29
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 29, 2025) A study in Environment International finds pesticide-induced alterations in the gut microbiota of a farmland raptor species. In collecting blood and cloacal samples from Montaguâs harrier (Circus pygargus) nestlings, the authors âshed light on an overlooked collateral effect of pesticides, i.e., a general modification of gut bacterial assemblages,â which can lead to an imbalance of microorganisms (dysbiosis) and the promotion of potential pathogens, as well as negatively impact the health of birds of prey. âAdditionally, our findings support the ‘One Health‘ framework, stressing the interconnectedness of wildlife, ecosystem, and human health, particularly in pesticide-affected agricultural areas,â the researchers share. âThe gut microbiota is crucial for host health and can be impacted by various environmental disruptions, yet the effects of multiple pesticide exposures on farmland organismsâ microbiomes remain largely unexplored,â the authors state. In the study, they âassessed microbiota changes in a wild apex predator exposed to multiple pesticides in agricultural landscapes,â which âprovides evidence of pesticide impacts on wildlife gut microbiota, highlighting links between pesticide exposure and changes in microbiota composition,â the researchers note. The Montaguâs harrier, as an apex predator, serves as a âbio-sentinelâ or bioindicator species for assessing ecosystem health. âAs top-level predators […]
Posted in Acetochlor, Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Birds, Chlorpyrifos, Gut Dysbiosis, Microbiome, Pesticide Mixtures, Quinoxyfen, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
07
Oct
(Beyond Pesticides, October 7, 2024) American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a newly revised technical report describing how antibiotic use in animal agriculture contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance in medical use and can adversely affect child healthâ in the context of this fast-emerging threat to U.S. and global health. This AAP finding comes just as the United Nations (UN) held its second High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)âŻon September 26 (the first was held in 2016) at which global leaders committed âto a clear set of targets and actions, including reducing the estimated 4.95 million human deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) annually by 10% by 2030.â The release from the UN, âWorld leaders commit to decisive action on antimicrobial resistance,â states, âThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), known as the Quadripartite, welcome the declaration. The Quadripartite applauds countries for recognising the need for global, regional and national efforts to address AMR through a One Health approach, which recognizes that the health of people, animals, plants and the wider environment, including ecosystems, are closely […]
Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobial, Resistance, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
17
Sep
(Beyond Pesticides, September 17, 2024) Today, International Microorganism Day, is a prime moment to focus on the complexity of billions of living beings that establish the foundation of land management and food production. Organic advocates, community members, and farmers identify the protection and enhancement of biological diversity in the soil as a key goal, especially in light of mounting concerns over rising microbial resistance to chemical-intensive practices. A recent article in British Journal of Environmental Sciences points to several microbial populations adversely affected by pesticide-contaminated soil on various farmland plots in Nigeria. There are significant variations in bacteria presence between pesticide-treated and control plots, with a lab analysis finding â[s]eventy-five percent (75%) of pesticide residue was detected in the soil samples,â which includes paraquat dichloride, endosulfan, diazinon, and N-(phosponomethyl)glycine [glyphosate]. This report builds on years of research from higher education institutions worldwide, including participatory research centering applied experiments on farmland, demonstrating the consequences of relying on pesticide-intensive agriculture and land management. The main goal of this report is to âdetermine the influence of pesticide contamination on the microbial population, physiochemical parameters and pesticide residue of soil of selected farmlands in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.â Researchers document the presence of eleven […]
Posted in Antibacterial, Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobial, Biodiversity, Diazinon, Endosulfan, Glyphosate, Microbiata, Paraquat, Pesticide Residues, soil health, Uncategorized | No Comments »
15
Aug
(Beyond Pesticides, August 15, 2024) Adding to research that has linked insecticide disruption of the gut microbial community to the progression of Parkinsonâs Disease (PD) in the brain is a recently published study that further examines the gut-brain mechanism at work. A review by neuroscientist Nabanita Ghosh, PhD in Chemical Research in Toxicologyâcoauthored by Krishnendu Sinha, PhD, molecular toxicologist and applied pharmacologist, and molecular toxicologist Parames C. Sil, PhDâfocuses on how pesticide-induced microbial community alterations specifically drive the initiation of PD and the precise mechanism. The study also explores microbiota changes at different stages of PD progression, offering recent findings.    The researchers derive their data from the examination of PD patients, evaluating the âinteraction between pesticides and gut bacteria in PD patients, summarizing how pesticides cause imbalances in gut bacteria, the resulting changes, and their overall effects on the PD prognosis.â  The review âlooks at how pesticides and gut bacteria separately influence PD development and progression, highlighting the harmful effects of pesticides and changes in gut bacteria.â The team concludes that pesticide exposure is connected to PD onset through âdisturbances in gut function and alterations in intestinal microbiota.â However, the âexact role of microbial factors in this connection remains […]
Posted in Brain Effects, Gut Dysbiosis, Microbiata, Microbiome, Paraquat, Parkinson's, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
15
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 15, 2024) A study published recently in the journal Environmental Research finds a significant correlation between exposure to certain pesticides and an elevated risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic autoimmune condition of the gastrointestinal tract. The study, adding to the body of science on this subject, evaluates self-reported data from licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses exposed to pesticides for over 20 years. In addition, while some of the chemicals found to be most closely associated with incidents of IBD have been banned from use, they are âforeverâ chemicals that persist in the environment for generations. These findings demonstrate once again the failings of the current regulatory process to identify hazards before they are put into the environment. The study found evidence that exposure to several organochlorine insecticides (dieldrin, DDT, and toxaphene), as well as organophosphate insecticides (parathion, terbufos, and phorate) and herbicides (2,4,5-T, 2,4,5-TP, and metolachlor), is associated with elevated IBD risk. IBD is a generic term for diseases that result in chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, such as Crohnâs disease and ulcerative colitis. It is estimated that 6.8 million patients globally suffered from IBD in 2017. IBD may result from an imbalance […]
Posted in Agriculture, Cancer, Carbamates, Cardiovascular Disease, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, DDT, Dieldrin, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Glyphosate, Gut Dysbiosis, Herbicides, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Iowa, Lindane, Liver Damage, metabolic syndrome, Metolachlor, Microbiata, Microbiome, North Carolina, organochlorines, organophosphate, Parathion, Phorate, soil health, synergistic effects, terbufos, toxaphene, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
