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Updates from the Daily News Blog

Literature Review Finds Heightened Risks for Thyroid Cancer in Women with Pesticide Exposure
November 14, 2025

Pesticide Contamination of Seaweed Threatens Public Health, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Functioning
October 23, 2025

Eighty Pesticides Detected in the Air of Rural Agricultural Area
August 8, 2025

Pesticide Contamination of Waterway Impairs Development of Freshwater Fish, a Keystone Species
August 6, 2025

As Millions Die from Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Annually, Study Shines Light on Pesticide Connection
July 11, 2025

Tanzania at a Crossroads, Building an Organic Future after Decades of Toxic Pollution
July 9, 2025

Study Maps the Gut Microbiome and Adverse Impacts of Pesticide Residues
June 11, 2025

Soil Nematodes Vital to Plant Health Threatened by Nontarget Pesticide Exposure, Study Finds
May 9, 2025

Sleep Disorders in Farmers and Farmworkers Linked to Pesticide Exposure in Study Supporting Similar Findings
January 31, 2025

Multitude of Studies Find Epigenetic Effects from PFAS and Other Endocrine Disrupting Pesticides
January 16, 2025

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Endosulfan

General Information

• Fact Sheet: endosulfan_final.pdf
• Product Names:

  Drexel endosulfan (Drexel Chemical Co.)
  Endalfly insecticide cattle ear tag (Kmg-bernuth Inc)
  Phaser (Bayer Cropsciences)
  Thionex technical insecticide (Makhteshim-agan) 
  Thiodan (Makhteshim-agan) 

• Chemical Class: Organochlorine
• Uses: Contact insecticide in vegetables, fruits, cereal grains, and cotton, as well as ornamental shrubs, trees, vines, and ornamentals for use in commercial agricultural settings.
• Alternatives: Organic agriculture
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Not documented
• Endocrine Disruption: Yes (1)
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (2)
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (2)
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Yes (3)
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (2)
• Birth/Developmental: Yes (4)
• Detected in Groundwater: Yes (2)
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Yes (5)
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (5)
• Toxic to Bees: Yes (6)

Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database

• Tree-boring Caterpillars

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) signed (11/2002)
  • Lawsuit filed by Pesticide Action Network, Beyond Pesticides, NRDC, UFW et. al (7/2008)
  • Scientists' call to ban endosulfan (5/2008)
  • EPA Announces Move to Terminate Use of Endosulfan (6/2010)
• Supporting information:
  • Daily News Blog entries (Beyond Pesticides)
  • Extoxnet Endosulfan Factsheet (Extension Toxicology Network)
  • PAN Pesticides Database:Endosulfan (Pesticide Action Network)
  • PAN Endosulfan Program Page (Pesticide Action Network)
• Studies [compiled from the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database]
  • Developmental exposure to pesticides zineb and/or endosulfan renders the nigrostriatal dopamine system more susceptible to these environmental chemicals later in life.. Jia, Z., et al. 2007. Neurotoxicology 28(4):727-735
  • Developmental exposure to the organochlorine insecticide endosulfan damages the nigrostriatal dopamine system in male offspring.. Wilson WW, Shapiro LP, et al. 2014. Neurotoxicology. 44:279-87
  • Developmental neurotoxic effects of two pesticides: Behavior and neuroprotein studies on endosulfan and cypermethrin.. Lee I, Eriksson P, et al. 2015. Toxicology. 335:1-10.
  • Effect of Endosulfan on Male Reproductive Development. Saiyed, H et al. 2003. Environ Health Perspect 111:1958-1962
  • Effects of a mixture of pesticides on the adult female reproductive system of Sprague-Dawley, Wistar, and Lewis rats. Pascotto VM, Guerra MT, Franci JA, et al. 2015. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 78(9):602-16
  • Human exposure and risk assessment to airborne pesticides in a rural French community.. Coscollà C, López A, Yahyaoui A, Colin P, et al. 2017. Sci Total Environ. 584-585:856-868
  • Incidence of organochlorine pesticides and the health condition of nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) at Laguna San Ignacio, a pristine area of Baja California Sur, Mexico.. Rivera-Rodríguez LB, Rodríguez-Estrella R. 2011. Ecotoxicology.;20(1):29-38
  • .
  • A pesticide and iPSC dopaminergic neuron screen identifies and classifies Parkinson-relevant pesticides. Paul, K.C., Krolewski, R.C., Lucumi Moreno, E., Blank, J., Holton, K.M., Ahfeldt, T., Furlong, M., Yu, Y., Cockburn, M., Thompson, L.K. and Kreymerman, A., 2023. Nature Communications, 14(1), p.2803.
  • Endosulfan use and the risk of thyroid cancer: an ecological study. Vasan, V., Alsen, M., Vujovic, D., Genden, E., Sinclair, C. and van Gerwen, M., 2023. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B, 58(1), pp.51-57.
  • Genotoxicity and Adverse Human Health Outcomes Among People Living Near Highly Polluted Waste Water Drains in Punjab, India. Thakur, J. et al. (2008) Genotoxicity and Adverse Human Health Outcomes Among People Living Near Highly Polluted Waste Water Drains in Punjab, India, Epidemiology. Available at: https://journals.lww.com/epidem/fulltext/2008/11001/genotoxicity_and_adverse_human_health_outcomes.867.aspx.
  • Influence of Pesticides Contamination on Microbial Population of Selected Farmlands. Uneze, D.P., Kugbenu, G.J. and Obire, O. (2024) Influence of pesticides contamination on microbial population of selected farmlands, British Journal of Environmental Sciences. Available at: https://eajournals.org/bjes/vol12-issue-5-2024/influence-of-pesticides-contamination-on-microbial-population-of-selected-farmlands/.
  • Thyroid under Attack: The Adverse Impact of Plasticizers, Pesticides, and PFASs on Thyroid Function. Rodrigues, V.G. et al. (2024) Thyroid under Attack: The Adverse Impact of Plasticizers, Pesticides, and PFASs on Thyroid Function, Endocrines. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-396X/5/3/32.
  • Perinatal exposure to pesticides alters synaptic plasticity signaling and induces behavioral deficits associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. López-Merino, E., Cuartero, M.I., Esteban, J.A. et al. Perinatal exposure to pesticides alters synaptic plasticity signaling and induces behavioral deficits associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Cell Biol Toxicol 39, 2089–2111 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10565-022-09697-2
  • Air contamination by legacy and current-use pesticides in Brazilian mountains: An overview of national regulations by monitoring pollutant presence in pristine areas. de Souza Guida, Y. et al. (2018) Air contamination by legacy and current-use pesticides in Brazilian mountains: An overview of national regulations by monitoring pollutant presence in pristine areas, Environmental Pollution. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749118314441.
  • Predicting the relationship between pesticide genotoxicity and breast cancer risk in South Indian women in in vitro and in vivo experiments . Sasikala, S. et al. (2023) ‘Predicting the relationship between pesticide genotoxicity and breast cancer risk in south Indian women in in vitro and in vivo experiments’, Scientific Reports, 13(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-023-35552-3.
  • Pesticide-Induced Inflammation at a Glance. Lopes-Ferreira, M. et al. (2023) ‘Pesticide-induced inflammation at a glance’, Toxics, 11(11), p. 896. doi:10.3390/toxics11110896.
  • Pesticide exposure and sleep disorder: A cross-sectional study among Thai farmers. Juntarawijit, C. et al. (2025) Pesticide exposure and sleep disorder: A cross-sectional study among Thai farmers, Heliyon. Available at: https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)17154-X.
  • A cocktail of contaminants: how mixtures of pesticides at low concentrations affect aquatic communities. Relyea R. A. (2009). A cocktail of contaminants: how mixtures of pesticides at low concentrations affect aquatic communities. Oecologia, 159(2), 363–376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-008-1213-9
  • Chlorpyrifos and endosulfan affect buffalo oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development in vitro directly and through cumulus cells. Nandi, S., Gupta, P.S.P., Roy, S.C., Selvaraju, S. and Ravindra, J.P. (2011), Chlorpyrifos and endosulfan affect buffalo oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development in vitro directly and through cumulus cells. Environ. Toxicol., 26: 57-67. https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20529
  • Pesticide residue in cucumber-exposed plants, and its associated effects on soil nematode population. Imonikebe, P. et al. (2025) Pesticide residue in cucumber-exposed plants, and its associated effects on soil nematode population, Advances in Modern Agriculture. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390847748_Pesticide_residue_in_cucumber-exposed_plants_and_its_associated_effects_on_soil_nematode_population.
  • Mapping pesticide-induced metabolic alterations in human gut bacteria. Chen, L. et al. (2025) Mapping pesticide-induced metabolic alterations in human gut bacteria, Nature Communications. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59747-6.
  • Current‐use pesticides in seawater and their bioaccumulation in polar bear–ringed seal food chains of the Canadian Arctic. Adam D. Morris, Derek C.G. Muir, Keith R. Solomon, Robert J. Letcher, Melissa A. McKinney, Aaron T. Fisk, Bailey C. McMeans, Gregg T. Tomy, Camilla Teixeira, Xiaowa Wang, Mark Duric, Current‐use pesticides in seawater and their bioaccumulation in polar bear–ringed seal food chains of the Canadian Arctic, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Volume 35, Issue 7, 1 July 2016, Pages 1695–1707, https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.3427
  • Current‐use pesticide transport to Costa Rica's high‐altitude tropical cloud forest. Chubashini Shunthirasingham, Todd Gouin, Ying D Lei, Clemens Ruepert, Luisa E Castillo, Frank Wania, Current‐use pesticide transport to Costa Rica's high‐altitude tropical cloud forest, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Volume 30, Issue 12, 1 December 2011, Pages 2709–2717, https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.671
  • Atmospheric Deposition of Current-Use and Historic-Use Pesticides in Snow at National Parks in the Western United States. Hageman, K. J., Simonich, S. L., Campbell, D. H., Wilson, G. R., & Landers, D. H. (2006). Atmospheric deposition of current-use and historic-use pesticides in snow at national parks in the western United States. Environmental science & technology, 40(10), 3174–3180. https://doi.org/10.1021/es060157c
  • Species at Risk (SPEAR) index indicates effects of insecticides on stream invertebrate communities in soy production regions of the Argentine Pampas. Hunt, L., Bonetto, C., Marrochi, N., Scalise, A., Fanelli, S., Liess, M., Lydy, M. J., Chiu, M. C., & Resh, V. H. (2017). Species at Risk (SPEAR) index indicates effects of insecticides on stream invertebrate communities in soy production regions of the Argentine Pampas. The Science of the total environment, 580, 699–709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.016
  • Status of pesticides pollution in Tanzania – A review. Elibariki, R., & Maguta, M. M. (2017). Status of pesticides pollution in Tanzania - A review. Chemosphere, 178, 154–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.036
  • Residues of pesticides and metabolites in chicken kidney, liver and muscle samples from poultry farms in Dar es Salaam and Pwani, Tanzania. Mahugija, J. A. M., Chibura, P. E., & Lugwisha, E. H. J. (2018). Residues of pesticides and metabolites in chicken kidney, liver and muscle samples from poultry farms in Dar es Salaam and Pwani, Tanzania. Chemosphere, 193, 869–874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.11.094
  • Tracking toxic chemical exposure in Uganda: Insights from silicone wristbands. Essandoh, Yaw Edu et al. “Tracking toxic chemical exposure in Uganda: Insights from silicone wristbands.” Environmental research vol. 277 (2025): 121522. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2025.121522
  • Global patterns of pesticide residues in seaweeds: A systematic review. Azevedo, G. et al. (2025) Global patterns of pesticide residues in seaweeds: A systematic review, Marine Pollution Bulletin. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25011841.