04
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 4, 2026) In the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers from France assess the risks of kidney cancer with a wide range of agricultural activities and tasks, finding that occupational exposure heightens kidney cancer risk. In studying participants from the French AGRIculture and CANcer cohort (AGRICAN) with incident kidney cancer, elevated risks of disease development between 25-56% are documented for both men and women engaging in agricultural activities. In men, the authors find increased kidney cancer in those “working with rapeseed and sunflowers, and tasks related to other crops such as corn, wheat/barley, beet, and tobacco.†In women, an increased risk is noted for winegrowers and corn growers. “Pesticide use (on fields and/or seeds) was associated, for both sexes, with these crops, showing exposure-response relationships with crop area and work duration,†the researchers state. This study, of a large cohort of agricultural workers, highlights the disproportionate risks of adverse kidney health to farmworkers directly handling pesticides or encountering pesticide residues on recently treated products. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, kidney cancer is the 14th most common cancer worldwide, affecting men more often than women. Kidney cancer incidence and mortality have increased globally, with various causes, such […]
Posted in Agriculture, Cancer, Farmworkers, France, Kidney Damage, men's health, Occupational Health, Pesticide Residues, Seeds, Women's Health | No Comments »
01
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 1, 2025) A novel study in Scientific Reports combines computational analyses with toxicological data to identify pathways affected by exposure to the weed killer glyphosate. The analyses identify glyphosate targets that correlate with kidney injury and kidney cancer, revealing pathways with significant glyphosate-induced alterations, including the dysregulation of nitrogen metabolism that leads to ammonia accumulation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to renal (kidney) damage and carcinogenesis (development of cancer). “This study provides a comprehensive investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which glyphosate may contribute to kidney injury and kidney cancer, employing an array of bioinformatics tools for target prediction, toxicity assessment, pathway enrichment analysis, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation,†the researchers state. The results of the analyses and simulations highlight the molecular mechanisms underlying glyphosate’s nephrotoxic (damaging to kidneys) and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects. Study Importance and Background Glyphosate, known as a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide, has been used for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes for decades and is the most extensively used herbicide worldwide. This widespread use is largely due to its application to genetically engineered, glyphosate-tolerant crops. Both glyphosate and its main metabolite (breakdown product), aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), are detected in water, soil, and food, […]
Posted in Agriculture, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), Cancer, Glyphosate, Herbicides, Kidney Damage, Metabolism, Oxidative Stress | No Comments »
