29
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 29, 2026) In a new study published in Environmental Pollution, researchers detected 15 currently used pesticides (CUPs)—including 10 pesticide compounds detected but not applied within the study’s managed fields— in the pollen of beehives in an environment meant to reflect a typical honey bee foraging range. The detection of pesticides that were not directly applied within the study’s target radius demonstrates the pervasiveness of pesticide drift into soils, streams, and bodies. In this context, public health and environmental advocates continue to call for a wholesale transition to organic land management. The findings are particularly concerning given the toxicity hazards to honey bees associated with pesticide exposure in this study and bolstered by other studies, resulting in documented threats to their health—as reviewed in this Daily News below. Methodology and Background Researchers at the University of Bern and Agroscope, the Swiss government’s agricultural research arm, conducted this research with agricultural land-use data for 2023 and 2024 from the Zurich (provincial/Canton) government. The study area was defined as a 2-kilometer radius around the hive placement site, with 4 active hives over the course of a two-year period (April 10, 2023, . . .
Posted in Azoxystrobin, Biodiversity, Chlorpyrifos, contamination, difenoconazole, fludioxonil, fluopyram, Pesticide Drift, Piperonyl butoxide (PBO), Pollinators, spirodiclofen, trifloxystrobin, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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28
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 28, 2026) Researchers from France and Germany, as published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, find that declines in bird populations are strongly linked to their diets, with insectivorous birds experiencing the greatest impacts. “Overall, our results emphasize the strong association between insecticide use and insectivorous bird declines,†the authors state. They continue: “We found a consistent negative association between insecticide use and population trends of insectivorous birds, the most abundant group, regardless of migration strategy. This pattern suggests indirect effects linked to the depletion of insects as a food source.†In analyzing bird population trends in France over 15 years and comparing bird responses across diets and pesticide types, this study highlights the negative association between insect population declines and insectivorous bird population declines that are linked to agricultural intensification. Study Background The impacts of pesticides on birds, as described on Beyond Pesticides’ resource page, can occur through various routes of exposure. Birds 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 poisonings . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Birds, Ecosystem Services, France, Insecticides, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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27
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 27, 2026) In a perspective analysis published in Frontiers in Agronomy, researchers at the University of Nebraska and Serbia’s Maize Research Institute point out the growing availability of organic-compatible herbicide controls (referred to as bioherbicides) as an opportunity to “complement crop diversification and improve soil health, they may serve as a foundational component of agroecological cropping systems, driving a transition toward reduced external inputs and strengthening essential ecosystem services for long-term sustainability.†The researchers distinguish between biopesticides based on their mode of action, regulatory status, including whether they are compliant to federal organic standards as defined under Organic Food Production Act (OFPA), the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, and guidance from the National Organic Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The article references biopesticides listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), which undertakes its own review process contingent on three core factors, according to the authors: Must not be prohibited on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, as defined here; Manufacturing process does not include prohibited methods (genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, etc.); and All ingredients are compliant with organic standards and do not have any . . .
Posted in and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Biological Control, Biopesticides, Ecosystem Services, European Union, Federal Insecticide, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, Pesticide Efficacy, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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26
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 26, 2026) Earlier this month, with global attention focused on 12 known or suspected cases of hantavirus, including three deaths, on a cruise ship expedition in the South Atlantic, issues of rodent management, vector control, and disease transmission have made headlines around the world. The incident raises important questions about rodent biology, identification of virus location, method of disease transmission, cleaning practices, and ultimately control and prevention measures that are not harmful to people, wildlife, and ecosystems. The incident also shines a spotlight on the critical importance of the United States’ collaboration in international organizations, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO), in a world of international travel (18 on the ship live in the U.S.), where transmissible diseases extend beyond countries’ borders. With the Trump Administration defunding international programs and withdrawing from WHO, most medical experts agree that the world and U.S. residents are at heightened threat from transmissible diseases that move throughout the world. (See U.S. Abandons International Collaboration on Existential Health Challenges at Time When Most Needed.) In this context, Beyond Pesticides has launched a local campaign to Tell local officials to use good sanitation and management to . . .
Posted in Argentina, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hantavirus, International, Mice, Rodenticide, Rodents, Take Action, Uncategorized, World Health Organization by: Beyond Pesticides
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22
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 22, 2026) On Memorial Day, those who served and died in the armed forces are remembered for their ultimate sacrifice. And the victims of war are memorialized. Of critical note are the effects of war, that extend beyond the battlefield to those who return home or remain in the aftermath with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and ultimately take their lives by suicide, as well as those exposed to deadly chemicals that caused premature death. A 2022 study finds, “ VA [Veteran Affairs] patients with current or past diagnosis of PTSD have been found to have an unadjusted rate of 50.7 deaths by suicide per 100,000 person years of risk, compared to a rate of 13.2 in the general adult population.†This statistic can be evaluated in the context of a recent observational cohort study to be in print in August 2026 that focuses on exposure to toxic substances and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) through the analysis of data from 248,926 U.S. veterans enrolled in the Million Veteran Program (MVP). In comparing self-reported exposures to nine toxicants, including Agent Orange, chemical/biological weapons, anthrax vaccine, solvents/fuels, petroleum combustion products, lead, other metals, . . .
Posted in Cancer, Department of Defense, Gulf War Syndrome, Holidays, Suicide, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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21
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 21, 2026) An important study by cancer researchers in Barcelona, Spain at once shows a path forward in illuminating the long-term, multi-generational, health damage from pesticide exposures and demonstrates how extraordinarily dilatory U.S. agricultural regulators are in protecting public health. The study, “Epigenetic fingerprints link early-onset colon and rectal cancer to pesticide exposure,†found a robust association between methylation markers (for gene expression associated with cancer) and exposure to a number of pesticides, with the herbicide picloram having the strongest link. Other pesticides with strong associations include the weedkillers atrazine, glyphosate, nicosulfuron, and insecticide esfenvalerate. Colon cancer is expected to double, and rectal cancer to quadruple, in this young age group by 2030. This sharp contrast between age groups suggests that environmental exposures, rather than strictly genetics, are involved. The authors are concerned with the alarming rise in early onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) not only in the highly developed world but also in less-industrialized countries. This increase appears to be connected with age cohorts and the differences in lifestyle and environmental exposures between older and younger cohorts. According to a commentary on the study by researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Atrazine, Cancer, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Epigenetic, esfenvalerate, Glyphosate, Groundwater, Herbicides, nicosulfuron, picloram, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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20
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 20, 2026) A study of two pollinator species, honey bees (Apis mellifera) and small carpenter bees (Ceratina calcarata), finds oxidative stress (OX)— an imbalance between antioxidant defenses and excess reactive oxygen molecules (species), or ROS—resulting from exposure to non-living (abiotic) stressors, such as synthetic chemicals, leading to cell damage. Regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), do not routinely evaluate oxidative stress as a standalone or required endpoint in standard pesticide registration protocols. In comparing pollinator responses to different pesticides and pest control management practices, the lowest levels of OX are exhibited in organically managed systems, as described in the research published in Physiological Entomology. Quantifying the oxidative stress levels in bees and their larval stages from three landscapes (conventional, organic, and roadside) shows that minimum exposure to agrochemicals and high traffic-related pollutants results in the lowest levels of OX. “Overall, these findings show that variation in pesticide residue profiles across landscapes is associated with different OX responses in bees,†the authors state. “Given the essential ecosystem services provided by bees, our findings underscore the urgent need for landscape-level strategies to reduce pollinator exposure to chemical stressors.†Background . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, Oxidative Stress, Pollinators, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. by: Beyond Pesticides
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19
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 19, 2026) Research continues to mount on organically managed systems, reinforcing the importance of fostering soil health to ultimately reduce dependency on increasingly expensive petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, ultimately making food more affordable. Research published in Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition determines that long-term organic management enhances various soil health indicators to a greater degree than conventionally managed systems. The organic soil qualities include greater microbial diversity, increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC), higher dehydrogenase activity (DHA), and higher alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), among other favorable outcomes. The positive impacts of organic land management on soil health, microbial diversity, and biodiversity cannot be overstated, given the existential threats imposed on the planet by petrochemical-based agricultural practices. Methodology and Main Findings This study was conducted at the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) in Rajasthan province, India. The annual average rainfall for this region is 100 mm (about 4 inches) and 450 mm (18 inches), with nearly 90 percent of that rainfall falling between June and September. Both the organic and conventional sites consist of loamy soils and shared agro-climatic conditions. The organic site was established in 2008 and certified by the . . .
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, Microbiata, soil health, Soil microbiome, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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18
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 18, 2026) As the studies continue to mount on the adverse effects of exposure to low levels of organophosphate insecticides, the calls for banning the chemicals are growing. Beyond Pesticides announced an action to “Tell Congress, FDA, and EPA that it is past time to stop the manufacture and use of all organophosphate pesticides, which damage the nervous system and brain at low levels.†There are alternatives to these chemicals that support productive and profitable farming operations. Defying the often-repeated claim that organophosphate pesticide effects occur only at high doses, a recent study by researchers at University of California, San Diego, and the Fundación Cimas del Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador, establishes for the first time the pattern of adverse developmental effects that low-level exposure has on healthy neurological and brain development in children. It is firmly established that widely used organophosphate pesticides in food production and other sites are severely toxic to a broad range of organisms. In what is known as their “classic†mechanism of action, they inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), particularly in neuromuscular junctions in the brain. Organophosphates are nerve agents, originally . . .
Posted in ADHD, Agriculture, BASF, Bayer, behavioral and cognitive effects, Brain Effects, Children, Chlorpyrifos, Corteva, Developmental Disorders, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Epigenetic Effects, Immunotoxicity, IQ Loss, Nervous System Effects, organophosphate, Take Action, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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15
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 15, 2026) As water bodies continue to be contaminated by pesticides and fertilizers used in chemical-intensive agriculture, international researchers find increasing threats to both aquatic and terrestrial food webs with insect transmission of pesticide residues from water to land. Published in Environmental Pollution, the study authors analyze insect species with complex life cycles “with an aquatic phase as larvae and a terrestrial phase as winged adults when they serve as prey for many aerial insectivores, such as bats and birds.†As the researchers explain, these insects act as vectors, transferring pesticides from water bodies into terrestrial food webs. As a result of studying feces from birds and bats that prey on these insects, the authors find residues of 16 current-use pesticides, two legacy compounds, and six metabolites (breakdown products). The study results illustrate that pesticide contamination occurs through the ingestion of contaminated prey from aquatic systems, as all of the substances recovered in the fecal samples are detected in the water bodies within the study region. The transfer of pesticides from emerging insects to other species in the food web further threatens biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In summary, the . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Aquatic Organisms, Bats, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Biomonitoring, Birds, contamination, diflufenican, Ecosystem Services, epoxiconazole, flufenacet, Fungicides, Germany, Herbicides, Metabolites, Pesticide Residues, simazine, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. by: Beyond Pesticides
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14
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 14, 2026) In a new report by Friends of the Earth, federal organic standards as defined by the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) are identified as a bedrock “Threshold Program†with high minimum standards that combine three core features—synthetic pesticide and fertilizer prohibitions, soil health requirements, and third-party verification and enforcement systems. In other words, the review of thirteen regenerative and regenerative organic labels and enforcement systems must be built on enforceable standards. This criterion is foundational to the growth of the U.S. organic sector to over $76.6 billion in domestic sales in 2025, expanding at a pace nearly twice the rate of growth (6.8 percent) compared to the national agricultural sector more broadly (3.4 percent). Main Findings The report focuses on the principles of 13 different regenerative labeling and certification systems on the market, including a comparison of federal organic standards and the U.S. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The main findings and features of the report include: “Truly regenerative agriculture must phase out dependency on agrochemicals that undermine the very ecological functions on which resilience depends.†The various “regenerative†agriculture labels currently on the market are significantly varied in terms . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Regenerative, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) by: Beyond Pesticides
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13
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 13, 2026) Published in Toxics, a review finds that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can heighten the risks to exposed organisms from environmental contaminants. Mixtures of these compounds can negatively impact the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and reproductive systems, particularly in aquatic organisms, and threaten overall biodiversity. The review highlights synergistic effects (greater in combination) observed in mixtures, such as PFAS with pesticides and microplastics, that can cause enhanced oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, developmental defects, and reproductive dysfunction, among others. “The objectives were to evaluate the toxicological effects of mixtures of the selected contaminants with PFAS on aquatic organisms to better understand biological responses in animals,†the study authors explain. “Based on our review, data suggest that PFAS can modify the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants.†Background PFAS were first created in the 1930s and have since been used in many industries and in the production of many products. The multitude of PFAS sources and exposure routes leads to widespread contamination of the environment and organisms. PFAS in agriculture represents a large source, as PFAS can be pesticide active ingredients, used in the plastic containers that pesticides are stored in, and as surfactants in pesticide products. . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Aquatic Organisms, Atrazine, Biodiversity, Body Burden, Chemical Mixtures, Chlorpyrifos, contamination, Developmental Disorders, fish, Oxidative Stress, PFAS, Reproductive Health, synergistic effects, Water by: Beyond Pesticides
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12
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 12, 2026) Research published in Microbiological Research finds that organic farming enhances microbial diversity in citrus orchard soil systems, both in terms of nutrient cycling and aiding in the development of more complex microbial networks pivotal to biodiversity. This comes as no surprise to organic, public health, and biodiversity advocates who have tracked the scientific literature on soil health and human health benefits of organic land management systems. Methodology and Results The international research team for the study engaged in a comparative field study of 15 commercial citrus orchards in Sicily, including 7 organic fields and 8 chemical-intensive, conventional fields, with the prime objective of assessing the role of the farming system, as well as environmental and agronomic factors, on soil microbiome structure and function. They collected 75 samples in summer (June-July 2021) and winter (December 2021-January 2022) periods, with 150 soil samples collected in total. In each orchard, 5 trees were randomly selected, with 4 soil “cores†pooled into one composite sample per tree at a depth of roughly 20-30 centimeters to assess interactions with tree roots and at a distance of 40-100 centimeters from the tree trunk. The researchers . . .
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, soil health, Soil microbiome, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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11
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 11, 2026) As studies stack up on adverse synergistic effects of chemical mixtures, serious deficiencies in the regulatory review of pesticides have come into sharp focus. As the hazards are shown to escalate and the regulatory review process is shown to fall short, public health advocates are telling Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Health and Human Services that they must consider the effects of pesticides in the context in which they are used and with reference to the organic alternative. A recent study in Toxics reviewed the current literature on pesticides, microplastics, or metal exposure in combination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates, finding that PFAS can modify, including intensify, the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants.  A commentary in Frontiers in Toxicology, by  Maricel Maffini, PhD, and Laura Vandenberg, PhD,  notes, “Current approaches also rely on the assumption that testing chemicals one at a time is appropriate to understand how chemicals act under real-world conditions. Numerous mixture studies, including ones that demonstrated cumulative effects, have disproven this assumption.â€Â  As noted by the naturalist, writer, and conservationist John Muir, known as the “Father of the National Parks,†and those before and after . . .
Posted in contamination, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, synergistic effects, Take Action, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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08
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 8, 2026)  A study from Ecuador establishes for the first time the developmental pattern of nervous system toxicants—still widely used in agriculture, mosquito control, and landscaping—on healthy neurological and brain development in children. It is firmly established that widely used organophosphate pesticides are severely toxic to a broad range of organisms. In what’s known as their “classic†mechanism of action, they inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), particularly in neuromuscular junctions in the brain. Not enough AChE leads to a buildup of ACh in motor neurons. Organophosphates deplete AChE, and an acute dose can paralyze the heart and lung muscles, causing death. Chronic exposures are implicated in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Beyond Pesticides’ Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management has detailed information on the organophosphates malathion, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and others. Acetylcholine and AChE are vital biological chemicals conserved across the animal kingdom, from humans to insects and everything in between. Yet there is no established baseline for normal levels of ACh and AChE in humans. Comparing biomarkers of organochlorine exposure with normal values would be a major . . .
Posted in Brain Effects, Children, Developmental Disorders, Insecticides, Lawns/Landscapes, Nervous System Effects, Pesticide Drift, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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07
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 7, 2026) Adding to the wide body of science on pesticide-induced cancer, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Department of Environmental Medicine find that environmental and occupational exposures increase the risk of developing multiple myeloma (MM), a type of blood cancer. As published in Blood Reviews, the literature review highlights how exposure to contaminants, such as pesticides, dioxins, combustion byproducts, and ambient air pollution, can cause MM through mechanisms of oxidative stress, DNA damage, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling, as well as influence disease biology through immune dysregulation. “Earlier epidemiologic studies suggested associations between environmental exposures and disease risk, but few have used modern geospatial or exposomic [totality of environmental exposure relating to health effects] methods capable of capturing exposure complexity,†the authors write. They continue: “Advances in data integration, spatial modeling, and molecular profiling now make it possible to revisit these questions with greater precision and biological context. This review summarizes current evidence on environmental exposures in plasma cell disorders and frames a research agenda for integrating exposomic data to improve exposure resolution and evaluate plausible mechanisms in MM.†. . .
Posted in Agent Orange, Agriculture, Blood Disorders, Cancer, Carbaryl, DNA Damage, Multiple Myeloma, Oxidative Stress, TCDD by: Beyond Pesticides
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06
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 6, 2026) Adding to the wide body of science highlighting the adverse effects of pesticides on pollinators, as extensively documented in Daily News and What the Science Shows on Biodiversity, a study published in Insects finds threats to Italian honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) following exposure to insecticides with contrasting toxicity levels. Both the high toxicity and low toxicity compounds impact honey bee gut bacteria and gut microbial composition, showing how even “reduced risk†insecticides can have sublethal effects and jeopardize pollinator health. As the authors point out, “Honey bees depend on a small but highly specialized community of gut bacteria that help them digest food, resist infections, and cope with environmental stress.†Because of this, chemicals that disrupt the honey bee gut microbiome can threaten their survival. In the current study, the researchers analyze two compounds to determine adverse impacts on honey bees’ gut microbiota: emamectin benzoate-lufenuron (EB-LFR), an avermectin insecticide with high toxicity, and RH-5849 (1,2-dibenzoyl-1-tert-butylhydrazine), a non-steroidal ecdysone agonist (mimicking the action of the insect molting hormone) and insect growth regulator with reported lower toxicity. The results reveal that both toxicity levels can harm gut microbial composition, with EB-LFR . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Beneficials, Biodiversity, emamectin, Gut Dysbiosis, Insecticides, Microbiome, neonicotinoids, Pollinators by: Beyond Pesticides
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05
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 5, 2026) In a literature review of peer-reviewed research published in Cambridge University publication Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, researchers at Institute for Applied Agriculture Research (Germany) and Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems (Arizona State University, USA) determine that organically managed systems have better performance indicators under climate-induced stressors, emit less nitrous oxide emissions, increase overall soil organic carbon, and reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The researchers also point out the potential socio-ecological benefits of organic management systems, including their potential for building local and regional food systems. On the eve of the Spring National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in the United States, advocates continue to call for a wholesale transition to organic and for the immediate appointment of five Board members, who the U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to seat to fill vacancies, representing farmers, consumers, and an organic certifier. Main Findings This literature review is a follow-up to a 2010 literature review that evaluates the climate mitigation and adaptation potential of organic agriculture based on new science from 2010 to 2025. The research is derived from meta-analyses, peer-reviewed studies, and global reports published by . . .
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Climate, Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
1 Comment
04
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 4, 2026) Attention shifts to the U.S. Senate after the U.S. House of Representatives last week (April 30) passed a Farm Bill. In a bipartisan vote thought unthinkable just over a month ago when the House Agriculture Committee passed its Farm Bill, Democratic members of Congress, joined by 73 Republicans, stripped from the bill three chemical-industry authored provisions that would have severely weakened pesticide law on a vote of 280 to 142. The final bill, H.R. 7567—Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which is unacceptable to farm, farmworker, food, and environmental advocates, passed the House on a vote of 224 to 200. (See here for the vote tally.) The Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Senator John Boozman (R-AR) pointed to the House bill as “bipartisan†and a “significant achievement.†Fourteen Democrats voted for the House bill and three Republicans voted against the legislation, which has been widely referred to as a Republican bill since it was written by Republican lawmakers without input from Democrats. It is not clear whether Sen. Boozman will move ahead with bipartisan negotiations on Senate Farm Bill language.  Beyond Pesticides, along with environmental, farm, . . .
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, Congress, Corporations, Failure to Warn, Farm Bill, Farmworkers, Preemption, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
1 Comment
01
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 1, 2026) A study in Psychiatry Research, entitled “Toxic Exposure and Rates of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among U.S. Military Veterans,†adds to the body of science linking poorer mental health among military members with exposure to environmental contaminants. While previous research focuses on mental health broadly, the current observational cohort study focuses on exposure to toxic substances and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) through the analysis of data from 248,926 U.S. veterans enrolled in the Million Veteran Program (MVP). In comparing self-reported exposures to nine toxicants, including Agent Orange, chemical/biological weapons, anthrax vaccine, solvents/fuels, petroleum combustion products, lead, other metals, pesticides, and open-air burn pits, and mental health records, the researchers find that military veterans with higher toxic exposures are more likely to have STBs. The authors also report that these associations occur across all major service cohorts (pre-Vietnam, Vietnam, post-Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras). “Our work contributes to growing evidence that veterans who report more toxic exposures are more likely to have STBs, consistent with greater risk for other mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]),†the researchers conclude. Importance and Background Military members experience increased . . .
Posted in Agent Orange, air pollution, Brain Effects, contamination, Depression, Gulf War Syndrome, Occupational Health, Parkinson's, PFAS, Suicide by: Beyond Pesticides
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30
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 30, 2026) On April 27, 2026, advocates—including Beyond Pesticides—from across the political spectrum came together in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to speak out against the chemical industry campaign, led by Bayer/Monsanto, the Trump administration, and Republican lawmakers, to shield chemical manufacturers from liability for failing to warn people who have been harmed by their pesticides. Their multi-pronged strategy targets the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Congress, and state legislatures. The question of the public’s right to sue chemical manufacturers that do not warn of product hazards was heard before the Supreme Court, as Monsanto argued that people who have been diagnosed with cancer after using the weed killer glyphosate should be prohibited from suing the company for failing to warn on the product label. The chemical manufacturer argued in Monsanto v. Durnell that federal registration of a pesticide preempts legal rights afforded to people under state law under U.S. federalism. The chemical industry is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse decades of jurisprudence and shield manufacturers from liability associated with those who are harmed but not warned about pesticide adverse effects like cancer, neurological or immunological conditions, reproductive dysfunction, and . . .
Posted in Bayer, Chemicals, Corporations, Failure to Warn, Glyphosate, Monsanto, Preemption, U.S. Supreme Court, Uncategorized by: Beyond Pesticides
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