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Saturday, September 7, 2024 B.C. against maker of herbicide that allegedly causes Parkinson s The representative plaintiff says Syngenta, which produced and marketed paraquat-based herbicides, should be liable for its health effects

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B.C. against maker of herbicide that allegedly causes Parkinson's

The representative plaintiff says Syngenta, which produced and marketed paraquat-based herbicides, should be liable for its health effects (byJoseph Ruttle, Vancouver Sun, Aug 14, 2024)

This article also presents industry's defense.

'The lawsuit argues “Syngenta’s labels make no mention of any implications of chronic exposure, nor do they make any reference to Parkinson’s disease.”

Hundreds of pages of supporting documents include expert testimony showing that prolonged exposure to paraquat is associated with a 250-per-cent increase in the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease.

They also submitted a collection of internal corporate documents dating back decades that suggest “Syngenta’s public statements about Parkinson’s risk conflicted with its internal research.”

Saturday, September 7, 2024 Campaign calls on province to ban glyphosate spraying Use of herbicide in Northern Ont. forests impacts wildlife and threatens human health, say Anishinabek critics

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Campaign calls on province to ban glyphosate spraying

Use of herbicide in Northern Ont. forests impacts wildlife and threatens human health, say Anishinabek critics (by Jim Moodie, Sudbury Star, Aug 19, 2024)

'Since glyphosate has been applied as an aerial herbicide, elders “have observed dramatic changes in moose, deer, muskrat and other forest life, as jack pine plantations began replacing mixed forests,” according to the release.

Together, the opponents of the herbicide spraying assembled a petition counting more than 300,000 signatures.

Gelinas noted Quebec actually has far more hydro infrastructure than Ontario, exporting its power to the U.S. as well as domestically, but their utility is still profitable, without relying on the chemical. Meanwhile 'umerous First Nations people are employed to clear brush manually from transmission lines.'

filed under glyphosate 2 and forestry/ herbicides

Saturday, September 7, 2024 Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests

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Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests (by Emily Chung, Benjamin Shingler, CBC News, Sep 05, 2024)

Because bats play a crucial role in eating up and controlling insect pests, 'Eyal Frank, an environmental economist at the University of Chicago, decided to look at what happened when white-nose syndrome spread into new counties in the eastern U.S., decimating bat populations.

He found that farmers responded to the resulting insect outbreaks by increasing their pesticide use 31 per cent. Pesticides are toxic, and often associated with human health impacts such as increases in infant deaths.

Frank found that infant mortality went up eight per cent after the arrival of white-nose syndrome in a county, according to his study published today in the journal Science.

Frank also found evidence that not only were the pesticides expensive, but they weren't as good as the bats at controlling insects — farmers' revenue from crop sales fell 29 per cent in areas hit by the bat pandemic.

He estimates that in total, farmers in communities with bat die-offs lost $26.9 billion between 2006 and 2017. Putting a number to damages from infant mortality resulted in a societal cost of $39.6 billion from the loss of bats.'

filed under insecticides and wildlife section/mammals. and children 2

Saturday, September 7, 2024 New Glyphosate studies find risks with on-label preharvest use study on malting barley

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New Glyphosate studies find risks with “on-label” preharvest use (Safe Food Matters, 5 September 2024) 'Preharvest use of glyphosate on malting barley “should not be a recommended practice”, according to the conclusion of a recent field trial report, because it risks “the quality and residue status” of the grain. The study was conducted to assess preharvest use on barley at different rates and stages of crop maturity. The unexpected finding was that maximum residue limits (MRLs) of glyphosate were exceeded, “even when glyphosate was applied at the recommended level … and time”. In other words, even when spray label directions were followed.' Pre-harvest use is currenetly banned in Europe.

filed under glyphosate 2 and Food-pesticides in/ p.2

Thursday, August 15, 2024 Conclusion of the Transformation Agenda: Nothing Transformed

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Conclusion of the Transformation Agenda: Nothing Transformed ( Safe food Matters blog, 10 August 2024)

links and details in original article.

On August 4, 2021, Health Canada announced:

it was pausing proposed increases to pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), including for glyphosate
the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) would receive $42 million over three years “to further strengthen its human and environmental health and safety oversight and protection”- the Transformation Agenda.

Three years later, and $42 million later, nothing has been transformed. The PMRA is consulting on 4 proposed regulations, that do NOT strengthen protection from pesticides. Two of them do nothing, and two actually make matters worse.

Consultation Deadline

The deadline for submitting comments on the consultation is midnight EST, August 24, 2024.

filed under legislation/regulatory/Canada p.2

Thursday, August 15, 2024 Burns me to a crisp: Farmers allege link between popular herbicide paraquat and Parkinson s disease Internal documents show the manufacturer has been aware of concerns for decades.

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'Burns me to a crisp': Farmers allege link between popular herbicide paraquat and Parkinson's disease Internal documents show the manufacturer has been aware of concerns for decades.(By Cho Park and Jared Kofsky, ABC Newss, November 28, 2023)

filed under nervous system effects/ Parkinson's p. 2, and paraquat

Saturday, August 10, 2024 PAN Applauds EPA Suspension Of DCPA, Calls For Quicker Action

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PAN Applauds EPA Suspension Of DCPA, Calls For Quicker Action (PAN, 8 Aug 2024)

'According to EPA documents, exposure to DCPA can lead to changes in fetal thyroid hormones that are linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills observed later in life. Dangerous exposure levels that could cause harm are low enough that a pregnant individual could be exposed to DCPA without experiencing adverse health effects to their own body, while the fetus could experience permanent and significant lifelong adverse effects.

In the meantime, this product continued to be used on lawns, turf applications, and food crops,

While PAN is pleased that the emergency suspension was put into place, we are deeply disappointed in the flawed processes that delay actions that would effectively protect public health. EPA knew of the potential for harm posed by DCPA for eighteen years before taking the first step to suspend it, and then it took another ten years from that first request for more studies on DCPA to finally suspend its registration. That’s nearly three decades worth of exposure to a dangerous herbicide.

SNAP Comment: Dacthal (DCPA or dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate) is not and apparently has not historically been registered in Canada. The same flawed process of evaluation also applies to Canada. It is classified as an Alkyl Phthalate but also contains 4 clhlorine atoms.

filed under herbicides and Legislation/regulatory/ USA p.2

Friday, August 2, 2024 Some condom and lubricant brands contain alarming levels of PFAS – study Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to low birth weight, reduced sperm counts and infertility

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Some condom and lubricant brands contain alarming levels of PFAS – study Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to low birth weight, reduced sperm counts and infertility (The Guardian, 28 July 2024) Last month, scientists discovered human skin absorbs "forever chemicals" like PFAS more than previously thought. Now, popular brands of condoms and lubricants like Trojan and K-Y Jelly have been found to contain "alarming levels" of PFAS. The former head of the EPA's toxicology program says because “condoms are an exposure to the most sensitive areas on the human body for both men and women, I would strongly recommend the industry identify and remove these chemicals immediately.”

SNAP Comment: not in pesticides but worrisome.

filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs

Sunday, July 28, 2024 The toxic weed killer linked to Parkinson Disease (EWG) 2 minutes video

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The toxic weed killer linked to Parkinson's Disease (EWG) 2 minutes video Paraquat comes to our food supply via crops sprayed with it like pistachios, almonds, tomatoes and more.

Sunday, July 28, 2024 Popular POM juice producer among California leading users of paraquat Toxic weedkiller, linked to Parkinson’s, banned in over 60 countries

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Popular POM juice producer among California's leading users of paraquat (EWG news release, April 2024) 'Toxic weedkiller, linked to Parkinson’s, banned in over 60 countries.

Wonderful’s brands include POM pomegranate juice, Landmark Vineyards wine and Fiji Water, among many others.

In 2021 alone, Wonderful sprayed more than 56,000 pounds of paraquat on California fields where it grows pistachios, almonds and pomegranates, according to state and county records analyzed by EWG.

Paraquat is mostly used by U.S. growers to clear fields of weeds and leftover crops before planting almonds, corn, peanuts, soybeans, wine grapes and other crops. The herbicide can remain in soil for years.

It can also linger in dust or drift on air currents, creating exposure risks for residents in nearby communities. A recent EWG investigation found that Latinos in some California communities with high poverty rates are exposed to far higher amounts of paraquat than people elsewhere.

Only the J.G. Boswell Company, a major crop grower, used more paraquat in California than Wonderful in 2021. Boswell applied more than 58,000 pounds of paraquat on cotton, tomatoes and other crops.

The New Lede, an independent journalism initiative of EWG, and The Guardian recently revealed that Syngenta actively sought to mislead Environmental Protection Agency regulators about the link between paraquat and Parkinson’s

EWG is sponsoring state legislation that would ban the use of paraquat in California by January 2026.'

SNAP comment: the last paraquat product in Canada was taken off the market in 2022. It may still be used as the PMRA only bans sales and not use.

Filed under paraquat , nervous system effects/Parkinson's p 2