08
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 8, 2025) In a study published in Environmental Pollution, researchers have detected eighty pesticides (35 insecticides, 29 fungicides, and 11 herbicides, and metabolites) in the ambient air of a rural region of Spain (Valencia) between 2007 and 2024. Despite these dramatic findings, the authors conclude that there is “no [observable] cancer risk,” “no inhalation risk for adults,” and only one pesticide concentration (the insecticide chlorpyrifos) showing “a potential risk to toddlers.” However, the authors did not conduct an aggregate risk assessment that would typically consider all routes of exposure to the individual pesticides detected, including through water, food, and landscapes. Not considered by the authors are the potential effects of pesticide mixtures and full pesticide product formulations (with all potentially toxic ingredients), also a deficiency in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of pesticides under federal law. Of concern, as well, are other contaminants in pesticide products, including but not limited to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), heavy metals, plastics (including microplastics), which contribute to chronic diseases and health risks, and adverse effects to ecosystem stability exacerbated by the climate crisis. Background and Methodology “This work aims to conduct a further study on the situation of […]
Posted in Abamectin, acetamiprid, air pollution, Azoxystrobin, Bendiocarb, Bifenthrin, boscalid, Carbendazim, Carbofuran, Chemicals, Chlorothalonil, Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Diazinon, Dichlorvos, Dimethoate, Diuron, Endosulfan, endothall, Ethoprop, fenbuconazole, Fenthion, Fipronil, fludioxonil, Glyphosate, Imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin, Malathion, Methidathion, Permethrin, Pesticide Drift, pirimicarb, Propargite, Pyriproxyfen, spinosad, Thiamethoxam, Trifluralin, Uncategorized, vinclozolin | No Comments »
28
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 28, 2021) A widely used mosquito pesticide may exacerbate the effect of the Zika virus on fetal brain development, according to research published by an international team of scientists in the journal Environmental Pollution. Pyriproxyfen, an insect growth regulator often used as a mosquito larvicide, is registered for use in hundreds of commonly used pesticide products. But scientists have discovered that the pesticide’s mode of action has the potential to worsen the public health mosquito diseases the chemical aims to control. The research reinforces the extent of unknowns associated with synthetic pesticide exposure, underlining the need for a focus on nontoxic and ecological mosquito management. Scientists base their research on reports that in Brazil, during the 2015 Zika epidemic, certain areas of the country experienced higher rates of microcephaly. Microcephaly is a rare condition that causes pregnant women’s fetus to develop severe cranial deformities, alongside a range of other symptoms that include vision problems, hearing loss, feeding issues, developmental delays and seizures. The present study aimed to see how pyriproxyfen, used at higher rates in areas where microcephaly Zika cases were recorded, may interact with the virus. In an article published in The Conversation, researchers note that […]
Posted in Brain Effects, Microcephaly, Mosquitoes, Pyriproxyfen, Thyroid Disease, Uncategorized | No Comments »
