25
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 25, 2025) An editorial in Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy finds that triazole fungicides 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.” Triazoles, a class of fungicides, target fungi by inhibiting the biosynthesis of ergosterol, an essential component of their cell membranes. As the researchers share, “Compounds such as tebuconazole, propiconazole, and difenoconazole are among the most used triazoles in agriculture.” Triazoles are utilized as antifungal medications, despite the rise of resistant infections, in addition to their use as systemic pesticides on many fruit and vegetable crops, including grapes, wheat, corn, and soybeans.  As Beyond Pesticides’ previous coverage indicates, many triazole fungicides in the U.S. are registered for use despite evidence of endocrine disruption established over a decade ago in a U.S. Geological Survey report. These pesticides exhibit common mechanisms of toxicity often disregarded in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk assessments, with a multitude of studies showcasing the myriads of health threats that the agency does […]
Posted in Cardiovascular Disease, difenoconazole, Endocrine Disruption, Fungicides, Oxidative Stress, Propiconazole, tebuconazole | No Comments »
11
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 11, 2025) A study in Toxics analyzes ipconazole, a triazole fungicide often used as a coating on treated seeds and as a foliar treatment on the leaves of plants. “Triazole pesticides are widely used throughout the world, but their abuse causes toxic effects in non-targeted organisms,” the researchers state. In the current study, unintended reproductive effects are noted in male sheep (ram) and pigs (also known as porcine or swine). This research focuses on the impact of ipconazole exposure on spermatozoa (sperm) in two mammal species and finds spermiotoxicity through significantly reduced sperm viability, as well as alterations in enzyme and gene expression related to fertility. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the triazole ipconazole on mammalian spermatozoa,” the authors share. This analysis utilizes semen samples from the Reproductive Biotechnology Laboratory of the Major National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, the university where six of the nine researchers are Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.  “The sperm were exposed to ipconazole concentrations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 µM, and to a control without ipconazole,” they say. Similar concentrations have been used in previous cytotoxicity studies with ipconazole. […]
Posted in difenoconazole, Endocrine Disruption, Epigenetic, Infertility, Ipconazole, Livestock, men's health, Oxidative Stress, Peru, Reproductive Health, tebuconazole | No Comments »
08
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 8, 2024) A major problem has vexed pesticide regulators and researchers for decades: Humans and other organisms almost always have multiple pesticides in their bodies, but techniques for assessing their combined effects, or cumulative body burden from multiple chemical classes are not typically available. A new study from Chinese and British researchers provides the first combined assessment of multiple classes of pesticides in human blood. The authors believe they are the first to develop a way to quantify multiple types of pesticides in human serum (clear liquid part of blood) as opposed to urine or from other sample collection methods. This is a tool that authors say is a more accurate way of assessing the real world exposure and ultimately the adverse impact of pesticide use on human health. The researchers had a small sample of 31 men and 34 pregnant women in Wuxi, China. They chose 73 pesticides and a few of their breakdown products to identify from three categories: fungicides, neonicotinoid insecticides, and triazine herbicides. Their testing protocol confirms their expectation that food—primarily produce—is the major source of pesticide exposures. This result reinforces Beyond Pesticides’ mission of supporting the shift in agriculture to pesticide-free methods […]
Posted in Atrazine, Endocrine Disruption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fungicides, neonicotinoids, simazine, Triazines, Uncategorized, World Health Organization | No Comments »
