17
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 17, 2026) A study out of Michigan State University reviews robust county-level data on pesticide use and breast cancer incidence rates, determining that there are “modest positive associations” in rural counties in the United States. The findings were published in Cancer Causes & Control. Public health and environmental advocates cite the proliferation of published, peer-reviewed research, like this new study, in support of a societal imperative to eliminate harmful agrichemicals and transition to organic practices. The U.S. and countries worldwide have standards for certified organic production, similar to the U.S. Organic Foods Production Act, that establish required practices, a national list of allowed and prohibited substances, public oversight and a stakeholder board with authority over allowed inputs, certification and inspection of on-farm practices, and an enforcement system to ensure standards compliance. There is limited federal investment in growing the organic sector, despite its productivity, profitability, and protection of healthy ecosystems. The study adds to the body of science that illustrates dramatic deficiencies in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) under which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal statutes fall short in addressing the complex exposure patterns and adverse human and environmental effects, […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Aldicarb, Atrazine, Azinphos-methyl, Bensulide, Breast Cancer, carbamate, Carbamates, Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, Clothianidin, cypermethrin, Diazinon, dicofol, Dimethoate, dinotefuron, Disease/Health Effects, Disulfoton, Endosulfan, Ethoprop, Fenamiphos, fenpropathrin, Fosetyl, glufosinate, Glyphosate, Imidacloprid, Lindane, Malathion, methoxychlor, Naled, neonicotinoids, organochlorines, organophosphate, Parathion, Permethrin, Propazine, Propoxur, pyrethroids, simazine, terbufos, thiacloprid, Thiamethoxam, Triazines, Tribufos, Triclopyr, U.S. Geological Survey, Uncategorized, Women's Health | 1 Comment »
03
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 3, 2026) A literature review published in Chemico-Biological Interactions links pyrethroid insecticide exposure to cardiac dysfunction. Through a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous research through July 2025, the authors find emerging evidence that indicates pyrethroids induce adverse cardiovascular effects through pathways of inflammation, oxidative stress, and myocardial injury (damage to the heart muscle). “The meta-analytic findings of this study offer the first comprehensive overview of the cardiotoxic effects of pyrethroids, encompassing electrophysiological, biochemical, inflammatory, and redox disturbances,” the researchers state. “Together, these findings indicate that pyrethroids disrupt cardiac electrical stability and induce cytotoxic [killing or damaging cells], inflammatory, and oxidative damage.” Study Importance Scientific literature connecting various classes of pesticides to adverse health effects continues to mount, with synthetic pyrethroids emerging as a class of increasing concern. Due to their broad spectrum of activity, pyrethroids are extensively used in agriculture and land management but can persist in the environment and can cause neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, reproductive dysfunction, and cardiovascular health implications. (See here and here.) In particular, pyrethroid exposure is associated with increased risks of developing cardiovascular disease. (See studies here, here, here, and here.) “Cardiac electrical activity is regulated by mechanisms that are highly sensitive […]
Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, Cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, fenpropathrin, Insecticides, Oxidative Stress, Permethrin, pyrethroids, synergistic effects, Synthetic Pyrethroid, tefluthrin | 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. “This article presents urinary pesticide metabolite concentrations for 665 participants in the ‘Study of Secondary Exposure to Pesticides among Children, Adolescents, and Adults’ (ESPINA), which were collected during two follow-up assessments,” 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, “The 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 »
