Search Results
Wednesday, June 25th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, June 25, 2025) A United Kingdom (UK) study, published in May by the Womenâs Environmental Network (Wen) and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK, is reporting levels of the herbicide glyphosateâa probable human carcinogen that is also linked to Parkinsonâs diseaseâin tampons at concentrations 40 times higher than the legal drinking water limit. This finding highlights the serious public health threats that result from under-regulated period products, given that 1.8 billion people worldwide menstruate monthly, according to UNICEF.  The report raises fundamental concerns about the harm to womenâs health associated with toxic chemical exposure. For tampon users, the vaginal route of exposure bypasses detoxification with a significantly higher absorption rate than skin. In addition, health concerns extend to ongoing chronic toxic chemical exposures to women worldwide working in cotton production and living in nearby communities. Methodology To investigate whether menstrual products contain harmful pesticide residues and whether current safety standards adequately control the risk of vaginal exposure, study researchers tested 15 boxes of tampons directly bought from UK supermarkets. These boxes were sent to an external laboratory for testing that looks for the presence of glyphosate and its breakdown product amionomethylphosphoric acid (AMPA) in the cotton material used to […]
Posted in aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), endometriosis, Glyphosate, Herbicides, Reproductive Health, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 24th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, June 24, 2025) As changes in the executive branch of the federal government upend expectations among environmental stakeholders, the regulation of food safety in the United States is being revealed as a rickety structure built over a century with unpredictable and sometimes contradictory additions, extensions, remodels, and tear-downs. In the short term, clarity is unavailable, but there have been calls for revision and strengthening of regulatory processesârequiring lawmaker and regulator willingness to incorporate the vast body of evidence that pesticides do far more harm than good, and that organic regenerative agriculture is the surest path to human and ecological health. News reports out of Costa Rica in May brought public attention to drafted legislation to ban pesticides in the country that the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined as âextremely or highly hazardous, or those with evidence of causing cancer, genetic mutations, or affecting reproduction, according to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).â The headline sparked a relook in this Daily News at the current and historical failure of U.S. policy, which allows cancer-causing pesticides in food production and land management, despite the booming success of a cost-effective and productive, certified organic sector for which petrochemical pesticides are not […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Breast Cancer, Cancer, Endocrine Disruption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Immunotoxicity, multi-generational effects, non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, synergistic effects, Uncategorized, World Health Organization | No Comments »
Monday, June 23rd, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, June 23, 2025) At the close of National Pollinator week, Beyond Pesticides says in an action that all speciesâand their ecosystemâare threatened by the failure of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to perform its statutory duties under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under FIFRA, EPA is required to register pesticides only when they pose no âunreasonable risk to man [sic] or the environment, taking into account the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits.â Under ESA, EPA must, like all federal agencies, âseek to conserve endangered species and threatened species and shall utilize their authorities in furtherance of the purposesâ of the ESAâwhich are âto provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved, to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered species and threatened species, and to take such steps as may be appropriate to achieve the purposes of the treaties and conventionsâ through which âthe United States has pledged itself as a sovereign state in the international community to conserve to the extent practicable the various species of fish or wildlife and plants facing extinction.â In this context, Beyond Pesticides […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Birds, Children, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pesticide Regulation, Pollinators, Take Action, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 10th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, June 10, 2025) An industry-led campaign to quash lawsuits against chemical manufacturers because of their âfailure to warnâ about the hazards of their pesticide products has failed to move forward in nine state legislatures with significant GOP majorities (Iowa,âŻMissouri,âŻIdaho,âŻFlorida,âŻTennessee, Mississippi,âŻWyoming,âŻMontana, andâŻOklahoma). As the Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its first report to assess the root causes of childhood diseases and adverse health conditions, there continues to be an ongoing fight among forces within the Trump Administration on whether pesticides should even be mentioned. (See here for The New York Times coverage.) As federal funding cuts make their way through the Budget Reconciliation process, communities around the country are calling on their elected officials to protect their right to sue pesticide manufacturers with failure-to-warn claims; in an era of deregulation and ongoing failure of our regulatory agencies to assess potential associated harms, advocates demand the preservation of this legal right. Status Report on State-Level Legislation The only state that has active legislation, as of todayâs writing, is North Carolina. The failure-to-warn language was inserted into the annual state Farm Bill package (SB 639) in Section 19, leading to public outcry in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on […]
Posted in Bayer, Corporations, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Failure to Warn, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Label Claims, Litigation, Mississippi, Missouri, Monsanto, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Preemption, Tennessee, Uncategorized, Wyoming | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2025) Chemical contaminants in wastewater have long been of concern, especially given the significant costs of upgrading wastewater treatment facilities to remove existing and emerging chemicals. In advancing chemical safety, one of the many regulatory determinations that Beyond Pesticides advocates for, prior to the allowance of any toxic chemical use, is the establishment of a realistic cleanup or disposal strategy. Yet, a plethora of petrochemical pesticides flood the market and contaminate the air, soil, water, and crops before poisoning humans and wildlife. A study in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering uses the detectable levels of metabolites (breakdown products) of pesticides in wastewater to gauge exposure to populations living near flower bulb fields throughout the Netherlands. Wastewater samples were collected from five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in different parts of the Netherlands, with two of the locations (Tollebeek and Lisse) located near flower bulb fields and the other three representing control areas. The study finds that higher levels of chemicals correlate with proximity to agricultural fields and present a heightened health risk. The authors describe wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) as a complementary approach to human biomonitoring that they use âto assess the spatial differences in human […]
Posted in Agriculture, Biomonitoring, Clean Water Act, Linuron, Metolachlor, tebuconazole, Water | No Comments »
Monday, June 2nd, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, June 2, 2025) One focus of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report* is children’s exposure to environmental chemicals and its link to health risks, particularly cumulative risk and chronic disease. With the evidence showing that the current approach to regulating pesticides and other chemicals fails to protect children’s health, it remains to be seen whether next steps will seek an overhaul and reorientation on the United States’ current reliance in chemical-intensive agriculture on hazardous pesticides that have been proven unnecessary by productive and profitable organic food production and land management systems, according to advocates. Beyond Pesticides and advocates are calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to promote organic practices and protect children’s health from pesticides through the setting of pesticide tolerances on food, or allowable levels of pesticide residuesâtaking back an authority given to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under a memorandum of understanding. The Food and Drug Administration, under HHS, is authorized to set tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), and EPA is authorized to register pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The predictable response from […]
Posted in Children, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, May 30th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 30, 2025) The Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report, Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment, published on May 23, drew criticism from the pesticide industry and agribusiness allies for pointing to independent science that identifies a range of pesticide-induced health hazards.* The Commission, chaired by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is composed of the heads of numerous agencies of the federal government and the White House, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to the Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller. The MAHA Commission was established by Executive Order 14212 on February 13, 2025. Despite extensive citations to the science on pesticide hazards, the report includes a section on âCrop Protection Tools,â in which there is a repetition of chemical industry talking points that pesticide residues in food comply with existing tolerances, thus implying that pesticides in food are safe. (See USDA Pesticide Data Program Continues to Mislead the Public on Pesticide Residue Exposure.) However, overall the reportâs introduction sets a tone that seeks to catalogue […]
Posted in Atrazine, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, Children, Children/Schools, Chlorpyrifos, Corporations, Corteva, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farm Bill, Farmworkers, Federal Agencies, Glyphosate, Label Claims, Pesticide Mixtures, Preemption, Uncategorized, United Nations | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 29, 2025) A study, published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, âinvestigates genotoxic effects on farmers in ParaĂba, Brazil, analyzing buccal mucosa cells [cells from inside the cheek] for DNA and cellular damage,â the authors write. In comparing data from 33 pesticide-exposed agricultural workers to 29 unexposed people in a control group, the researchers report that the âfindings revealed significantly higher frequencies of cellular alterations and DNA damage among exposed farmers relative to the control group, with no significant impact from factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or family cancer history.â They continue, âThese results underscore the genotoxic risks linked to prolonged pesticide exposure and highlight the necessity for stricter regulatory measures.â As Beyond Pesticides documents in Disproportionate Pesticide Hazards to Farmworkers and People of Color Documented… Again, farmworkers have been excluded from labor and occupational safety protection laws since their inception. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defers all policy on pesticide protections to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has been widely criticized for providing inadequate worker protection standards. This study focuses on workers in Brazil, but represents issues that impact communities worldwide. âThe agricultural sector plays a pivotal role in Brazilâs economy, encompassing […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Abamectin, Agriculture, chlorfenapyr, Cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Diuron, DNA Damage, Farmworkers, Glyphosate, hexazinone, Imidacloprid, Methamidophos, Methomyl, Occupational Health, Oxidative Stress | No Comments »
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 22, 2025) A medical study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that âliving within 1 mile of a golf course was associated with 126% increased odds of developing PD [Parkinsonâs Disease] compared with individuals living more than 6 miles away from a golf course.â While organic land management offers a simple solution, current pesticide restrictions do not address chronic neurological diseases such as Parkinsonâs Disease, which are linked to pesticide exposure. It has become increasingly clear that viable and cost-effective land management practices, including for golf course management, are critical to the protection of community health. Yet, the federal regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), do not conduct an alternative practices assessment as part of their review process to determine whether the risks are âreasonableâ (statutory language) or the risk assessments accept an unnecessary hazard. The complexity of pesticide exposure, which includes mixtures of multiple chemicals and undisclosed hazardous âinertâ ingredients, raises broad questions about the threats to public health as well as biodiversity. See a recent Action of the Week, FDA Must Establish Tolerances for Pesticides Used in Mixtures, to see […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, Chlorpyrifos, Disease/Health Effects, Drift, Golf, Paraquat, Parkinson's, Pesticide Drift, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, May 21st, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 21, 2025) An assessment of the fire hazards of four herbicide products in Science of The Total Environment finds high fire and toxic gas emission risk, particularly in 2,4-D-based weed killer products. The authors note that âInert [nondisclosed] ingredients significantly influence flammability and toxic gas generation in fires,â and the combustion of these products âreleases hazardous gases and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.â These results highlight the fire hazards associated with herbicides, as well as the emission of hazardous substances into the atmosphere, which can threaten environmental and public health.  The authors summarize: â[T]he aim of this work is to raise awareness of the fire hazards posed by the storage of pesticides and what effect the âinertâ substances in them have. In the past, large fires have occurred around the world, e.g., in Basel (1986), Arkansas (1998), and in Eastern Virginia at the Bayer CropScience plant (2008). It is important to note that in addition to large factories and warehouses, fires can affect small crop protection product stores and local wholesalers.â (See related coverage on the 2023 train derailment, fire, and subsequent release of chemicals here.) The U.S. Fire Administration estimates 344,600 residential building fires nationally, based on […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Glyphosate, Groundwater, Occupational Health, Pesticide Mixtures, Volatile Organic Compounds | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 16th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 16, 2025) A Chinese study reports for the first time an association between gestational anemia (GA), pesticide exposure, and the potentially protective effects of gut microbes. While the report is a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed, it establishes important connections eminently worthy of deeper investigation and suggests that the balance of gut microbes may be a highly effective way to reduce or prevent GA. This is a prospective study of women enrolled in 2017 and 2018 in the Mother and Child Microbiome Cohort, ongoing at a Nanjing hospital. The 731 women were over 18, without diabetes or gestational hypertension (which can affect gestational anemia). The researchers collected blood samples to analyze red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and levels of pesticides. They analyzed stool samples for gut bacteria composition. GA is extremely common. Pregnancy increases maternal blood volume by up to 50 percent, which produces obvious challenges to the mother. There is a strong gradient between the developing and developed countries: According to the World Health Organization, 35.5 percent of pregnant women globally had anemia in 2023. In Mali, 62.1 percent suffered from it. In the United States, about ten percent did. The […]
Posted in Atrazine, Chlorpyrifos, clomazone, gestational anemia, Microbiome, pyrimethanil, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, May 15th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 15, 2025) The United Nationsâ Conference of Parties (COP) for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), originally adopted by 128 countries in 2001, voted to move the highly neurotoxic organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos, linked to brain damage in children, to Annex A (Elimination) with exemptions on a range of crops, control for ticks for cattle, and wood preservation, according to the POPs Review Committee. The exemptions drew criticism from groups seeking to eliminate chlorpyrifos without exemptions, as had been originally proposed. In the world of pesticide restrictions, this POPs classification marks a step forward in the international regulation of chlorpyrifos, as the U.S. sits on the sidelines. The long effort to ban this one hazardous pesticide, as important as the action is, serves as a reminder of the limitations of a whack-a-mole approach to chemical regulation of the thousands of toxic products poisoning people and the planet, filled with compromises to public health and the environmentâwhile alternative practices and materials are available to meet productivity, profitability, and quality of life goals. According to Down to Earth, the 18 specific crop and use exemptions include the following: Barley (termites), Cabbage (diamondback moth), Cacao (cacao-mosquitoes and cacao pod […]
Posted in Chlorpyrifos, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), International, Uncategorized, United Nations | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 13th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 13, 2025) A study in Environmental Pollution examines ecological and health risks in farmland soil with pesticide contamination. âAlthough agricultural soil pesticide residues have long threatened the environment, a relatively complete system for evaluating their health and ecological risks has not yet been developed,â the authors state. In addressing this research gap, the study finds that âmore than ten pesticides were detected in 98.62% of the soil samples, which changed the soil environmentâ and threatens the health of the soil microbiome. The authors continue, âThis study investigated the correlation between pesticide residue risks and soil ecological security and human health, revealed the response characteristics of soil microbial communities under pesticide stress, and identified microbes strongly related to pesticide ecological risks.â Pesticides, as the authors emphasize, âinevitably pollute agricultural soil, affect the ecological environment, and pose a threat to human health.â (See studies here, here, and here.) With this in mind, they assess 50 selected pesticides in 145 soil samples from agricultural land in Zhejiang Province, China and calculate the associated risks to ecosystems and public health. In describing the importance of this research, the authors explain: âPesticides are prone to leakage and drift in environmental media, turning […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bifenthrin, Biodiversity, Cancer, Chlorpyrifos, Ecosystem Services, Imidacloprid, indoxacarb, Microbiome, Pesticide Mixtures, soil health | No Comments »
Thursday, May 8th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 8, 2025) A study, published in Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability, assesses the impacts on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with subacute and chronic exposure to thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid insecticide, and finds genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and changes in tissue structure, among other threats to organ function and overall fish health. âThe study focused on biochemical markers, genetic damage, pesticide residue levels in fish flesh, and histopathological changes in fish exposed to different concentrations of thiamethoxam,â the authors state. The threats do not end there; human health is also at risk from the consumption of these contaminated fish. âUnfortunately, neonicotinoids, rapidly washed into surface water from agricultural areas, pose a significant threat to environmental water quality and can harm non-target species, particularly aquatic organisms,â the researchers state. The accumulation of these chemicals leads to âultimately harming both aquatic ecosystems and human health,â they say. In particular, the study highlights that prolonged exposure to high doses of thiamethoxam can cause âsignificant negative effects on fish health,â the authors note. They continue: âThis exposure led to increased levels of urea and ALT [alanine aminotransferase] in the blood, indicating potential damage to the kidneys and liver. Additionally, thiamethoxam caused oxidative stress, as evidenced […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, fish, Kidney failure, Liver Damage, neonicotinoids, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Residues, Thiamethoxam, Water | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 7, 2025) Researchers at the University of Caxias do Sul (Brazil) identify 29 peer-reviewed scientific studies with statistically significant findings that tie pesticide use to cancer diagnoses. The literature review is published in SaĂşde Debate. This collection of clinical trials, as well as epidemiologic, case-control, and experimental studiesâfrom the United States, Brazil, India, France, Egypt, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Italy, and Spainâadd to the hundreds of peer-reviewed independent analyses connecting synthetic chemical dependency in food production and land management with mounting public health concerns. Advocates continue to call for holistic solutions that move away from toxic inputs that disproportionately harm the communities responsible for the food on dinner tables, and instead cultivate microbial diversity in soil, rather than prophylactically spray for the sake of pest control. Beyond Pesticides values the importance of scientific integrity and open access to data to inform decision makers on how to adopt healthier practices for their communities. Reliable information for good governance is critical, which is a driving factor in the ongoing compilation of thousands of peer-reviewed literature compiled and curated in the Pesticide-Induced Disease Database and Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management. Background and Methodology The main objective of this […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Cancer, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, Disease/Health Effects, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, May 6, 2025) A study in Ecology Letters finds âsevere degradation of ecosystem functioning in the form of loss of organic matter consumption and dramatic shifts in primary productivity,â the researchers state, after performing an experiment with â36 naturally established freshwater ecosystems exposed to increasing field-realistic concentrations of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid.â Aquatic communities contribute to overall biodiversity and are crucial in maintaining healthy ecosystems; without them, the entire food web and vital ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, water filtration, and climate regulation, are threatened. As the authors reference, there is a current unprecedented decline in biodiversity that can be attributed to anthropogenic impacts. A multitude of studies connect pesticides, and more specifically neonicotinoid insecticides, to impacts on aquatic ecosystems. (See studies here and here.) âSince the community of organisms locally present is responsible for the functioning of the local ecosystems,â the researchers begin, âthis begs the question: do neonicotinoid-induced shifts in community composition result in a degradation of ecosystem functioning?â Previous research finds that neonicotinoids can âimpede several freshwater ecosystem processes such as organic matter (âOMâ) decomposition, primary production or biomass transfer to neighbouring ecosystems,â the authors say. (See studies here, here, and here.) They continue: âHowever, […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), European Union, neonicotinoids, thiacloprid | No Comments »
Friday, April 25th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, April 25, 2025) A novel study in Chemosphere finds impacts on male fertility in a bee species (Osmia bicornis) with exposure to sulfoxaflor, a systemic sulfoximine insecticide with similar mechanisms to neonicotinoids. âFor the first time, we demonstrate that short-term chronic, field-realistic exposure to a common pesticide reduced pre-copulatory display (36%) and sounds (27%) [courtship behaviors], increased the number of copulations (+110%) and the mating duration (+166%), while finally reducing sperm quantity (25%) and mating success (43%),â the researchers report. They continue, âOur research raises considerable concern on the impact of field-realistic, low sublethal pesticide levels on the fertility and reproductive success of pollinators.â Mating behaviors and the ability to successfully reproduce determines the survival of species. As the authors state: âMating disorders may therefore contribute to the recent decline in insect and pollinators’ health worldwide. While the impact of pesticides on pollinators is widely considered as a driving factor for reducing pollinators’ health, their effect on mating behaviour and male fertility remains widely overlooked.â The red mason bee (O. bicornis) can âprovide essential pollination service for both crops and wild plants sustaining food production and biodiversity while serving as a bioindicator of environmental health.â The abundance and […]
Posted in Beneficials, Biodiversity, Clothianidin, fenbuconazole, men's health, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Mixtures, Pollinators, Reproductive Health, Sulfoxaflor, Thiamethoxam | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, April 23, 2025) Recent reviews of scientific literature, in both Chemosphere and Reports in Public Health, associate Parkinsonâs disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease globally, with pesticide exposure. âGiven the pervasive nature of pesticide residues in everyday food consumption and inadequate monitoring of their long-term toxicological impacts, the role of pesticide exposure as a modifiable risk factor for neurological disorders, including PD, warrants urgent attention,â the researchers state in the article in Chemosphere. In describing the history of Parkinsonâs and previous research, the authors in Reports in Public Health note that while PD etiology is not fully understood, it is a multifactorial disease. âHereditary factors are present in approximately 10% of diagnosed cases of Parkinsonâs disease, presenting early onset; while the other 90% of cases are categorized as idiopathic or sporadic Parkinsonâs disease, occurring in older individuals and may be associated with exposure to environmental agents,â the researchers say. This disease, first described by English physician James Parkinson, M.D. in 1817, involves neurochemical changes that present as âthe appearance of cardinal motor symptoms, such as bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and rest tremor, which are essential for the clinical diagnosis of the disease,â the researchers note. The […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Atrazine, behavioral and cognitive effects, Brain Effects, Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, Dichlorvos, Dieldrin, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, Malathion, mancozeb, Maneb, Nervous System Effects, Oxidative Stress, Paraquat, Parkinson's, Pesticide Mixtures, Rotenone | No Comments »
Friday, April 18th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, April 18, 2025) A recent study published in Foods assesses the ability of the fungicide azoxystrobin (AZX) and naturally occurring toxins produced by certain fungi, known as mycotoxins, to display effects of cytotoxicity (cell damage). These effects were evaluated using three common mycotoxins found in food, including ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), and T-2 toxin as mixtures with AZX within human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cell cultures. In analyzing combinations of these compounds at sublethal concentrations, the authors find modified toxicological behavior and synergistic effects that highlight the complexities of chemical mixtures, and potential threats to liver health through dietary exposure to both toxicants and toxins, that are not adequately regulated for their interactions. While fungicides, like azoxystrobin, are intended to prevent or control fungal diseases, resistance to these pesticides can increase the presence of fungi, and subsequent mycotoxins, on crops. This scenario allows for co-exposure of fungicides and mycotoxins within food products that present a risk to consumers. These chemicals can threaten human health individually, as the researchers confirm in their study, but present a greater threat in combination. The mixture of AZX with all three mycotoxins exhibits the highest toxicity, with synergistic effects at all tested concentration levels. […]
Posted in Agriculture, Azoxystrobin, Chemical Mixtures, European Union, Fungicides, Liver Damage, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Oxidative Stress, Pesticide Residues, synergistic effects | No Comments »
Thursday, April 17th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, April 17, 2025) A literature review in Reproductive Sciences finds glyphosate (GLY) and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) impact womenâs reproductive health, adding to the long list of documented harm from this widely used weed killer. The authors note, âConsidering the widespread use of GLY, the controversy regarding its endocrine-disrupting potential and reproductive toxicity, and the innumerable lawsuits filed against Bayer and Monsanto by consumers for morbidities related to Roundup™ exposure, the purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on the potential adverse effects of GLY and GBHs on the female reproductive tract and discuss possible clinical implications on reproductive health outcomes, including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and female fertility.â Glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), the primary metabolite (breakdown product) of GLY, are found throughout the environment in soil and water, as well as in samples of blood, urine, seminal plasma, and breast milk. Studies have detected residues in farmworkers, as well as “in the urine of 60â80% of the general public in the USA, including pregnant women and children.â (See studies here, here, and here.) The ubiquitous use of GLY and GBH, and subsequent persistence, threatens the health and well-being of all. Previous studies have […]
Posted in Agriculture, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), Bayer, DNA Damage, Endocrine Disruption, endometriosis, Glyphosate, Herbicides, Infertility, Monsanto, Oxidative Stress, Reproductive Health, Women's Health | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 15th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, April 15, 2025) A study in Communications Earth & Environment, through field, greenhouse, and laboratory experiments involving three plant bug species, finds both species-specific and sex-specific sensitivity responses to neonicotinoid insecticide exposureâhighlighting the threats to grassland insect communities that are disregarded in risk assessments. By assessing the effects of MospilanÂŽSG, with the active ingredient acetamiprid, the researchers determine that nontarget plant bug species are highly sensitive to neonicotinoids and face community-level harm with exposure. As systemic insecticides, neonicotinoids move through the vascular system of plants, expressing the poison through pollen, nectar, and guttation droplets. As persistent pesticides, these chemicals indiscriminately poison insects and organisms in the soil. âAlthough pesticides have been proposed as one of the main causes of insect decline, there are still few studies assessing their effects on non-target species under field conditions,â the authors state. They continue: âIn this study, we address the existing research gap on insecticide exposure of non-target herbivorous insects, focusing on two main aspects: (1) realistic exposure scenarios, (2) community-level effects, i.e., differential sensitivity between closely related species and between sexes of the same species. We chose plant bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) as a model group because they are one of the […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Agriculture, Beneficials, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, European Union, neonicotinoids | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, April 8th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, April 8, 2025) A comprehensive literature review in Environment & Health analyzes evidence from human biomonitoring, epidemiological studies, and toxicological studies that link adverse effects on womenâs reproductive health, specifically impacting the ovary, to pesticide exposure. In examining the scientific literature, consisting of over 200 studies performed in the last 25 years, the authors find pesticide exposure threatens womenâs health through ovarian dysfunction. âEpidemiological studies have shown that pesticide exposures are associated with early/delayed menarche [first occurrence of menstruation], menstrual cycle disorders, early menopause, long time to pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome, primary ovarian insufficiency, infertility, and implantation failure in women,â the researchers state. They continue, âBoth in vivo [in animals] and in vitro [in cells] studies have shown that exposure to pesticides disrupts the estrous cycle, reduces the follicle pool, alters hormone levels, and impairs oocyte [egg] maturation.â These reproductive implications are noted with many different classes of pesticides, such as insecticides, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphates (OPs), pyrethroids, and neonicotinoids, as well as herbicides and fungicides. The authors, however, comment on present research gaps: âMuch of the available epidemiological evidence focuses on legacy insecticides, such as OCPs, and a subset of insecticides that are still in use […]
Posted in acetamiprid, Atrazine, Bifenthrin, Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, DDT, Deltamethrin, Diazinon, fenvalerate, Glyphosate, Imidacloprid, Infertility, lambda-cyhalothrin, Lindane, Malathion, mancozeb, Oxidative Stress, Permethrin, Reproductive Health, Thiamethoxam, vinclozolin, Women's Health | No Comments »
Friday, April 4th, 2025
(Beyond Pesticides, April 4, 2025) In March, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced the launch of SprayDays California, âa first-of-its-kind statewide system designed to provide transparent, accessible and timely notifications and information about the use of specific pesticides[,]â according to the agencyâs press release. The state says that notification will occur in âadvance of the scheduled use of California restricted material pesticides in production agriculture.â Growing out of the passage of AB 617 Community Emissions Reduction Act in California, passed in 2017, farmworker safety advocates have long been urging an implementation strategy that provides notification of pesticide spraying. In late 2017, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) began implementation of AB 617, a bill enacted with the stated intent of addressing the air quality crisis in many communities of predominantly people of color who are disproportionately harmed by toxic chemicals. While the overall goal of the law is to reduce air pollution in these communities, farmworker advocates have sought to operationalize a pesticide spraying notification system to warn communities when nearby spraying is scheduled to take place. The idea behind notification programs and transparency in government is that it enables those potentially exposed to take precautionary measures to […]
Posted in California, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, State/Local, Telone, Uncategorized | No Comments »