(Beyond Pesticides, December 5, 2025) A study published this month in Environmental Pollution analyzes the role of neonicotinoid insecticide exposure on bird populations, finding a significant negative effect of imidacloprid use on insectivorous bird abundance. In comparing the effects of the insecticide imidacloprid on bird abundance in France before and after the 2018 ban, the researchers show a weak recovery of bird populations after 2018. The persistent nature of imidacloprid, however, as well as the continued use of other petrochemical pesticides that have adverse effects on bird species, continues to impact populations of all types of birds and other wildlife, leading to cascading impacts on biodiversity.   

“Our study shows that imidacloprid is a major covariate of the abundance of birds, in addition to other pesticides that are also negatively related to bird populations, and that these effects are not uniform across species,” the authors report. They continue in saying that the relationship between neonicotinoids and bird abundance varied across bird diets, as “the abundance of insectivorous birds was consistently lower under increasing pesticide use, in particular imidacloprid.”

Background

As shared in the study and on Beyond Pesticides’ Birds page, bird species can be exposed to pesticides directly through ingestion of seeds that have been treated with pesticides, or indirectly through consumption of small insects and other animals that have ingested the pesticides themselves, leading to secondary poisoning of the bird. They can also be indirectly affected through the overall decline in insect populations from pesticide exposure. When the insect population is reduced, which is currently occurring in an ‘insect apocalypse’ according to scientists, this natural food source for birds is also reduced. See Daily News Indiscriminate Poisoning of Neonicotinoid Insecticides Contributes to Insect Apocalypse, Study Finds and Continued Decline in Insect Species Biodiversity with Agricultural Pesticide Use Documented for more information. Some birds also forage for nectar, which has been contaminated in plants grown from pesticide treated seeds or drenched in production, a common problem with systemic pesticides like imidacloprid.

“Direct contamination, with lethal or sublethal effects, affects demographic parameters as well as bird behavior, such as predator avoidance or migration timing, with negative consequences on individual fitness and population dynamics,” the researchers say. They continue: “Pesticides also impact birds indirectly by decreasing the amount and diversity of food sources namely insects for most bird species, but also seeds. Major losses have been documented both in insects and seed plants and some of them were linked to high pesticides use.” (See additional research here.)

Of the many pesticide classes, neonicotinoid insecticides are particularly linked to population declines in birds. Neonicotinoids (neonics) are a class of insecticides that share a common mode of action that affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. Studies show that neonicotinoid residues accumulate in the pollen and nectar of treated plants and are a threat to the health of pollinators. Neonicotinoids are also persistent in the environment and are so toxic that as little as one neonic-treated seed is enough to kill a songbird. This class of pesticides is also known to contaminate waterways, posing additional risks as these compounds are highly toxic to aquatic organisms.

“Imidacloprid, in particular, has widely contaminated the environment worldwide and is commonly found in both aquatic and terrestrial eco-systems, as well as in birds,” the authors share. (See studies here, here, here, and here.) They continue: “In France, imidacloprid was the primary neonicotinoid used, as well as the most frequently detected in surface waters and arable soils… Despite the ban of neonicotinoids for flowering crops in 2013 and for all crops in 2018, annual exemptions were granted in France for sugar beet in 2021 and 2022. Imidacloprid continues to be detected in the environment and others neonicotinoids have been found in birds, suggesting the persistence of these active substances in the environment and their potential adverse effects on birds.”

Study Methodology and Results

While previous research links neonicotinoid use to population impacts, the “potential for population recovery after ban has not been investigated,” the researchers state. “Here, we investigated this relationship in France over the 2013–2022 period, focusing on 57 bird species from insectivorous, granivorous [animals feeding on grain] and generalist guilds, surveyed across a large number of plots (n = 1983).”

In analyzing publicly available data on pesticide sales and bird monitoring, the authors are able to calculate the Total Applied Toxicity (TAT) from toxicity to specific taxonomic groups (e.g. birds, nontarget arthropods) to indicate not only the direct effects of pesticides on birds but also on bird food sources (insects). “We also assessed whether the 2018 neonicotinoid ban was sufficient to trigger recovery in bird populations,” the researchers add.

For estimating bird abundance, data from the French Breeding Bird Survey from 2013 to 2022 was utilized, with the bird species separated into trophic guilds, which are defined by similar diets. Pesticide pressures were assessed through data on pesticide sales from the French National Database of Sales of Plant Protection Products by Authorized Distributors.

As a result, the authors find:

• “Both bird abundances and pesticide use exhibited strong spatial patterns. The spatial distribution of common birds differed across diets, with higher abundance of insectivorous birds in central, north-western and eastern France, while granivorous birds were more abundant in southern France, and generalists were more abundant in northern France.”
• “Pressure from other pesticides, estimated by TAT indices, showed spatial patterns similar to those for imidacloprid use.”
• “The relationship between imidacloprid, or other pesticide use, and bird abundance varied depending on bird diet and time period. For insectivorous birds, abundance during the 2013–2022 period was best explained by imidacloprid amounts… Across the entire period, insectivorous bird abundance was, on average, 9.0% lower in areas with high imidacloprid use vs. areas with no imidacloprid use.”
• “When analyzing the effect of imidacloprid use before and after the ban on insectivorous bird abundance, we found a significant negative effect of imidacloprid use before the ban (2013–2018 period) on bird abundance, which persisted into the time period after the ban. As expected, insectivorous bird abundance before the ban (2013–2018) was 12.7% lower at sites with high vs. no imidacloprid during the same period and the imprint of this imidacloprid use before the ban was still detectable on insectivorous bird abundance after the ban (2019–2022), with 9.1% lower abundance in sites with high pre-ban imidacloprid use.”
• “Additional analysis to investigate population recovery shows that the difference in abundance of insectivorous birds between pre- and post-ban periods is negatively correlated with the difference in imidacloprid use between these two same periods, indicating a greater recovery in insectivorous bird abundance in areas with sharper reduction in imidacloprid use. However, this difference is marginally significant, indicating a still fragile recovery of insectivorous birds with the ban on neonicotinoids.”
• “Interestingly, we found a persistent effect of imidacloprid use on insectivorous birds for at least four years after its ban, as pre-ban use remained the best predictor of post-ban abundance. However, the effect was weaker (-9%) than the effect on insectivorous bird abundance before the ban (-12.7%), suggesting the beginning of potential recovery.”

These results confirm the detrimental impact of neonicotinoids, imidacloprid in particular, on insectivorous birds. While bird population metrics since the ban of imidacloprid in France show slight improvement, this study highlights that pesticide bans of single active ingredients or pesticide classes is not enough to ensure full biodiversity recovery to protect all species.

“To conclude, our findings reinforce evidence of the strong and long-lasting cascading impacts of neonicotinoids in food webs, with primary impacts on insects propagating to insectivorous birds,” the researchers note. They continue: “Additionally, our study exemplifies that banning neonicotinoid does not guarantee immediate biodiversity recovery. Such lag effects highlight the need to maintain current ban and to reinforce large-scale, long-term monitoring—particularly of insect populations—if we are to witness recovery.”

Coverage of this study, published in The Guardian, includes quotes from the lead researcher, Thomas Perrot, PhD, at the Fondation pour la recherche sur la biodiversité (FRB) in Paris, in which he also says: “Even a few percentage [points’] increase is meaningful–it shows the ban made a difference. Our results clearly point to neonicotinoid bans as an effective conservation measure for insectivorous birds.” Dr. Perrot continues in saying, “The weak recovery after the ban makes sense… Neonicotinoids persist in soils for years and can keep affecting insects.”

Previous Research

Cited within this study, additional scientific literature finds alarming declines in bird populations. “Pesticides have been identified numerous times as one of the potential causes of these declines, along with changes in land use or climate.” (See research here, here, here, here, here, and here.) For more information on how the changing climate exacerbates the impacts of pesticides, see here.

As seen in earlier studies, the significant effects of neonicotinoids on insectivorous birds in the current study are consistent, indicating “that neonicotinoids contribute to declines in insectivorous bird abundance by approximately 3.5%–5% per year.” (See here and here.) The weak recovery of bird abundance after the 2018 ban is also “consistent with expectations for bird populations exposed to long-term use of persistent pesticides,” the authors share. “For example, more than a decade was required for bird populations to recover from DDT, and similar delays have been observed in insects.” Additional studies, covered in Daily News, can be seen here.

A Holistic Solution

These slow, partial recoveries, however, are not enough, given the dramatic decline of insect and bird populations. Banning single active ingredients or pesticide classes fails to address the larger issue of dependence on chemical-intensive practices, where the elimination of one toxic chemical leads to replacing it with another, potentially more toxic, chemical. In this case, the pesticide treadmill continues to be perpetuated, and full-scale recovery of any wildlife species requires a systems-wide transition to organic land management to be implemented.

In The Guardian article, Frans van Alebeek, policy officer for rural areas at BirdLife Netherlands, is quoted as saying: “Neonicotinoids are part of a trend in which industry is getting better and better at finding chemicals that are extremely effective at low concentrations–you use less but the toxicity is not going down… To me, it shows that our system of testing pesticides before they are allowed on the market is not good enough. We have done it for 50 years for all kinds of pesticides–we go through the same process every 10 years and learn very little from history.” This adds to the long history of regulatory deficiencies, which Beyond Pesticides has covered for decades.

Also shared in The Guardian, James Pearce-Higgins, PhD, director of science at the British Trust for Ornithology, says when commenting on the current research: “It’s a study that shows there may be early signs of weak population recovery but the results are uncertain and could be down to other correlated factors… This study highlights the value of long-term monitoring so we can better understand these trends in the future.”

This begs the question: Is there time to wait and study the potential long-term impacts of banning single pesticides or pesticide classes? There is an urgent need to protect health and the environment, so the time is now to make the transition to organic land management, in which science has proven is more productive and cost-effective than conventional agriculture. More importantly, organic practices prevent pesticide risks and protect and enhance biodiversity, safeguard public health, and mitigate climate change.

Visit the Eating with a Conscience database to learn more about why food labeled “organic” is the right choice. For more on the threats to health of pesticides and the organic solution, stay tuned for the recording of Beyond Pesticides’ second session of the 42^nd National Forum Series, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, from December 4.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Sources:

Perrot, T. et al. (2025) Weak recovery of insectivorous bird populations after ban of neonicotinoids in France, hinting at lasting impacts, Environmental Pollution. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749125015064.

Weston, P. (2025) France’s birds start to show signs of recovery after bee-harming pesticide ban, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/17/france-wildlife-insect-bird-numbers-rise-neonicotinoid-pesticide-ban-aoe.

(Beyond Pesticides, December 4, 2025) In a news release last week on November 26, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “issued a comprehensive fact-check addressing dangerous misinformation circulating about EPA’s recent pesticide approvals” that, according to health and environmental advocates, continues to deceive the public about the true risks for health and the environment from petrochemical pesticides including, but not limited to, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Also published on November 26, coverage titled The EPA Is Embracing PFAS Pesticides. These Are The Health Risks in Time further highlights EPA’s deficiencies and the threats of PFAS, which Beyond Pesticides has extensively covered. (See here and here.) 

The controversy erupted as a result of EPA’s latest proposal to allow a new fluorinated pesticide to the list of four other similar compounds now widely available for use in homes and gardens, buildings, and agriculture. The newest pesticide proposed for EPA registration, epyrifenacil (agricultural weed killer), joins cyclobutrifluram (soil fungicide/nematicide), isocycloseram (household and agricultural insecticide), diflufenican (lawn and agricultural weed killer), and trifludimoxazin (agricultural weed killer), making a total of five PFAS pesticide proposals this year that have been associated with national and worldwide contamination of food, land, and water. Two of these, cyclobutrifluram and isocycloseram, have been approved.

“Instead of constraining the use of fluorinated pesticides—persistent and highly toxic compounds defined as PFAS internationally—EPA is opening the door to further threats to health with generational harm,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. “The agency is allowing public and worker exposure and environmental contamination of food and water to chemical compounds that cause hormonal disruptions, developmental issues, and cancer, despite the availability of productive and profitable alternative practices and nontoxic products,” he said. 

While EPA is politicizing a serious public health and environmental issue, with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin calling news reports on PFAS pesticides “fake news from Democrats and their media allies,” at the root of the issue is the classification of fluorinated chemical compounds (containing the element fluorine) that put the agency at odds with international regulatory bodies. Beyond the classification of the compounds are issues of hazards to health and the environment, given the scientific findings tying the chemical to highly threatening adverse effects. See a press release by Beyond Pesticides here.

In a news release, EPA says, “E]very approved pesticide undergoes thorough safety evaluation and poses no health risks when used as directed. BOTTOM LINE: EPA-Approved Single Fluorinated Compounds Are NOT Forever Chemicals and Pose No Safety Concerns When Used According to Label Instructions.” 

When a Chemical is Classified as PFAS  

In its argument, EPA is ignoring the widely accepted definition of PFAS, supported by scientists, through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). As previously covered by Beyond Pesticides in Daily News, titled Artificially Narrow EPA Definition of PFAS Mischaracterizes Widespread Threat to Health and Environment, the definition of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence, continues to be debated in the regulatory arena, with many scientists arguing that certain types of chemicals in this vast group are not accurately captured in EPA risk assessments. 

The definition of PFAS used by OECD encompasses a wide variety of fluorinated compounds and is “scientifically grounded, unambiguous, and well suited to identify these chemicals,” as described by scientists in a commentary published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. As the researchers describe, excluding certain fluorinated chemical subgroups does not properly represent the scope of PFAS, which they estimate to include millions of theoretical structures, but more practically, several thousand that are actually manufactured. 

The OECD chemical definition of PFAS states: 

PFASs are defined as fluorinated substances that contain at least one fully fluorinated methyl or methylene carbon atom (without any H/Cl/Br/I atom attached to it), i.e., with a few noted exceptions, any chemical with at least a perfluorinated methyl group (−CF3) or a perfluorinated methylene group (−CF2−) is a PFAS. 

This definition of PFAS encompasses gases, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, many of which can degrade to form additional PFAS, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), that regulatory bodies like EPA do not include in their definitions. 

As the Time article points out: “[T]here is no firm definition of exactly what a PFAS is—at least in the United States. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which works with 38 member nations including the U.S. to foster international cooperation and economic growth, defines PFAS as industrial chemicals that have at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom—which is a carbon atom with two or three fluorine atoms attached to it. There are about 15,000 species of chemicals that meet that standard. But the EPA has pushed back, broadening the definition to two fully fluorinated carbon atoms.” 

EPA is pointing to the Biden administration for approving the single fluorinated compound fluazaindolizine with a clear signal that single fluorinated compounds are not PFAS. The Trump Administration, however, has already doubled that approval rate, allowing the registration of cyclobutrifluram and isocycloseram within the term’s first year and within two weeks of each other. Three other PFAS have been proposed by EPA, which could bring the total approved PFAS active ingredients to five within a short time frame. Beyond Pesticides submitted comments on the proposals of cyclobutrifluram and isocycloseram, with 20 signatories, prior to their approval, as well as comments on diflufenican, trifludimoxazin, and for the latest comment period for epyrifenacil just this month.   

Risks of PFAS Exposure 

As referenced in the Time article, “PFAS have been linked by the EPA itself to an increased risk of a host of health effects, including decreased fertility, hypertension in pregnant people, increased risk of certain cancers (especially kidney cancer), developmental delays in children, hormonal irregularities, elevated cholesterol, reduced effectiveness of the immune system, and more.” Beyond Pesticides, in previous comments and Daily News coverage, has also highlighted these health threats, among others. 

From epigenetic to immunotoxic effects, there is a wide range of health implications with PFAS exposure. Because of their ubiquitous use, studies report that PFAS compounds are detectable in infants, children, and pregnant women. Furthermore, pregnant women can readily transfer compounds to the developing fetus through the placenta. PFAS residues are persistent in food and drinking water, with over six million U.S. residents regularly encountering drinking water with PFAS levels above the EPA health advisory of 70 ng/L. Therefore, PFAS are detectable in almost all of the U.S. population—disproportionately afflicting people of color communities—and have implications for human health. 

It is evident that EPA and other federal regulators have been behind the curve in preventing and responding to the threats posed by PFAS compounds. Despite evidence on the dangers of PFAS stretching as far back as the 1950s, federal agencies effectively sat on the sidelines as the plastics industry continued adding the material to new products. Now we are seeing a similar expansion of use with the registration of pesticides in the PFAS group. 

The detection of any level of PFAS is cause for concern. As drinking water health advisories issued by EPA show, PFAS levels as low as .02 parts per trillion (ppt) have the potential to cause adverse health effects for public health. From widespread presence in farm fields and sewage sludge (biosolids) to contaminated water bodies throughout the U.S., PFAS have made their way into the environment and human bodies. PFAS are even present in remote environments like the Arctic, Antarctica, and Eastern European Tibetan Plateau. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that almost all Americans have some level of PFAS in their bloodstream, which highlights PFAS as a chronic danger to people that demands urgent regulatory action. 

In a literature review published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety earlier this year, the authors highlight a multitude of studies on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and endocrine-disrupting pesticides (EDPs) showing epigenetic effects from exposure, as the chemicals imitate the action of endocrine hormones and lead to gene damage and multigenerational adverse effects to health. In summarizing these results, the researchers state, “As a class of particularly representative endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances potentially leads to adverse health effects, including hormonal disruptions, developmental issues, and cancer.” These effects result from complex mechanisms that are not yet fully assessed in EPA’s pesticide registration process, creating a major deficiency in the regulatory review of pesticides that must be addressed before products are approved. 

EPA Deficiencies 

In the Time article, Nathan Donley, PhD, points to the effect of defining away the PFAS pesticide problem. Dr. Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, states: “[The EPA definition of PFAS creates] an enormous decrease in the number of chemicals that are subject to regulation as PFAS… We’re talking about defining away over 10,000 chemicals. The OECD definition was a definition agreed upon by scientists. Now, the EPA has come up with a regulatory definition that in my opinion, ignores the science and is more designed to make [the chemical industries’] lives easier.” 

EPA states: “In 2023, EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics officially defined PFAS, after conducting a comprehensive public rulemaking process, as chemicals containing two or more fluorinated carbons. This deliberate exclusion of single fluorinated carbons was based on extensive scientific evidence and public input demonstrating that molecules with only one fluorinated carbon lack the persistence and bioaccumulation properties that are commonly associated with forever chemicals. The recent false claims that EPA approved a ‘forever chemical’ represents a fundamental misunderstanding of chemistry and toxicology.”   

Fluorinated Pesticides in General Threaten Health 

In its news release, EPA’s resource on Pesticides Containing a Single Fluorinated Carbon is also referenced, which contains additional misleading and biased information. Even if EPA will not accept all fluorinated compounds as PFAS, there is scientific evidence connecting fluorinated pesticides to negative impacts on health and the environment. 

While EPA claims that “Extensive scientific evidence and public input demonstrate molecules with only one fluorinated carbon generally lack the persistence and bioaccumulation properties that are commonly associated with forever chemicals,” peer-reviewed (and not industry-supported) research shows both persistence and health effects with exposure to fluorinated chemicals. As stated in previous comments to EPA, Beyond Pesticides notes that fluorinated pesticides are a broad category of chemicals that encompass PFAS and contain very strong carbon-fluorine bonds that are more resistant to degradation. Also of concern is the creation of additional fluorinated degradates (breakdown products) that have the potential to be more toxic than the parent compound. 

Research in Pest Management Science highlights that fluorinated molecules are often resistant to degradation, representing an environmental challenge with heightened risks to soil organisms. As the authors state, these chemicals are “suspected of being environmental contaminants and endocrine disruptors, although only a small number are currently monitored and regulated. However, due to limited epidemiological evidence, experimental toxicology studies, and mechanistic evidence, many of the specific functions, underlying mechanisms, and contributing factors remain poorly understood.” 

A study this year in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology finds concentration-dependent results with fluorine-containing pesticide exposure in earthworms. The data shows exposure elevates reactive oxygen species (ROS), activating antioxidant enzymes and increasing lipid peroxidation and DNA damage biomarkers. Mitochondrial function also declines, with impairments in energy metabolism. Tissue damage within the epidermis, gut structures, and reproductive organs of the earthworms is also noted, showing biochemical stress as a result of exposure to fluorinated pesticides. All results were heightened at higher concentrations, indicating severe ecological threats.  

In 2020, fluorinated agrochemicals comprised about nine percent of the pesticide market, and have now reached almost 70 percent of newly-approved pesticides, according to a 2025 review in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Additionally, commentary by Donley et al. in Environmental Health Perspectives showcases how between 2012 and 2018, EPA granted 223 of 229 waiver requests (97%) for immunotoxicity testing of pesticide active ingredients. The article states: “Troublingly, the number of active ingredients that are fluorinated or that meet the definition of PFAS has increased considerably from 2012 to the present—the very time period that the US EPA granted 97% of waiver requests for immunotoxicity study requirements. This suggests that fluorinated or PFAS active ingredients may be more likely to be immunotoxic than other types of active ingredients and that any associated immunotoxicity may not be accounted for owing to the lack of requirement for scientific study.” 

Also on the Pesticides Containing a Single Fluorinated Carbon page, EPA states: “As part of its obligation to ensure that all pesticide products and uses are safe, EPA evaluates them using gold-standard science, robust data requirements, and comprehensive assessment methodologies. This process ensures that EPA’s pesticide reviews allow farmers and other users to have the tools they need to control pests to provide for a safe and abundant food supply while maintaining the highest standards to ensure human health and the environment are protected.” This messaging continues to ignore thousands of studies that show currently registered pesticide active ingredients are associated with deleterious and deadly implications for humans, wildlife, and all ecosystems. 

The Organic Solution 

With EPA’s failure to perform its statutory duty to adequately protect the health of the environment and all organisms within it, as extensively covered by Beyond Pesticides, the call to truly safeguard ecosystems and public health with the elimination of pesticides, including all PFAS, takes on a greater urgency. Instead of creating a complicated workaround that will not address the urgent health, biodiversity, and climate crises, EPA must cancel registrations of pesticides that harm health and the environment and facilitate a widescale conversion to organic practices. 

The holistic, systems-based organic solution for land management and agriculture offers numerous health and environmental benefits. Learn more about how to take action and have your voice heard on governmental efforts that are harmful to the environment and public and worker health, increase overall pesticide use, and undermine the advancement of organic, sustainable, and regenerative practices and policies here. 

Join us TODAY at 1 PM Eastern for the second session of Beyond Pesticides’ 42nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature. The first session recordings and materials are available here. 

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.  

Sources: 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2025). FACT CHECK: EPA Debunks False Claims that Agency Recently Approved ‘Forever Chemical’ Pesticides. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/fact-check-epa-debunks-false-claims-agency-recently-approved-forever-chemical.  

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2025). Pesticides Containing a Single Fluorinated Carbon. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/pesticides-containing-single-fluorinated-carbon.  

Kluger, J. (2025) The EPA Is Embracing PFAS Pesticides. These Are The Health Risks, Time. Available at: https://time.com/7336883/epa-pfas-pesticides-health-risks/.

(Beyond Pesticides, December 3, 2025) Childhood cancers are on the rise globally; in the U.S. cancer is the second most common cause of death in children between one and 14 years old, and the fourth most common in adolescents. A recent study of Nebraska pesticide use and pediatric cancer incidence by researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences found positive associations between pesticides and overall cancer, brain and central nervous system cancers, and leukemia among children (defined as under age 20).

The study’s lead author, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, will discuss the study results on December 4, 2025, at the second session of Beyond Pesticides’ 42^nd National Pesticide Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health – Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature. The first session recordings and materials are available here.

The authors’ emphasis on evaluating mixtures, and their innovative technical methods for doing so, highlight the direction environmental health research and regulation must take. Studying pesticides singly is an inadequate approach, according to the authors, because pesticides are not applied individually anymore, but very often in mixtures of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides in spray tanks.  They write: “By studying individual chemicals in isolation, we will underestimate the cumulative effects of coexposures within the mixture. . . [T]here is a pressing need to estimate the combined effects of chemical mixtures on the pediatric cancer rate.”

It is well documented that farmworker families are heavily exposed to pesticides. Adults are exposed while working, and children are exposed because of pesticide drift and from parental transfer on clothes and tracked-in debris. But children doing actual agricultural labor are getting all of these kinds of exposures and more.

Children’s exposures are more problematic because small size means a higher dose per pound of body weight, with corresponding higher disease risk. Exposures at critical developmental periods from pre-fertilization damage to germ cells through puberty set the stage for childhood cancers and many later-onset diseases into adulthood and old age.

The group most at risk for pediatric cancers are the thousands of children whose parents work in agriculture and live near fields and who themselves also work. In many states, including California, child farm labor is legal from the age of 12. A two-part investigation by Robert J. Lopez of Capital and Main examines the enforcement of pesticide regulations and child labor laws in several heavily agricultural California counties.

The Capital and Main exposé shows that enforcement of pesticide regulations and child labor laws in the state is extremely lax. The state and county authorities do not coordinate and often work at cross-purposes. County agriculture commissioners are responsible for enforcing pesticide safety rules, but the commissioners are not required to check whether a violating company has a record in other parts of the state. This leads to different enforcement actions in different counties against companies that operate in all of them; often, fines are not imposed or go unpaid. There is a blatant conflict of interest because the agricultural commissioners are also responsible for promoting agriculture.

Capital and Main reviewed more than 40,000 state enforcement records, finding county citations for more than 240 businesses for more than 1,200 state pesticide violations. For half of those violations, companies paid no fines and received only warnings. Required pesticide inspections were even more rarely performed. For the top agricultural counties, less than 1% of the 687,000 spray events were inspected.

Further, the state barely enforces child labor laws. The Capital and Main exposé estimates that there are between 5,000 and 10,000 underage workers in California’s agriculture industry. Only 27 citations were issued in the counties studied between 2017 and 2024, and a pathetic 8%, or $36,000, of fines were imposed, of which only 10% – $2,814 – were collected. Lopez documented children who had started working as young as six and 11 years old. State law restricts the number of hours children can work while school is in session, but they often work weekends in school terms, and out of school season, they are allowed to work up to 40 hours a week. Many work six days a week. The children are paid by the box or crate and earn far below minimum wage. They frequently encounter recently-sprayed pesticides and are sometimes directly in the path of sprayers. There is often no shade, water, or sanitation. Add to these stresses the triple-digit temperatures associated with accelerating climate change and the fears of arrest, family separation, financial destitution, and deportation resulting from the Trump administration’s persecution of immigrants and seasonal workers.

To learn more about the threats from environmental contaminants to health, hear Dr. Taiba speak at the second session of the 42^nd National Forum—The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature—on December 4. Register here.

The California situation underscores the dire risk of cancers these children face. The Taiba study in Nebraska gives a close view of the dangers posed by pesticides and their consequences for children. Nebraska has a higher incidence of pediatric cancer than the U.S. average.

The researchers matched the U.S. Geological Survey’s county-level data for frequently applied pesticides from 1992 to 2014 in Nebraska’s 93 counties with pediatric cancer diagnoses from the state’s cancer registry over the same time period. They located cancer cases by county of residence at the time of diagnosis. Of the 32 pesticides considered, those that contributed most to the mixtures associated with pediatric cancers were dicamba, glyphosate, paraquat, quizalofop, triasulfuron, and tefluthrin.

“Our findings revealed that herbicides were the most frequently used pesticides,” the authors write. “[O]ur examination of pediatric cancer cases within Nebraska highlighted that the most common subtypes were brain and other [central nervous system] tumors, leukemia, lymphoma, germ cell tumors, and malignant bone tumors.”

The Nebraska researchers also observe that even pesticides not currently labeled as carcinogens may be increasing the odds of cancer induction. Carcinogenic mechanisms include the generation of free radicals, which can cause single and double-strand DNA breaks, chromosomal duplications, rearrangements, and deletions. The authors point out that paraquat is one such pesticide. They found an association with acute myeloid leukemia and suggest the link may be paraquat’s known ability to cause oxidative stress and damage mitochondrial DNA. Similarly, the Nebraska study found the herbicide quizalofop was one of the mixture constituents contributing most heavily to the associations with overall cancer, central nervous system cancers, and leukemia. The authors cite zebrafish studies identifying quizalofop as a sex-specific endocrine disruptor increasing estrogen in male fish. See Beyond Pesticides’ November 25 news brief detailing the effects of pesticidal interference with reproductive hormones on male reproductive health.

The fact that the Nebraska study found that most of the chemicals associated with pediatric cancers are herbicides underlines the need to consider all pesticides and dismiss any lingering notion that insecticides are always the chief culprits.

As to regulation protecting child farmworkers, see Beyond Pesticides’ news brief for an analysis of the obstacles and limitations facing meaningful corrective action. For example, progress is predictably stalled at the federal level. A bill introduced by New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) last year was referred to committee and disappeared.

We owe it to the people who grow, harvest, package, and transport our food, and especially to those who are at the highest risk of harm: children. Adopting the Precautionary Principle and switching to organic agriculture would protect everyone in the process, from field workers to consumers.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Sources:

Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer
Taiba et al
GeoHealth February 2025
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GH001236
University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Idaho Fish and Wildlife Sciences

Lax oversight, few inspections leave child farmworkers exposed to toxic pesticides
Robert J. Lopez
Capital and Main November 20, 2025
https://capitalandmain.com/lax-oversight-few-inspections-leave-child-farmworkers-exposed-to-toxic-pesticides

California’s child farmworkers: Exhausted, underpaid and toiling in toxic fields
Robert J. Lopez
LA Times November 20, 2025
https://capitalandmain.com/californias-child-farmworkers-exhausted-underpaid-and-toiling-in-toxic-fields

Disproportionate Pesticide Hazards to Farmworkers and People of Color Documented. . .Again
February 16, 2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/02/disproportionate-pesticide-hazards-to-farmworkers-and-people-of-color-documented-again/

Bill Seeks to Eliminate Inequities for Child Farmworkers, But Leaves Weak EPA Pesticide Standards in Place
Beyond Pesticides, March 29, 2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/03/bill-seeks-to-eliminate-inequities-for-child-farmworkers-but-leaves-weak-epa-pesticide-standards-in-place/

Study Shows Disproportionate Pesticide Exposure and Resulting DNA Damage to Latinx Farmworker Children
September 26, 2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/09/study-shows-disproportionate-pesticide-exposure-and-resulting-dna-damage-to-latinx-farmworker-children/

Children Exposed to Pesticides Experience “Cellular Distress” and Chronic/Acute Diseases, Study Finds
February 28, 2025
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2025/02/children-exposed-to-pesticides-experience-cellular-distress-and-chronic-and-acute-diseases-study-finds/

(Beyond Pesticides, December 2, 2025) A personal and heartfelt message from Jay Feldman, executive director, for the holiday season! During this holiday season, I’m writing on behalf of Beyond Pesticides’ staff and board of directors to wish you a Happy Holiday. We celebrate with you our shared commitment to the values and principles that protect the well-being of people and the ecosystems on which life depends. In reflecting on the steps we are taking at Beyond Pesticides to confront existential health and environmental threats, I believe we, together, are pursuing a meaningful path forward—and I am thankful for that.

 If you can, and in honor of Giving Tuesday, please consider a gift sometime during this holiday season on our secure website at bp-dc.org/give2025. Your support of any size makes a tremendous difference! Thank you!

Before the specifics, I think it is important to say that with the current challenges being endured by the people of our country and around the world, threats to a sustainable future can be overshadowed by the crises that impede daily survival. At Beyond Pesticides, I am thankful we recognize the immediate support needed in this regard, at the same time that we move ahead with the urgent work to ensure a sustainable future. We move forward, while affirming that we must collectively work to uphold scientific integrity, democratic institutions, academic independence, fair elections, social justice, equality, independent courts, and the rule of law.

I am thankful that:

• There is an organization like Beyond Pesticides that focuses without equivocation on reversing the threats to health, biodiversity, and climate that are substantially elevated because of the continuing and unnecessary reliance on petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers. We have spotlighted over the last four decades the organic solution that has grown from an idea to a reality.
• We know how to operate productive and profitable farms and manage parks, playing fields, and schoolyards without toxic chemicals that contribute to debilitating and deadly diseases, biodiversity collapse, and dramatic disruptions to our climate—that this is a current reality. We work every day to support organic agriculture and directly assist communities, through our Parks for a Sustainable Future program, in eliminating toxic chemicals in land management—and, in the process, eliminate emissions from their production, stop exposure through their use, and repair the environment and health in partnership with nature.
• We are able to focus our resources, without equivocation, on empowering advocacy with people and organizations across the country and worldwide—ensuring that scientific findings in real time are made accessible to inform the need for urgent action to eliminate pesticides and fertilizers and put in place ecological-based practices.
• We no longer use the word “reduce” and, instead, define our efforts to “eliminate” toxic pesticide and fertilizer use. Our strategy distinguishes Beyond Pesticides from campaigns against individual pesticides or pesticide families, which historically is an approach that leaves us confronting new chemical replacements and more complex problems. We are careful to shine a spotlight on flawed and outdated statutes and regulations that do not integrate into their standards the viability of organic practices as a social good to meet the urgency of the moment.
• Beyond Pesticides has a history of experience. Our history is an important guide for us; a history that calls for a bold strategy that questions underlying norms that have brought us to this perilous point of catastrophic environment and health threats. As the threats mount, the strength of our nationwide and worldwide movement and the examples of cost-effective alternatives grow stronger.
• Beyond Pesticides uses holistic thinking. For us, to think and act boldly is to advance a holistic solution that challenges the assumption that toxic chemicals are a tool that can be managed with mitigation measures and restrictions that somehow make them acceptable. The science tells us, and history confirms, that pesticide restrictions have failed and that pesticides (mostly pesticides uses) withdrawn from the market after long negotiations between EPA and the chemical industry are replaced with new chemicals and new problems. Genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant crops were supposed to reduce pesticide use, but resulted in an explosion of weed killers, including the use of glyphosate (Roundup) linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Neonicotinoid insecticides, systemically integrated into the plant through its vascular system, were supposed to protect us from pesticide drift in the air, but they end up in the plant’s pollen, nectar, and guttation droplets and indiscriminately poison foraging insects—causing dramatic declines in bee populations.
• The National Forum Is Cutting Edge. At this year’s 42nd annual Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature (2nd session December 4), we ask: Should we accept partial restrictions of pesticide use, despite the availability of cost-effective alternatives that stop the toxic assault and help to prevent the most serious associated diseases that invade and attack our bodies, our loved ones, our families, and our communities—with breast cancer, prostate and testicular cancer, pediatric cancer, infertility, and more?
• We collaborate with grassroots people and organizations. We build our strategies together from the ground up, empowering strategic local action with science and technical organic land management know-how, while answering calls daily from people who want to get involved.

Whether we live in a rural area, a city, or suburb, we are all intricately linked by the environment that we share. And for this reason, our program is intended to focus on how we can and must, in a practical way, embrace the natural systems that serve as the foundation for life.

Sincerely and all best wishes for the holiday season,

Jay Feldman
Executive Director

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

(Beyond Pesticides, December 2, 2025) Recently published in Reproductive Toxicology, researchers in Denmark and Iceland investigate the impacts of pesticides on sex hormones, finding that “prenatal exposure to [the insecticide] chlorpyrifos and [weed killer] 2,4-D may affect the reproductive hormones in girls, but not boys, during minipuberty, which may have long-term implications.” Based on their analysis of urinary maternal concentrations of the pesticides and their metabolites and hormone levels in infants, the authors report, “This study examined the association between maternal pesticide exposure and pituitary, gonadal, and adrenal hormones in offspring during infancy.” The sex-specific findings highlight a public health concern with potentially long-lasting transgenerational effects.

“We recruited pregnant women from 2010 to 2012 in the Odense Child Cohort, including 489 mother-child pairs,” the authors state. They continue: “Maternal urinary concentrations of the generic pyrethroid metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), the chlorpyrifos metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPY), and the herbicide 2,4-D were measured at gestational week 28. Serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), Androstenedione (Adione), and Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were assessed in infancy.”

The results of the analyses show that in girls, higher maternal urinary TCPY and 2,4-D concentrations are significantly associated with LH levels, which are hormones produced by the pituitary gland that trigger ovulation and regulate the menstrual cycle. Additional associations, specific to girls, between maternal levels of 3-PBA, TCPY, and 2,4-D and lower LH, FSH, E1, and E2 are also noted. The strongest associations are noted with the chlorpyrifos metabolite (TCPY) and 2,4-D, while the metabolite of many pyrethroids (3-PBA) shows slightly weaker results. No associations are seen in boys within this study.

“Our findings suggest that, even in this low-exposed cohort, prenatal exposure to the insecticide metabolite TCPY and the herbicide 2,4-D causes persisting alterations of the HPG axis [hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis that controls reproduction] in healthy infant girls,” the researchers say. “This raises public health concerns, as all participants were exposed to TCPY and 2,4-D, the latter of which remains widely used.”

Background

Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, was widely used in the European Union prior to the 2020 ban, which stemmed from concerns about developmental neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity. The persistence of chlorpyrifos, however, leads to detection years after use in the environment. 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), phenoxyacetic acid herbicide, remains widely used to control broadleaf weeds. Both of these pesticides are registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in crop production and on golf courses. However, there are certain state-level restrictions, such as in Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, Oregon, and California.

“In the general population, pesticide exposure primarily occurs through diet, particularly via residues in cereals, fruits, and vegetables,” the authors state. They continue: “Insecticides are rapidly metabolised and primarily excreted in urine within 24 h, whereas 2,4-D is largely excreted unmetabolized, making urinary biomarkers effective for monitoring exposure to both compound classes.”

Comparing maternal urinary concentrations of pesticides to impacts on infants highlights cascading implications to future generations. As the researchers describe: “Shortly after birth, the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) hormone axis is transiently activated, resulting in increasing blood concentrations of gonadotropins and sex hormones well within the reference range for adults. This brief hormone peak during the first six months after birth is referred to as minipuberty, after which reproductive hormone levels remain low until puberty. Minipuberty allows for the maturation of sexual organs and could serve as a window of opportunity for reproductive function during adulthood and may be a sensitive marker of affected early gonadal development during the male programming window.”

Beyond Pesticides has a long history of covering the impacts on infants and children from pesticide exposure. Children face much higher hazards than adults from pesticide exposure. Their small size and developing organ systems, propensity to crawl and play near the ground, tendency for frequent hand-to-mouth motion, and greater intake of air and food relative to body weight make them particularly susceptible. Many of these risks start before a child is born, indicating the need for pregnant mothers to take particular care to avoid contact with hazardous pesticides.

Study Methodology and Results

The 489 mother-child pairs, with 45% of the infants as female, included in the study are derived from the Odense Child Cohort (OCC), a longitudinal Danish birth cohort including women pregnant between 2010 and 2012. From the mothers, fasting spot urine samples were collected in gestational week 28. “The urine samples were analysed for 3-PBA (a common metabolite of most pyrethroids and therefore a biomarker for the combined exposure to mixtures of pyrethroids), TCPY (a metabolite of both the organophosphate chlorpyrifos and the sister-compound chlorpyrifos-methyl), and 2,4-D (an herbicide),” the authors explain.

Serum samples of reproductive hormones were obtained from the infants at a mean age of 3.8 months. “We used multivariate linear regression analysis to investigate associations between maternal urinary concentrations of pesticide biomarkers and hormone standard deviations during minipuberty in the offspring, stratified by sex,” the researchers state.

As a result, most maternal urine samples show detectable concentrations of 3-PBA (93%), TCPY (91%), and 2,4-D (97%), and the analyses reveal that the concentrations of pesticide metabolites are inversely associated with circulating levels of reproductive hormones in girls. “Generally, there was a trend towards lower hormone levels (i.e., LH, FSH, E1, and E2) with increasing maternal urinary concentrations of 3-PBA, TCPY, and 2,4-D in girls,” the authors report. “Concerning boys, there were no associations between maternal concentrations of 3-PBA, TCPY, and 2,4-D and reproductive hormones… Our findings suggest that prenatal pesticide exposure may affect pituitary and/or hypothalamic function in infant girls, potentially altering normal endocrine activity.”

Previous Research

A wide of science exists connecting chlorpyrifos and 2,4-D, among many other pesticide active ingredients, to deleterious health implications, labeling them “as potential endocrine disruptors capable of interfering with sex hormone activity in vitro, primarily by affecting androgen function.” (See here, here, and here.) The researchers continue: “Thus, these compounds may pose risks during early development. Fetal exposure may interfere with fundamental epigenetic modifications, potentially impairing organ development.”

To the authors’ knowledge, only one previous study in humans examines the potential effects of pesticide exposure during pregnancy on reproductive hormones during minipuberty, but only includes boys. “They found trends towards reduced testosterone (T) levels and increased ratio of luteinizing hormone (LH) to T in exposed boys, and also increased follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), suggesting impaired testicular function and compensated increase of gonadotropin levels, in 113 sons of women working in greenhouses in Denmark,” the researchers summarize.

Additional experimental studies are consistent with the findings in the current study:

• “Animal studies suggested that exposure to chlorpyrifos during pregnancy may cause persisting alterations in hypothalamic function. Such effects may impair the activity of the HPG axis, including reduced gonadotropin secretion.” (See here, here, and here.)
• “In silico studies suggest that chlorpyrifos may compete with progesterone, act as a potent androgen disruptor, and interfere with estrogen signaling by binding to their respective receptors, where it functions as a ligand.” (See here, here, here, and here.)
• “Similarly, some pyrethroids have demonstrated estrogen receptor activation in vitro and in vitro and in vivo models. If these effects persist in adolescence, follicular growth and ovulation could be affected.” (See here, here, here, here, and here.)

The study authors, in previous research, also “evaluated maternal urinary concentrations of 3-PBA, TCPY, and 2,4-D in relation to infant anogenital distance (AGD; distance from anus to genitals) in 322 girls and 419 boys from the OCC [Odense Child Cohort].” The results show that prenatal exposure to 2,4-D is associated with reduced AGD in infant boys. While that study reports no associations in girls, the “current findings suggest that hormone concentrations during female minipuberty may be a more sensitive outcome of low exposure compared to female infant AGD.”

As stated by Rossella Cannarella, M.D., PhD in a report released by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL): “Mounting scientific evidence links exposure to harmful environmental chemicals—such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), persistent pollutants, and microplastics—to a range of serious male health outcomes, including prostate and testicular cancer, infertility, sexual dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, and impacts on descendants’ health.”

Dr. Cannarella continues, saying: “Chemicals are everywhere: People are exposed daily to EDCs and toxic substances through food, drinking water, air, personal care products, and occupational settings. Common culprits include phthalates (found in plastics), PFAS (in waterproof products, and as contaminers in other products, including food and drinking water), bisphenols (in food containers), and pesticides—many of which interfere with hormone systems and reproductive development.” To learn more about the threats from environmental contaminants to health, hear Dr. Cannarella and the founder and director of HEAL, Génon Jensen, speak at the second session of the 42^nd National Forum—The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature—on December 4. Register here.

The Organic Solution

Chlorpyrifos and 2,4-D are just two pesticide active ingredients, out of thousands, that threaten health and the environment. The only way to mitigate their impacts is to adopt a widespread transition towards organic agriculture and land management. To get involved in this holistic solution, take action to tell your governor to adopt policies that support organic land management and ecological balance here.

Pesticide residues readily contaminate all ecosystems and are prevalent in soils, water (solid and liquid), and the surrounding air. Scientific literature demonstrates pesticides’ long history of adverse effects on the environment, including wildlife, biodiversity, and human health. Organic agriculture, with its requirement to conserve (preserve and increase) biodiversity, is based on a worldview valuing long-term sustainability in which humans share Earth’s bounty. If humans are to persist on this planet, the balance of life must be supported. Learn more about the many health and environmental benefits of organic practices here and here.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source:

Iversen, A.-P. et al. (2025) Prenatal exposure to the pesticides chlorpyrifos and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is associated with circulating levels of reproductive hormones in healthy infant girls, Reproductive Toxicology. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623825002837.

(Beyond Pesticides, December 1, 2025) A week before Thanksgiving, and the honoring of critical habitats that support life, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced proposed revisions to the rules implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that environmentalists say will severely weaken the nation’s foundational environmental law. Passed with bipartisan support in 1973, as an update to earlier related statutes, the law establishes a prohibition “on ‘take’ of a species, the requirement that all federal agencies ensure that the actions they carry out will not jeopardize the continued existence of a threatened or endangered species, and the drafting and implementation of recovery plans for at risk species,” according to the National Agricultural Law Center.” See ESA current regulations.

FWS and NMFS describe their proposals as a strengthening of the rules implementing ESA, explaining that they “remove regulatory barriers that hinder responsible resource development and economic growth, including expanded oil exploration. However, environmentalists explain that the proposals undermine the basic protections provided threatened and endangered species and narrow the definition of critical habitats.

ESA grows out of a history of respect for the earth that is captured in the Thanksgiving Address (the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) of the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations—Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora), who reflect on their relationship to the Earth by giving thanks for life and the world around them. It is a prayer that is appropriate at any time, but especially on a holiday celebrating the abundance of the Earth’s gifts. 

On Thanksgiving Day last week, Beyond Pesticides asked its network to take actions in the year ahead (as has been done throughout the past year) that align with the natural world and her inhabitants.

Thanksgiving Address: 

The People  
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people.  

Now our minds are one.  

The Earth Mother  
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.  

Now our minds are one. 

The Waters  
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.  

Now our minds are one.  

The Fish  
We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.  

Now our minds are one.  

The Plants  
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.  

Now our minds are one. 

The Food Plants  
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans, and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.  

Now our minds are one.  

The Medicine Herbs  
Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.  

Now our minds are one.  

The Animals  
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.  

Now our minds are one. 

The Trees  
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.  

Now our minds are one. 

The Birds  

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks.  

Now our minds are one.  

The Four Winds  
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.  

Now our minds are one.  

Beyond Pesticides invites people to join our listserv and take action with the organization’s Action of Week throughout the year advancing transformational change to protect health and the environment. To sign up for Action of the Week, click here or reach out to the Beyond Pesticides team at [email protected]

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

To advance principles of land management that align with nature, see the recording of Beyond Pesticides 42^nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, which brings together scientists and land managers working to recognize and respect the ecosystems on which life depends. The second session is scheduled for December 4, 2025, 1:00-3:30 pm (Eastern time, US). This session features Carolina Panis, PhD, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, Emile Habimana, M.S., Génon K. Jensen, and Rossella Cannarella, M.D., PhD, in a compelling discussion that elevates public understanding of the scientific data linking petrochemical pesticides to the crisis in breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge (biosolids) fertilizer—supporting the imperative for ecological land management.

The information in this session empowers voices for the transition to practices and products that do not accept toxic chemicals as necessary when alternative systems are available to us. The science supports the urgent call for systemic change at this moment of health, biodiversity, and climate crises, with the promise of productive and profitable alternatives. This call for foundational change is motivated by our collective understanding that the critically needed response to the crises must not be diverted by anything less than a holistic strategy—recognizing the science on adverse effects of extremely small chemical doses to all organisms, including humans, and the synergistic effects of multiple chemical exposure. Click here to register!

(Beyond Pesticides, November 26-30, 2025) The Beyond Pesticides team and board would like to thank those working in communities across the country and actively working to protect the health of our soil, air, water, and all life.

In the spirit of uplifting the intersection of traditional ecological knowledge and science, we would like to share with you some excerpts from Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants—a collection of essays written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, PhD, founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, professor of environmental biology at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, New York, mother, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

As you read these excerpts, we hope that they offer a sense of empowerment to take actions that protect the natural world and advance organic land management systems that respect the ecosystems that support life.

The Gift of Reciprocity

Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them.
Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life. Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer.
Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need.
Take only that which is given.
Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share.
Give thanks for what you have been given.
Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken.
Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

Each person, human or no, is bound to every other in a reciprocal relationship. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them. If an animal gives its life to feed me, I am in turn bound to support its life. If I receive a stream’s gift of pure water, then I am responsible for returning a gift in kind. An integral part of a human’s education is to know those duties and how to perform them.

If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy become.

Lessons from Nature

Sometimes I wish I could photosynthesize so that just by being, just by shimmering at the meadow’s edge or floating lazily on a pond, I could be doing the work of the world while standing silent in the sun.”

Being naturalized to place means to live as if this is the land that feeds you, as if these are the streams from which you drink, that build your body and fill your spirit. To become naturalized is to know that your ancestors lie in this ground. Here you will give your gifts and meet your responsibilities. To become naturalized is to live as if your children’s future matters, to take care of the land as if our lives and the lives of all our relatives depend on it. Because they do.

The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together.

Power of Community and Space

To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.

We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings.

We Americans are reluctant to learn a foreign language of our own species, let alone another species. But imagine the possibilities. Imagine the access we would have to different perspectives, the things we might see through other eyes, the wisdom that surrounds us. We don’t have to figure out everything by ourselves: there are intelligences other than our own, teachers all around us. Imagine how much less lonely the world would be.

Philosophers call this state of isolation and disconnection “species loneliness”—a deep, unnamed sadness stemming from estrangement from the rest of Creation, from the loss of relationship. As our human dominance of the world has grown, we have become more isolated, more lonely when we can no longer call out to our neighbors. It’s no wonder that naming was the first job the Creator gave Nanabozho.

Centering Indigenous Knowledge and the Power of Language

In the Western tradition there is a recognized hierarchy of beings, with, of course, the human being on top—the pinnacle of evolution, the darling of Creation—and the plants at the bottom. But in Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as “the younger brothers of Creation.” We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn—we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live. They teach us by example. They’ve been on the earth far longer than we have been, and have had time to figure things out.

A bay is a noun only if water is dead. When bay is a noun, it is defined by humans, trapped between its shores and contained by the word. But the verb wiikwegamaa—to be a bay—releases the water from bondage and lets it live. ‘To be a bay’ holds the wonder that, for this moment, the living water has decided to shelter itself between these shores, conversing with cedar roots and a flock of baby mergansers. Because it could do otherwise—become a stream or an ocean or a waterfall, and there are verbs for that, too. To be a hill, to be a sandy beach, to be a Saturday, all are possible verbs in a world where everything is alive. Water, land, and even a day, the language a mirror for seeing the animacy of the world, the life that pulses through all things, through pines and nuthatches and mushrooms. This is the language I hear in the woods; this is the language that lets us speak of what wells up all around us.[…]
This is the grammar of animacy.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Call to Action

To advance principles of land management that align with nature, see the recording of Beyond Pesticides 42^nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, which brings together scientists and land managers working to recognize and respect the ecosystems on which life depends. The second session is scheduled for December 4, 2025, 1:00-3:30 pm (Eastern time, US). This session features Carolina Panis, PhD, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, Emile Habimana, M.S., Génon K. Jensen, and Rossella Cannarella, M.D., PhD, in a compelling discussion that elevates public understanding of the scientific data linking petrochemical pesticides to the crisis in breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge (biosolids) fertilizer—supporting the imperative for ecological land management.

The information in this session empowers voices for the transition to practices and products that do not accept toxic chemicals as necessary when alternative systems are available to us. The science supports the urgent call for systemic change at this moment of health, biodiversity, and climate crises, with the promise of productive and profitable alternatives. This call for foundational change is motivated by our collective understanding that the critically needed response to the crises must not be diverted by anything less than a holistic strategy—recognizing the science on adverse effects of extremely small chemical doses to all organisms, including humans, and the synergistic effects of multiple chemical exposure.

The Thanksgiving Address (the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) of the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations—Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora) reflects their relationship to the Earth by giving thanks for life and the world around them. It is a prayer that is appropriate at any time, but especially on a holiday celebrating the abundance of the Earth’s gifts. 

As you read this prayer, please take actions (actions that we have taken throughout the year) that align with our relationship to the natural world and her inhabitants. Beyond Pesticides thanks you for your support.

Click to read a personal and heartfelt Thanksgiving message from Jay Feldman, executive director!

“During this Thanksgiving and holiday season, I’m writing on behalf of Beyond Pesticides’ staff and board of directors to wish you a Happy Holiday. We celebrate with you our shared commitment to the values and principles that protect the well-being of people and the ecosystems on which life depends. In reflecting on the steps we are taking at Beyond Pesticides to confront existential health and environmental threats, I believe we, together, are pursuing a meaningful path forward—and I am thankful for that.” 

If you can, please consider a gift sometime during this holiday season on our secure website at bp-dc.org/give2025. Your support of any size makes a tremendous difference! Thank you!

(Beyond Pesticides, November 25, 2025) Chemical pollution is having a profound impact on men’s overall health and reproductive function. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals—which prominently include pesticides—are a major factor. The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) a European organization funded by the European Union (EU) and several private foundations, has issued a strong call for attention to – and action on – the precipitous decline in male reproductive health owing to chemical exposures, including pesticides. In a new report, Chemical pollution and men’s health: A hidden crisis in Europe, the group states, “The scientific evidence is clear. The costs of chemical pollution – human and economic – are mounting. The solutions exist. What we need now is the political will to act.” The report was written by Rosaella Cannarella, M.D., PhD, an endocrinologist at the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, University of Catania (Italy).

HEAL’s report details alarming indications of catastrophe in male reproductive health: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, crashing sperm counts, and numerous developmental problems including cryptorchidism, urogenital malformations, and hypospadias. The report highlights pesticides, microplastics, phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS and heavy metals as the likely environmental sources of the crisis. There is evidence that all of these endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) adversely affect male reproductive function.

There are 330,000 cases of prostate cancer in the EU. It is the third most-diagnosed cancer in men. Beyond Pesticides has documented research showing that pesticides have been linked to higher risk of prostate cancer, including, specifically, pyrethroid insecticides. See also Beyond Pesticides’ analysis of the positive association between exposure to 22 pesticides and prostate cancer occurrence and as a cause of death. In the EU, testicular cancer has jumped 25% since 2014, and is now the most common cancer in men 15 to 44, according to the HEAL report. Sperm counts declined by more than 50% between 1973 and 2018. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the U.S., with an estimated 34,780 new cases in 2025, one in eight men will get the disease, which has been increasing at a rate of 3.0% a year.

Chemical exposures to both parents can harm male offspring’s reproductive health. The HEAL report cites EU research that has found strong connections between maternal exposure during pregnancy to phthalates, BPA and pesticides and cryptorchidism, urogenital malformations, hypospadias and testicular cancer in their sons. Paternal exposure to EDCs, such as many pesticides, can have transgenerational effects. Both EDCs and microplastics can cause epigenetic changes in sperm and in genes crucial to development, thus potentially affecting ensuing generations’ reproductive health. These changes mean that the reproductive capacity of offspring can already be impaired even before conception has occurred.

The weed killer glyphosate is a prominent example of an endocrine disrupting pesticide. A recent study of glyphosate exposure in zebrafish by Italian researchers finds that at the acceptable daily intake level, glyphosate “impaired germ cell differentiation and triggered cell-specific changes in histone acetylation within the male germline.” Histone acetylation is an epigenetic process that regulates the activation and deactivation of genes, in this case those involving male reproductive structures and processes. At the higher “no observed adverse effect level,” glyphosate “induced metabolomic and proteomic disruptions linked to impaired steroidogenesis, DNA damage in germ cells, and alterations in testicular architecture, culminating in reduced reproductive capacity.” These differing effects at different doses suggest that glyphosate has a non-monotonic dose-response curve, contradicting the toxicological dogma that the “dose makes the poison.” Further, it suggests that these so-called protective exposure measures are nothing of the kind.

Microplastics are emerging as a potentially severe and intractable contributor to male reproductive dysfunction. A literature review of over 90 scientific articles in Agriculture documents microplastics’ (MPs) increase the bioavailability, persistence, and toxicity of pesticides used in agriculture. According to the HEAL report, studies in Europe, the U.S. and China have found microplastics in 100% of human testicular tissue sampled. They may interfere with sperm formation, disrupt testosterone production, and trigger inflammation in reproductive organs. Microplastics have been found in the olfactory bulb in the brain and there is evidence that they can also reach the brain across the blood-brain barrier.

Both pesticides and microplastics have profound effects on the brain, which is inextricably involved with reproductive development and function. The gut-brain axis is involved in testosterone synthesis and circulation, and microplastics may affect it through interactions with gut microbes. Glyphosate and organophosphates disrupt another important system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) in animals, according to the HEAL report. Two of these three hormonal axis elements are in the brain. The HPG axis affects testosterone synthesis, the development of testes, and behavior after sexual maturation. There is also a great deal of interaction between microplastics and pesticides, as detailed in Beyond Pesticides’ March 22, 2024 news brief, illustrating the kinds of overlap that can occur among the chemicals the HEAL report considers. These interactions in the brain and throughout the endocrine system need further research.

The HEAL report also demonstrates the deleterious effects on male reproductive health of other environmental toxicants. Prenatal exposure to phthalates is associated with “reduced semen quality, DNA fragmentation, and lower testosterone levels,” the HEAL authors state. Similarly, the report cites research showing that some EU countries had detectable bisphenol A (BPA) in 100% of study participants, and many exceeded the EU’s acceptable daily intake. BPA is linked to reduced sperm concentration, altered motility and morphology along with altered testosterone levels. A biomonitoring study in the Flemish region of Belgium found PFAS in upwards of 95% of the population. PFAS exposure is associated with delayed puberty, poor sperm quality and low testosterone in young men. The heavy metals lead, cadmium and mercury are associated with sperm abnormalities including poor motility and morphology. Lead exposure altered sperm epigenetics in battery and recycling workers. Mercury is an endocrine disruptor and impairs fertility.

Thus, the HEAL report brings together the cumulative impact of all these chemical depredations on male reproductive health, demonstrating the simultaneous and interactive consequences of exposure to the suite of insults everyone is now trying to cope with.

The HEAL report also elucidates the varying costs of male reproductive disorders–direct medical costs, indirect costs of lost productivity and disability, and intangible costs of emotional distress and stigma. The direct costs alone are massive: Treating prostate cancer costs 9 billion Euros ($10.4 billion) annually; male infertility affects a twelfth of European couples and costs 3-4.5 billion Euros ($3.5-$5 billion) a year. A 2015 analysis cited in the report estimated the costs of EDC-related male reproductive health disorders at 15 billion Euros ($17 billion) annually, a figure that is surely much higher now.

“The mounting evidence linking chemical exposure to serious men’s health outcomes—infertility, cancer, hormonal disorders—demands an urgent policy response. While Europe has made important progress in identifying and regulating hazardous substances, human biomonitoring data and public health trends indicate that the current regulatory mechanisms remain insufficient to protect male reproductive health,” the HEAL report states. This position reflects HEAL’s intent to press the European Commission (EC) just as it prepares to adopt a revision of its landmark 2007 Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) legislation. The EC has stated an intent to release the revision by the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, but the revision has dropped from the Commission’s final agenda for the year and it appears its current text is not publicly available. According to wca-environment.com, a chemical industry consultancy, the revision will add increasingly stringent criteria for persistent, mobile and toxic chemicals along with an EDC assessment and a mixture assessment factor to the REACH chemical safety assessment. The new REACH will reportedly also introduce a definition of, and compliance guidelines for, nanomaterials.

HEAL is advocating for more focused health measures, including:

• Group-based chemical bans – restricting entire groups such as all bisphenols and all phthalates at once rather than piecemeal regulation of individual chemical group members.
• Mandatory mixture toxicity assessment to account for combined exposures.
• More human biomonitoring data collection.
• Regulation of microplastics, to address their toxicity and not just their size.
• Regulation of polymers and additives.

Unsurprisingly, the chemical industry has created significant undertow to the momentum of REACH revision. The EC is advised by a Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) that reviews proposed legislation, provides impact assessments, and evaluates revisions to existing laws. In October the RSB issued a “negative opinion” on the impact of proposed REACH revisions. The actual RSB opinion text does not appear to be publicly available, so details are sketchy. According to Enviresearch, a chemical industry consultancy, the opinion says the EC needs to review information on critical hazard classes, uses and exposure and unaddressed risks from polymers. But it also notes concerns that new restrictions would slow the regulatory process, enforcement is inconsistent across member states, and imports, especially from online sales, do not comply with REACH requirements. These concerns reflect industry’s focus on economic values.

An analysis by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) notes that “According to chemicals policy experts, the RSB’s negative opinion reflects concerns that the proposal lacks coherence with current political priorities….The changing regulatory environment has created tensions between protecting public health and environmental standards while addressing industry competitiveness concerns.” [Emphasis added.]

Against the counterproductive political priorities and industry economic motives, HEAL executive director Génon K. Jensen writes in the report’s preface, “This report is a call to action. For the health of men today and the generations to come, we cannot afford to wait.”

The author of Chemical pollution and men’s health: A hidden crisis in Europe, Rosaella   Cannarella, M.D., PhD, and the founder and director of HEAL, Génon Jensen, will be speaking at the Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, on December 4. Registration is free.

GET THE FACTS FROM CUTTING EDGE SCIENTISTS on pesticides and prostate cancer, breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge/biosolids! ️ Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, moderating. Registration provides access to all sessions of the Forum!

We look forward to seeing you! Please share and help us spread the word! ‍️➡️ Link to register

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Sources:

Chemical pollution and men’s health: A hidden crisis in Europe
HEAL Health and Environment Alliance November 2025
https://www.env-health.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025_Chemical-Pollution-and-Mens-Health-Report.pdf

New report: Chemical pollution driving men’s health crisis
HEAL – Health and Environment Alliance
https://www.env-health.org/new-report-chemical-pollution-driving-mens-health-crisis/

Microplastics Interact with Pesticides, Exacerbating Environmental Health Threats, Studies Find
Beyond Pesticides, February 25, 2025
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2025/02/interactions-between-microplastics-and-pesticides-exacerbate-their-environmental-health-threat-studies-find/

Plastics in Agriculture and Packaging Clog Arteries Raising Rate of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke
Beyond Pesticides, March 22, 2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/03/plastics-in-agriculture-and-packaging-clog-arteries-raising-rate-of-cardiovascular-disease-and-stroke/

Gut microbiota is involved in male reproductive function: a review
Lv et al
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11099273/

Review: Mechanisms of Glyphosate and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Action in Female and Male Fertility in Humans and Animal Models
Serra et al
Cells 2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34831302/

(Beyond Pesticides, November 24, 2025) In his article on ecological traps, Professor Danilo Russo, PhD, explains the harm caused to wildlife from well-intentioned efforts to establish habitat on chemical-intensive farms or areas otherwise subject to chemical exposure. Dr. Russo et al., in “To improve or not to improve? The dilemma of “bat-friendly” farmland potentially becoming an ecological trap” (2024), write, “[W]hen restoring habitats for bats in conventional farmland, potential unintended outcomes must be considered, particularly if restoration actions are not accompanied by mitigation of key threats. These threats include the persistent and widespread use of pesticides. . .” (See also a study in Environmental Entomology, which shows that habitat and open space near agricultural fields become a killing field of pesticides, threatening biodiversity due to contamination from toxic drift.)

As this false sense of protection persists, Beyond Pesticides is calling on governors to adopt policies that support organic land management and ecological balance. Organic practices are, by definition, a systems change that is aligned with nature and the biodiversity protection that is needed.

Ecological traps are incremental steps that fail to address underlying systemic problems that allow hazards to persist. While they represent an affirmative action in an attempt to adopt restorative measures, the foundational pollution problem persists. Similarly, pesticide reduction strategies or mitigation measures adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce exposure leave in place pesticide dependency that allows adverse effects to continue.

To mitigate the risks associated with chemical exposure from pesticides, the manufacturing and use of pesticides need addressing, first and foremost. This can be accomplished through adopting policies that support a biodiversity-centered worldview. Organic agriculture and land management have many health and environmental benefits, which eliminate the need for toxic pesticides. Regenerative organic agriculture revitalizes soil health through carbon sequestration while balancing natural communities.  

To prevent well-intentioned efforts from becoming ecological traps, it is essential that measures supporting biodiversity be undertaken not as spot measures such as pollinator strips, hedgerows, or bat houses within areas dominated by chemical-intensive agriculture, but as part of a large-scale effort to adopt regenerative organic agriculture and land management supporting biodiversity.  

With the weed killer paraquat in the news, it provides a powerful example of the consequences of an agricultural system dependent on toxic chemicals—demonstrating the need to rethink food production and the role of humans in the biosphere. While it is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S., paraquat has been characterized as “the most highly toxic herbicide to be marketed over the last 60 years.” By design, paraquat burns the foliage of any plant that it touches, by rupturing cellular membranes in plant tissue. In humans, it burns skin and eyes on contact and initiates lung damage (lung fibrosis) that is the most lethal and least treatable manifestation of toxicity, Ingesting as little as a teaspoon can cause organ damage or death. Chronic effects to those surviving exposure include Parkinson’s disease. 

Paraquat’s damage starts before it is ever used. Like other pesticides, paraquat is manufactured from toxic precursors that pose threats to humans and the environment. And we’re learning that paraquat vaporizes more readily than previously thought, increasing exposure to workers, bystanders, and the environment. 

Paraquat is only one of hundreds of chemicals that disrupt biological systems. A review article published in the International Journal on Environmental Sciences highlights how pervasive pesticide exposure and climate change threaten global species biodiversity. Now more than ever, people are changing their sentiment toward sustainability, with two-thirds of consumers stating the importance of limiting climate change impacts and 88 percent supporting greater pollution reduction.  

Pesticide residues readily contaminate all ecosystems and are prevalent in soils, water (solid and liquid), and the surrounding air. Scientific literature demonstrates pesticides’ long history of adverse effects on the environment, including wildlife, biodiversity, and human health. The impacts of pesticides on wildlife biodiversity are extensive and expose animals in urban, suburban, and rural areas to unnecessary risks. 

The broad impacts of paraquat on plants, which are intentional, are symptomatic of a worldview that sees the Earth merely as a resource for humans to exploit and disregards its value to others.  This worldview accepts the use of biocides that eliminate all living things interfering with the production of human food. It does not value biodiversity or recognize that humans are a species that must share the Earth with others. On the other hand, organic agriculture, with its requirement to conserve (preserve and increase) biodiversity, is based on a worldview valuing long-term sustainability in which humans share Earth’s bounty. If humans are to persist on this planet, the balance of life must be supported. 

Letter to Governor
Paraquat exemplifies the consequences of an agricultural system dependent on toxic chemicals—demonstrating the need to rethink food production and the role of humans in the biosphere. While it is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S., paraquat has been characterized as “the most highly toxic herbicide to be marketed over the last 60 years.” By design, paraquat burns the foliage of any plant that it touches, by rupturing cellular membranes in plant tissue. In humans, it burns skin and eyes on contact and initiates lung damage that is the most lethal and least treatable manifestation of toxicity. Ingesting as little as a teaspoon can cause organ damage or death. Chronic effects to those surviving exposure include Parkinson’s disease.

Paraquat’s damage starts before it is ever used. Like other pesticides, paraquat is manufactured from toxic precursors that pose threats to humans and the environment. And we’re learning that paraquat vaporizes more readily than previously thought, increasing exposure to workers, bystanders, and the environment.

A review article published in the International Journal on Environmental Sciences highlights how pervasive pesticide exposure and climate change threaten global species biodiversity. Now more than ever, people are changing their sentiment toward sustainability, with two-thirds of consumers stating the importance of limiting climate change impacts and 88 percent supporting greater pollution reduction. 

Pesticide residues readily contaminate all ecosystems and are prevalent in soils, water (solid and liquid), and the surrounding air. Scientific literature demonstrates pesticides’ long history of adverse effects on the environment, including wildlife, biodiversity, and human health. The impacts of pesticides on wildlife biodiversity are extensive and expose animals in urban, suburban, and rural areas to unnecessary risks.

The broad impacts of paraquat on plants, which are intentional, are symptomatic of a worldview that sees the Earth merely as a resource for humans to exploit and disregards its value to others.  This worldview accepts the use of biocides that eliminate all living things interfering with the production of human food. It does not value biodiversity or recognize that humans are a species that must share the Earth with others. On the other hand, organic agriculture, with its requirement to conserve (preserve and increase) biodiversity, is based on a worldview valuing long-term sustainability in which humans share Earth’s bounty. If humans are to persist on this planet, the balance of life must be supported.

To mitigate the risks associated with chemical exposure from pesticides, the manufacturing and use of pesticides need addressing, first and foremost. This can be accomplished through adopting policies that support a biodiversity-centered worldview. Organic agriculture and land management have many health and environmental benefits, which eliminate the need for toxic pesticides. Regenerative organic agriculture revitalizes soil health through carbon sequestration while balancing natural communities. 

To prevent well-intentioned efforts from becoming ecological traps, it is essential that measures supporting biodiversity be undertaken not as spot measures such as pollinator strips, hedgerows, or bat houses within areas dominated by chemical-intensive agriculture, but as part of a large-scale effort to adopt regenerative organic agriculture and land management supporting biodiversity.

I urge you to take the lead in creating policies that move DC to organic agriculture and land management.

Thank you.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Help support Beyond Pesticides’ mission of transitioning to a world free from toxic pesticides by becoming a member today. Learn more about the impacts of pesticides on health with the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database and safer alternatives here and here.

Join us for the SECOND session of the National Forum on December 4, 1 – 3:30 Eastern! Featuring Carolina Panis, Rossella Cannarella, M.D., PhD, Génon K. Jensen, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, and Emile Habimana, M.S., in a compelling discussion that elevates public understanding on the scientific data linking petrochemical pesticides to the crisis in breast cancer, prostate and testicular cancer, infertility, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge (biosolids) fertilizer—supporting the imperative for ecological land management.

➡️ Click here to register!

(Beyond Pesticides, November 21, 2025) “How do we respond when told that the solution to ubiquitous and hazardous toxic chemicals in our lives (in our air, food, water, soil, on farms, in parks, playing fields, and schoolyards) is a reduction in their use that continues to allow unnecessary toxic chemical dependency and poisoning?  Do we accept partial restrictions of pesticide use, despite the availability of cost-effective alternatives that stop the toxic assault and help to prevent the most serious associated diseases that invade and attack our bodies, our loved ones, our families, and our communities—with breast cancer, prostate and testicular cancer, pediatric cancer, infertility, and more?”  

These are the questions being asked about the most prevalent cancers in the U.S. and worldwide at the upcoming 2nd Session of the National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, scheduled for December 4, 1:00-3:30pm (EST).  ‍️➡️ Link to register

The Forum brings together cutting-edge science and medical experts from Brazil, Italy, Belgium, Rwanda, Canada, and the United States to sharpen the voices of advocates who are saying that the time for action to eliminate the current reliance on petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers is past due and the transition away from them is now urgent. The speakers bring years of experience in research and clinical work, writing articles in peer-reviewed journals that characterize the dimensions of health threats that call for urgent action to stop toxic chemical use, according to Beyond Pesticides, the convenor of the Forum. The Forum helps to make important findings accessible to the lay public so that they can inform local and state decisions in the U.S. and across the globe. 

This Forum session follows an earlier session in October that brought together robust presentations on the critical benefits of land management in sync with nature, with experts explaining the importance of ecosystem services—recognizing the value of ecological balance and the importance of healthy ecosystems on which life depends. A recording of the session can be found here.  

Speakers at the Forum, 2nd Session, December 4, 2025 

Carolina Panis, PhD—associate professor of medicine at Western Paraná State University (UNIOESTE, Brazil) and visiting researcher at Harvard University and the University of Arizona—writes in her research findings, Pesticide exposure and increased breast cancer risk in women population studies, that a number of pesticides “can increase the risk of BC [breast cancer] development through various mutagenic [genetic mutations] and nonmutagenic mechanisms and can act directly as carcinogens or indirectly as biochemical modifiers and hormonal deregulators. The underlying mechanisms include endocrine disruption; genotoxicity; epigenetic changes [changes to gene function without changing DNA]; enhanced cell migration, invasion, and. . .” more. 

Rossella Cannarella, M.D., PhD—endocrinology specialist and European Academy of Andrology (EAA) certified clinical andrologist at the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, University of Catania (Italy)—writes in the report she authored, Chemical Pollution and Men’s Health: A hidden crisis in Europe (published by Health and the Environment Alliance in Brussels), “Mounting scientific evidence links exposure to harmful environmental chemicals—such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), persistent pollutants, and microplastics—to a range of serious male health outcomes, including prostate and testicular cancer, infertility, sexual dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, and impacts on descendants’ health.” Dr. Cannarella identifies numerous pesticides as known endocrine disrupting chemicals and reproductive toxicants and writes, “Adult occupational exposure to pesticides (organophosphate and carbamate insecticides) is linked to declines in sperm concentration, poorer semen quality, and reduced testosterone levels. . . [and] Commonly used pesticides like glyphosate and organophosphates have been shown to disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in animal models.” 

Génon Jensen—founder and executive director of Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), in Brussels and operating throughout Europe, and an official member of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European Environment and Health Task Force—writes in the men’s health report (cited above), “This report shows that the male reproductive system is particularly vulnerable to chemical exposures. The growing evidence on how hazardous chemicals contribute to rising cancer rates and infertility is truly worrying. With the upcoming REACH revision, EU policymakers have a unique opportunity to prevent disease, boost reproductive health and ensure the wellbeing of future generations.”   

Jabeen Taiba, PhD—postdoctoral research associate in the Water, Climate, and Health Program, who served as the lead researcher for “Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer”—writes: “Nebraska’s age-adjusted incidence rates for childhood cancers are among the highest in the US. . .We evaluated the joint association between the agricultural mixture and pediatric cancer. . . We observed a statistically significant positive association between the 32 agrichemicals and overall pediatric cancer and subtypes.” 

Emile Habimana, M.S.—doctoral candidate specializing in Environmental Analytical Chemistry at the Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada, having previously worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources in Kigali, Rwanda—evaluates emerging contaminants in sewage sludge/biosolids that characterize the pervasiveness of exposure to chemical mixtures and highly toxic compounds formed in the environment as transformation products or metabolites. In his article in Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry, he identifies 414 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in soils, untreated and treated sewage sludge (biosolids), compost, and dust, across 151 peer-reviewed studies released between 2018 and 2023—emphasizing the range of potential exposure pathways across various products that include classes of pesticides like neonicotinoid insecticides and triazine herbicides such as atrazine, (PFAS), plastic-related compounds, and their transformation products in complex systems, such as sewage sludge, biosolids, composts, and soils. Mr. Habimana is the developer of an innovative, high-throughput multiresidue test that has facilitated simultaneous quantification of over 70 contaminants.” 

GET THE FACTS FROM CUTTING EDGE SCIENTISTS on pesticides and breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge/biosolids! ️ Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, moderating. Registration provides access to all sessions of the Forum!

We look forward to welcoming you back! Please share and help us spread the word! ‍️➡️ Link to register

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

(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 product resulting from the structural change of a parent compound. Metabolites are specifically formed through biological processes, while degradation products are another type of transformation product that are formed through non-biological processes in the environment.

Research on Contaminants of Concern

As previously covered by Beyond Pesticides, a study published earlier this year on sewage sludge (biosolids) used as fertilizers finds serious concerns about the range of contaminants within the treated sludge. The researchers identify 414 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including metabolites, in soils, untreated and treated sewage sludge, and dust, across 151 peer-reviewed studies released between 2018 and 2023—emphasizing the range of potential exposure pathways across various products, including classes of pesticides like neonicotinoid insecticides.

One of the researchers, Emile Habimana, M.S., is a speaker for the upcoming second session of the 42nd National Forum Series—The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature. A doctoral candidate specializing in Environmental Analytical Chemistry at the Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada, Mr. Habimana holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering Integrated Chemical and Environmental Technology from Hankyong National University in South Korea, a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the National University of Rwanda, and has a background working in environmental management for the Ministry of Natural Resources in Kigali, Rwanda. His research, working with Sébastien Sauvé, PhD, professor of environmental chemistry, focuses on the development of advanced analytical methodologies for profiling and quantifying emerging contaminants within environmental matrices, as well as evaluating the risks they pose to both ecosystems and human health. Learn more about Mr. Habimana and the other Forum speakers here.

Neonicotinoid Metabolites

Neonicotinoids (neonics) are a class of insecticides that share a common mode of action that affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. Studies show that neonicotinoid residues accumulate in the pollen and nectar of treated plants and are a threat to the health of pollinators. Neonicotinoids are also persistent in the environment and are so toxic that as little as one neonic-treated seed is enough to kill a songbird. This class of pesticides is also known to contaminate waterways, posing additional risks as these compounds are highly toxic to aquatic organisms.

One transformation product of concern is desnitro-imidacloprid, a metabolite of imidacloprid, with recent research showing that it is more toxic than the parent compound. There is a wide body of science connecting the use of imidacloprid as a neonicotinoid insecticide to toxicity in humans, with neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory effects, among others, as well as toxicity to birds, bees, and aquatic organisms. (See the Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management database for more information on imidacloprid here.)

One study from earlier this year, published in Scientific Reports, finds impacts on human plasma protein bindings with exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides and their metabolites. The researchers report: “In the case of the phase I metabolites of neonicotinoids, some metabolites, such as descyano-thiacloprid and desnitro-imidacloprid, exhibit more toxic effects on mammals due to stronger receptor protein binding affinity than the corresponding parent compounds.”

Another study in humans, published previously in Archives of Toxicology, analyzes the acute effects of desnitro-imidacloprid on neurons. “[I]midacloprid (IMI) and other members of this pesticide family form a set of diverse metabolites within crops,” the authors state. They continue, “Among these, desnitro-imidacloprid (DN-IMI) is of special toxicological interest, as there is evidence (i) for human dietary exposure to this metabolite, (ii) and that DN-IMI is a strong trigger of mammalian nicotinic responses.”

As a result of the study, the researchers find that the data suggests “DN-IMI functionally affects human neurons similar to the well-established neurotoxicant nicotine” and that the metabolite “exhibits significantly higher potency and efficacy on the human nAChR [nicotinic acetylcholine receptor] subtypes than its parent compound IMI.” The authors summarize, this “showcases the role of metabolism for human neurotoxicology, as it demonstrates that a particular metabolite can be several orders of magnitude more potent as a neuronal signaling disrupter (desensitization) than its parent compound.”

In comparing reproductive effects with exposure to imidacloprid and desnitro-imidacloprid, a study in Toxics finds that the two compounds differentially affect ovarian antral follicle growth, morphology, and hormone synthesis. The results show that desnitro-imidacloprid inhibits follicle growth, causes follicles to rupture, decreases testosterone and progesterone, and alters estradiol levels. This highlights the reproductive toxicity that occurs with neonicotinoid exposure, as well as how the mechanisms of toxicity can differ between parent compounds and their metabolites.

Published this month in Environmental Pollution, a study of transformation products of neonicotinoid (TPNNIs) examines soil and water within an agriculturally intensive basin to investigate the toxicity of the TPNNIs in comparison to their parent compounds. The results reveal that “Clothianidin-urea and desnitro-imidacloprid [DN-IMI] were the predominant TPNNIs in the topsoil and surface water, accounting for 68.2% and 47.2% of the total TPNNIs, respectively.” The authors also report: “DN-IMI exhibits greater mammalian neurotoxicity than IMI [imidacloprid] and is up to 300 times more potent than IMI in mammals. This increased toxicity is attributed to higher binding affinity of DN-IMI to mammalian nAChRs than IMI; therefore, human may face serious health risks when exposure to DN-IMI primarily through the consumption of contaminated water and food products.”

Previous Research on Transformation Products

Additional research on transformation products and specific metabolites adds to the overall body of science on threats from these compounds. A study in Environmental Science and Pollution Research from earlier this year shares that pesticide transformation products (TPs) are frequently found in surface and groundwater as they “often present higher polarity than parent compounds, are less volatile and less biodegradable and are therefore more mobile and persistent.”

Within their research, the authors discover transformation products of dimethachlor and chlorothalonil for the first time in drinking water in France, with concentrations exceeding the regulatory quality standards in more than one of three drinking water samples for the transformation product of chlorothalonil. “This research confirmed the benefit of focusing on TPs and parent compounds, and also to continue monitoring TPs that originate from compounds already withdrawn from the market for several years that appear to be highly persistent,” the authors conclude.

Another study in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety examines the association between urinary organophosphate pesticide metabolites and blood lipid levels in U.S. children enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In analyzing the urinary concentrations of organophosphate pesticide metabolites, known as dialkylphosphates (DAPs), the results show: “Over 50 % of children had detectable levels of dimethylphosphate, diethylphosphate, dimethylthiophosphate, and diethylthiophosphate… Higher diethylthiophosphate was associated with high blood cholesterol levels.”

In a previous Daily News, Breakdown Products (Metabolites) from Pesticides May Be More Toxic than Parent Compound, Study Finds, research published Environment International finds that nearly half of all transformation products from four common-use pesticides produce stronger endocrine-disrupting effects than the parent compound. Many ecological and health risk assessments for pesticides focus on the effects of parent chemical compound products, overlooking the potential impacts of transformation products.

Studies like these highlight the need to assess the implications of transformation products to safeguard human, animal, and environmental health. The researchers note, “Since an increasing number of pesticide TPs have been detected in various environmental media, a more comprehensive understanding of the ecological risk of pesticide TPs is imperative for risk assessments more extensively and regulatory policy-making on pesticide restriction in the future.”

Regulatory Failures

As highlighted in the literature review in Global Change Biology, pesticide transformation products present a hidden risk. The authors note: “Research on pesticide risks often focuses on the effects of primary molecules and rarely considers their TPs. These TPs, generated through abiotic and biotic processes, can be equally or even more toxic than their parent compounds… Some TPs are more toxic than their parent compounds, while others exhibit reduced acute toxicity but have additive or synergistic effects to the primary pesticide molecules, including important chronic or sub-lethal effects on non-target organisms like bees, butterflies, or aquatic invertebrates.”

The studies on the toxicity and adverse effects of metabolites raise critical deficiencies in EPA’s regulatory process for evaluating transformation products—calling into question the validity of assessments that allow pesticide uses with inadequate restrictions for the protection of health and the environment. As the Global Change Biology researchers conclude: “The ecological implications of TPs remain understudied, representing a critical frontier for pesticide risk assessments. Addressing this gap requires not only identifying major TPs in environmental matrices but also assessing their chronic and sublethal effects under realistic field conditions.”

When EPA discusses its registration process, it includes language regarding the evaluation of pesticide metabolites, degradates, contaminants, and impurities. Critics, however, feel that EPA’s outdated data requirements, lack of inclusion of all peer-reviewed scientific literature showing adverse health and environmental effects of pesticide active ingredients, and inability to fully evaluate for endocrine disruption, synergistic effects, and the toxicity from inert ingredients, metabolites, and pesticide mixtures are insufficient and unreasonable. As the researchers from Environment International say: “[T]he toxicity assessments of the pesticide TPs are still overlooked for the registration and use approval of pesticides. Therefore, the risk of environmental pesticide TPs is not only an emerging issue but also a scientific blind spot.”

Resources

To hear one of the study authors, Emile Habimana, M.S., speak, along with Carolina Panis, PhD, Rossella Cannarella, M.D., PhD, Génon K. Jensen, and Jabeen Taiba, PhD, join the second session of the National Forum on December 4, 2025, 1:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern (ET). ➡️ Registration and speaker backgrounds are available here.

The information in this session empowers voices for the transition to practices and products that do not accept toxic chemicals as necessary when alternative systems are available to us. The science supports the urgent call for systemic change at this moment of health, biodiversity, and climate crises, with the promise of productive and profitable alternatives. This call for foundational change is motivated by our collective understanding that the critically needed response to the crises must not be diverted by anything less than a holistic strategy—recognizing the science on adverse effects of extremely small chemical doses to all organisms, including humans, and the synergistic effects of multiple chemical exposure.

The presentations at this session support community-level understanding of the science and its relationship to debilitating and deadly disease patterns associated with toxic chemical exposure, so that all societal decisions close to home and around the globe embrace the changes that are within reach. To learn more, visit Beyond Pesticides’ resources for the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database and the health and environmental benefits of organic land management.  

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Sources:

Loser, D. et al. (2021) Acute effects of the imidacloprid metabolite desnitro-imidacloprid on human nACh receptors relevant for neuronal signaling, Archives of Toxicology. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-021-03168-z.

Morimoto, N. et al. (2025) Association between urinary organophosphate pesticide metabolites and blood lipid levels in US children, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325016756.

Mourikes, V. et al. (2023) Imidacloprid and Its Bioactive Metabolite, Desnitro-Imidacloprid, Differentially Affect Ovarian Antral Follicle Growth, Morphology, and Hormone Synthesis In Vitro, Toxics. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/4/349.

Pasquini, L., Lardy-Fontan, S. and Rosin, C. (2025) Pesticide transformation products: a potential new source of interest for drinking water, Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-025-35979-3.

Taira, K. et al. (2025) Human plasma protein bindings of neonicotinoid insecticides and metabolites, Scientific Reports. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-96812-y.

Tissier, M., Shahmohamadloo, R. and Guzman, L. (2025) Pesticide Risk Assessment in a Changing World, Global Change Biology. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.70203.

Wang, J. et al. (2025) Contamination characteristics and influencing factors of transformation products of neonicotinoid in soil and water from an agriculturally intensive basin, Northern China, Environmental Pollution. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749125014599.

(Beyond Pesticides, November 19, 2025) In the book, Biological Control Systems and Climate Change, published this month, Danilo Russo, PhD—a speaker during the first session of our 42nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature—and other researchers add to the existing literature on the climate change threat to ecosystem services. Dr. Russo’s chapter, entitled “Impact of Climate Change on Bats Involved in Biological Control,” explains one of the lost benefits of ecological balance attributable to the climate crisis.

As explained in the book: “In conservation biological control, habitats surrounding and within crops are managed to favour an increase in natural enemy populations while suppressing pest populations. These agroecological systems can be complex, and are affected by climate change.” The ability of climate change to influence the effectiveness of biological control systems is explored, showing the “effects on the large diversity of macro- and microorganisms involved in biocontrol, and the possible increase or decrease in pest outbreaks following changes in characteristics (morphology, physiology, behaviour….), distribution or phenology.”

Dr. Russo is a full professor of ecology at the University of Naples Federico II, an international leader in bat research, and coauthor of A Natural History of Bat Foraging: Evolution, Physiology, Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation. Dr. Russo’s interests include habitat selection, resource partitioning, sensory ecology, social behavior, evolutionary biology, biogeography, and invasion ecology. Much of his research focuses on bats, but he also works on a range of other model organisms to answer the specific questions related to ecosystem services. Dr. Russo has published over 200 scientific articles in internationally respected journals, including Nature Communications, Current Biology, Ecology Letters, and Biological Reviews. He has conducted fieldwork in diverse regions and environments across the globe, from African rainforests to Israeli deserts and European beech forests. (See more about Dr. Russo here, as well as the recording of his talk during the National Forum here.)

As Dr. Russo states in previous research: “The ongoing biodiversity crisis highlights the need for targeted conservation efforts, yet the focus often remains on rare and endangered species. This overlooks the vital role of common species, which are the ecological backbone of ecosystems, supporting the stability and functioning of biodiversity. We argue that common species, especially their population dynamics and potential tipping points, are too often neglected and that their conservation is urgent. We illustrate this issue using bats (Chiroptera) as a model. This diverse mammalian order features key ecosystem service providers, including insectivores, pollinators, and seed dispersers. Bats are sensitive to anthropogenic pressures, and many species, including common ones, face population declines and the impact of ecosystem disruption.”

The Important Role of Bats and Impacts of Climate Change

The new book, the second in the CABI Ecostacking Series, informs students, researchers, lecturers, and stakeholders engaged in biological control worldwide on the impacts of climate change. Biological control (referred to as “biocontrol”) in agriculture is described as the use of natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, or pathogens) for the management of pests in crops.

In the chapter by Dr. Russo et al., bats are highlighted for their “indispensable role in agricultural systems worldwide, serving as natural enemies of arthropod pests and significantly reducing the use of pesticides.” The ability to benefit from the natural predation provided by bats as an alternative to pesticides helps protect biodiversity, soil health, and human health, while also mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Petrochemical pesticides contribute to climate change throughout their entire lifecycle, from manufacturing, application, and disposal, by releasing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, and by creating a “vicious cycle” as climate change leads to increased pesticide use. About 99% of synthetic pesticides are derived from fossil fuels, and their production is an energy-intensive process that releases greenhouse gases. Not only can pesticide manufacturing release significant amounts of carbon dioxide, but synthetic nitrogen fertilizer applications used in combination with pesticides increase the production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, in soils. Soil degradation is another concern, as pesticides can negatively impact soil health, hindering its ability to sequester carbon.

As Dr. Russo points out, “Climate change can disrupt predator–prey interactions in agricultural systems by altering species’ physiology, distribution and behaviour,” including deleterious impacts on bat populations. Changes to temperatures and precipitation can destabilize the dynamics of existing resources, which can “reduce natural pest control effectiveness, increasing reliance on chemical methods.” Research, outlined below, shows that climate change impacts bat distribution, reproduction, behavior, and survival through heat stress and drought, among other factors.

Shifts in weather patterns that occur as a result of climate change “disrupt bat–pest interactions, creating mismatches between pest outbreaks and bat presence,” the authors state. They continue, “Climate change also affects insect emergence and bat reproduction timing, potentially leading to pest outbreaks.” Growth rates, reproductive cycles, and the habitat ranges of both predators (bats) and prey (insects) are impacted by alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns, which complicate the stability of ecological interactions and can cause cascading effects throughout the ecosystem.

The researchers share: “Climate-induced changes in prey vulnerability due to changes in body condition or habitat significantly influence predator responses. For instance, changes in the prey’s body condition might make the prey vulnerable to predation… Climate change also alters species distribution, leading to potential mismatches between predators and prey. Mathematical models predict that global warming and wind flow can affect prey and predator populations, potentially leading to instability in predator–prey interactions. Specifically, changes in prey distribution due to warming are predicted to disrupt established interactions with potential implications for ecosystem stability.”

These impacts alter population dynamics and thus alter the effectiveness of biological pest control and farmland productivity. “This process can result in increased pest populations and reduced crop yields in agricultural systems,” the authors note. “For instance, if predators do not adjust their breeding times to match the peak abundance of their prey, their effectiveness in controlling pest populations may be compromised, leading to increased reliance on chemical pest control methods.”

While these effects of climate change on predator–prey interactions are not exclusive to bats and insects, bats are particularly sensitive creatures. The proportions of their wings and tail to their small bodies leave them prone to dehydration, their position in the food web requires stability, and their low reproductive output makes them particularly vulnerable to population impacts, with very slow recovery. These factors cause bats to be sensitive to extreme events, such as heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and storms.

Ecosystem Services of Bats

As cited on Beyond Pesticides’ Benefits of Bats page, as well as in Dr. Russo’s research, there are more than 1,400 species of bats worldwide, with over 40 species in the U.S. alone, and they make up 25% of the world’s total mammal population. Dr. Russo et al. write: “Bats’ diverse hunting strategies, which target various insect pest species, make them remarkably versatile and effective in pest suppression across many crop types, from rice and corn to fruit orchards and cotton plantations… This wide variety of feeding strategies makes bats crucial providers of ecosystem services such as regulation of arthropod populations.”

Bats, among other wildlife including birds and bees, provide important ecosystem services through pollination, management of pest populations, and contributing to plant resilience and productivity. The importance of bat species and their services cannot be understated. Bats are the only nocturnal insect predator in the U.S. and are one of two primary nocturnal pollinators (along with moths)—important roles for night-flowering plants and for farmers. Bats are one of many under-appreciated pollinators, but bat pollination, technically known as chiropterophily, is integral for many wild and commercial tropical fruits. Over 500 plants worldwide are completely or partially dependent on bat pollination. Seed dispersal is another important service bats provide.

Bats’ pest control services—relatively invisible because they do their insect marauding at night when humans are not watching—represent an excellent nontoxic, biological control for some agricultural pests, as well as for mosquitoes that may be human disease vectors. This highlights the public health benefits from bats, as they lower health care costs by reducing toxic pesticide use on chemical farms and in their ability to lower the rate of mosquito-borne disease. These organisms not only consume mosquitoes that can carry diseases, such as West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), Zika virus, malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and others, but their management of pests protects millions of dollars in agriculture.

As declines in bat populations and other pollinators continue to occur, it is becoming increasingly clear that the ecosystem services provided by bats cannot be adequately replaced by human activities. These species are both integral to biodiversity as well as agricultural production. Approximately 70% of bat species are insectivores, including pests that consume crops. These bats “employ different hunting strategies depending on their foraging guilds.” As Dr. Russo states: “Some are specialized in capturing flying insects (aerial-hawking bats), while others seize prey directly from foliage or the ground (gleaning bats), and some skim it from the water surface (trawling bats). These varied hunting strategies make bats versatile and effective predators in different environments and on a wide variety of prey.”

Previous Research

Within the chapter, the researchers cite evidence that shows the impacts of climate change on bats, with implications not only for bat and insect populations, but the economy, overall biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and human health.

This includes:

• In the U.S., droughts are associated “with up to 50% reduction in reproductive output of several Myotis bat species.” (See study here.)
• Estimations for fringed myotis bats (Myotis thysanodes) show population decreases of up to 90% across the range of the species under future climate change scenarios due to reduced reproductive rates.
• Growing evidence suggests that climate change may be causing bats to give birth earlier in the season. (See research here, here, here, and here.)
• “Unstable weather conditions may also reduce bat pup survival, further diminishing the population of pest predators.” (See here and here.)
• Bats “provide substantial economic benefits across a wide range of crops, including cereals such as rice or corn, fruit trees like vineyards and apple orchards, oil palm plantations, plantations of coffee or sugarcane, and non-food crops such as cotton or rubber trees.”

Previous coverage from Daily News highlights the threats from pesticides and climate change that cascade from bat population impacts to infant mortality. Earlier research demonstrates the decline of bat populations in the USA resulting from the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a lethal fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This mortality, due to the loss of ecosystem services that bats provide as natural predators, leads to dramatic increases in pesticide use. A 2024 study finds that as a result of these implications, a corresponding rise in infant mortality also occurs. (See Daily News here.)

Farmers rely on bats as alternatives to pesticides to protect their crops from insects, but WNS has greatly impacted bat populations since 2006. With the collapse of many bat populations in counties in North America, these farmers turn to toxic chemicals to replace the ecosystem services bats usually provide. These chemicals, however, endanger human health.

The Benefits of Organic and Additional Resources

As Dr. Russo et al. summarize: “Numerous studies highlight the ecological importance of bats in agroecosystems, emphasizing their ability to reduce crop damage and yield loss. This, in turn, decreases the need for agrochemical pesticide application, which not only reduces costs for farmers but also mitigates the negative impacts of these chemicals on ecosystems and human health. Ultimately, by lowering pest levels and promoting more sustainable farming practices, bats contribute to the long-term viability of agricultural systems and save substantial amounts of money for farmers and land managers, reinforcing their crucial role in the farming economy.”

The path forward to protect beneficial organisms such as bats, along with all wildlife, the environment, and human health, is organic land management. Organic practices provide health and environmental benefits while combating current crises of biodiversity and climate change. (See Daily News Bats in Organic Agriculture: Precision Foraging as Pest Management for more information.)  

“As invaluable allies in sustainable farming practices, bats globally contribute to the natural balance of agroecosystems,” Dr. Russo concludes. “Therefore, the conservation of bat populations is paramount for preserving the stability, health and resilience of agricultural environments world-wide, which, in parallel, enhances long-term food production.”

Help support Beyond Pesticides’ mission of transitioning to a world free from toxic pesticides by becoming a member today. Learn more about the impacts of pesticides on health with the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database and safer alternatives here and here.

Join us for the SECOND session of the National Forum on December 4, 1 – 3:30 Eastern! Featuring Carolina Panis, PhD, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, and Emile Habimana, M.S. in a compelling discussion that elevates public understanding on the scientific data linking petrochemical pesticides to the crisis in breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge (biosolids) fertilizer—supporting the imperative for ecological land management.

➡️ Click here to register!

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source:

Russo, D. et al. (2025) ‘Impact of Climate Change on Bats Involved in Biological Control’, in Biological Control Systems and Climate Change. CABI Ecostacking Series, pp. 104–116. Available at: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781800625099.0008.

(Beyond Pesticides, November 18, 2025) A study published in Horticultural Plant Journal provides additional evidence on the viability of organically managed farmland based on tomatoes cultivated through traditional plant breeding and regional variances.

The authors of the research find that, “Despite the positive trend of the organic sector’s development in Europe, the number of tomato varieties bred for organic farming is still limited since efforts have been mainly focused on high input conditions.” They continue: “As a result, the existing cultivars may not suit to organic production [ ] as cultivars chosen for conventional [chemical-intensive] systems often respond well to chemical fertilizers to improve crop output, but they might not maximize nutrient uptake in organic systems where minor external inputs are provided.”

In this context, the marketplace is not maximizing the potential productivity of organic systems due to the limited availability of seeds and plant material best suited to conditions in sync with local ecosystems.

The designed methodology, as well as the findings, show that there are opportunities for public investment to support systems that cultivate agricultural products without reliance on petrochemical-based fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds treated with pesticide products and other genetically modified characteristics. For millennia, humans have worked in tandem with native plants and locally or regionally cultivated crop species through plant breeding and cultivation, rather than attempting to control what communities can grow or operate on their land. This latest scientific analysis underscores a path forward that is grounded in science, operates within planetary boundaries, and leads to innovation.

Traditional plant breeding is a process of cross-breeding for selected traits, while genetic engineering actually inserts genetic material into the plant. (See statement of Michael Hansen, PhD., on behalf of Consumers Union.)

Legal Context

Regulations under the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as defined by “excluded methods” in U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations (7 CFR §205.2) and prohibited in 7 CFR §205.105(e).

OFPA itself specifically establishes a default prohibition of “synthetic” materials in 7 U.S.C. §6502(22), with a definition that prohibits substances that are (i) not created by “naturally occurring biological processes” or (ii) subject to processes that “chemically changes” a natural material. Allowed and prohibited substances are established in OFPA under the authorities in 7 U.S.C. §6517 (National List) and by statute under the control of the Congressionally mandated National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a 15-member stakeholder board (7 U.S.C. §6518).

OFPA provides for broad input from the public under the procedures of the NOSB, requiring that, “The National List established by the Secretary shall be based upon a proposed national list or proposed amendments to the National List developed by the National Organic Standards Board.” For more on engaging with the process to protect and strengthen organic standards, see Keeping Organic Strong.

Background and Methodology

The researchers tested the interaction of environmental and genotypic effects on 21 “morpho-agronomic traits” for 39 distinct tomato genotypes (or accessions, which in this context refers to samples of plant/fruit material representing the selected genotype) grown under certified organic conditions for two years (2019 and 2020) on Italian and Spanish farms. The Italian farm is based in the municipality of Alcasser (ALC), and the Spanish farm is based at the Research Center for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops in Monsampolo del Tronto (MST). The majority of those cultivated tomato types are considered “landraces” (local varieties with minimal human plant breeding) or heirlooms (cultivation of landraces from outside the native region), which are found in Italy or Spain; however, seven are heirlooms cultivated in the United States. Chemical traits for each tomato accession were assayed at laboratory facilities in their respective countries (Milan, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain). For further information on the 21 traits and how they are measured, see section 2.2 Phenotyping measurements.

The researchers used a GGE (Genotype plus Genotype by Environment interaction) analysis, rather than the typical analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, because they say, “GGE provides an effective visualization tool to define mean performance and stability of genotypes and to discriminate test environments.” In other words, understanding the impact of genotypic and environmental factors (and their interaction) on crop performance is critical for farmers looking to balance economic competition with ecological regeneration and health.

Using GGE analysis, the researchers identify the highest performing tomato genotypes through assessment of three patterns: “Which-won-where” (WWW), “mean performance versus stability” (MPvS), and “discriminative versus representative” (DvR).

Genotypes (genetic characteristics) that fall within the WWW pattern (represented as a polygon on the GGE biplot) are considered the best performing phenotypes (traits) within their respective environments. The genotypes are placed along an axis on the GGE biplot that represents “their average performance in all environments”; meanwhile, a “perpendicular line separates genotypes with values below average from those with above average values”. The DvR analysis allowed researchers to assess ideal test environments “where superior genotypes can be effectively selected” based on known data from the two locations and two cultivation seasons. For this analysis, the researchers note “the implementation of the ‘which-won-where’ and ‘mean vs. stability’ models in the GGE analysis facilitated the detection of the most promising cultivars in one or more sites determining furthermore their stability level.”

The researchers are based at the Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops and Universitat Politècnica de València. Funding for this project includes grants from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests. In terms of conflicts of interest, “The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.”

Results

In the researchers’ GGE analysis, combining the effects of genotype, location, and seasonal meteorological conditions, the results can be organized based on the three patterns.

In terms of WWW analysis and performance evaluations of specific genotypes:

• “The accessions ‘Rosada d’Altea’ (G22) and ‘Edkawi 1987’ (G8) were the best productive during the first season in ALC”;
• “During the second season, ‘Coeur de Boeuf’ (G7) and ‘Rosa de Barbastro’ (G24) were the most yielding accessions in MST”;
• “Accession ‘Uco Plata’ (G9) discerned good production and stability during the first season…in ALC and MST, respectively, whereas ‘Amarillo bombilla’ (G3) and ‘ABC potato leaf’ (G34) were seen as least productive accessions across locations”;
• “‘Amarillo Ademúz’ (G19) and ‘Flor de Baladre’ (G16) were confirmed as the best accessions for fruit weight, ranking second and third, respectively;” and
• “Gajo de melon’ (G29) and ‘Montserrat’ (G1) were the accessions with the biggest diameter of the main root displaying values of 2.42 mm and 2.37 mm, respectively.”

In terms of MPvS analysis, the researchers conclude:

• “For fruit weight, the ‘mean vs. stability’ analysis confirmed ‘Rosada d’Altea’ (G22), ‘Amarillo Ademúz’ (G19), and ‘Flor de Baladre’ (G16) as the best performing accessions”;
• “On the contrary, ‘Rosada d’Altea’ (G22) and ‘Strogili Megali’ (G6) were the best performing cultivars with a low projection with respect to the central axis, thus highlighting stability and ranking consistency”
• “[T]he graph highlighted 17 out of the 39 tested accessions having a fruit weight above average considering the four environments”; and
• “Overall, 22 out of the 39 tested accessions had a total production above average considering the four environments.”

In terms of DvR analysis to help determine which geographical and meteorological conditions, the researchers conclude:

• “ALC 2019 is the ideal environment for the selection of superior genotypes [in terms of fruitweight];
• “[I]t is possible to consider ALC 2020 as a good environment for selecting best candidates in the case of total yield and diameter of the main root”; and
• MST 2019 and 2020 were the least discriminating environments in terms of soluble solids content and diameter of the main root. Soluble solids content is important because it contains essential nutrients plants need to thrive, and the diameter of the main root is a helpful indicator that researchers use to assess plant health.

The results of the GGEE analysis of U.S. heirloom genotypes varied, with ‘Black cherry’ (G30) considered to have one of the highest stability in terms of the interaction of  “genotypic and environmental factors influencing performance of crops”  and ‘Gajo de melon’ G29 having the biggest root diameter in the Italian field location and was considered “top-ranking” for “soluble solid content across all environments”; meanwhile ABC Potato leaf (G34) “showed the genotype to be “low yielding” and “least productive…across locations.”

Previous Coverage

Research continues to mount on the economic, public health, ecological, and climate-smart benefits of organically managed cropland, seeds, food products, and agricultural systems.

A Spain-based study published in European Journal of Agronomy finds that “organic farming equals conventional yield under irrigation and enhances seed quality in drought, aiding food security.” The researchers tested twelve common bean genotypes of Phaselous vulgaris L. “Under rainfed conditions, the common bean seeds received only minimal water at the beginning of the season to ensure the seedlings’ survival (Table 1),” say the authors in describing the distinction between the two watering protocols. The study results, when comparing current variable irrigation conditions, conclude that conventional seeds watered through irrigation demonstrate the highest yields and caloric value; however, organic seeds under rainfed conditions promote protein, fiber, and nitrogen fixation. The authors note that the choice of variety (genotype) matters more in organic seeds for efficient use of sunlight through photosynthesis (the underlying biological mechanism that contributes to yield results in plants), suggesting that breeding could potentially offset any category of disadvantage that organic systems may have. (See Daily News here.)

Meanwhile, a Kenya-based study published in European Journal of Agronomy, based on a 16-year, long-term experiment (LTE), finds that organic crops (cotton production with wheat and soybean rotations) in tropical climates are competitive with chemical-intensive (conventional) systems when evaluating systems’ resilience (to weather and insect resistance), input costs, and profitability. (See Daily News here.) This study is an extension of the Rodale Institute’s Farming System Trial (FST), a 40-year-long field study published in 2020 with the overarching goal of “[a]ddress[ing] the barriers to the adoption of organic farming by farmers across the country.” (See Daily News here.) The FST finds:

1. Organic systems achieve 3–6 times the profit of conventional production;
2. Yields for the organic approach are competitive with those of conventional systems (after a five-year transition period);
3. Organic yields during stressful drought periods are 40% higher than conventional yields;
4. Organic systems leach no toxic compounds into nearby waterways (unlike pesticide-intensive conventional farming);
5. Organic systems use 45% less energy than conventional systems; and
6. Organic systems emit 40% less carbon into the atmosphere.

Building on the climate-smart benefits of organic agriculture documented in recent scientific literature, a comprehensive U.S.-based study released in Journal of Cleaner Production in August 2023 identifies the potential for organic farming to mitigate the impacts of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the fight to address the climate crisis. In “The spatial distribution of agricultural emissions in the United States: The role of organic farming in mitigating climate change,” the authors determine that “a one percent increase in total farmland results in a 0.13 percent increase in GHG emissions, while a one percent increase in organic cropland and pasture leads to a decrease in emissions by about 0.06 percent and 0.007 percent, respectively.” (See Daily News here.)

You can learn more here about the biodiversity and public health risks of reliance on genetic engineering to address pest management concerns.

Call to Action

Taking action is as easy as a few clicks. See the Action of the Week archive here and sign up now to get our Action of the Week and Weekly News Updates delivered right to your inbox. One of the most recent actions you can take  (see here) is telling your Congressional Representative and Senators to cosponsor and support the Organic Science and Research Investment Act (OSRI), which would double investments in organic research and land management practices.

To advance principles of land management that align with nature, see the recording of Beyond Pesticides 42^nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, which brings together scientists and land managers working to recognize and respect the ecosystems on which life depends. The second session is scheduled for December 4, 2025, 1:00-3:30 pm (Eastern time, US). This session features Carolina Panis, PhD, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, and Emile Habimana, M.S., in a compelling discussion that elevates public understanding of the scientific data linking petrochemical pesticides to the crisis in breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge (biosolids) fertilizer—supporting the imperative for ecological land management.

The virtual Forum is free to all participants. See featured speakers!  Register here.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source: Horticultural Plant Journal

(Beyond Pesticides, November 17, 2025) Beyond Pesticides ramped up its campaign to transition parks, playing fields, and schoolyards to organic land management after the release of a study showing synergistic effects of glyphosate (Roundup) and urea fertilizers on earthworms and soil health. The organization’s network is asking Mayors nationwide to lead the transition, pointing to the inadequacy of the current system of regulating pesticides based on risk assessments of individual chemicals or individual chemical families. Chemicals interact, causing increased impacts on human, ecological health, and biodiversity. Moreover, humans, other species, and the biosphere rarely experience exposure to single chemicals or chemical families; exposure to multiple chemicals is the rule, not the exception.  

Synergistic effects associated with the use of the weedkiller glyphosate have been implicated in several studies showing magnified adverse impact in soil organisms and in mixture with other chemicals: 

• The extensive use of glyphosate is linked to effects on nontarget soil organisms, with the risks to soil ecosystems widely studied. (See here, here, here, here, and here.)  
• One study shows that frequent application in tropical systems of glyphosate “reduced soil macroarthropod richness by 21% and altered community composition.  
• “A recent global risk assessment of glyphosate further estimated that 67−93% of soils pose high risks to Collembola [springtails] and 43−67% pose medium to high risks to earthworms.” (See here.)  
• Studies show that glyphosate combined with microplastics causes notable synergistic effects. (See research here and here.)  
• “Co-exposure to polyethylene microplastics and glyphosate aggravates neuro-behavioral disorders, intestinal barrier injury, and gut microbiota imbalance.” (See here.)
• One study shows that urea co-exposure increases glyphosate and AMPA residues in soil.   
• “[C]ommercial glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) contain surfactants, such as polyethoxylated tallow amines, which have been shown to amplify the risks associated with glyphosate.” (See here.) 

However, all chemical classes threaten nontarget organisms and biodiversity. Studies demonstrating synergistic impacts of pesticide mixtures and combined exposure to pesticides and fertilizers or other chemicals indicate that preventing harm by regulating individual pesticides is not possible. Instead, we must recognize the dangers posed by synthetic petrochemicals—particularly those designed to kill (i.e., “-cides”)—and eliminate dependence on them.

Pesticide regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) has proved inadequate, even in addressing individual pesticides. With U.S. sales of organic products exceeding $71 billion in 2024 and still growing, consumers are increasingly voicing a preference for avoiding chemical exposures. While consumers can opt for organic food, states and localities tend to defer to EPA’s judgment in evaluating land management options, resulting in exposure to toxic chemical mixtures in parks, along highways, and in other public places—not only to humans, but to birds, pollinators, and other nontarget organisms.  

To assist those engaging with their local elected officials and parks departments, Beyond Pesticides, through its Parks for a Sustainable Future program, offers technical support to transition parks to organic land management through analysis of soil health, development of a plan to improve soil biology to cycle nutrients for healthy plants, training of staff to implement the organic plan, and ongoing consultation for plan evaluation and adjustments when necessary. Organic systems focus on building organic matter and microbial life in the soil to solubilize nutrients for plant uptake, eliminating the use of petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides and increasing plant health, soil moisture retention, and resilience.  

Through this program and with supporters, including the Parks for a Sustainable Future program, Beyond Pesticides assists local leaders in converting parks and recreational areas exclusively to organic practices. In August, as a part of a nationwide push to stop the use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, the City of Excelsior, Minnesota, joined Kansas City, Missouri, and dozens of communities across the country to begin its organic transition of demonstration sites on city park land. In addition, Beyond Pesticides has worked with dozens of communities to adopt land management policies in jurisdictions of nearly every state in the country. The goal is to create models that show the viability and cost effectiveness of organic management systems that eliminate petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers that contribute to the current health crisis, biodiversity collapse, and the climate emergency. 

Beyond Pesticides invites people nationwide to become a Parks Advocate and advises these actions: 

• For communities that are part of a growing number across the country that have taken action to protect people and the environment by adopting organic policies and practices in their public spaces, Beyond Pesticides urges residents to take this opportunity to thank community leaders. However, be aware that the pesticide industry is seeking to repeal these policies. 

Example Message: Thank you so much for implementing pesticide-free, organic policies and practices in our parks and public places! I love to spend time in our parks, knowing that I will not be exposed to toxic chemicals. It is wonderful to know that our community’s children and pets will not be exposed to toxic chemicals in our parks. It is great to know that toxic chemicals will not run off from our public spaces into streams and other water. It is wonderful to know that flowers in our parks can provide nectar to pollinators who face so many threats these days. I thank you for supporting the health and environment of our community.  

• For communities that have not yet taken action to protect its residents and environment by adopting organic policies and practices in public spaces, people can tell local officials how important this is. In the event that the mayor is not in the system and/or you receive an error message that reads “Please provide a valid residential address,” people can send a personalized email.
• Create pesticide-free yard space. Educate the community with a Beyond Pesticides “Pesticide Free Zone” Sign. Please share pictures of organic yards or local parks with Beyond Pesticides and explain why they are so important.    

Letter to Mayor
A study showing synergistic effects of glyphosate and urea fertilizers on earthworms and soil health is the latest indicator of the inadequacy of the current system of regulating pesticides based on risk assessments of individual chemicals. Chemicals interact, causing increased impacts on human, ecological health, and biodiversity. Moreover, humans, other species, and the biosphere rarely experience exposure to single chemicals; exposure to multiple chemicals is the rule, not the exception.

Synergistic effects associated with the use of the weedkiller glyphosate have been implicated in several studies showing magnified adverse impact in soil organisms and in mixture with other chemicals. However, all chemical classes threaten nontarget organisms and biodiversity. Studies demonstrating synergistic impacts of pesticide mixtures and combined exposure to pesticides and fertilizers or other chemicals indicate that preventing harm by regulating individual pesticides is not possible. Instead, we must recognize the dangers posed by synthetic petrochemicals—particularly those designed to kill (i.e., “-cides”)—and eliminate dependence on them.

Pesticide regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) has proved inadequate, even in addressing individual pesticides. With U.S. sales of organic products exceeding $71 billion in 2024 and still growing, consumers are increasingly voicing a preference for avoiding chemical exposures. While consumers can opt for organic food, states and localities tend to defer to EPA’s judgment in evaluating land management options, resulting in exposure to toxic chemical mixtures in parks, along highways, and in other public places—not only to humans, but to birds, pollinators, and other nontarget organisms. 

When I learned about how many communities protect their citizens and local environment by transitioning to organic landcare in parks and other public places (https://www.bp-dc.org/tools-for-change), I ask why we can’t do the same in our own community.  

Pesticides used in parks, playing fields, and other public places threaten our health—especially that of our children, who are closer to the ground and have greater exposure. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers run off, finding their way to streams. They also threaten pollinators, who are at risk from multiple threats. 

Communities no longer need to figure out how to do this alone. Beyond Pesticides’ Parks for a Sustainable Future (https://bp-dc.org/sustainable-parks-land-care-training) program aims to bridge the gaps resulting from staffing constraints and tight budgets, allowing communities to pilot the transition to organic land care on two public sites. I urge you to email (mailto:[email protected]) or call Beyond Pesticides at 202-543-5450 to get started. 

Thank you.

——————————-

For an in-depth discussion of ecological land management, see the recording of the first session of The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions in Alignment with Nature. The Forum includes case studies on what is being done now to integrate nature into the food production system in ways that are beneficial to the organisms in the environment and the health and economy of the areas where they live. The speakers talk about their research and practical experience in identifying practices that embrace nature with a collaborative spirit and teach about the value of bats, birds, and beavers in productive agricultural and land management systems, exemplifying the path forward in all aspects of modern life. The costs of conventional agriculture, reliant on petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, have proven to be unsustainable, with incalculable trillions of dollars in present harm and future catastrophic losses, or externalities, associated with current toxic products and practices that are widely used, but unnecessary to productivity and quality of life. The focus of this Forum session calls for a reorientation, replacing toxic practices with the nurturing of natural systems that sustain life. 

Sign up for free for Session 2 of the Forum, scheduled for December 4.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

(Beyond Pesticides, November 14, 2025) A literature review in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety finds a sex-specific relationship between pesticide exposure and thyroid cancer, with heightened risks for women. “Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the most common endocrine malignancies worldwide, yet the association between pesticide exposure and TC has not been systematically summarized,” the authors state. “This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between pesticide exposure and TC, focusing on insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides.”

In the U.S., approximately 44,020 new cases and 2,290 deaths are estimated for 2025, according to the American Cancer Society, with thyroid cancer as the ninth most common cancer in women. (See research here.) TC ranks globally as the tenth most common cancer, representing a worldwide threat to both men and women. (See here.)

The current study considers scientific literature on thyroid cancer and pesticide exposure by pesticide type to extract data and statistically analyze the link between exposure and risk of TC. The results indicate a positive association between exposure to insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides and thyroid cancer, with the sex-based analysis revealing the risk of TC is higher in females.

Study Background and Importance

As the researchers write, thyroid cancer “is one of the most common endocrine malignancies worldwide… [and] accounts for 4% of all cancers worldwide, with 60% of cases occurring in Asia, indicating a severe disease burden in developing countries.” The occurrence of TC is linked to obesity, excessive iodine intake, exposure to ionizing radiation, and genetic factors, as well as environmental exposure to contaminants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). (See research here.)

“The increased risk of thyroid diseases associated with pesticide exposure might be attributed to the similarity in chemical structure between them and the thyroid hormones,” the authors state. They continue: “This structural similarity allows pesticides to competitively bind to thyroid hormone transport proteins, disrupting thyroid hormone signaling and transport, leading to thyroid dysfunction. Such dysregulation reduces circulating thyroid hormone levels, potentially resulting in abnormal thyroid cell proliferation and tumor development.” (See studies here, here, and here.)

Methodology and Results

Through the literature review and subsequent data extraction and statistical analysis from 13 recent population-based epidemiological studies, spanning four countries, the researchers find associations between pesticide exposure by type and the incidence of thyroid cancer. As the authors note: “The results showed that exposure to three different types of pesticides—insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides—was positively associated with the risk of TC. Furthermore, gender differences revealed that women exposed to pesticides had a higher risk of developing TC than men, indicating that pesticide exposure is a risk factor for TC.”

The meta-analysis of the 13 studies includes seven case-control studies, five cross-sectional studies, and one cohort study of 656,166 participants. The study methodology includes a range of questionnaires, interviews, and biomonitoring of pesticide exposure through serum and urine samples. In analyzing the studies by pesticide type, many overlap for multiple categories. Ten reference insecticides, six reference herbicides, and four reference fungicides, with an additional four studies also examining the association of TC and pesticide exposure from the sex perspective.

All of the studies included in the literature review show a statistically significant positive association between pesticide exposure by type to thyroid cancer, with the four sex-specific studies also showing that pesticide exposure, particularly for insecticides and fungicides, in females is positively associated with TC.

The authors conclude: “In summary, pesticide exposure may cause female estrogen secretion to be higher than that of men, resulting in excessive estrogen. Further binding to the Erα receptor [estrogen receptor alpha] further promotes the development of thyroid cancer, which leads to gender differences in TC after pesticide exposure… [T]he possible mechanisms by which pesticide exposure leads to TC include oxidative stress activation, abnormal expression of cancer-related genes, induced inflammatory responses, and disruption of the HPT axis secretion, leading to thyroid follicular hypertrophy and hyperplasia, which promote TC development.”

Previous Research

A multitude of studies link pesticides and EDCs to thyroid dysfunction and cancer, as Beyond Pesticides has shared in previous Daily News coverage. Last year, a comprehensive literature review in Endocrines amassed hundreds of studies on 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. (See Daily News here.)

For more information, see As Thyroid Cancer Cases Rise, Study Finds Pesticides Link, More Scientific Evidence that Endocrine-Disrupting Pesticides Disrupt Thyroid Function, and Exposure to Certain Pesticides Increase the Risk of Thyroid Cancer.

Within the current literature review, additional research is cited. This includes:

• Two studies (see here and here) link thyroid cancer and altered thyroid function to EDCs.
• Pesticide urinary metabolites are significantly associated with altered levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4). (See study here.)
• “Studies have found that long-term exposure to low-dose pesticides can lead to thyroid diseases. For instance, a study in China found a significant negative correlation between pesticide metabolites and thyroid function markers.”
• One study, in the U.S., demonstrates that “lifelong pesticide use among male pesticide applicators was associated with high TSH levels and subclinical hypothyroidism.”
• “Another U.S. study found that several pesticides were linked to an increased risk of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, with a strong association observed for fungicides.”
• A study finds that there is an association between organochlorine pesticides and thyroid cancer.
• “Previous studies have indicated that insecticide exposure is associated with an increased risk of TC, such as a positive association between exposure to malathion [organophosphate insecticide] and atrazine [triazine herbicide] and TC incidence.”
• A study of the organochlorine insecticide endosulfan in the U.S. finds a positive association to TC incidence.
• “It has been reported that the use of herbicides in central and southern Ukraine can affect the prevalence and incidence of TC and various types of goiter.” (See study here.)
• A study of dithiocarbamate fungicides finds that they are associated with a decrease in TSH levels.
• “In addition, a meta-analysis found that thyroid dysfunction was associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer.”

Solutions and Resources

Knowledge is power. In knowing that there is a wide body of scientific literature that connects pesticides to adverse health effects in humans, as well as in wildlife and in the environment, there is the ability to mitigate these impacts. In supporting the widespread transition to the holistic solution of organic land management, both health and the environment can be protected.

To learn more about thyroid cancer, and all other types of cancer that can be linked to pesticide exposure, visit the Pesticide-Induced Diseases database on cancer here. Additional Daily News coverage on thyroid dysfunction and disease can be found here.

Take action in your local community and through Action of the Week, a service through Beyond Pesticides for our supporters and network to share one concrete action that you can take each week to have your voice heard on governmental actions that are harmful to the environment and public and worker health, increase overall pesticide use, or undermine the advancement of organic, sustainable, and regenerative practices and policies.

Additional resources for adopting organic practices can be found in Beyond Pesticides’ resources hub including ManageSafe™ for Least Toxic Control of Pests in the Home and Garden, Non-Toxic Lawns and Landscapes, and Parks for a Sustainable Future.

Join us for the SECOND session of the National Forum on December 4, 1 – 3:30 Eastern U.S! Featuring Carolina Panis, PhD, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, and Emile Habimana, M.S. in a compelling discussion that elevates public understanding on the scientific data linking petrochemical pesticides to the crisis in breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and sewage sludge (biosolids) fertilizer—supporting the imperative for ecological land management.

➡️ Click here to register! Thank you for participating in this year’s National Forum series! Registration includes access to all sessions in 2025.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source:

Yang, X. et al. (2025) Association between pesticide exposure and thyroid cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325016276.

(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 by trimesters and sexes.” As a novel study, this research reveals a link between neonatal metabolomics and OP/pyrethroid exposure to developmental toxicity not previously seen, which, as the authors explain, suggests “that disruptions in acylcarnitine-mediated energy metabolism may contribute to adverse birth outcomes.”

Study Importance and Background

The widespread use of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides across the globe, for both agricultural and urban pest control, presents a threat to human health and the environment. Exposure to OPs and pyrethroids can occur through dietary intake, as well as through the air or skin with residential applications and agricultural activities. As Beyond Pesticides has documented (see below), these compounds have a wide range of adverse effects including neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and respiratory failure, among others.

The researchers note: “The detection rates of urinary OP and pyrethroid metabolites in general populations across different countries and regions typically exceed 60%, indicating widespread human exposure to these pesticides. OP and pyrethroid insecticides are able to cross the placental barrier into the fetal environment, and their metabolites have been detected in cord blood, placenta, and amniotic fluid. Therefore, continuous exposure to these insecticides indicates that potential health risks may be present, especially during pregnancy, as fetuses are highly vulnerable to the effects of environmental hazards.”

Understanding the effects of prenatal exposure to pesticides is crucial, as fetal and infant development influence long-term health outcomes. At delivery, important fetal growth measures are assessed, including birth weight, birth length, and gestational age, which are also risk factors for future morbidity (diseases) during infancy and adulthood.

Both amino acids and acylcarnitines are “key biomarkers reflecting the most critical determinants of neonatal development, particularly nutritional and metabolic status,” the authors share. While amino acids serve as the building blocks for protein synthesis and tissue supply, which plays an important role in maintaining protein homeostasis throughout the body, acylcarnitines are fatty acid metabolites that are involved with numerous processes for metabolism.

Methodology and Results

The researchers, in conducting a prospective cohort study of 406 mothers and their newborns, “investigate the associations between maternal exposure to OP and pyrethroid insecticides, neonatal birth outcomes, and alterations in neonatal amino acid and acylcarnitine metabolomic profiles.” By employing repeated biomarker measurements during both early and late pregnancy, this study provides “more precise epidemiological evidence for identifying critical exposure windows linking OP and pyrethroid exposure to adverse neonatal outcomes,” the authors state. They continue, “More importantly, our findings offer novel insights into how prenatal exposure to these insecticides in humans may disrupt fetal development through amino acid and acylcarnitine metabolic pathways.”

Maternal urine samples were collected during the first and third trimesters and analyzed for five nonspecific OP metabolites (dimethyl phosphate (DMP), diethylphosphate (DEP), dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP), dimethyl dithiophosphate (DMDTP), and diethyl dithiophosphate (DEDTP)), as well as a nonspecific metabolite of up to 20 pyrethroids (3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA)) and a specific metabolite of cyfluthrin and flumethrin (4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4F-3PBA)). 

After babies were born, trained medical staff collected the newborn data and heel-prick blood samples between 48−72 hours post-delivery. The blood samples were analyzed for a total of 12 amino acids and 26 acylcarnitines that play a role in metabolism and development.

The results include:

• A 100% detection rate of all metabolites.
• 3-PBA, DMP, DEP, DMTP, and DMDTP show detection in over 80% of urine samples.
• “[C]oncentrations of most OP metabolites (DMP, DEP, DMTP, and DMDTP) were significantly higher in the third trimester.”
• The highest concentration overall is observed for the OP metabolite DMP.
• Seven metabolites are significantly associated with first-trimester OP and pyrethroid insecticide exposure.
• “The analysis revealed significant negative associations between third-trimester insecticide metabolite levels and birth weight… Urinary insecticide metabolite concentrations exhibited a negative joint effect on birth weight during the third trimester of pregnancy and across pregnancy-average.”
• 3-PBA exhibits the strongest association for neonatal metabolites for pesticide exposures averaged over the entire pregnancy.
• “[T]he association between insecticide exposure and birth outcomes was statistically more significant in male infants. When analyzing the relationships between maternal urinary insecticide metabolites and neonatal endogenous metabolites by infant sex, DMP and DEP showed stronger associations with metabolites in male infants.”
• The data suggests that “third-trimester insecticide exposure may potentially impair fetal development by interfering with critical energy metabolism pathways, such as glucose metabolism and fatty acid β-oxidation.”

In summary, the researchers say: “Overall, our repeated measures revealed that third-trimester insecticide exposure had the most significant effect on birth outcomes. This could be largely attributed to the fact that the third trimester is a critical period in human fetal development, where fetal growth and birth weight exhibit the greatest susceptibility to environmental impacts.”

They continue: “Our metabolomics findings suggest that that OP/pyrethroid insecticide exposure throughout pregnancy may influence neonatal neurodevelopment, methylation processes, and energy metabolism… More importantly, our identification of metabolite-mediated pathways provides new insights into the potential mechanisms by which prenatal exposure to insecticides may affect fetal development.”

Previous Research

The authors cite numerous other biomonitoring and epidemiologic studies that support the findings of health threats from OP and pyrethroid insecticides. As they point out, however, many of the studies that also analyze urine samples rely on a single sample and could potentially underestimate exposure, while the current study captures multiple sampling periods. The referenced study results include:

• Prenatal insecticide exposure is linked to an increased risk of preterm birth and lower birth weight. (See research here, here, and here.)
• In one study, higher pyrethroid metabolite concentrations in maternal urine samples are associated with increased neonatal weight and gestational age.
• “Analysis of 858 mother−infant pairs in a Danish cohort revealed that male infants in the third tertile of maternal OP exposure exhibited a longer gestational age compared to those in the first tertile.”
• A study of 248 pregnant Thai farmworkers shows negative effects of prenatal OP and pyrethroid exposure on the placental transcriptome.
• Another study of pregnant Thai farmworkers, with elevated chlorpyrifos exposure, “observed perturbations in maternal serum metabolites involved in glutathione metabolism and fatty acid oxidation”, which relate to energy metabolism and oxidative stress pathways.
• Research regarding “dietary pesticide intake among U.S. adults reported alterations in energy and vitamin metabolism pathways, while an intervention study in children found that switching to an organic diet reduced urinary biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation. (See here and here.)
• One study demonstrates the “association between prenatal pyrethroid exposure and disrupted neonatal lipid metabolism, with elevated urinary metabolite concentrations correlating with increased levels of cord blood triglycerides,” among other results.
• “A cross-sectional study of pregnant agricultural workers in rural northern China showed that higher levels of total urinary pyrethroid metabolites at delivery were associated with lower birth weight.”
• Additional research finds positive correlations between first-trimester urinary 3-PBA concentration and birth weight in a pregnant women cohort in China.
• Another study from China “that measured 4F-3PBA levels only during the first trimester also reported a positive association between urinary 4F-3PBA levels and birth length.”

Previous coverage from Beyond Pesticides also documents the negative implications from exposure to organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, particularly regarding infant development. Recent Daily News includes Organophosphate Pesticide Drift from Agricultural Fields Elevates Risk for Pregnant Farmworkers, Study Finds Reproductive System Effects in Adolescents with Prenatal Pesticide Exposure, and Childhood, Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Impacts Immune System, According to Study, as well as coverage linking OPs and pyrethroids to ADHD and neurodevelopmental problems (see here, here, here, here, here, and here), lower IQs (see here and here), adverse birth outcomes (see here, here, and here), issues with sleep, rare eye cancer, behavioral issues, and decreased lung function.

The Organic Solution

The link between prenatal pesticide exposure and negative birth outcomes is one of many threats to health that has been linked to environmental contaminants for which safer alternatives exist. As shared during the first session of Beyond Pesticides’ 42st National Forum Series— The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, we are all affected by how land is managed, food is grown, and nature is protected. Different experiences and perspectives may bring us to care about health and the environment and the devastating adverse effects of pesticides and toxic substances. However, ensuring a livable future requires us to cultivate a collective concern about daily decisions on the management of our personal and community spaces, the practices used to grow the food we buy, and the care that we as a society give to complex and fragile interrelationships that sustain the natural world on which we depend. 

A recording for the first session is now live! See how the four speakers at the Forum give us an opportunity to step back, widen the lens, and think about redefining our relationship with nature in all aspects of our practices and advocacy here. Register here for the second session on December 4^th from 1:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source:

Ma, Y. et al. (2025) Prenatal Insecticide Exposure and Adverse Birth Outcomes: Evidence for Mediation via Disruptions in Amino Acid and Acylcarnitine Metabolism, Environmental Science & Technology. Available at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.5c13454.

(Beyond Pesticides, November 12, 2025) A ballot initiative to repeal a local ordinance in Maine that bans most uses of lawn chemicals was rejected by the voters last week by a 10-point margin. The voters of Falmouth, Maine, 55% to 45%, upheld an updated ordinance that was passed by the town council in February 2025 to protect the community’s health and the coastal environment from petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, sending a strong message that ecological land management in conformance with organic standards is the responsible path, given pesticide-related health threats, biodiversity decline, and the climate crisis. The ordinance being challenged by the ballot initiative updated a 2020 rule with more stringent criteria and restrictions and the goal of ensuring a holistic approach to land management.

Maine has become the bellwether nationwide for communities seeking to eliminate the use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers on public and private property, including parks, playing fields, open spaces, and yards. When applied, pesticides move off the target site through drift, volatilization, runoff, and leaching, creating community-wide poisoning and contamination. However, unlike Maine and five other states, most state laws preempt local jurisdictions from restricting pesticides. These states have adopted preemption language at the behest of the chemical industry after the Supreme Court in Wisconsin v. Mortier (1991) (see court decision) upheld the right of local jurisdictions to restrict pesticides under federal pesticide law. Public and environmental health advocates are calling for the reversal of state preemption laws so that communities can decide whether to regulate pesticides and fertilizers more stringently than their state in order to protect their residents, consistent with planetary and human health.

Falmouth Ordinance

Several years after the adoption of the original lawn care ordinance in Falmouth, Maine (2020), the town’s Conservation Commission studied the issues, the Town Council held hearings, and public input was collected, leading to the town’s adoption of a stronger ordinance in effective date that was later extended to 2026. See here for the testimony of Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, delivered to the town council of Falmouth at an April 2024, hearing. 

The 2025 ordinance maintains the same core purpose of the original ordinance, however, it extends the ordinance’s restrictions to all potential pesticide and fertilizer users, including residents, commercial groups, and licensed applicators—the original ordinance just covered commercial applicators. The definitions section expanded to include over 20 new or significantly revised definitions, including commercial agriculture, commercial horticulture, EPA, golf course, golf course playing surfaces, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), invasive species, lawn, natural, organic, or “non-synthetic” matter, natural turf, neonicotinoid pesticide, Organic Landscape Management, person, pests of significant public health importance, public utility, retailer, storm drain, substance, synthetic matter, and water body.

The original ordinance only required commercial pesticide and fertilizer applicators to register annually between February and January of the next calendar year, whereas the new version broadens this registration requirement to any compensated service for pesticides and fertilizers. There is also an additional requirement to include a copy of a State of Maine Commercial Master Pesticide applicator license; the effect of this is a broader reach to include use areas by public utilities. In the new ordinance, retail pesticide users must label permitted products and display signage.

The original ordinance referenced organic federal law for the definitions of natural, organic, or “non-synthetic” substances without any explicit details; the new ordinance is explicit in restricting substances allowed for use to those identified on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances as created under the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and updated by the National Organic Standards Board. Synthetic substances are banned under OFPA unless they are listed on the National List. Neonicotinoid insecticides are specifically prohibited for outdoor use under the new ordinance, which is also the case under OFPA’s allowed and prohibited list.

Regarding fertilizer use and restrictions, the original ordinance had a ban on outdoor applications between December 1 and March 31; the fertilizer restrictions in the amended ordinance have additional detail, including the following provisions:

• “Application of fertilizer is prohibited within 75 feet of any water body and within 20 feet of any storm drain. Only non-water-soluble fertilizer, compost, or composted manure may be applied between 75 feet and 250 feet of any water body.
• Fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus shall be applied on lawns and natural turf in Falmouth as follows:
  • A maximum of 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet per year on established turf and new development. A maximum of 1 pound of phosphorus per 1000 square feet per year for new lawns or with a soil test that states phosphorus is needed.
  • Application is limited to two times per year.”

The new ordinance expands the list of exemptions for pesticide use from the original ordinance to fifteen additional categories, including:

• commercial agriculture and commercial horticulture;
• pet supplies;
• disinfectants, germicides, bactericides, miticides, and virucides (indoor household and sanitation);
• insect repellents;
• rat and rodent control supplies;
• swimming pool supplies;
• general use paints, stains, wood preservatives, and sealants;
• pesticides determined as “minimum risk pesticides” as defined by Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and 40 C.F.R. § 152.25(f)(1) or (2) (OFPA);
• pesticide use for “pests of significant public health importance such as ticks and mosquitoes” and “animals or insects that may cause damage to a structure, such as carpenter ants or termites”;
• golf course playing surface applications (as defined by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Maine Chapter, Best Management Practices for Maine Golf Courses);
• grub control application (restricted use of chlorantraniliprole by a licensed applicator);
• invasive species application (Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Browntail Moth, nematodes, and other insects identified as invasive by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry);
• invasive terrestrial plant application (plants listed ” under the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Natural Areas Program as currently invasive, potentially or probably invasive, and highly likely but not currently invasive in addition to those listed in the Div. 11-19-1-2 Definitions in the Code of Ordinances for the Town of Falmouth”);
• specific rights of way; and
• athletic fields managed by the town of Falmouth and the Falmouth School Department.

This successful defense of local restrictions on landscape pesticides and fertilizers follows another failed attempt to undermine the pesticide and fertilizer ordinance in Portland, Maine, earlier this year.

A proposed change to a model pesticide ordinance was soundly defeated in March 2025 after a near-unanimous vote of the Portland City Council. In a 6-1 vote, the council rejected the school district’s request for a waiver under the city’s pesticide use ordinance to use the insecticide chlorantraniliprole/Acelepryn (diamide insecticide). A campaign to reject the waiver was led by Avery Yale Kamila, cofounder of Portland Protectors, and supported by Beyond Pesticides. (See Daily News here.)

Local Authority and Preemption

State preemption of its local political subdivisions is governed by different approaches. Beyond Pesticides describes preemption as either explicit or limited. See State Preemption Law: The battle for local control of democracy for more information.

If a municipality votes to pass a pesticide ordinance, many states (including Massachusetts) restrict local government authority under a Home Rule structure that does not include the power to restrict pesticides. While some have pointed to legal doctrine, known as the Dillon Rule, which says that all local powers are derived from the state, virtually all states give their local political subdivision local “police powers” that enable elected bodies of the localities to protect the health and general welfare of their residents.

It is because of this that state legislatures seeking to rein in state authority have adopted legislation preempting local authority to restrict pesticides. A local ordinance in Montgomery County, Maryland, which is not explicitly preempted under state law from restricting pesticides, was upheld in state court after the chemical and allied industry challenged the ordinance under an “implied preemption” theory. See Court Upholds Right of Local Maryland County to Restrict Pesticides, Rejects Pesticide and Lawn Care Industry Stomping on Local Rights. (See court decision.) On Home Rule, see the report by the Massachusetts Division of Local Services in the Department of Revenue for more information and history. (See Daily News here.)

Failure-to-Warn and Corporate Accountability

On a related issue, Bayer/Monsanto and its allies have continued their efforts at the state and federal levels to take away the right of victims of cancer and other diseases to hold corporations liable for their harmful products in the courts. This is not surprising given recent reporting by Bloomberg suggesting that Bayer is considering dropping their glyphosate-based products, as potential legal settlements mount to upwards of $18 billion.

In this context, the chemical industry has successfully lobbied for what environmentalists and legal experts have called a weak federal pesticide law, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and then argues in court that they comply with the law when sued for damages or for their “failure to warn” about their products’ hazards. Juries have ruled that chemical manufacturers fail to provide adequate warning through their product labeling, given the independent peer-reviewed science, including what the company knew or should have known, and a clinical assessment of the harm caused to plaintiffs. (See Daily News here for recent court updates.)

In a climate of deregulation and with the dismantling of many U.S. Environmental Protection Agency programs, the threat of litigation is an important check on manufacturers and an incentive to develop safer products. In Dow v. Bates (2005) (see court decision), the Supreme Court ruled that, “. . .Congress surely would have expressed its intention more clearly if it had meant to deprive injured parties of a long available form of compensation.” The court went on to say that the lawsuits for damages are important in “providing an incentive to manufacturers to use the utmost care in distributing inherently dangerous items.”

Under the Appropriations bill moving through Congress, the only permitted EPA-approved label language must be consistent with a human health assessment or carcinogenicity classification previously approved by EPA—freezing in place EPA’s position on a pesticide for possibly decades, and eliminating the ability to hold chemical manufacturers accountable for damages associated with their failure to warn on their product label. The bill language states: “None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to issue or adopt any guidance or any policy, take any regulatory action…” without conducting an entirely new assessment—which takes “no less than four years, and sometimes over 12,” according to EPA. [The bill language is found here. Search on Section 453.] Under this provision, industry will argue that they, as registrants of pesticide ingredients, are unable to disclose potential harms that are different from the EPA-approved label. The industry is also pushing to amend the Farm Bill with similar language that shields chemical manufacturers from lawsuits on the harm caused by their products.

An industry-led campaign to quash lawsuits against chemical manufacturers because of their “failure to warn” about the hazards of their pesticide products has so far failed to move forward in nine state legislatures, including those with significant Republican majorities (Iowa, Missouri, Idaho, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Wyoming, Montana, and Oklahoma). (See Daily News here.)

Call to Action

You can take action today by learning more about how to organize your local community against unnecessary toxic pesticide use through the Tools for Change resource hub.

If you are interested in learning more but are not sure where to start, contact Beyond Pesticides at [email protected] to discuss moving forward with local pesticide policy to restrict pesticides and a program to adopt organic land management.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source: Falmouth 2020 Ordinance ; Falmouth 2025 Ordinance ; Portland Press Herald ; Bloomberg

(Beyond Pesticides, November 11, 2025) A study published in Cardiovascular Toxicology (July 2025) finds significant associations between Gulf War deployment-related toxic chemical exposure hazards and various adverse health outcomes, including heightened risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs), such as “heart attack, coronary heart disease, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and peripheral vascular disease.”

While there were no significant associations found directly between pesticide products and these adverse health effects, researchers attribute this to limited sample sizes and wide confidence intervals as part of the study methodology. Further research is necessary to build on this study, given the preponderance of scientific evidence linking pesticide exposure to heightened health risks to the cardiovascular system. On the issue of statistical significance, the authors state the following: “There may be difficulty [for survey respondents] remembering the[ir] military exposure history since the survey was completed nearly 25 years after the Gulf War.”

While it is difficult to pinpoint pesticide exposure as a cause of illness among the toxic mixtures to which service members are exposed, there has been recognition by the Veterans Administration (VA) of diseases that are directly related to military service. Beyond Pesticides previously reported that the VA has established 20 burn pit and other toxic exposure presumptive conditions under the PACT Act, The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022. Benefits established by the VA for Gulf War era and post-9/11 Veterans include the following (see Military.com for complete list here):

• Cancers of the brain, head, neck, and nervous system
• Brain and nervous system disorders (i.e., Parkinson’s Disease)
• Sarcomas
• Spinal cord cancers
• Gastrointestinal cancers
• Kidney cancers
• Lymphomas
• Melanomas
• Pancreatic cancers
• Reproductive cancers
• Respiratory cancers
• Various non-cancer conditions (High blood pressure/hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, among others)

Additionally, the following illnesses are now presumptive:

• Asthma that was diagnosed after service
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic rhinitis
• Chronic sinusitis
• Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
• Emphysema
• Granulomatous lung disease
• Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
• Pleuritis
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Sarcoidosis

The VA identifies specific areas of military service with time periods that are covered by the PACT Act. The Act includes other presumptive conditions, including, for example, exposure to Agent Orange (the mixture of herbicides 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T), used as a defoliant in the Vietnam War. See also PACT Act Success and Reflection Ahead of Veterans’ Day, Charts Pathway for Organic.

Although the latest study findings are not statistically significant after adjusting for other clinical risk factors (hypertension/diabetes/high cholesterol), it is important to note that the effects of pyridostigmine bromide pills resemble organophosphate pesticides. (See Daily News here.) In addition, some nerve gas agents, such as Sarin and VX, that Gulf War veterans were exposed to are structurally related to organophosphorus compounds. For the purposes of this study, the authors do not consider these to be forms of “pesticide” exposure or that the underlying risk factors may be associated with endocrine-disrupting effects of pesticides and other chemical exposures during military service. 

In recognition of Veterans’ Day, environmental and public health advocates continue to advocate for regulatory reform to protect service members from toxic exposures, both in the line of duty and at home.

Background and Methodology

“Our current study addresses these gaps in the literature by examining associations of GW [Gulf War]-related exposures with ASCVD [atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases] and established clinical risk factors for ASCVD,” say the authors in terms of their primary objective for this study.

The study’s methodology is based on survey data from VA Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) 585 Gulf War Era Cohort and Biorepository—consisting of 942 Gulf War veterans who deployed between August 1990 and July 1991 and completed surveys between 2014 and 2016. The exposure variables include the following:

• Smoke from oil well fires
• Chemical and biological warfare agents
• Pyridostigmine bromide pills
• Pesticide cream or liquid applied to the skin
• Uniform treated with pesticides
• Insect baits/no-pest strips in living areas

In the survey, veterans categorize their exposure as “no,” “not sure,” and “yes,” with duration subcategories including “1-6 days,” “7-30 days,” and “+31 days” for all “yes” responses. Meanwhile, the health outcomes are clinician-diagnosed cases. Adjustments were made for covariates, including age, sex, race and ethnicity, smoking history, and body mass index (BMI). To learn more about the statistical analysis, see pages 2-3 (1,264-1,265) of the study.

The researchers are based at Baylor College of Medicine (Texas), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (Texas), Million Veteran Program (MVP) Coordinating Center at the VA Boston Healthcare System, and Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center-Durham at the Durham VA Medical Center (North Carolina).

Results

The researchers ran separate models to ascertain the duration and forms of toxic exposures and their potential significant associations with severe adverse health effects linked to the cardiovascular system. Another round of modeling was conducted to run exposures significantly associated with ASCVDs after adjusting for other clinical risk factors.

The study identifies a significant association between ASCVDs in surveyed veterans who reported over 31 days of exposure to chemical and biological agents. The authors also reference several notable limitations to their study:

• “There may be difficulty remembering the military exposure history since the survey was completed nearly 25 years after the Gulf War. Further, there may be selection bias since veterans with high disease burden may have been more motivated to participate in the CSP 585 survey compared to healthier veterans.”
• “Despite the large sample overall, the infrequency of some outcomes limited certain statistical testing, i.e., the association between uniform treated with pesticides and ASCVD and insect baits in living areas and any of the health outcomes could not be tested. These limitations may also explain the apparent inconsistencies of some findings, such as why only intermediate duration of exposure to smoke from oil well fires and PB pills were significantly associated with some health outcomes.”

Previous Coverage

The PACT Act and its successful rollout represent a model for addressing the needs of a systemically neglected subpopulation—veterans. (See Daily News here.)

The legacy of toxic burn pits (open air areas where the military has burned toxic waste) and other avenues of toxic exposure in military bases oversees, as well as within the United States in Hawai’i (see coverage on asbestos exposure continuously impacting veterans, as reported on by Honolulu Civil Beat) and Puerto Rico (see peer-reviewed literature review here on toxic heavy metals in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health), among other areas, has been identified by social critics as integral to country’s history of imperialism. The law recognizes the toxic exposure from smoke and fumes generated from open burn pits. In Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the Southwest Asia theater of military operations, open-air combustion of chemicals, tires, plastics, medical equipment, and human waste in burn pits was a common practice, according to VA. The Department of Defense says it has now closed most burn pits and is planning to close the remainder.

As of mid-August 2025, Department of Veterans Affairs approved 61.8 percent of disability claims to provide benefits to “nearly 1.3 million veterans or family members,” according to reporting by Military.com. 42 percent of approved claims in FY25 were related to the PACT Act. Claims as of late August amounted to approximately 675,319, down from 1.1 million in 2023—the first year after passage of PACT.

According to VA Pact Act Third Anniversary Performance Dashboard (see here), over 1.9 million claims have been approved since the passage of PACT Act in 2022. When conducting health screenings to confirm their eligibility to receive PACT benefits, 650,354 (10 percent) veterans experienced more than one potential toxic exposure, emphasizing the significance of the need to assess cumulative exposure.

There are numerous peer-reviewed studies associating pesticide exposure with adverse cardiovascular health outcomes, as compiled in the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database section on cardiovascular diseases. A study published earlier this year in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology finds that “higher pesticide exposure was significantly associated with elevated blood pressure and greater risks of hypertension.” More specifically, “[t]he results indicated that exposure to PNP [para-nitrophenol/parathion] and 2,4-D may contribute to an increased risk of hypertension.” (See Daily News here.) In the same vein, an editorial in Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy earlier this year finds that triazole fungicides, such as tebuconazole, propiconazole, and difenoconazole, pose a significant risk of cardiotoxicity with “growing concerns regarding their safety for human health, especially in long-term exposure,” the authors share. After analyzing the known mechanisms of cardiotoxicity of triazole pesticides in mammals, they conclude that “the most effective approach to mitigating triazole-induced cardiotoxicity lies in prevention.” (See Daily News here.)

Call to Action

You can take action today by learning more about nontoxic alternatives to pest management through Beyond Pesticides’ programs on Mosquito Management and Insect-Borne Diseases, Nontoxic Lawns and Landscapes, and other resources based on your interest.

See here to access additional Daily News and to learn more about the scientific literature on synthetic pesticides, as well as our What the Science Shows on Biodiversity webpage.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source: Cardiovascular Toxicology

(Beyond Pesticides, November 10, 2025) With a small but growing organic beer market, Beyond Pesticides is urging breweries to align with ecological farming practices and to seek out organic sources for their ingredients. In a June 2025 release, the marketing research firm Data Bridge reports that, “The global organic beer market size was valued at USD 7.24 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 11.90 billion by 2032, at a CAGR [Compound Annual Growth Rate] of 6.4% during the forecast period.” The company attributes the growth to “health-conscious and environmentally-aware consumers” and finds “rising consumer preference for organic and clean-label beverages,” with consumers “actively seeking beer options made with organic hops, malt, and natural ingredients, free from synthetic pesticides or GMOs  [genetically modified organisms].”

Harmful pesticides, including glyphosate, 2,4-D, and other toxic herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, are used in the production of the ingredients of beer. Residues may remain in barley, oats, wheat, and hops used to make beer. Not only do the residues pose a risk to beer drinkers, but growing these crops nonorganically threatens farmworkers, waterways, wildlife, and pollinators.  

More than 800 million pounds of pesticides are used each year in U.S. agriculture, with devastating impacts on soil life, pollinators, and ecosystem health. Harm to the soil microbiome and invertebrates like worms and beetles is magnified by synergistic interactions with chemical fertilizers, undermining the foundation of our food system. Agriculture is implicated in the “insect apocalypse,” which has seen one-quarter of the global insect population lost since 1990. When pesticides run off into our waterways, they threaten aquatic wildlife like fish and pollute our drinking water. 

• There are 58 pesticides with established tolerance for barley, 22 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 53 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, and 49 are poisonous to wildlife, and 19 pesticides used on barley are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators. 
• There are 56 pesticides with established tolerance for oats, 20 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 53 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, and 49 are poisonous to wildlife, and 23 pesticides used on oats are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators. 

• There are 68 pesticides with established tolerance for wheat, 25 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 61 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 23 contaminate streams or groundwater, 57 are poisonous to wildlife, and 26 pesticides used on wheat are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.  

• There are 74 pesticides with established tolerance for hops, 28 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 65 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, 63 are poisonous to wildlife, and 26 pesticides used on hops are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators. 

Regenerative organic farming is the gold standard, and organic is backed by a rigorous legal standard. Synthetic fertilizers and more than 900 synthetic pesticides otherwise allowed in agriculture are prohibited in organic. Regenerative organic agriculture is a holistic and natural approach that enhances biodiversity, water retention, and crop yields. It also protects farmworkers, like those who care for and harvest hops, from exposure to harmful pesticides.

The use of toxic pesticides is at odds with growing consumer concerns about health and the environment. Beer drinkers are increasingly seeking sustainable options, as evidenced by the growth in organic and craft beers that emphasize natural ingredients and environmental stewardship. 

For more information on organic beer, see As Organic Beer Market Grows, Connoisseurs of Organic Cold Ones Can Be Proud of This Story.

Letter to Beer Producers
I urge your company to protect the health of people, pollinators, and the planet by eliminating the use of harmful pesticides in your supply chain, starting with barley and hops. The harm to biodiversity caused by common pesticides is a material risk for brewers. Barley, oats, wheat, and hops, the key ingredients in beer production, rely on healthy soil and healthy ecosystems to grow.

Over 800 million pounds of pesticides used each year in U.S. agriculture have devastating impacts on soil life, pollinators, and ecosystem health, magnified by synergistic interactions with chemical fertilizers. Agriculture is implicated in the loss of one-quarter of the global insect population since 1990. Pesticides running off into our waterways threaten aquatic life and pollute our drinking water.

*58 pesticides have established tolerances for barley; 22 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers; 53 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer); 18 contaminate streams or groundwater; 49 are poisonous to wildlife; and 19 are toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.

*There are 74 pesticides with established tolerance for hops, 28 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 65 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, 63 are poisonous to wildlife, and 26 pesticides used on hops are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators. 

I appreciate the sustainability efforts that your company has already undertaken and urge you to build on this foundation by implementing ecological pesticide management and working with suppliers of barley, hops, and other grains to phase out the use of harmful pesticides associated with widespread harm to biodiversity and human health. 

Regenerative organic farming is the gold standard, and organic is backed by a rigorous legal standard that prohibits synthetic fertilizers and over 900 synthetic pesticides used in agriculture. Regenerative organic agriculture is a holistic and natural approach that enhances biodiversity, water retention, and crop yields. It also protects farmworkers, like those who care for and harvest hops, from exposure to harmful pesticides. 

The use of toxic pesticides is at odds with growing consumer concerns about health and the environment. Beer drinkers are increasingly seeking sustainable options, as evidenced by the growth in organic and craft beers that emphasize natural ingredients and environmental stewardship. Overall, organic sales growth outstrips that of the total food marketplace—with $71.6 billion in sales in 2024, a 5.2% increase from the previous year.

As a significant player in the beer industry, you have an opportunity to lead the way on sustainable agricultural practices protecting people, pollinators, and water quality while meeting consumer demand for environmentally responsible products. I urge you to:

*Make a time-bound and measurable commitment to eliminate harmful pesticides from the company’s supply chains, beginning with barley and hops.

*Work with suppliers to implement alternative, least-toxic pest management strategies, starting with IPM and including organic farming practices.

*Act with transparency by publicly disclosing company policies, actions, and progress toward these goals. 

I see these actions as part of a broader effort to adopt sustainable agriculture practices across your entire supply chain, to benefit your brand’s reputation, product quality, and long-term business resilience.

Thank you. 

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

(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 Salinas (CHAMACOS) cohort—a long-term project covering more than 20 years and 300,000 biological samples of Latino mothers and children in an agricultural community. 

Their findings include a clear association between metabolic disorders and exposure to pesticide mixtures—for young men, but not for young women. The primary anomaly for young women was higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) associated with pesticide exposures. Of this finding, the authors stress that further research is necessary, as its explanation is not obvious from their data. While high HDL is often considered protective against heart disease, it is not always healthy.

Pesticides have been strongly linked to factors involved in cardiometabolic syndrome in previous studies. For example, see Beyond Pesticides’ February 27, 2024, news brief analyzing a Chinese study linking pesticide exposure to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disease in seniors. The news brief of September 27, 2023, analyzes a review of insulin-related metabolic disorders and exposure to organophosphates, organochlorines, and pyrethroid pesticides. Links were found with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. Beyond Pesticides’ Pesticide-Induced Diseases: Diabetes resource covers many other studies linking metabolic disorders with pesticide exposures.

In the current study, the researchers studied a sample of the CHAMACOS cohort comprising 505 children prenatally exposed and 381 postnatally exposed to pesticides who had reached the age of 18. They defined metabolic syndrome as having blood pressure higher than 130/85, waist circumference over 40 inches for males and 35 inches for females, fasting glucose over 100 mg/dL, and triglycerides over 150 mg/dL. Low HDL was defined as under 40 mg/dL for males or 50 mg/dL for females. All the participants had at least one of these cardiometabolic measures at age 18.

Although the CHAMACOS data include biomarkers of pesticides, the authors did not use them to estimate pesticide exposures because the biomarkers most commonly measured and used to infer exposures to organophosphate, organochlorine, and pyrethroid pesticides are not sensitive enough to identify specific compounds. Further, few cardiometabolic studies have included newer pesticides such as the weed killer glyphosate and neonicotinoid insecticides. Therefore, the authors explain, the current study used participants’ residential histories because these could be geocoded to estimate pesticide exposures using California Pesticide Use Reporting data. They gathered all the addresses where each participant had lived during the study period and estimated pesticide use within 1 kilometer of each residence. This distance is strongly correlated with pesticide levels in house dust.

Based on quantities applied, the researchers identified a subset of the California Pesticide Use Report (PUR) data comprising 11 pesticides for both prenatal and postnatal analysis (acephate, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion, oxidemeton-methyl, dimethoate, methomyl, permethrin, neonicotinoid insecticides, manganese-containing fungicides such as maneb, and glyphosate) with the addition of naled in the postnatal group.

They analyzed the relative contributions of the 11 individual pesticides to mixture exposures, and which pesticide combinations were correlated with cardiometabolic indicators in males and females. The results of exposure to mixtures were quite different between males and females. For females, higher prenatal exposure was associated with higher HDL levels, and the pesticides contributing most to the mixture effect were glyphosate, neonicotinoids, and acephate. There was no such association among prenatally-exposed males. For them, higher prenatal exposure was associated with a higher likelihood of metabolic syndrome, and the bad actors here were glyphosate and the insecticides malathion and permethrin. For males, higher postnatal exposures to glyphosate, malathion, and naled also increased the risk of metabolic syndrome. There was no postnatal association with metabolic syndrome for females.

The authors write that, “Hormonal influences and sex-specific differences in detoxification and metabolic regulation during critical developmental windows may contribute to these divergent effects.” Other research has produced strong evidence that endocrine-disrupting chemicals affect “prenatal growth, thyroid function, glucose metabolism, obesity, puberty, and fertility through several mechanisms,” according to a 2022 review.

Yet the differences in effects by sex and developmental stage have barely been explored. See Beyond Pesticides’ August 7, 2024, news brief analyzing an intriguing study of French children’s hair samples. In that study, sex-specific differences were found for 26 biomarkers of pesticides, most of which were endocrine disruptors. Fifteen biomarkers showed significantly higher levels in males compared to females. Interestingly, for pyrethroid insecticides, boys’ hair samples contained predominantly metabolites, while the girls’ hair contained more of the parent compounds.

The mechanisms and health implications of this difference are unclear. Pyrethroid insecticides are known endocrine disrupters; one study found higher pyrethroid exposure was associated with obesity in females but not males; but, pyrethroids have also been linked to high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and higher risk of prostate cancer. Exposure to endocrine disruptors also clearly affects testicular function and sperm counts.

Just how the timing of pesticide exposures during development affects males and females differently needs far more attention, but there is sufficient evidence of early endocrine disruption affecting not only reproductive health but cardiometabolic status in adulthood to enact protective policies for the earliest, and most critical, developmental stages.

Public health advocates maintain that no one should be condemned to preventable chronic and life-threatening health conditions initiated before they were born, least of all the people who grow everyone’s food. One way to reduce the risk factors for cardiometabolic syndrome is to eat organic as much as possible. A 2021 study of seniors in the European Journal of Nutrition found organic food correlated with smaller waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, and HDL, but these findings did not persist after adjusting for confounding factors. However, a 2024 review in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found “[a] significant inverse relationship between organic food consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.” That is, eating organic reduces the risk of cardiometabolic syndrome.

This choice should be extended to the people who live and work in agricultural areas. Nearly half of the mothers and children in the current study are living below the poverty line, and many reported marginal food security. Access to organic food could help mitigate the risks from proximity to pesticide applications. Even better would be the conversion of all agriculture to organic, eliminating the workers’ environmental exposures. Ensuring that the communities that grow everyone’s food have access to the healthiest choices for themselves should be a high policy priority.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Sources:
Sex-Specific Associations of Early Life Exposure to the Pesticide Mixture with Cardiometabolic Outcomes in CHAMACOS Young Adults
Cheng-Yang Hu, Ana M. Mora,* Robert B. Gunier, Stephen Rauch, Katherine Kogut, Jill K. Gregory,
Ayca Erkin-Cakmak, Brenda Eskenazi, and Maria José Rosa
Environmental Science & Technology October 2025
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5c06486

Over 60 Biomarkers of Pollutants and Pesticides Found in Hair Analyses of French Children
Beyond Pesticides, August 7, 2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/08/over-60-biomarkers-of-pollutants-and-pesticides-found-in-hair-analyses-of-french-children/

Pesticide Exposure Linked to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Metabolic Disease in Seniors
Beyond Pesticides, February 27, 2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/02/pesticide-exposure-linked-to-obesity-type-2-diabetes-and-metabolic-disease-in-seniors/

Metabolic Diseases, Including Diabetes and Obesity, Driven by Pesticide Exposure
Beyond Pesticides, September 27, 2023
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2023/09/metabolic-diseases-including-diabetes-and-obesity-driven-by-pesticide-exposure/

Pesticides’ Role in Lower Sperm Counts and Reproductive Harm in Men Again in Science Literature
Beyond Pesticides, January 10, 2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/01/pesticides-role-in-lower-sperm-counts-and-reproductive-harm-in-men-again-in-science-literature/

(Beyond Pesticides, November 6, 2025) The report, Designed to Kill: Who Profits from Paraquat, and accompanying interactive storymap, unpacks the supply chain of the infamous herbicide paraquat and underscores the true costs of pesticide products, from manufacturing to use in the fields. This report is part of a larger initiative, the Pesticide Mapping Project—“a collaborative research series that illustrates the health and climate harms of pesticides across their toxic lifecycle: including fossil fuel extraction, manufacturing, international trade, and application on vast areas of U.S. land.”

Top Highlights

This report highlights, among other notable points, “that every stage of the paraquat supply chain—which spans the globe—emits greenhouse gases and toxic air pollutants.” With SinoChem as the lead producer and player in the paraquat market, the Chinese government-owned pesticide company’s supply chain “includes fossil fuel extraction in Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia, chemical manufacturing in India, Germany, and the United Kingdom, international chemical shipping, and final formulation and distribution in the United States.”

Paraquat is not currently manufactured in the U.S., accounting for imports of “between 40 and 156 million pounds of paraquat each year, according to the last eight years of pesticide import records available from the private database.” Despite the publicity surrounding “Making America Healthy Again,” the Trump administration exempted China from “reciprocal” tariffs on paraquat dichloride imports in April 2025, according to the report.

The authors note “a large discrepancy” in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data on paraquat use in 2018, “between the amount of paraquat the U.S. imported in 2018 (approximately 95 million [pounds]) and the amount of paraquat USGS estimates were used on agricultural lands in 2018 (17 million [pounds]).” Several rationales could explain this phenomenon:

• “USGS estimates of paraquat use on agricultural lands are too conservative;
• substantial quantities of paraquat are applied each year on non-agricultural lands such as rights of way, and/or;
• that substantial quantities of imported paraquat are being stored in U.S. warehouses.”

The rise in demand for paraquat stems from an issue endemic to synthetic pest management—pest resistance to herbicides. The growth of “superweeds,” after decades of spraying controversial herbicides like glyphosate, has led to corporations like Syngenta (which sells paraquat under the trade name Gramoxone) framing their product as “a tool for environmental sustainability” because, it says, “it enables farmers to avoid tilling weeds and disrupting soil life.”

The authors explain the global agrochemicals industry as being structured like an oligopoly—meaning that just four companies (Corteva, BASF, Bayer, and Syngenta) account for “more than 62 percent of global agrochemical sales in 2020.” When SinoChem merged with fellow state-owned company Chem China, the former already owned “Syngenta pesticide manufacturing and formulation facilities in the U.K. and U.S. and continues to operate them under the name Syngenta.”

Fossil fuel extraction from reserves in Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia is “used to produce the chemical building blocks of paraquat.” The main ingredients for paraquat include methyl chloride (which is derived from methanol) and pyridine.

Atlantic Methanol Production Company (AMPCO) produces methanol, which is then exported to Port Rotterdam, Netherlands, by Solvadis—a chemical distribution company. Nobian, a chemical manufacturing company, accepts the methanol in Frankfurt, Germany, once it arrives from its journey on the Rhine River and then processes the material into methyl chloride. The authors of the report highlight data on chlorine compounds from National Center for Biotechnology Information and a peer-reviewed study (here and here) stating the severe occupational health and public safety consequences of these chemicals, including its ability to “harm the nervous system and cause convulsions and coma” and that “[f]acilities that produce or store mass quantities of chlorine pose a high disaster potential, because chlorine gas is an explosive and potentially fatal respiratory toxin.”

Pyridine, meanwhile, begins with fossil fuel extraction from shale gas fields supplied by Saudi Aramco. It is important to note that 70 percent of the fossil gas that is eventually processed into pyridine is methane; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that methane has a global warming potential (GWP) of 27 to 30 over 100 years (or 30 times more potent than carbon)—with “the larger the GWP, the more that a given gas warms the Earth compared to CO₂ over that time period.”

The methane is processed into methanol by Sahara International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) in Saudi Arabia. Sipchem then transports methanol to Gajraula, India, where “Pyridine is synthesized through a reaction between formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and ammonia” at the Jubilant Ingrevia facility. The authors cite a peer-reviewed study and publicly available data (here and here) linking pyridine exposure to “skin irritation, eye and throat burns, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness…” and “Long-term exposure to pyridine can also damage the kidneys and affect brain function,” respectively.

Pyridine is then transported to the UK, where it is combined with methyl chloride at the Syngenta Huddersfield Manufacturing Center. Gramoxone (paraquat) is then transported to the Port of New Orleans, U.S., where “Sinochem/Syngenta has exported more than 1,000 shipments of paraquat from Huddersfield to Louisiana since 2017, collectively valued at more than $642 million USD.” This system is profitable because “SinoChem holds Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) privileges for importing paraquat dichloride into Louisiana.” FTZ privileges, as the authors describe, “allow companies to lower, defer or avoid taxes and tariffs on chemicals, lowering costs and increasing profit margins.” This raises the economic advantage that policymakers give to petrochemicals, as opposed to creating the conditions for FTZ privileges for organic-compliant inputs.

The Syngenta agrochemical facility in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, “formulates and packages Gramoxone and more than a dozen other herbicides for sale.” This area is located squarely in Cancer Alley, home to “about 200 fossil fuel and petrochemical operations” that contribute to cumulative toxic exposure across multiple classes of chemicals. Simultaneously, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2022 identified the Syngenta facility in St. Gabriel “for heightened risk of a chemical disaster” since communities living in proximity face significant damage from “flooding, storm surges, and category 4 and 5 hurricanes.” The facility “stores large quantities of ammonia, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocyanic acid on an industrial campus in the direct path of frequent hurricanes.”

In addition, the authors report, “The total annual carbon emissions of Syngenta Group, which includes supply chain emissions of its upstream manufacturing sites, purchased energy and goods, and chemical transportation, are 14.7 million tons [as of 2024].”

The report addresses the consequences of occupational exposure to petrochemical pesticides. The health harms are exacerbated by broken links in the social safety net, resulting in a harm multiplier effect.

“Farmworkers who develop serious conditions after working with pesticides frequently face barriers to healthcare. It is estimated that nearly half of farmworkers lack health insurance, preventing many from receiving a diagnosis and treatment,” according to the report. The authors continue: “And farmworkers face other barriers to care, such as getting approved time off from work without risking job loss, finding transportation to clinics, and navigating the complex U.S. medical system to get appointments.”

Farmworker Statements

Alianza Nacional de Campesinas interviewed farmworker community members on the impacts of likely paraquat exposure, which led to numerous testimonies included in the final report highlighting the disproportionate risks of this harmful chemical and its real-world consequences:

“My cousin, who is 55 years old, was a pesticide applicator for about 25-30 years on farms in New York, Florida, and maybe other states, too. During the time that he was a farmworker, his primary job was to apply paraquat with a tractor. About 13 years ago, he started having seizures and his hands would shake a lot. He was soon after diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which his doctor confirmed was very likely caused by exposure to paraquat while he was a farmworker. I don’t know how long he has actually had Parkinson’s because he began feeling ill before he was diagnosed, but the past 13 years have been very difficult for him and our family.”

“At one point, he was a pesticide applicator and I specifically remember he would wear white jumpsuits, at the time he was probably around 30 years old. We knew he worked with chemicals that could be unsafe to us and he took precautions to make sure we didn’t come in contact with the chemicals. I knew that we couldn’t hug him when he picked us up after work, he never wore his jumpsuit in the home and would leave it outside the house. We also washed our clothes separately. My dad started showing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease over several years, starting with his nervous system. It started with his nerves and trembling hands and then he began to stutter. We started taking him to the doctor and he was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I don’t remember for how long he had symptoms before he was diagnosed but I do remember how hard it was for my dad.”

The full statements from impacted families can be read on pages 2-9 (pdf pages 6 –13) of the report.

Previous Coverage

“Germany and European Union countries ban all uses of paraquat, but supply one of paraquat’s primary building block chemicals, methyl chloride, to the UK, where paraquat is manufactured,” say the authors in the report, highlighting the double standards and environmental injustice facing communities in Global Majority nations like Equatorial Guinea.

Communities and farmers continue to speak up across the globe and protest the importation of pesticides banned in the European Union, the U.S., and other countries. Organized by the Women on Farms Project, farmworkers in Paarl, South Africa, took to the streets on Friday, September 8, 2023, demanding an end to the indiscriminate importation and use of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides containing substances prohibited by the European Union (EU). This protest is part of a broader global trend of outcry against systemic issues of environmental racism that disproportionately burden communities with environmental and health risks. (See Daily News here.) BBC’s (British Broadcasting Corporation’s) recent coverage of Di-bromochloropropane (DBCP) exposures and impacts on banana plantation workers in multiple Latin American countries. A significant number of those male workers became sterile, and many charge that their exposures to DBCP in the 1970s were responsible. A 1979 ban on uses of DBCP on the U.S. mainland by the EPA did not immediately stop manufacturers from exporting the toxic insecticide to (primarily) Central American countries, nor did it stop its use in U.S. fruit corporations. (See Daily News here.)

In 2020, Unearthed, a Greenpeace UK journalism arm, and Public Eye, a Swiss NGO (non-governmental organization) that investigates human rights abuses by Swiss companies, revealed that companies in the UK, as well as in some European Union (EU) countries, are exporting massive amounts of pesticides — banned in their own jurisdictions — to poorer countries. More than 89,000 (U.S.) tons of such pesticides were exported in 2018, largely to countries where toxic pesticide use poses the greatest risks. The UK has been the largest exporter (15,000+ tons, or 40% of the total in 2018); other significant exporters include the Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. (See Daily News here.)

A study in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is the first to find halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) in deep ocean sediment and biota off the coast of California. The test area, known as the Southern California Bight (SCB), is home to historic offshore DDT waste dumping, with part of the SCB designated as a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site. 49 HOCs were detected in the sediment and biota, many of which are DDT-related and not previously monitored. The presence of these “unmonitored compounds can significantly contribute to the contaminant body burden across a range of marine taxa,” the study states, which leads to impacts on critical food webs and biodiversity. While this study is the first to specifically analyze previously overlooked DDT+ compounds, the results are nothing new. (See Daily News here.)

Call to Action

Taking action is an antidote to despair. If you do not know where to begin, consider subscribing to Action of the Week and Weekly News Updates to learn more about how to engage in advocacy.

If you are interested in going to the next level, consider signing up to become a Parks for a Sustainable Future advocate and learn how to support your community to expand organic land management ordinances to public green spaces. Just because federal policy is not feasible at the moment does not mean your city council or state legislature is not capable of transformative change.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source: Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Coming Clean Network, and Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network

(Beyond Pesticides, November 5, 2025) Environmental and public health advocates, farmers, and business leaders are raising a glass to the expansion of organic hop production, which aims to boost the viability and growth of organic-certified beer products in the UK. A 2024 report by UK-based Organic Research Centre, in partnership with farmers, follows three years of field trials to assess the suitability of various hop varieties in organically managed systems. At a time when organic hops production in the UK has dropped significantly due to varieties that are vulnerable to downy mildew and hop powdery mildew, the report offers a blueprint for additional on-farm, applied research in the United States, including from groups such as the Organic Farming Research Foundation’s (OFRF) Farmer-Led Trials Program. The report cites promising results for new hop varieties.

The continuous use of pesticides not only contributes to biodiversity collapse, public health deterioration, and the climate crisis, but also to the ability to enjoy a beer without fear of exposure to toxic chemicals, including evidence of glyphosate residues found in popular beer and wine brands. (See Daily News here and here.)

Background and Methodology

The authors of this report reflect on their years-long field trials and the value of peer-to-peer learning in informing medium- to long-term decision-making for their agricultural operations.

“To overcome the barriers to making a successful organic UK hop industry, new hop varieties that are tolerant of disease and climatic conditions as well as suited to agricultural systems that have a positive effect on the environment are required,” say the authors in the introduction of the report. They continue:

“Hop farmers need better access to information on hop performance in organic systems. Hop merchants and brewers wishing to sell and use organic hops need organic farmers to help test new varieties for their adaptation to low-input farming systems. This field lab is overcoming some of the challenges faced in the UK organic hops industry by using participatory variety testing to find suitable breeding lines for organic farming systems with whole supply chain collaboration.”

The following aims of the field lab included:

• “Bring[ing] together key stakeholders in the organic hops supply chain including breeders, merchants, farmers and brewers to address the issues collectively.
• Identify[ing] varieties and breeding lines suitable for organic production and test these in field trials in commercial organic hop gardens.
• Assess[ing] hop variety characteristics and qualities for brewing through lab analysis and brewing tests.
• Develop[ing] assessment tools to quantify the performance of hop varieties grown in field trials in commercial organic hop gardens.”

Eight participants engaged in the organic hops field lab, including Greg Pilley of Stroud Brewery (Group coordinator and Brewer); Will Rogers of Charles Faram—a global hops supplier based in the UK — (hop merchant/technical expert); Peter Glendening of PGhops/Charles Faram Hop Development Programme (research agronomist); John Walker of Tedney House Farm, Worcestershire (farmer); Tom Upton of Woodlands Farm, East Sussex (farmer); and Dominic Amos, Henny Lowth, and Isabel Mackintosh of Organic Research Centre (crops researchers).

“The hop varieties were tested at two farms in the predominant hop growing regions in England: the West Midlands and South East counties. Both tested different varieties of hops to suit the tall and dwarf hop systems in place,” says the authors in the methodology section. They continue: “Plants for the trial were sourced from Wye Hops Ltd and British Hop Association (BHA) breeding programme bred by Dr Peter Darby and from the Charles Faram Hop Development Programme. The varieties trialed at Tedney House Farm were all bred by Wye Hops and were selected by John Walker from the trials carried out at Dormington by Peter Glendinning for Wye Hops. Table 2 and 3 summarises the varieties that were selected at each farm for testing.” (See pages 5 to 6 of the report for additional details on the thirteen specific varieties.)

The researchers, in their field assessments over the course of three years, observed the following variables in assessing the suitability of the selected hop varieties in organic systems:

• Phenology: “Crop stage at key timings, ripening and harvest window.”
• Vigor: “Early season [vigor] assessed visually as days to reach top wire.”
• Disease resistance: “In comparison to farm control varieties, identification of foliar disease symptoms and severity assessment.”
• Pests: “In comparison to farm control varieties, identification of pest presence and damage assessment.”
• Weed cover: “Most abundant weed species present noted.”
• Number of hops and strength of plants: “The number of hop bines that were successful and their strength.”
• General establishment: “How well established the variety is compared to the control, visual observation.”

Results

There are four varieties – Endeavor, Sovereign, Harlequin, and “3294” – that farmers identified as having “promising suitability for organic systems due to their good performance in [these] field lab trials, [and] they will continue to be grown by the farmers.”

• Endeavor & Sovereign Varieties: “At Tedney House Farm, John Walker has decided to continue to grow and monitor Endeavour; this is the only 2022 planted variety that will be continued in addition to the control, Sovereign. From the results in Table 5, Endeavour showed good disease resistance in year 2 but was susceptible to slugs, aphids, downy mildew and hop powdery mildew in year 3. Despite this, a 65 kg yield was obtained and a pilot brew was [evaluated]. John Walker hopes that the downy mildew will be less prevalent with drier weather and in a better location too. The Endeavour planted in February 2023 has been clear of aphids and hop powdery mildew as well as having minimal downy mildew damage.”
• Harlequin and 3294 Varieties: “Harlequin is going to be trialed again at Woodlands Farm; Tom Upton would like to double its planted area. Table 6 shows that the variety has been relatively disease free throughout the three years and the yield [is] reliable due to the good sized and fast-growing bines and heavy cones. Also, variety 3294 will be grown and monitored for another year with several rows planted this coming spring. Despite not looking promising at the start of the trials it recovered quickly from disease infection and was free of downy mildew in the final year despite the wet conditions.”

This cohort hopes to access funding in the near future to better understand “the environmental and carbon footprint of organic hop farming compared to conventional…to improve the marketability of organic beer.” This organic-conventional comparative, peer-reviewed analysis has been conducted on other commodities, including coffee. Researchers in a different study published in Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy found in the new coffee production study that certified organic coffee producers in Peru have a lower carbon footprint than transitional organic coffee farmers. More specifically, “The results indicate that the average emissions for the production units classified as in transition are equivalent to 1.11 kg CO₂e per kilogram of green coffee, while for the organic production units, the average emissions associated with 1 kg of green coffee are equivalent to 0.68 kg CO₂e.” (See Daily News here.)

Previous Coverage

In the last year, businesses such as Patagonia Provisions and Brooklyn Brewery have invested in organic beer, which is increasingly evident given the interest by brewing and food companies. It is important to note that the expansion of hops production for the organic beer market in the United States would not have been possible without the leadership of advocates, farmers, breweries, and the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which led to the strengthening of organic standards for beer back in 2010. The growth of this sector and transition to truly organic beer speaks to the spirit of “continuous improvement,” the original design of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), and the importance of mobilizing the public to engage in the public input process that continues to keep organic law strong in opposition to those seeking an easier path to the organic label.

In the original drafting of OFPA, advocates came together to determine how to encourage the development of certified organic sectors despite the lack of available, verifiable organic inputs for many products—beer included. With this spirit in mind, the improvement of standards for beer encapsulates the significance of OFPA in the context of its principles, incentives, and the statutory intent to encourage public input to strengthen the integrity of organic standards. This oversight process—with public, organic grower, and scientific input, and the authority of the stakeholders (environmentalists, consumers, growers, retailers, certifiers, and scientists) on the NOSB to manage the allowed substances in organic production and processing—operationalizes the underlying principle of continuous improvement in the law. Nonorganic ingredients, up to five percent of total product ingredients, are allowed in products labeled organic the showing that these ingredients are not “commercially available.” This allowance was intended by the drafters of the law to incentivize innovation, development of environmentally sensitive materials, and expansion of organic production by those seeking a market opportunity for organically produced ingredients. In the spirit of continuous improvement, the American Organic Hop Growers Association and its formal 2009 petition urged the removal of the exemption that allowed nonorganic hops in organically labeled beer.

Beer producers could rely on nonorganic hops since this ingredient was listed as an allowed nonorganic agricultural ingredient, given that it was less than five percent of the product ingredients and not commercially available as an organically grown product.  The situation created a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, because as long as the law allowed the use of nonorganic hops, brewers were not looking for organic hops, and growers did not produce them in large quantities. In other words, even though growers of hops showed that the crop could be grown organically, it was not produced to supply the market because lower-cost, conventional (nonorganic) hops were permitted in processing organic beer. In addition, many breweries and wholesalers were locked into contracts with conventional hop growers. As a result, after the filing of the petition and getting the issue on the agenda of the NOSB, organic hop growers descended on the 2010 NOSB meeting, testifying to the fact that they could fill the demand for organic hops and challenging their “not commercially available” status.

The process of continuous improvement worked as intended. Listening to the facts, the NOSB passed a recommendation to phase out hops grown with chemical-intensive practices from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances by adopting language that, by January 1, 2013, removed hops from 7 CFR § 205.606 (Nonorganically produced agricultural products allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as “organic”) under OFPA. This gave the breweries time to transition from organic-labeled beer to organically grown hops without breaking existing production contracts. (See Daily News here.)

In 2012, two years after Beyond Pesticides (as an NOSB board member at the time), growers, and advocates across the nation came together to speak out against chemical-intensive hops in “organic” beer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a new rule that hops must be grown in compliance with the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in order for beer products to meet USDA organic certification standards. (See Daily News here and here.) 

Call to Action

See Eating With A Conscience to access a tool where you can click on different produce, vegetables, and other food products and identify which likely pesticide residues would be detected in non-organic versions, highlighting the significance and value of organic as the only legally defined and accountable form of sustainable agriculture in the U.S. Currently, there are 91 listed food items, including barley.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source: Organic Research Centre

(Beyond Pesticides, November 4, 2025) A study of earthworms published in Environmental Science & Technology highlights how chemical mixtures can have both synergistic and species-specific effects, threatening the soil microbiome and overall soil health. In exposing two species, Eisenia fetida and Metaphire guillelmi, to the weed killer glyphosate alone and in combination with urea, a form of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, the researchers find enhanced toxicity with co-exposure as well as varying health effects between the two species. These results emphasize the need to test a wide variety of nontarget organisms for impacts from environmental contaminants, since species, even within the same genus or family, can exhibit vastly different effects.

Glyphosate, as one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide, is highly researched, with a multitude of studies linking the weed killer to effects on humans, wildlife, and soil ecosystems. Since simultaneous application of glyphosate and urea frequently occurs in agriculture, the effects of this mixture on earthworms are crucial for understanding the overall impacts on soil health. In exposing the two species to the individual compounds and as a mixture, the authors report increased glyphosate residues in earthworm gut contents, reduced body weight, aggravated intestinal tissue damage, sharply decreased digestive enzyme activity, and intensified gut microbiota dysbiosis, among other health effects.

In highlighting the species-specific impacts, the researchers state, “Besides these same impacts, E. fetida exhibited more severe oxidative damage and energy metabolic disorders under co-exposure, while M. guillelmi showed greater sensitivity in intestinal tissue and microbial responses.” These results, in simulating the widespread co-exposure of glyphosate and urea in agricultural soils, shows the “markedly intensified glyphosate-induced growth inhibition and intestinal toxicity in earthworms.”

The authors continue, saying: “Co-exposure facilitated the accumulation of glyphosate in earthworm gut contents, triggering a cascade of more severe intestinal damage, immune activation, and gut microbiota destabilization… [O]ur results highlight the underappreciated risks of such combined exposures for key soil fauna that regulate nutrient cycling and soil structure.”

Study Importance

As Beyond Pesticides has previously reported, healthy soil contains millions of living species that form microbiomes. Most of the biodiversity in soil consists of bacteria and fungi, and their number and type are regulated partially by predatory protists and nematodes that feed on bacteria. In working together, these tiny organisms determine the health of the soil for plant growth. The soil microbial community is an important indicator of soil health, and pesticide residues in the soil can change its structure and promote resistance in some microorganisms. The soil microbiome requires balance, and contamination from toxic chemicals can affect the stability of the soil ecosystem with cascading impacts, ultimately, to human health. (See Daily News here, here, and here.)

Recent research published last month links pesticides, antibiotics, and nitrogen fertilizers to the extreme global crisis of antibiotic resistance, raising serious concerns about the adverse impacts of conventional (chemical-intensive) agricultural practices. In a particularly novel and significant finding, the researchers found that nitrogen is a strong driver of resistance processes. The influence of nitrogen fertilizers adds an important dimension to the role of agricultural practices in generating antibiotic resistance. Nitrogen benefits some soil microbes, but it is a stressor for many others. It increases antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) abundance and can enhance uptake of the heavy metals cadmium and copper by crops. Other effects include reducing enzyme activity and acidifying the soil. (See Daily News here.)

For the current study, two earthworm species are analyzed. As the authors point out, earthworms play critical roles in various key soil ecological processes, with a wide body of science showing the toxic effects of glyphosate on earthworms. “[A]n increasing number of studies have emphasized that both short-term and long-term exposure to glyphosate can reduce earthworm survival, decrease biomass, suppress reproduction, and induce oxidative damage and reproductive impairment,” the researchers state. They continue, “These findings highlight the potential toxic effects of glyphosate on earthworms, which may further impair their ecological functions within soil systems.”

Urea is one of the most widely used nitrogen fertilizers and is often used in conjunction with glyphosate in agricultural soils. The authors note, “Urea can change soil pH, nitrogen forms, and microbial communities, thereby influencing glyphosate adsorption, degradation, and persistence.” (See research here and here.) Since fertilizers are often applied alongside pesticides, understanding how these mixtures interact and impact soil health is imperative.

Methodology/Results

In the study, E. fetida and M. guillelmi were exposed to soils treated with environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate, urea, or a combination of both for 28 days. After which, the “concentrations of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in both soil and gut contents were quantified, gut microbiota via 16S rRNA sequencing was characterized, and toxicological effects, including growth inhibition, intestinal barrier histopathology, and oxidative and energetic imbalance, were evaluated.”

The researchers find:

• Co-exposure with glyphosate and urea increases glyphosate residues in earthworm gut contents by 9.89−40.23% and reduces the body weight of the earthworm by 17.86−21.05%.
• “At 10 mg/kg glyphosate, urea co-application markedly increased glyphosate residues in soil and earthworm gut contents, potentially aggravating glyphosate toxicity to earthworms.”
• In comparison, the guillelmi treatment group exhibits generally higher glyphosate residues in both soil and intestinal contents than E. fetida.
• Co-exposure also “aggravate[s] intestinal tissue damage, sharply decreased digestive enzyme activity, upregulated lysozyme [an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the immune system] expression by more than 150.28%, and raised LPS content [lipopolysaccharide; linked to gut dysbiosis] by over 10.08%.”
• Gut microbiota dysbiosis is intensified, with the bacteria inflammatory marker phylum Proteobacteria increasing by 6.98−17.52%.
• The body length and weight of the earthworms decreased after 28 days of exposure, with co-exposure causing the largest weight loss.
• “M. guillelmi is more sensitive to the combined effects of glyphosate and urea than fetida, exhibiting a more pronounced growth inhibition.”
• Co-exposure with urea further aggravated tissue damage in both earthworm species when compared with glyphosate alone, “causing intestinal wall thinning, hemocoel congestion, and increased epidermal muscle congestion.”
• “M. guillelmi exhibited more severe intestinal damage, particularly degeneration and loss of chloragogenous tissue” than fetida.
• Urea co-exposure also aggravates mitochondrial dysfunction under glyphosate stress, disrupts antioxidant defenses and energy metabolism more severely, and “alters the effect of glyphosate on the gut microbiota composition in both earthworm species, with a more pronounced differentiation observed in fetida.”

The species-specific results highlight the importance of studying a wide range of nontarget organisms. As the authors summarize: “The sensitivity and key damaging mechanisms differed between the two earthworms: oxidative damage was predominant in E. fetida, whereas gut barrier disruption and gut microbiota alterations were more critical for M. guillelmi. Our findings highlight that urea co-exposure amplifies glyphosate toxicity risks in earthworms and underscore the necessity of considering the differential responses of earthworm ecological types in future soil ecological risk assessments.” (See Beyond Pesticides’ coverage on the deficiencies of risk assessments and regulatory failures here, here, and here.)

Previous Research

Included in the current study, the authors cite a wide body of science on not only the effects of glyphosate and other pesticides on health and the environment, but also particularly for synergy and impacts on soil organisms. This research includes:

• The extensive use of glyphosate is linked to effects on nontarget soil organisms, with the risks to soil ecosystems widely studied. (See here, here, here, here, and here.)
• One study shows that frequent application in tropical systems of glyphosate “reduced soil macroarthropod richness by 21% and altered community composition.
• “A recent global risk assessment of glyphosate further estimated that 67−93% of soils pose high risks to Collembola [springtails] and 43−67% pose medium to high risks to earthworms.” (See here.)
• Studies show that glyphosate combined with microplastics causes notable synergistic effects. (See research here and here.)
• “Co-exposure to polyethylene microplastics and glyphosate aggravates neuro-behavioral disorders, intestinal barrier injury, and gut microbiota imbalance.” (See here.)
• One study shows that urea co-exposure increases glyphosate and AMPA residues in soil.
• “[C]ommercial glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) contain surfactants, such as polyethoxylated tallow amines, which have been shown to amplify the risks associated with glyphosate.” (See here.)
• Studies show guillelmi exhibits greater toxicity and ecological sensitivity than the E. fetida with organophosphate pesticide exposure.
• “[C]ombined exposure to imidacloprid and PLA [polylactic acid] microplastics, fluindapyr and microplastics, or tebuconazole and polyethylene microplastics causes more severe epidermal and intestinal damage and heightened immune responses. Damage to the epidermis and intestinal wall, the main barriers against contaminants, is closely linked to digestive disorders and impaired immunity in earthworms.” (See studies here, here, here, and here.)

The Alternative: Organic Land Management

To protect soil health and ensure a balanced soil microbiome, a holistic solution is available. This involves eliminating the use of petrochemical pesticides, including glyphosate, and synthetic fertilizers that contain urea, and adopting organic methods. Countless studies confirm the soil health benefits of organic agriculture, as it can improve ecological functions damaged by chemical-intensive farming practices. (See a small subsample of research here and here.) Beyond Pesticides advocates for organic land care in all areas, including agriculture, public parks and places, as well as residential areas.

Additional information, shared in Daily News entitled Organic Farming Competes with Chemical-Intensive Practices on Resilience, Input Costs, and Profitability, highlights the multifaceted benefits of organic. Visit Products Compatible with Organic Landscape Management and Fertilizers Compatible with Organic Landscape Management, as well as Cost Comparison: Organic vs. Chemical Land Management, for more information on transitioning to organic practices.

By focusing on a healthy system that starts with the soil, the use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers becomes obsolete. To learn more about the health and environmental benefits of organic land management, see here and here. Help support Beyond Pesticides’ mission by becoming a Parks Advocate with the Parks for a Sustainable Future program, becoming a member, or making a gift contribution today.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source:

Li, P. et al. (2025) Urea Co-exposure Increases Glyphosate Toxicity in Earthworms: Evidence from Species with Distinct Sensitivities, Environmental Science & Technology. Available at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5c10842.