{"id":38126,"date":"2025-04-03T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T04:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=38126"},"modified":"2025-04-02T12:49:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T16:49:40","slug":"research-spotlights-new-hazard-severity-of-chlorpyrifos-ag-insecticide-widely-found-in-food-supply-cites-regulatory-deficiencies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2025\/04\/research-spotlights-new-hazard-severity-of-chlorpyrifos-ag-insecticide-widely-found-in-food-supply-cites-regulatory-deficiencies\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Spotlights New Hazard Severity of Chlorpyrifos, Ag Insecticide Widely Found in Food Supply"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, April 3, 2025) As highlighted by Beyond Pesticides in recent comments<\/a> to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), chlorpyrifos<\/a> (CPF) has been under scrutiny for decades due to associated adverse health effects, noted particularly in the extensive and consistent scientific evidence of neurotoxic dangers to children\u2019s health. The latest research on CPF, published in Environmental Toxicology<\/em><\/a> and Genes & Diseases<\/em><\/a>, reveals additional threats to the immune system and male reproduction that are not captured in current EPA risk assessments of chlorpyrifos<\/a> and raises serious health questions, given that residues are found throughout the food supply.<\/p>\n

CPF, a widely used organophosphate<\/a> insecticide in agriculture, is a cholinesterase inhibitor that binds irreversibly to the active site of an essential enzyme for normal nerve impulse transmission, acetylcholine esterase (AChE), inactivating the enzyme. Many insecticides, including organophosphates and carbamates, target AChE, causing them to be highly toxic to both insects and mammals that have this enzyme as a crucial part of their nervous systems. The history of chlorpyrifos exemplifies the failure of pesticide law and policy, as this chemical, among many others, not only has direct adverse health effects but is contributing to the climate crisis<\/a>, biodiversity<\/a> collapse, and disproportionate levels<\/a> of illness in people of color communities.<\/p>\n

The study in Environmental Toxicology<\/em><\/a>,<\/strong> performed by researchers in Taiwan, notes: \u201cAlthough chlorpyrifos poses considerable risks to the environment and human health, it is still used in many countries. This pesticide has various toxic effects on humans, including neurotoxicity<\/a>, reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity, and organ damage caused by oxidative stress<\/a> and DNA damage.\u201d Their results add immunotoxicity to this list, as they find that chlorpyrifos induces apoptosis (cell death) in macrophages (a type of white blood cell vital in immune system functions).<\/p>\n

As the authors state, \u201c[F]ew studies have comprehensively analyzed the direct effects of chlorpyrifos on macrophages and the immune response. Thus, this study aims to investigate the cytotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos on macrophages, with a focus on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying chlorpyrifos-induced apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways.\u201d Evaluating immunotoxic impacts of CPF is important, as the immune system is responsible for protecting the body against infections and diseases caused by pathogens.<\/p>\n

\u201cMacrophages, key players in the immune system, are responsible for engulfing pathogens, presenting antigens, and releasing cytokines to regulate immune responses,\u201d the researchers share. They continue: \u201cChlorpyrifos exposure affects macrophages first because they play the role of sentinels. Chlorpyrifos-induced macrophage apoptosis can impair immune function, weakening the body’s ability to fight infections and maintain tissue homeostasis.\u201d<\/p>\n

In using a murine (rodent) macrophage cell line exposed to concentrations of CPF, the authors report reduced cell viability, an increase in the proportion of apoptotic (controlled cell death) and necrotic (uncontrolled cell death) cells, an upregulation of the expression of death receptors, disrupted mitochondrial function, and the imbalance of proteins. \u201cChlorpyrifos induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner,\u201d the researchers state. They continue: \u201cThe simultaneous activation of both apoptotic pathways represents a novel finding, highlighting the strong proapoptotic effect of chlorpyrifos on macrophages through multiple mechanisms. Our findings offer compelling evidence of chlorpyrifos’ multifaceted toxic effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

These results add to the wide body of science on public health implications from CPF exposure. In referencing the scientific literature, the authors include:<\/p>\n