(Beyond Pesticides, April 9, 2026) “The routine use of common pesticides in agriculture is no longer an ethically viable option for sustainable food production,” according to a new review in Reproduction & Fertility by livestock researcher Whitney Payne, Ph.D. candidate, and Kelsey R. Pool, PhD, of the School of Agriculture and Environment at The University of Western Australia. They base their position on the endocrine-disrupting qualities of many pesticides. The authors describe endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) as “an inescapable feature of modern life” and note that the “farming systems sit at the intersection of animal health, environmental integrity, and food production.” The review stresses the risks that EDCs pose to livestock, which are seriously understudied.   EDCs are introduced to cattle, sheep, chickens, goats, and other mammals via pesticides, plastics, and hormone treatments. Since humans consume livestock, the effects of EDCs on animals are not confined to animals themselves. Animal production systems illustrate how EDCs “can enter diverse food chains and ecosystems from a single source,” the authors write, being introduced by humans for one purpose and returning to affect livestock and humans indirectly through their long-term effects and breakdown products. While regulatory systems typically consider direct and indirect exposure pathways in […]

(Beyond Pesticides, March 27, 2026) In a study of birth outcomes in Arizona, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, researchers find that preconception and prenatal exposure to certain carbamates, organophosphates, and pyrethroids increases the risk of lower Apgar scores, a metric used to assess neonatal health at one minute and five minutes after birth. The results reveal that exposure to “several pesticide active ingredients at any point during preconception and/or pregnancy were associated with increased odds of low Apgar scores: the carbamates carbaryl and formetanate hydrochloride; the organophosphates diazinon and tribufos; and the pyrethroid cypermethrin.” This multi-institutional study, led by the University of Arizona with researchers from Harvard Chan School of Public Health and UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, provides novel insights, as it incorporates pesticide exposure over a 15-year period both before conception and throughout pregnancy. “To analyze associations of preconception and prenatal exposures to carbamate, organophosphate, and pyrethroid pesticide classes and 25 individual active ingredients with newborn Apgar scores to evaluate the relationship between these exposures and neonatal health,” the authors explain. They continue: “We used pesticide use registry and birth certificate data from 2006 to 2020, linked as part of the Arizona […]

(Beyond Pesticides, March 12, 2026) The science connecting pesticide exposure to neurotoxicity continues to mount. A study in Discover Toxicology highlights neurotoxic pollutants as significant environmental threats, showcasing the adverse impacts on vertebrates’ neurological health from pesticides, including organophosphates, carbamates, and organochlorines. “These substances disrupt normal neurophysiological functions by impairing neurotransmission, generating oxidative stress, provoking neuroinflammation, and initiating neuronal cell death,” the authors say. They continue, “Such disturbances are linked to cognitive deficits, motor impairments, and abnormal neural development.” Neurological conditions can manifest as headaches, muscle weakness, tremors, paralysis, coordination challenges, vision loss, hallucinations, vertigo, seizures, memory loss, slurred speech, trouble breathing with minimal exertion, and more. The range of adverse effects from low-dose, long-term exposure and low-dose (or subchronic) exposure during developmental phases of life raises serious questions about the adequacy of the regulatory review of pesticides, which focuses on acute high and lethal dose exposure. One study on the neurotoxicity of pesticides, published in Chemosphere, concludes, “New regulatory and preventive measures to mitigate the neurotoxic effects of pesticides are needed.” (See also Daily News.) Even at low concentration, chronic exposure to pesticides and other environmental contaminants “poses serious ecological and health concerns” that occur as these chemicals “bioaccumulate […]

(Beyond Pesticides, January 27, 2026) A three-part study published in Molecular Neurodegeneration draws a connection between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the organophosphate chlorpyrifos. “Since chlorpyrifos (CPF) exposure has been implicated as a risk factor for PD, we investigated its association to incident PD and if this association is biologically plausible using human, rodent, and zebrafish (ZF) studies,” the researchers state. Together, the three experiments “strongly implicate exposure to CPF as a risk factor for developing PD,” as the authors find that exposure, even at very low concentrations, causes selective toxicity to dopaminergic neurons that are critical for functions of movement, cognition, emotion, and more. The results reveal that in humans, long-term residential exposure is associated with more than a 2.5-fold increased risk of developing PD, while exposure in mice causes “motor impairment, dopaminergic neuron loss, microglial activation, and an increase in pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) [proteins primarily found in the brain].” The researchers continue, “Using ZF, we found that CPF-induced dopaminergic neuron loss was at least partially due to autophagy dysfunction and synuclein accumulation, as knocking down LC3 [a protein chain] recapitulated the dopaminergic neuron loss.” These three studies highlight the association of CPF with increased risks for developing PD, as […]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 18, 2025) A study in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health finds peak concentrations of organophosphate pesticide (OP) metabolites in the urine of pregnant mothers 6-12 hours after consuming contaminated fruits and vegetables. “High detection rates were observed for dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP, 96%), dimethylphosphate (DMP, 94%), diethylphosphate (DEP, 89%), and diethylthiophosphate (DETP, 77%) among 431 urine samples taken from 25 pregnant women, over two 24-hr periods, early in pregnancy,” the researchers report. The levels of metabolites within the urine correlate to the consumption of foods treated with organophosphate pesticides, highlighting the importance of adopting an organic diet—particularly for pregnant individuals and their children. “In 2009–2010, 80 pregnant women were recruited from Ottawa, Canada for the Plastics and Personal-care Product use in Pregnancy (P4) Study,” the authors say. “A subset (n = 25) collected multiple spot urines (up to 10 each; total n = 431) over two 24-h periods in early pregnancy—one weekday and weekend day—while logging their food consumption beginning 24 h prior to the first urine void and continuing through the following 24-h urine collection period.” This is the first study looking at the variability of organophosphate metabolites within 24 hours in maternal urine, giving […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 20, 2025) Recent scientific literature finds heightened toxicity associated with pesticide metabolites, the transformation/breakdown products of the parent compounds, that threaten the health of the soil, wildlife, and humans. This research stresses the importance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluating metabolites, which is currently insufficiently included in regulatory processes. In a literature review in Global Change Biology, the researchers point out multiple areas in which regulations fail to address key criteria, including metabolites, saying: “Pesticide risk assessments currently rely on surrogate species and focus primarily on acute lethality metrics, failing to capture the broader impacts on non-target organisms and thus biodiversity. Under the directives of regulatory agencies worldwide, this traditional approach overlooks the complex interactions between multiple stressors, including climate change, land-use shifts, and pesticide transformation products. Pesticide risk assessments must therefore undergo a paradigm shift to account for these complex interactions, which disproportionately affect insect pollinators, other non-target species, and biodiversity at large.” A metabolite is a breakdown product that forms when a pesticide is used in the environment and mixes with air, water, soil, or living organisms. All metabolites fall under the category of transformation products, which is the broader term for any […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 13, 2025) A study in Environmental Science & Technology shows that maternal exposure to organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid insecticides adversely affects newborn health. Through amino acid and acylcarnitine metabolomics (the study of small molecules known as metabolites) with over 400 mother-infant pairs, this research analyzes metabolic pathways linking pesticide exposure to negative birth outcomes. “To our knowledge, this study is the first to reveal the effect of OP and pyrethroid insecticide exposure on neonatal metabolic signatures, which may elucidate a key role of metabolites in insecticide exposure and birth outcomes,” the authors state. In collecting maternal urine samples in the first and third trimesters, as well as neonatal blood samples after birth, OP and pyrethroid metabolites and metabolomic biomarkers are assessed. Notably, the authors report: “Results indicated that third-trimester maternal urinary levels of 3- phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and diethyl dithiophosphate (DEDTP) were negatively associated with birth weight. Specifically, a one-unit increase in their ln-transformed [natural logarithm form] concentrations was associated with a 1.508% decrease in birth weight for 3-PBA and a 1.366% decrease for DEDTP.” Additionally, the analyses show that OP and pyrethroid exposure is associated with “disrupted neonatal amino acids and acylcarnitine profiles, with patterns varying […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 7, 2025) There is little dispute that modern industrial culture has produced a constellation of related chronic conditions contributing powerfully to human disease. In recent decades, attention has begun to focus on the developmental origins of health and disease—prenatal exposures to pesticides, for example, that contribute to diseases in adulthood, such as cardiovascular and metabolic problems, along with the combination, known as cardiometabolic syndrome. Cardiometabolic disorders include obesity, hypertension, cholesterol imbalances, and insulin resistance. The usual suspects blamed for the syndrome are poor diet, physical inactivity, and genetic predisposition. These are all well-established risk factors, but they fail to fully account for the sharp rise in cardiometabolic syndrome globally. Obesity prevalence has doubled and diabetes quadrupled over the last 40 years, according to the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Risk Factor Collaboration. In a study on early life exposure to a pesticide mixture, researchers analyze sex differences in cardiometabolic outcomes from prenatal and early life. The study was conducted by an international team of scientists led by Ana M. Mora, M.D., of the Center for Environmental Research and Community Health at the University of California, Berkeley, using data from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 24, 2025) A literature review published in Science of the Total Environment reports numerous peer-reviewed studies associating prenatal and childhood pesticide exposure to measurable alterations to children’s immune systems, including indicators of immunosuppression and increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines, among other adverse health effects. These immune system alterations are linked to higher infection risk and potentially contribute to autoimmune diseases and allergies later in life. For over four decades, Beyond Pesticides has tracked the peer-reviewed science and identified a preponderance of evidence linking pesticide and chemical-dependent pest management to adverse human and ecological health effects. In this spirit, public health and environmental advocates continue to call for a wholesale transition to organic land management and organic pest management as biodiversity, public health, and climate crises continue to mount. This mission supports the growth of the Parks for a Sustainable Future Program, where nineteen cities in eleven states across the country engage in pilot projects to transition parks, playing fields, and schoolyards to organic management practices and protect the health of children. Background and Methodology “This study aimed to evaluate the extent of immunotoxicity and correlation between exposure to pesticides and immune system alterations in children under five years […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 21, 2025) A study, published in International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, calculates cumulative dietary pesticide exposure and finds a significant positive association between pesticide residues in food and urine when analyzing over 40 produce types. The research uses data for 1,837 individuals from the 2015–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and compares them to biomonitoring samples of the participants. According to the researchers, “Here we show that consumption of fruits and vegetables, weighted by pesticide load, is associated with increasing levels of urinary pesticide biomarkers.” They continue, “When excluding potatoes, consumption of fruits and vegetables weighted by pesticide contamination was associated with higher levels of urinary pesticide biomarkers for organophosphate, pyrethroid, and neonicotinoid insecticides.” The NHANES data is derived from a national biomonitoring survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which collects information about consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as urine samples. Background As the study authors explain: “Hundreds of millions of pounds of synthetic pesticide active ingredients are used every year in the United States, and pesticide exposure can occur through food, drinking water, residential proximity to agricultural spraying, household pesticide use, and occupational use. Pesticide […]

(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 […]

(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 “disrupt 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,” 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. “Additionally, 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,” the researchers explain. This study, integrating recent epidemiological and experimental findings, provides an overview of major chemical classes that threaten women’s 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 […]

(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 women’s health.   “Growing 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,” 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, […]

(Beyond Pesticides, July 25, 2025) The scientific literature shows that microplastics (MPs) and pesticides, both ubiquitous throughout the environment, have synergistic effects that threaten aquatic organisms. This means the combined toxicity of the two substances is greater than the sum of two individual exposures. The most recent study to demonstrate this, published in Ecotoxicology, focuses on the impacts of MPs and chlorpyrifos (CPF), a widely used organophosphate insecticide, on cladocerans, a group of microcrustaceans. As Beyond Pesticides has previously reported, microplastics are found in all environments and threaten not only human health but all wildlife in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The universal distribution of plastics means that they cannot be avoided. Humans and other organisms take up plastics in the form of microparticles and nanoparticles by inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact every day. Microplastics are about the width of a human hair; nanoplastics are much smaller, about twice the width of a DNA strand. Larger pieces of plastic are ground down to these tiny sizes by weathering, temperature, biological processes, and chemical conditions. (See additional Daily News coverage on the health and environmental hazards of plastics here, here, and here.) The authors of the current study, in exposing two […]

(Beyond Pesticides, July 15, 2025) A study published in Environmental Science and Technology finds that there are 47 current-use pesticides—products with active ingredients that are currently registered with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) —detected 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 “In 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,” say the authors. They continue: “Of these, 47 CUPs were identified across samples of indoor dust, drinking water, and urine with median total CUP (∑CUP) concentrations of 18 300 ng/g, 101 ng/L, and 2.93 ng/mL, respectively.” 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 […]

(Beyond Pesticides, February 7, 2025) With the strong associations established in epidemiologic studies and a dearth of evidence on the actual mechanisms by which pesticides inflict their damage on the brain, a new meta-analysis identifies studies that pesticides can overwhelm cells’ defenses against them, interfere with cell communication in the brain, and disrupt the epigenetic (gene function) regulation of gene expression. In the journal Nucleus, Bilal Ahmad Mir, PhD and colleagues at the University of Kashmir in Srinagar, India, review what is known at the molecular level about pesticides’ role in brain cancer. Brain cancer is a heavy burden for its victims and their families, and attributing a cause is, as with many diseases, fraught with difficulty. But there are strong clues: For example, farming is a known risk factor. In a 2021 meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies between 1998 and 2019, analyzed here by Beyond Pesticides, farming was associated with a 13% increase in the risk of brain cancer. For farmers whose specific exposure to pesticides was documented in the studies, the increase jumped to 20 percent. So there is some reason to point a finger at synthetic chemicals. But agricultural workers are not the only ones at risk. According […]

(Beyond Pesticides, February 6, 2025) Months after publishing a June 2024 study regarding concentrations of pesticides discovered in legal (and illegal) cannabis products in California, the Los Angeles Times has released a follow-up exposé highlighting extensive pesticide contamination, including from “hidden” pesticides that regulators have not monitored. The authors conclude that in California’s legal weed market, over half of available smoking products are found to contain hidden chemicals—toxic pesticides present in products but not regulated or monitored by state authorities. Since 2015, Beyond Pesticides has laid out health, safety, and environmental concerns related to the contamination of cannabis by pesticides (and fertilizers) alongside an imperative need to mandate an organic systems approach to cannabis production. Yet ten years later, it appears nationally that California state regulators are alone in moving forward in 2021 with state organic cannabis certification. There are other marketplace-based cannabis certification labels that require comparable organic certification practices (see Beyond Pesticides reporting here and here). For more information, please see past Pesticides and You reporting here and here. The Los Angeles Times analyzed the results from state licensed laboratory testing of more than 370 legal cannabis products, representing 86 brands. In addition to the 66 chemicals required […]

(Beyond Pesticides, January 15, 2025) There is robust scientific literature that unpacks the adverse human health effects of pesticide exposure, however immunological impacts do not receive adequate attention in regulatory review processes, according to an in-depth literature review. In a piece published in Frontiers in Immunology (2024) critiquing recent peer-reviewed scientific studies, as well as unpublished research produced by the Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine in partnership with the National Scientific and Technical Research Council in Argentina, researchers assess immune system effects of pesticide exposure, which creates the conditions for deadly health conditions including various forms of cancer. The focus of this study, according to the authors, is “to critically review fundamental aspects of toxicological studies conducted on PPPs [Plant Protection Products] to provide a clearer understanding of the risks associated with exposure to these compounds on human health.” PPPs are pesticide products that contain more than one active ingredient, and can include synergistic ingredients that supercharge them alongside inert ingredients that pesticide companies are not legally required to disclose under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), but are often manipulated biologically and chemically active. Most studies analyze the toxicological impacts of active ingredients in isolation rather […]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 19, 2024) As The New York Times reported last month, the government in South Africa declared a national emergency—23 children died and nearly 900 people were sickened from pesticide poisoning in Johannesburg’s Soweto township. The illnesses and fatalities have been traced to small amounts of highly neurotoxic pesticides, including the insecticides terbufos and aldicarb, found in local food items. These chemicals, described by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as “street pesticides,” are being increasingly used (legally and illegally) for pest infestations in the townships and informal settlements of South Africa’s poorest communities, where poverty and inadequate waste collection exacerbates the pest management challenges. Without formal electricity, running water, or municipal garbage collection, many residents rely on highly toxic pesticides for pest infestations in their homes and makeshift markets, resulting in food inadvertently being contaminated with pesticides.  The announcement highlights the dangers of allowing these highly toxic agricultural chemicals to be used in farming, with tragic consequences for vulnerable communities when they are diverted for use in urban settings. This tragic situation also draws attention to the elevated threat that pesticides pose when stringent enforcement mechanisms are not in place to ensure compliance with pesticide restrictions, even with […]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 17, 2024) A systematic review of studies on pesticides as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on body weight, published in Biomedicines, evaluates 36 clinical and preclinical studies and links their agricultural use to obesity. The authors, with the lead researchers from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Catholic University of Valencia San Vincente, Valencia, Spain, assess studies on a range of pesticides, including organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and others. In addition to concluding that the EDCs promote obesity, they report that the chemicals cause “other anthropometric changes by altering lipid and glucose metabolism, modifying genes, or altering hormone levels such as leptin.” Endocrine disruption and obesity are public health concerns, and there is a wide body of science linking pesticide exposure to these effects (see more here). “Obesity is considered to be a worldwide pandemic that leads to an increase in medical costs and thus becomes a public health problem,” the researchers share. They continue, “[Obesity] is also associated with the increased production of environmental chemicals, also called environmental obesogens, used mainly in agriculture, as disease vector control, helping to prevent harmful effects caused by fungi, bacteria, or even pests, using pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, or endocrine disruptors […]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 12, 2024) A literature review of 161 articles in Discover Toxicology finds that pesticides with different mechanisms of action cause memory and learning impairments. These effects are noted in nontarget species including humans. Pesticide “[e]xposure during development, as well as chronic environmental and occupational exposure, can contribute to decreased cognitive performance,” the researchers say. With a focus on organophosphate pesticides, synthetic pyrethroids, and neonicotinoid insecticides, the authors highlight neurological impacts. Both learning and memory are crucial for the survival of many species. “Considering the importance of learning and memory for human and non-human animal behavior and the growing association between pesticide exposure and cognitive impairment, the aim of this review was to describe the studies showing the impact of pesticide exposure on memory and learning abilities in nontarget species, providing evidence of the impact of pesticides in central nervous system function,” the researchers state. The 161 articles included in the review were identified through database searches in PubMed/Medline and Scielo. The authors note, “Inclusion criteria for article selection included all articles published in English between 2015 and 2024 containing original studies in animals or humans with single or multiple pesticides exposure.” The articles consist of 132 preclinical […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 26, 2024) A study in Environment International finds that young children who exhibit higher levels of pesticide metabolites in their urine show more pronounced neurobehavioral problems at the age of ten. Researchers in China document how exposure during early childhood, especially during the sensitive window before the age of two, is linked to hyperactivity/inattention problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While adding to the body of science connecting pesticide exposure to learning and developmental disorders, this study offers a “novel perspective on characterizing the fluctuation in repeated measurements of multiple environmental chemicals and identifying the potential critical windows,” the authors share. (See previous Daily News coverage here, here, and here.) The researchers analyze data from questionnaires and urine samples through the ongoing Sheyang Mini Birth Cohort Study (SMBCS), which is a long-term prospective cohort study that associates environmental chemical exposure during pregnancy and childhood to negative health effects. This data addresses combined pesticide exposures in young children with neurobehavior analyses at the age of ten to determine any correlation. Within the SMBCS, a total of 1303 pregnant women are enrolled. When the children reached ages one, two, three, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten years […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 8, 2024) A comprehensive literature review in Endocrines, published in September, amasses hundreds of studies on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that showcase adverse effects on growth, development, reproduction, and metabolism. The authors, a team of scientists and academics from Brazil, shed light on the link between EDC use and thyroid dysfunction, leading to increasingly prevalent illnesses and deadly diseases.     EDCs are any synthetic or natural compounds that hinder endocrine system functions and create harmful effects on organisms. These chemicals can impact the thyroid gland, which is vital in producing hormones and plays a role in several body functions. As the researchers state, “Several EDCs have been classified as thyroid disruptors, impairing thyroid hormone [TH] production, synthesis, metabolism, transport, and/or actions. Notably, thyroid disorders are the second most prevalent endocrine disease worldwide, with incidence increasing significantly in recent years.” The authors continue, “[S]tudies have correlated this rise in thyroid dysfunctions and cancers with increased exposure to EDCs. Although many EDCs are linked to thyroid dysfunction, this review focuses on the deleterious effects of plasticizers, organochlorine pesticides, and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances on thyroid function. These contaminants are commonly found in food, water, and everyday products.” This review helps […]