Search Results
Monday, February 23rd, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, February 23, 2026)Â Amid polarization in the U.S. Congress, key legal protections from pesticides will be revoked with passage of the GOP Farm Bill being debated March 3 in the House Agriculture Committee, despite a growing body of science that shows farmers, consumers, and the environment are facing escalating health and safety threats. In this context, grassroots efforts are underway asking Congressional representative to advocate for the removal of Farm Bill, Title X, Subtitle C, Part 1, which contains attacks on foundational protections from pesticides for farmers, consumers, and the environmentâand vote against the Farm Bill if those provisions are not removed. As provisions in the GOP Farm Bill (Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, H.R. 7567) that slash protections from pesticides go to a vote in the Agriculture Committee, health and environmental advocates are calling for committee members to remove the weakening sectionâSection X, Subtitle C, Part 1, on âRegulatory Reform.â At a time when documented adverse effects from pesticide exposure are skyrocketing and sustainable practices have become widely available, the bill is being characterized as a wish-list for the chemical industry. Recent studies demonstrating connections between prenatal and postnatal exposure to pesticides and severe consequences […]
Posted in Agriculture, Clean Water Act, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farm Bill, National Environmental Policy Act, Take Action, Toxic Waste, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Friday, February 20th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, February 20, 2026)Â As pesticidesâ adverse effects on human and ecosystem health stack up in the scientific literature, health and environmental groups are focused on striking an entire section of the Republican Farm Bill that will eliminate protections, which have been written into law for generations. The section is Section X, Subtitle C, Part 1 on âRegulatory Reform.â Threatened are policies intended to protect against the diseases and illnesses touching families and communities, including brain and nervous system disorders, birth abnormalities, cancer, developmental and learning disorders, immune and endocrine disruption, reproductive dysfunction, among others. Wildlife, including mammals, bees and other pollinators, fish and other aquatic organisms, birds, and the biota within soil, are adversely affected with reproductive, neurological, endocrine-disruptive, and developmental anomalies, and cancers. (See Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database.) With the urgent threat of a markup of the legislation scheduled to begin on March 3, attention shifted to a newly released Executive Order (EO) that could provide blanket legal protection for the manufacturer of the weed killer glyphosate, Bayer/Monsanto. By activating the Defense Production Act of 1950 and its immunity from lawsuits provision for glyphosate manufacturers, the administration could mandate production of glyphosate as a ânational securityâ concern and provide […]
Posted in Agriculture, Clean Water Act, Drinking Water, Endangered Species Act (ESA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farm Bill, National Environmental Policy Act, Superfund, U.S. Supreme Court, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 10th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, February 10, 2026) Species that are integral to pest management allow for crucial ecosystem services that negate the need for pesticides in agricultural or land management practices. In a study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, researchers from France find pesticide-free fields promote carabid beetles and spiders, generalist arthropod predators that consume slugs, aphids, and mites, that in turn support healthy, organic systems. The study findings highlight the importance of utilizing farming practices that promote biodiversity and foster natural enemy populations as a pest management strategy. Â âIn this study, we assessed the assemblages of emerging and circulating ground-dwelling carabids and spiders during four months in a continuous mosaic of pesticide-free winter-sown crops under contrasted tillage regimes (minimum vs. conventional tillage) and sown flower strips bordering fields,â the authors describe. They continue: âWe detected clear patterns, with high in-field carabid and spider overwintering densities than in adjacent flower strips… Our results also demonstrate the key role of pesticide-free fields under minimum tillage, acting both as a high-quality overwintering site for some dominant carabid species and as a source habitat, as several predator species activity-density responded positively to the increased area of minimum tillage fields in the surroundings.â Background […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Biological Control, Ecosystem Services, France, Integrated and Organic Pest Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, February 4, 2026) Using data from the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) database launched in 1993 by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, research study results âshow greater diabetes riskâ from exposure to organochlorine, organophosphate, and carbamate insecticides, phenoxy and other herbicides, and the fumigant carbon tetrachloride/disulfide exposure. The study, published in Environment International, evaluated nearly 4,000 diabetes cases drawn from AHS follow-up surveys between 1999 and 2021. Results Researchers found evidence of an association between 18 pesticide active ingredients and diabetes. These included two phenoxy herbicides, 2,4,5-T and 2,4,5-TP, and seven organochlorine insecticides (DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, toxaphene, and lindane). While all these organochlorine pesticides are banned for use in the U.S. (with the exception of pharmaceutical uses of lindane), legacy residues of the chemicals and/or their metabolites continue show up in the environment, food, and the human body, and 2,4,5-T and its TCDD dioxin contaminant has multigenerational effects. There was exposure risks among other pesticides were identified as well, including: 3 organophosphate insecticides (diazinon, malathion, and phorate); 2 carbamate insecticides (carbofuran and carbaryl); 3 other herbicides (butylate, metribuzin, and chlorimuron ethyl); and the fumigant carbon tetrachloride/disulfide. The median age of […]
Posted in Aldrin, Carbamates, Carbaryl, Carbofuran, Chlordane, DDT, Diabetes, Diazinon, Dieldrin, Disease/Health Effects, Fumigants, Fungicides, Heptachlor, Herbicides, Insecticides, Lindane, Malathion, Phorate, toxaphene, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, January 30th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 30, 2026) In a 2025 study published by the British Ecological Societyâs Animal Ecology, researchers’ findings âsuggest that beaver engineering created structurally diverse habitats that supported a broader range of bat species.â It is well-established that bats perform important ecosystem services, which help to prevent and manage insect problems in balanced ecosystems. The researchers find: âBy modifying both habitat structure and prey abundance, beaver engineering affected bat activity, richness, and feeding activity directly and indirectly. These changes operated across aquaticâterrestrial boundaries, highlighting the cross-ecosystem influence and ecological complexity of ecosystem engineering.â Environmental and public health advocates have long called for nature-based solutions to pest management that provide critical support to at-risk wildlife (like beavers and bats) and reduce costs for agrichemical inputs to farmers due to improved ecosystem services (such as pest suppression and management). In turn, this holistic approach leads to secondary benefits like improved climate resilience and public health protection that are associated with the elimination of petrochemical pesticide use. Background and Methodology The researchers focused their study in eight stream ecosystems in differing contexts across Switzerland, choosing a diversity of habitats, including urban, agricultural, and forested zones. An area was selected with an active […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, Bats, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, January 29th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 29, 2026) A study of ecotoxicity risk from neonicotinoid insecticides, published in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, finds that chemicals in this class of pesticides, particularly dinotefuron, increase the body temperature of Apis mellifera (European honey bee) and subsequently accelerate the translocation (movement) of contaminants into hives by the honey bees. The research indicates that neonicotinoids affect acetylcholine receptors in the nervous system, leading to an “elevation in octopamine titer [neurotransmitter/hormone] and subsequent increase in the body temperature of honeybees,â the authors report. They continue: âFurthermore, we observed a considerable upregulation [of] the expression of a flight gene flightin in honeybees. This gene accelerates the homing behavior of honeybees and facilitates the rapid and frequent transport of neonicotinoid pesticide-contaminated nectar to the hive.â In describing their results, the researchers state: âFor the first time, we propose that neonicotinoid pesticides accelerate the homing ability of honeybees by affecting their body temperature, which leads to more neonicotinoid pesticides entering the hive and explains the prevalence of neonicotinoids and at higher concentrations in terms of their effects on the honeybee body temperature that enhances homing.â This accelerated movement of neonicotinoid pesticides into honey bee hives heightens the toxicity risks to honey […]
Posted in Agriculture, Beneficials, Biodiversity, contamination, dinotefuron, Insecticides, neonicotinoids, Nervous System Effects, Pollinators, Pyriproxyfen, Thiamethoxam, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 28th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 28, 2026) A study published last year in Science of The Total Environment reports widespread pesticide contamination collected from beehive monitoring across the European Union (EU). âThis study has produced the first EU-wide distribution map of terrestrial pesticide contamination and demonstrates widespread pesticide contamination of EU environments,â the authors write. The study, led by a cohort of citizen-scientists, documents pesticide drift across the European continent. The results found that 188 of the 429 targeted pesticide compounds were detected in noninvasive, in-hive passive samplers (APIStrips) across 27 EU countries between May and August of 2023. This finding emerges at a time when public health and environmental advocates raise concerns about the European Unionâs backtracking on commitments to reduce pesticide use by 2030, although the European Commission announced in July 2025 that âthe use and risk of chemical pesticides has decreased by 58% by 2023 [from the 2015-2017 reference period], while the use of more hazardous pesticides fell by 27% over the same period.â Results The study results reveal that no landscape is safe from pesticide exposure, despite the European Union having better regulations in place than most other countries/regions. The researchers found: âThere was no sample site where […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Azoxystrobin, boscalid, Carbendazim, Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, difenoconazole, European Union, Fipronil, fludioxonil, fluopyram, fluxapyroxad, Imidacloprid, Metolachlor, Pendimethalin, Permethrin, Persistence, Pesticide Drift, Pollinators, pyraclostrobin, Pyriproxyfen, tebuconazole, thiabendazole, thiacloprid, trifloxystrobin, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, January 22nd, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 22, 2026) Published in Environmental Research, a review of experimental studies by George Mason University researchers regarding reproductive toxicity of neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics) in rodents finds that all studies âdemonstrated negative impacts on male reproductive endpoints in association with neonic exposure, including reduced sperm count, reduced sperm motility, and altered sperm morphology.â These studies highlight how neonics, designed to target insect nervous systems, can affect mammalian systems, representing risks to human health. Criteria for inclusion in the review was restricted to endocrine and/or reproductive outcomes in male rats and mice, leading the authors to analyze 21 studies published between 2005 and 2025. âThis narrative review employed a systematic approach and determined that neonics exhibit reproductive toxicity in male rats and mice, particularly impairing testicular function and sperm quality at high exposure levels,â the researchers report. They continue, âDespite species-specific differences, the conserved nature [core mechanism] of reproductive processes across mammals supports the relevance of these findings to human health.â Study Background Neonicotinoids 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. There is a wide body of science on the effects […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Agriculture, Clothianidin, contamination, Imidacloprid, Infertility, Insecticides, men's health, neonicotinoids, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Residues, Reproductive Health, thiacloprid | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 21st, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 21, 2026) The data in the annual U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pesticide residue report, released earlier this month, continues to show a pattern of pesticide residues in the majority of food tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Health advocates say low-level pesticide residues in the food supply within legal limits raise serious hazard concerns, while USDA, in its Pesticide Data ProgramâAnnual Summary, Calendar Year 2024, points to controversial residue standards as a measure of safety. The USDA report finds that over 57 percent of tested commodities contain at least one pesticide and that less than one percent of detected residues violate the legal limit set as a tolerance by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Residues allowed under tolerances establish allowable pesticide use patterns in agriculture that, beyond dietary risks, result in exposure to farmworkers, farmers, waterways, wildlife, and the broad ecosystem in which they are used. (See Eating with a Conscience for a list of pesticides allowed in food production by commodity.) With respect to the preponderance of evidence on adverse health and ecological effects of cumulative exposure to toxic agrichemicals, including pesticides, Beyond Pesticides has called for the transition to organic agriculture. […]
Posted in Acephate, Agriculture, Chemical Mixtures, cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, Methomyl, Myclobutanil, Permethrin, Pesticide Mixtures, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
Thursday, January 15th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 15, 2026)Â âBirds and bats consumed over 87 rice pest species in West African lowland rice fields,â according to a recent study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. The authors continue, âOur findings highlight the importance of maintaining and managing a diverse community of bats and birds for network resilience.â In this context, the research distinguishes the âpredator-preyâ as established through the ecological balance of diverse organisms in nature from a âpredator-pestâ orientation that views some organisms as unwanted and targets for control and more subject to human manipulation. Â The authors describe the predator-pest network as a means to quantify the âecosystem servicesâ impact, with the researchers noting that they âinvestigated the role of predator and prey species in the predatorâprey network and compared those roles with that of the predatorâpest network, to further explore their potential as pest suppressors.â Communities across the United States and globally are looking for opportunities to transition to alternative pest management strategies given decades-long increasing reliance on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which contribute significantly to looming existential crises of biodiversity collapse, public health decline, and planetary instability of ecosystems, climate, and geopolitics. As evidenced in a recent report by Farm Action […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bats, Biodiversity, Birds, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, International, Pests, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, January 9th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 9, 2026) Beyond Pesticides is partnering with the City of Dubuque Parks and Recreation Department to adopt organic land management practices at two city parks, Jackson Park and Washington Park, with funding for technical support from Natural Grocers. The initiative aims to enhance soil health, reduce water usage, and create safer public spaces, while also addressing climate change and biodiversity issues. Click here to read a joint press release. Beyond Pesticides, through the Parks for a Sustainable Future nationwide program, collaborates with communities across the country to transition parks, playing fields, and public spaces to organic land management by providing in-depth training to assist community land managers in transitioning two public demonstration sites and the knowledge necessary to eventually transition all public areas in a locality to these safer practices. These demonstration sites serve as models for how sustainable land management is possible without synthetic, petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, showcasing the benefits of organic practices while addressing potential challenges in a manageable and cost-effective way. âWe are excited to be working with the City of Dubuque on organic land management practices that protect community health and the environment, including bees, butterflies, and birds, and support efforts to mitigate climate change and biodiversity decline,â […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Announcements, Iowa, Lawns/Landscapes, Parks, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, January 5th, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 5, 2026) There is no better time than the beginning of a new year to reflect on what can be done as individuals and collectively to have a meaningful effect on individual health, the health of familiesâŻand communities, and the legacy of a sustainable world. For Beyond Pesticides, the start of the new year is an opportunity to take steps that prioritize health and the health of theâŻplanet.âŻIn this context, Beyond Pesticides, in collaboration with people and organizations nationwide is: Asking Mayors, in the new year, to adopt a policy and program for organic management of their community’s parks and public spaces. [In the event that a specific local mayor is not in the system, readers are invited to email this personal messageâsee below.] The year 2025 has been filled with discouraging news for planetary health. With the publication of the latest assessments by the United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), there are greater insights documented on the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food, and health, and particularly, ecosystem servicesâthe ways in which humans depend on nature. In its assessment of the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, the IPBES states, âThe unprecedented challenges posed by global environmental change call for an urgent shift in […]
Posted in Children, Parks, Parks for a Sustainable Future, State/Local, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, January 2nd, 2026
(Beyond Pesticides, January 2, 2026) Texas-based pecan orchard Swift River Pecans is collaborating with local conservation nonprofit Merlin Tuttleâs Bat Conservation âso they could collect more information on the species that visit his 266-acre property, and to show off the batsâ value to his operation,â according to recent coverage by NPR affiliate KCUR. âBats love to munch on insects like stink bugs and moths. Some farmers are now relying on the mammals for pest control â and ditching chemicals,â says Michael Marks, reporter for NPR (Harvest Public Media) and Texas Standard. The orchard operator and nonprofit have been collaborating since 2004, after Troy Swift (orchard owner) employed a chemical-intensive approach since purchasing the land in 1988. Merlin Tuttle, âan ecologist and conservationist who has spent 65 years studying bats around the globe,â has been setting up bat boxes using cypress trees from a lumber mill on-siteâthe researcher has opted for this wood type because it is porous and regulates temperature appropriately. âOur job is to work with Mother Nature instead of against her to make the best pecans money can buy. Thatâs the way we see it,â says Mr. Swift, who also serves as the president of the Texas Pecan […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Bats, Biodiversity, Climate, Ecosystem Services, Fungicides, Herbicides, Insecticides, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Mixtures, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 24th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, December 24, 2025 â January 1, 2026) From the entire Beyond Pesticides team, we wish you happy holidays and a healthy new year in 2026! We hope this holiday season is filled with lots of organic gifts, organic food, and even organic Christmas trees for those who celebrate! Despite the current realities, our program and the people and organizations we collaborate with embrace optimism about the futureâsolutions are within reach and community-based actions put us on a path to meaningful health and environmental protection. Simultaneously, we recognize the need to respond to the serious magnitude of the crises that too many people are facing. We look forward to working with you in the new year to meet the severe environmental and public health challenges with organic solutions that eliminate continued use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers! Click above to see our A Year in Review for 2025, and check out our newly-released 2024-2025 Annual Report and 2-page summary! Our Mission While the threats of health, biodiversity, and climate crises grow exponentially, the solutions we have advocated for decades are now within reach. We know how to produce food and manage land without petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, as organic […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Body Burden, Climate Change, contamination, Disease/Health Effects, Holidays, Lawns/Landscapes, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Pesticide Residues, Seasonal, Year in Review | No Comments »
Friday, December 19th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, December 19, 2025) While still the exception rather than the norm, a growing movement of Christmas tree farmers across the United States is demonstrating that organically managed systems can also be applied when choosing a tree during this holiday season. Health and environmental advocates across the country are calling for a transition away from toxic pesticide dependency during the holiday season. Beyond Pesticides maintains a webpage, Christmas Trees and Pesticides, and Center for Biological Diversity and Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a âspecial review of pesticides used on Christmas trees.â The groups sent a letter on December 4, the day the National Christmas Tree was lit at the White House, specifically citing the need to review the pesticides chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, dimethoate, bifenthrin, chlorothalonil, glyphosate, hexazinone, imidacloprid, simazine, and 2,4-D, among others. Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States, with Christmas trees grown on Christmas tree farms being brought into homes as part of the celebration. On average, Americans purchase 25 to 30 million Christmas trees annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association; however, certified organic […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Abamectin, Azadirachtin, Bifenthrin, Carbaryl, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, Chlorothalonil, Chlorpyrifos, clopyralid, Department of Health and Human Services, Diflubenzuron, Dimethoate, dinotefuron, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), esfenvalerate, flupyradifurone, Fungicides, Glyphosate, Herbicides, hexazinone, Holidays, Imidacloprid, Insecticides, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, lambda-cyhalothrin, Malathion, mancozeb, Oryzalin, oxyfluorfen, Pendimethalin, Permethrin, pymetrozine, simazine, spinosad, spirodiclofen, Sulfometuron methyl, tebufenozide, Thiamethoxam, Triclopyr, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, December 12th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, December 12, 2025) A study concluding that the weed killer glyphosate did not cause cancer was retracted last week after it was revealed in lawsuit documents that the authors did not disclose their relationship with Monsanto/Bayer. The editor-and-chief, Martin van den Berg, PhD of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, which published the article 25 years ago, wrote in the journal, âConcerns were raised regarding the authorship of this paper, validity of the research findings in the context of misrepresentation of the contributions by the authors and the study sponsor and potential conflicts of interest of the authors.â The study, titled âSafety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humansâ and coauthored by three researchers in New York, The Netherlands, and Canada, was referred to as a âLandmark glyphosate safety studyâ in a recent article by U.S. Right to Know.  While this retraction not only sheds light on Monsantoâs influence through ghostwriting, it adds to the wide body of evidence regarding the regulatory deficiencies currently in place. The revelation is a reminder of related incidents in which Monsanto (Bayer) and other companies have wielded excessive influence at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), undermining the integrity of the science needed to inform the regulatory decisions that safeguard health and the environment. (See Daily News Corruption Problems Persist at EPA.) EPA Deficiencies In addition to the initial registration process, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires that EPA conduct a registration review of all pesticide […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Bayer, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, Herbicides, Monsanto, Pesticide Regulation | No Comments »
Friday, December 5th, 2025
(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. Â Â âOur 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,â the authors report. They continue in saying that the relationship between neonicotinoids and bird abundance varied across bird diets, as âthe abundance of insectivorous birds was consistently lower under increasing pesticide use, in particular imidacloprid.â Background As shared in the study and on Beyond Pesticidesâ Birds page, bird species can be exposed to pesticides directly through ingestion […]
Posted in Agriculture, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Birds, contamination, France, Imidacloprid, Insecticides, neonicotinoids, Pesticide Regulation, Seeds, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Thursday, November 20th, 2025
(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: âPesticide 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.â 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 […]
Posted in Agriculture, Biodiversity, Breakdown Chemicals, Chlorothalonil, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Imidacloprid, Insecticides, Metabolites, neonicotinoids, organophosphate, Pollinators, Seeds | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 19th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, November 19, 2025) In the book, Biological Control Systems and Climate Change, published this month, Danilo Russo, PhDâa speaker during the first session of our 42nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Natureâand other researchers add to the existing literature on the climate change threat to ecosystem services. Dr. Russoâs chapter, entitled âImpact of Climate Change on Bats Involved in Biological Control,â explains one of the lost benefits of ecological balance attributable to the climate crisis. As explained in the book: âIn 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.â The ability of climate change to influence the effectiveness of biological control systems is explored, showing the âeffects 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.â 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 […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Bats, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Biological Control, Climate, Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Pests, Pollinators | No Comments »
Monday, November 17th, 2025
(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 organizationâs 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 âreduced soil macroarthropod richness by 21% and altered community composition.  âA recent global risk assessment of glyphosate further estimated that 67â93% of soils pose high risks to Collembola [springtails] and 43â67% pose medium to high risks to […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Fertilizer, Glyphosate, Parks, Soil microbiome, synergistic effects, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 11th, 2025
(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 âheart attack, coronary heart disease, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and peripheral vascular disease.â 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: âThere may be difficulty [for survey respondents] remembering the[ir] military exposure history since the survey was completed nearly 25 years after the Gulf War.â 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 […]
Posted in Blood Disorders, Cardiovascular Disease, Chemical Mixtures, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Justice, Federal Agencies, Uncategorized, Veterans Administraton | No Comments »
Monday, November 10th, 2025
(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, âThe 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.â The company attributes the growth to âhealth-conscious and environmentally-aware consumersâ and finds ârising consumer preference for organic and clean-label beverages,â with consumers âactively seeking beer options made with organic hops, malt, and natural ingredients, free from synthetic pesticides or GMOs  [genetically modified organisms].â 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 […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Glyphosate, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 29th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, October 29, 2025) The latest research on bats and beavers, ecosystem services, and biodiversity adds to a wide body of science on the importance of a balanced ecosystem. In both the Bulletin of the National Research Centre and Journal of Animal Ecology, the researchers highlight the interconnectedness not only between wildlife species but to broader ecosystem functioning and human health implications. Researchers in the Journal article add to the growing body of science connecting an abundance of bat species in areas with established beaver dams, highlighting how interconnected wildlife is. The reporting on this recent research coincides with Beyond Pesticidesâ 42nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, scheduled for today, October 29. As the author of the article in the Bulletin of the National Research Centre, entitled âThe complex web between environmental disruption, pesticide use, and human health: lessons from the bat crisis,â states: âThe close relationship between environmental balance, biodiversity, and human health has long been a concern of science and public policy. Disruptions in ecosystems often trigger cascading effects that extend far beyond the original ecological imbalance, affecting agricultural practices, food security, and public health.â Bat Declines and […]
Posted in Agriculture, Announcements, Bats, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Events, International, Pollinators, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »