 2025) A study in Royal Society Open Science shows intraspecific differences (between individuals of a species) in wild bumblebees (Bombus vosnesenskii) exposed to an herbicide (glyphosate), a fungicide (tebuconazole), and an insecticide (imidacloprid), with gut microbiome health as a factor. âWild pollinator declines are increasingly linked to pesticide exposure, yet it is unclear how intraspecific differences contribute to observed variation in sensitivity, and the role gut microbes play in the sensitivity of wild bees is largely unexplored,â the authors explain. âHere, we investigate site-level differences in survival and microbiome structure of a wild bumble bee exposed to multiple pesticides, both individually and in combination.â In collecting 175 individuals of this wild, foraging species from an alpine meadow, a valley lake shoreline, and a suburban park and exposing them to a diet with individual pesticides and mixtures, the researchers assess the varying lethal and sublethal effects that can occur with pesticide exposure. Between the three sites, the survival differences âemphasize the importance of considering population of origin when studying pesticide toxicity of wild beesâ and highlight how pesticide sensitivity not only varies between species but within individuals of the same species with site-specific impacts. (See previous Daily […]
Posted in Beneficials, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, Glyphosate, Imidacloprid, Microbiome, Nevada, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, Pollinators, synergistic effects, tebuconazole, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
17
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 17, 2025) The widespread use of pesticides year-after-year, decade-after-decade, has been found to lead to unintended consequences not only for public health but also for broader ecosystem stability and biodiversity. These impacts include potential nontarget harm through adverse developmental and reproductive effects on the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the subject of a peer-reviewed study in Royal Society Open Science. The authors, who studied the organochlorine fungicide chlorothalonil, conclude, âChlorothalonil exposure decreases larval survival, extends developmental duration and reduces fecundity.â âEven at the lowest tested concentration, chlorothalonil exposure resulted in reduced body weight, ovariole count and egg production compared with non-exposed individuals,â the researchers find. This study builds upon years of scientific research findings and critiques of existing federal pesticide law, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyâs (EPA) failure to fully assess the adverse impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem stability during the pesticide registration review process. Methodology and Background The goal of this study is to evaluate the health impacts on a nontarget insect species (Drosophila melanogaster) from chronic exposure to chlorothalonil. This specific fungicide was chosen for various reasons, including its wide use across cereals, vegetables, and fruits; evidence linked to adverse health effects on […]
Posted in Biodiversity, Chlorothalonil, Drift, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fungicides, Pesticide Drift, Pollinators, Uncategorized | No Comments »
16
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 16, 2025) A study following a mass mortality event of approximately 200 monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus plexippus) in Pacific Grove, California, highlights the role of pesticides, synthetic pyrethroids in particular, in causing lethal and sublethal effects to nontarget organisms. The research, published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, detects residues of 15 pesticides and associated metabolites in the bodies of 10 deceased butterflies collected from the January 2024 event that occurred near an overwintering site frequented by monarchs. âOn average, each monarch butterfly contained 7 pesticides,â the authors report. They continue, âNotably, three pyrethroid insecticidesâbifenthrin, cypermethrin, and permethrinâwere consistently detected at or near each chemicalâs lethal dose (LD50).â LC50, or Lethal Concentration 50, values represent the concentrations of chemicals lethal to 50% of a test population. To assess pesticide residues within ten of the deceased butterflies, the researchers use liquid and gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) and find âa total of 15 pesticides and associated metabolites in the butterflies, including 8 insecticides (plus 1 associated metabolite), 2 herbicides (plus 2 associated metabolites), and 2 fungicides.â The study âpresent[s] evidence that the mortality incident at the Pacific Grove Monarch overwintering site was likely caused by […]
Posted in Beneficials, Bifenthrin, Biodiversity, California, cypermethrin, Death, Ecosystem Services, Metabolites, Permethrin, Pesticide Residues, Poisoning, Pollinators, pyrethroids, synergistic effects, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Synthetic Pyrethroids, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | 2 Comments »
15
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 15, 2025) A study published in Environmental Science and Technology finds that there are 47 current-use pesticidesâproducts with active ingredients that are currently registered with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) âdetected in samples of indoor dust, drinking water, and urine from households in Indiana. This study builds on existing scientific literature documenting the public health threat of nonoccupational, indoor pesticide exposure. (See previous Daily News here, here, and here.) The study is a reminder that pesticides move into the indoor environment through the air, and on clothing, making exposure more widespread than the assumptions used in regulatory reviews. Background and Methodology âIn this study, we collected matched samples of indoor dust, drinking water, and urine from 81 households in Indiana, United States, and analyzed these samples for 82 CUPs [current use pesticides], including 48 insecticides, 25 herbicides, and 9 fungicides,â say the authors. They continue: âOf these, 47 CUPs were identified across samples of indoor dust, drinking water, and urine with median total CUP (âCUP) concentrations of 18 300 ng/g, 101 ng/L, and 2.93 ng/mL, respectively.â The herbicides (13) detected include 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), Alachlor, Atrazine, CIAT (Desethyl-atrazine), Diuron, Metolachlor, Metolachlor OA (Oxanilic acid), OIAT (2-Hydroxy-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine), OIET […]
Posted in 2,4-D, acetamiprid, Acetochlor, Alachlor, Atrazine, Clothianidin, Diazinon, dinotefuron, Diuron, Fipronil, Fungicides, Herbicides, Household Use, Imidacloprid, Indiana, Indoor Air Quality, Malathion, Metolachlor, Myclobutanil, neonicotinoids, organophosphate, Prometon, Propiconazole, pyrethroids, simazine, State/Local, tebuconazole, thiacloprid, Thiamethoxam, Uncategorized | No Comments »
09
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 9, 2025) Policymakers in Tanzania are calling for increased investments in organic agriculture for the 2025/26 fiscal year budget, demonstrating the increase in political will to advance new systems of farming and land management after decades of relying on Green Revolution-style, or chemical-intensive, policies. On June 20, various ministers representing the national government presented speeches to Parliament on the national governmentâs plan and budget recommendations, as well as highlighting the previous fiscal yearâs trends and use of funds. Â Political and popular support for organic agricultural systems has gained momentum across the globe. Worldwide, organic farming practices quadrupled from 2000 to 2018, with over 180 countries supporting a global transition to organic agriculture. Newly published global survey data by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements â Organics International (IFOAM) reveal global organic agriculture to be at an all-time high, with 71.5 million hectares of farmland in production as of 2020. (See Daily News here). Farmer and agricultural cooperatives around the world, from Brazil to Madagascar and Togo, leverage organic systems to develop competitive business models in regional, national, and international markets. (See Daily News here.) The European Union, with […]
Posted in Agriculture, Aldrin, Chemical Mixtures, Chlordane, Chlorpyrifos, DDT, Dieldrin, Endosulfan, Heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), International, lambda-cyhalothrin, organochlorines, Tanzania, Uncategorized | No Comments »
07
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 7, 2025) At the end of the Independence Day weekend and after the Congressional passage of reconciliation bill (H.R. 1) on July 3, ongoing legislative proposals challenge the underlying principles of the  Declaration of Independenceâraising serious environmental and public health concerns and issues of democratic governance by local and state governments to ensure protections. A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds that three-quarters of Americans say democracy is under serious threat. The Declaration not only presented the case of the colonists for independence from Britain, it also created a framework for defining democracy, beginning with the statement, âWe hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.âThat to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,â and it continues ânecessary for the public good.â Above all, the Declaration’s statement of the equal rights of all citizens supports the need for environmental justice. Among the grievances listed are the King’s restriction of the power of local (colonial) authorities to pass laws, âthe most wholesome and necessary for the […]
Posted in Congress, Corporations, Environmental Justice, Events, Failure to Warn, Holidays, Preemption, Reflection, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
04
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 3-4, 2025) On this Independence Day, Beyond Pesticides calls for holistic solutions that, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence, move the nation to ensure âcertain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.â The founders of the United States were aware of the existential threat of corruption to democratic institutions. Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, warned in Federalist No. 68 of The Federalist Papers that the presidency could be overtaken by a despotic figure without adequate safeguards. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, in Federalist No. 10 speaks to the danger that factionsâdefined as a group of people or entities â… who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the communityââimpose on the general public, if not checked by safeguards in the countryâs political system. The foundational principles in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution have been challenged under the current administration and in the U.S. Congress. Communities are facing a fourfold attack on these principles and the centuries-old promise of the nation: […]
Posted in Bayer, Biodiversity, Cancer, Chemical Mixtures, Children, Climate Change, Congress, Corporations, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Failure to Warn, Health care, Indigenous People, Label Claims, Monsanto, National Politics, Native Americans, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Pesticide Regulation, Preemption, State/Local, Take Action, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
01
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 1, 2025) Published in Water Research, a study highlights the various routes for pesticide contamination, with the results identifying the presence of over 80 substances in streams without adjacent agricultural land use. âOur findings underscore the necessity of further investigating the non-agricultural entry pathways of pesticides and biocides to effectively mitigate their impacts on streams in non-agricultural catchments,â the authors state. They continue, âThese streams often serve as critical refuge habitats and sources of recolonization, making their protection essential for biodiversity conservation.â In analyzing nonagricultural streams, the researchers find pesticide contamination that, while lower than levels found in streams directly next to agricultural land, can occur through various routes and threatens biodiversity in essential ecosystems. As the authors describe: âAlthough pesticide concentrations were lower than in agricultural streams, the potential toxicity of pesticides was associated with a significant reduction in sensitive insect populations, as indicated by the SPEARpesticides index. Notably, 40% of the studied streams did not achieve a good status according to the pesticide specific SPEARpesticides indicator.â The SPEARpesticides indicator is used âto identify pesticide effects on the aquatic invertebrate community. It measures the abundance of pesticide-sensitive species (âspecies at riskâ) in relation to the abundance […]
Posted in Agriculture, Aquatic Organisms, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Drift, Fipronil, Germany, Methidathion, Mevinphos, neonicotinoids, Pesticide Drift, Water | No Comments »
27
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 27, 2025) An article in The New York Times (NYT), entitled “A Killer Within Easy Reach,” highlights the use of the weed killer paraquat, a widely used herbicide in the U.S. and many other parts of the world despite being banned in over 70 countries, as the cause of numerous suicides. The article references the tiny nation of Suriname, located on the northeastern coast of South America, as they have âone of the highest suicide rates in the world,â with the majority of those deaths involving paraquat. Globally, paraquat is prevalently used in self-harm incidents. The chemical, when absorbed into the body, among other deadly effects, causes pulmonary fibrosis, making lung tissue brittle and causing respiratory failure. While this pesticide is intended and generally used for weed control, it is also highly lethal to humans in small amounts and is often easily accessible in many households. As the NYT article states, âPesticides are among the leading means of suicide in agricultural areas of developing nations, implicated in more than 100,000 deaths annually.â Citing examples from around the world, the article states, âSri Lankaâs crop yields had surged after the introduction of modern fertilizers and pesticides in the […]
Posted in Cancer, Death, Herbicides, Kidney failure, Liver Damage, Oxidative Stress, Paraquat, Parkinson's, Reproductive Health, Respiratory Diseases, Suicide, Syngenta | 1 Comment »
26
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 26, 2025) A review article in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment highlights how the pesticides used in global crop production pose risks to ecosystems and human health through multiple pathways. As the authors note, âOnce applied to crops, pesticides are transported through surface and groundwater flows, atmospheric dispersion and wildlife migration.â Residues in food products, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as bioaccumulation within animals that are consumed as food, also threaten consumers around the world, particularly those relying on international trade. The researchers note: âIn this Review, we summarize the pathways through which synthetic pesticides transcend boundaries, focusing on the impacts of their use in food production… First, we explain how environmental flows contribute to transporting pesticides to regions far from their original source. Next, we examine the role of international food trade in causing transboundary exposure and impact of pesticide use.â As a result, the study calls for prioritizing biodiversity and human health through sustainable methods while maintaining yield to support the growing population. The use of pesticides in chemical-intensive agriculture has exponentially increased since their first synthesis in the late 1930s. âGlobally, pesticides were applied on agricultural land at an average rate of […]
Posted in Agriculture, air pollution, Aquatic Organisms, Biodiversity, Biomonitoring, contamination, Drift, Groundwater, International, Metabolites, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Residues, Pollinators, soil health, Water, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
23
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 23, 2025) At the close of National Pollinator week, Beyond Pesticides says in an action that all speciesâand their ecosystemâare threatened by the failure of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to perform its statutory duties under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under FIFRA, EPA is required to register pesticides only when they pose no âunreasonable risk to man [sic] or the environment, taking into account the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits.â Under ESA, EPA must, like all federal agencies, âseek to conserve endangered species and threatened species and shall utilize their authorities in furtherance of the purposesâ of the ESAâwhich are âto provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved, to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered species and threatened species, and to take such steps as may be appropriate to achieve the purposes of the treaties and conventionsâ through which âthe United States has pledged itself as a sovereign state in the international community to conserve to the extent practicable the various species of fish or wildlife and plants facing extinction.â In this context, Beyond Pesticides […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Birds, Children, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pesticide Regulation, Pollinators, Take Action, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
20
Jun
Image: Art Page submission from Sara Grantham, âPollen Song.â (Beyond Pesticides, June 20, 2025) A study in Conservation Genetics, entitled âOrganic farming fosters arthropod diversity of specific insect guilds â evidence from metabarcoding,â showcases the negative effect of chemical-intensive, conventional farm management on insect populations when compared to organically managed meadows. The researchers find that the diversity and biomass of flying insects are higher with organic land management by 11% and 75%, respectively. âWe report a higher diversity on organic meadows in comparison with conventional ones, all over the diversity of flying insects and not only based solely on a few species-poor groups as in previous studies,â the authors state. They continue: âWe found significant richness differences between management types and increased functionality on organic meadows. Our results imply the superiority of organic farming in comparison to conventional farming in the conservation of insect diversity.â The topic of insect biodiversity and the decline of insect populations over the last few decades, also referred to as the insect apocalypse, has been extensively covered by Beyond Pesticides. As previously reported in the Daily News, âContinued Decline in Insect Species Biodiversity with Agricultural Pesticide Use Documented,â insects provide many important services, such as […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, Germany, Pollinators, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
16
Jun
***Featured Art Page submissions for National Pollinator Week, highlighted with the gratitude of Beyond Pesticides: Jesse from Livermore, CA: “Honeybee Pollinating Citrus Blossom”; Yumi from New York, NY: “Birds and the Bees”; Gretchen from Helena, MT: “Butterflies”; Janet from Concord, MA: “Beneath the Big Dipper”; and Trix from Petersburg, NY: “Downy Woodpecker.” (Beyond Pesticides, June 16, 2025) Every year, Beyond Pesticides announces National Pollinator Week to remind eaters of food, gardeners, farmers, communities (including park districts to school districts), civic organizations, responsible corporations, policy makers, and legislators that there are actions that can be taken that are transformative. All the opportunities for action to protect pollinators, and the ecosystems that are critical to their survival, can collectively be transformational in eliminating toxic pesticides that are major contributors to the collapse of biodiversity. This is why Beyond Pesticides starts most discussions and strategic actions for meaningful pollinator and biodiversity protection with the transition to practicing and supporting organic. In launching National Pollinator Week, Beyond Pesticides makes suggestions for individual actions to increase efforts to think and act holistically to protect the environment that supports pollinators. The impact that people have starts with grocery store purchases and the management of gardens, parks, […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Announcements, Bats, Biodiversity, Birds, Children, Children/Schools, Climate, Congress, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Justice, Events, Farmworkers, Habitat Protection, Holidays, Parks, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Pollinators, Reflection, Seasonal, Take Action, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
13
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 13, 2025) A report highlights the ongoing stress to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed from pollutants, particularly pesticides. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the contiguous United States, with tributaries shared among six states and the District of Columbia. It receives runoff from nine major river systems traversing a wide mix of land uses, with significant agricultural and urban areas nearest the Bay and forest along the western boundary. Nearly 13 million people get their drinking water from the watershed. The watershed report by the Maryland Pesticide Education Network focuses primarily on the herbicide atrazine, the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam, and per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS). Atrazine needs little introduction, being notorious for disrupting hormones, particularly estrogen, as demonstrated by the pioneering work of Tyrone Hayes and more recent research analyzed by Beyond Pesticides here, here and here. In male fish, it can trigger production of egg proteins, especially vitellogenin, and development of eggs in their testicles. These are manifestations of intersex, in which an organism shows forms of sexual differentiation of both sexes. The Chesapeake watershed report notes that atrazine and metolachlor (also an estrogen/androgen disruptor and suspected human carcinogen) occur together frequently in the Chesapeake […]
Posted in Atrazine, Cancer, Deleware, Endocrine Disruption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Maryland, neonicotinoids, New York, Pennsylvania, PFAS, Uncategorized, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia | 2 Comments »
11
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 11, 2025) Researchers developed a novel tool* in a recent study published in Nature Communications this year that successfully creates a map of the âpesticide-gut microbiota-metabolite network,â identifying âsignificant alterations in gut bacteria metabolism.â While the study authors acknowledge that this is not a complete map, since they selected specific pesticides and bacterial partners, the research adds to the body of peer-reviewed scientific literature that underscores the relationship between pesticide residues and human gut health. Organic farmers, as well as any land steward invested in agroecological practices and soil health, understand that microbial life (both in the body and in the soil) is dangerously undermined by the status quo of chemical-intensive land management. Background and Methodology The researchers leverage mass spectrometry to test metabolite (metabolomics) and lipid (lipidomics) relationships with pesticide residues, as well as an in vivo mouse model. *The map itself is a form of computational biology, which advocates have warned could be a false solution if not accompanied by other proven scientific methods. See here for analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council on risks of unproven methods such as New Approach Methodologies [NAMs]. All major phylogenetic (âevolutionary relationships among biological entitiesâ) groups are […]
Posted in Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, DDT, Diazinon, Dichlorvos, Endosulfan, Glyphosate, Malathion, Metabolites, methoxychlor, Microbiata, Microbiome, Parathion, Permethrin, Uncategorized | No Comments »
10
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 10, 2025) An industry-led campaign to quash lawsuits against chemical manufacturers because of their âfailure to warnâ about the hazards of their pesticide products has failed to move forward in nine state legislatures with significant GOP majorities (Iowa,âŻMissouri,âŻIdaho,âŻFlorida,âŻTennessee, Mississippi,âŻWyoming,âŻMontana, andâŻOklahoma). As the Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its first report to assess the root causes of childhood diseases and adverse health conditions, there continues to be an ongoing fight among forces within the Trump Administration on whether pesticides should even be mentioned. (See here for The New York Times coverage.) As federal funding cuts make their way through the Budget Reconciliation process, communities around the country are calling on their elected officials to protect their right to sue pesticide manufacturers with failure-to-warn claims; in an era of deregulation and ongoing failure of our regulatory agencies to assess potential associated harms, advocates demand the preservation of this legal right. Status Report on State-Level Legislation The only state that has active legislation, as of todayâs writing, is North Carolina. The failure-to-warn language was inserted into the annual state Farm Bill package (SB 639) in Section 19, leading to public outcry in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on […]
Posted in Bayer, Corporations, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Failure to Warn, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Label Claims, Litigation, Mississippi, Missouri, Monsanto, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Preemption, Tennessee, Uncategorized, Wyoming | No Comments »
05
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 5, 2025) A study conducted in Pennsylvania and published in Environmental Entomology highlights threats to nontarget organisms from neonicotinoid insecticide exposure. Using species of ground beetles as an example, the study documents sublethal behavioral effects as well as decreased week-long survival. This research fills a notable gap in current research, with the authors explaining, âPredatory soil arthropods are under-represented in insecticide toxicity studies, severely limiting our understanding of how insecticides affect soil-invertebrate communities in agroecosystems.â Â The researchers continue, âAs a step toward addressing this issue, we conducted novel acute oral, topical, and soil-based toxicity assays on 9 ground beetle species (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in response to the neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid.â The nine carabid beetle species, all common to agroecosystems in central Pennsylvania, were exposed to clothianidin, while additional assays with thiamethoxam and imidacloprid were conducted on the two most abundant species. A wide body of science exists that connects neonicotinoid exposure to health effects in a variety of nontarget organisms. Neonicotinoids, a class of neurotoxic insecticides, act as agonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, âpersist under field conditions, and are water soluble, enabling them to translocate into plants and provide systemic protection of seedlings,â the […]
Posted in Beneficials, Biodiversity, Clothianidin, Ecosystem Services, Imidacloprid, neonicotinoids, Pennsylvania, Pollinators, soil health, Thiamethoxam, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
30
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 30, 2025) The Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report, Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment, published on May 23, drew criticism from the pesticide industry and agribusiness allies for pointing to independent science that identifies a range of pesticide-induced health hazards.* The Commission, chaired by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is composed of the heads of numerous agencies of the federal government and the White House, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to the Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller. The MAHA Commission was established by Executive Order 14212 on February 13, 2025. Despite extensive citations to the science on pesticide hazards, the report includes a section on âCrop Protection Tools,â in which there is a repetition of chemical industry talking points that pesticide residues in food comply with existing tolerances, thus implying that pesticides in food are safe. (See USDA Pesticide Data Program Continues to Mislead the Public on Pesticide Residue Exposure.) However, overall the reportâs introduction sets a tone that seeks to catalogue […]
Posted in Atrazine, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, Children, Children/Schools, Chlorpyrifos, Corporations, Corteva, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farm Bill, Farmworkers, Federal Agencies, Glyphosate, Label Claims, Pesticide Mixtures, Preemption, Uncategorized, United Nations | No Comments »
08
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 8, 2025) A study, published in Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability, assesses the impacts on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with subacute and chronic exposure to thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid insecticide, and finds genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and changes in tissue structure, among other threats to organ function and overall fish health. âThe study focused on biochemical markers, genetic damage, pesticide residue levels in fish flesh, and histopathological changes in fish exposed to different concentrations of thiamethoxam,â the authors state. The threats do not end there; human health is also at risk from the consumption of these contaminated fish. âUnfortunately, neonicotinoids, rapidly washed into surface water from agricultural areas, pose a significant threat to environmental water quality and can harm non-target species, particularly aquatic organisms,â the researchers state. The accumulation of these chemicals leads to âultimately harming both aquatic ecosystems and human health,â they say. In particular, the study highlights that prolonged exposure to high doses of thiamethoxam can cause âsignificant negative effects on fish health,â the authors note. They continue: âThis exposure led to increased levels of urea and ALT [alanine aminotransferase] in the blood, indicating potential damage to the kidneys and liver. Additionally, thiamethoxam caused oxidative stress, as evidenced […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, fish, Kidney failure, Liver Damage, neonicotinoids, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Residues, Thiamethoxam, Water | No Comments »
06
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 6, 2025) A study in Ecology Letters finds âsevere degradation of ecosystem functioning in the form of loss of organic matter consumption and dramatic shifts in primary productivity,â the researchers state, after performing an experiment with â36 naturally established freshwater ecosystems exposed to increasing field-realistic concentrations of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid.â Aquatic communities contribute to overall biodiversity and are crucial in maintaining healthy ecosystems; without them, the entire food web and vital ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, water filtration, and climate regulation, are threatened. As the authors reference, there is a current unprecedented decline in biodiversity that can be attributed to anthropogenic impacts. A multitude of studies connect pesticides, and more specifically neonicotinoid insecticides, to impacts on aquatic ecosystems. (See studies here and here.) âSince the community of organisms locally present is responsible for the functioning of the local ecosystems,â the researchers begin, âthis begs the question: do neonicotinoid-induced shifts in community composition result in a degradation of ecosystem functioning?â Previous research finds that neonicotinoids can âimpede several freshwater ecosystem processes such as organic matter (âOMâ) decomposition, primary production or biomass transfer to neighbouring ecosystems,â the authors say. (See studies here, here, and here.) They continue: âHowever, […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), European Union, neonicotinoids, thiacloprid | No Comments »
25
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 25, 2025) A novel study in Chemosphere finds impacts on male fertility in a bee species (Osmia bicornis) with exposure to sulfoxaflor, a systemic sulfoximine insecticide with similar mechanisms to neonicotinoids. âFor the first time, we demonstrate that short-term chronic, field-realistic exposure to a common pesticide reduced pre-copulatory display (36%) and sounds (27%) [courtship behaviors], increased the number of copulations (+110%) and the mating duration (+166%), while finally reducing sperm quantity (25%) and mating success (43%),â the researchers report. They continue, âOur research raises considerable concern on the impact of field-realistic, low sublethal pesticide levels on the fertility and reproductive success of pollinators.â Mating behaviors and the ability to successfully reproduce determines the survival of species. As the authors state: âMating disorders may therefore contribute to the recent decline in insect and pollinators’ health worldwide. While the impact of pesticides on pollinators is widely considered as a driving factor for reducing pollinators’ health, their effect on mating behaviour and male fertility remains widely overlooked.â The red mason bee (O. bicornis) can âprovide essential pollination service for both crops and wild plants sustaining food production and biodiversity while serving as a bioindicator of environmental health.â The abundance and […]
Posted in Beneficials, Biodiversity, Clothianidin, fenbuconazole, men's health, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Mixtures, Pollinators, Reproductive Health, Sulfoxaflor, Thiamethoxam | No Comments »
17
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 17, 2025) A literature review in Reproductive Sciences finds glyphosate (GLY) and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) impact womenâs reproductive health, adding to the long list of documented harm from this widely used weed killer. The authors note, âConsidering the widespread use of GLY, the controversy regarding its endocrine-disrupting potential and reproductive toxicity, and the innumerable lawsuits filed against Bayer and Monsanto by consumers for morbidities related to Roundup™ exposure, the purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on the potential adverse effects of GLY and GBHs on the female reproductive tract and discuss possible clinical implications on reproductive health outcomes, including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and female fertility.â Glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), the primary metabolite (breakdown product) of GLY, are found throughout the environment in soil and water, as well as in samples of blood, urine, seminal plasma, and breast milk. Studies have detected residues in farmworkers, as well as “in the urine of 60â80% of the general public in the USA, including pregnant women and children.â (See studies here, here, and here.) The ubiquitous use of GLY and GBH, and subsequent persistence, threatens the health and well-being of all. Previous studies have […]
Posted in Agriculture, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), Bayer, DNA Damage, Endocrine Disruption, endometriosis, Glyphosate, Herbicides, Infertility, Monsanto, Oxidative Stress, Reproductive Health, Women's Health | No Comments »
15
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 15, 2025) A study in Communications Earth & Environment, through field, greenhouse, and laboratory experiments involving three plant bug species, finds both species-specific and sex-specific sensitivity responses to neonicotinoid insecticide exposureâhighlighting the threats to grassland insect communities that are disregarded in risk assessments. By assessing the effects of MospilanÂŽSG, with the active ingredient acetamiprid, the researchers determine that nontarget plant bug species are highly sensitive to neonicotinoids and face community-level harm with exposure. As systemic insecticides, neonicotinoids move through the vascular system of plants, expressing the poison through pollen, nectar, and guttation droplets. As persistent pesticides, these chemicals indiscriminately poison insects and organisms in the soil. âAlthough pesticides have been proposed as one of the main causes of insect decline, there are still few studies assessing their effects on non-target species under field conditions,â the authors state. They continue: âIn this study, we address the existing research gap on insecticide exposure of non-target herbivorous insects, focusing on two main aspects: (1) realistic exposure scenarios, (2) community-level effects, i.e., differential sensitivity between closely related species and between sexes of the same species. We chose plant bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) as a model group because they are one of the […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Agriculture, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, European Union, neonicotinoids | 1 Comment »