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- Thursday, January 26, 2023
NCAP s Pest Management Guide
NCAP's Pest Management Guide full of resources for identification of plant diseases, insects and weeds, management inclding alternatives and much more. Tailored ot the US NorthWest but much information is applicable elsewhere.
filed under alternatives
- Thursday, January 26, 2023
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Adversely Affect Nervous System Health, According to Study
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Adversely Affect Nervous System Health, According to Study
(Beyond Pesticides, January 19, 2023) Chinese study. 'Research published in Environmental Health Perspectives finds the presence of nine various neonicotinoids (neonics) and six neonic metabolites within human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Researchers collected CSF samples from patients experiencing similar symptoms with a different disease/clinical diagnosis (i.e., “mostly viral encephalitis, encephalitis other than viral encephalitis, leukemia, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral laceration, urinary tract infection, respiratory failure, pulmonary tuberculosis, and posterior circulation ischemia”).
Ninety-nine percent of the 314 CSF samples contain at least one neonic. Of the 314 CSF samples, nine percent (28) have a single neonic compound, 84 percent (265) have between 2 and 6, and six percent (19) have between 7 and 10 neonic compounds. Nine of these neonics in CSF samples are nitenpyram (NIT), thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid (ACE), thiacloprid, clothianidin, flonicamid, imidaclothiz, and sulfoxaflor. Additionally, six neonic metabolites are present in CSF: N-desmethyl-thiamethoxam, olefin-imidacloprid, 5-hydroxy-imidacloprid, N-desmethyl-acetamiprid (N-dm-ACE), thiacloprid-amide, and 6-chloronicotinic acid.
filed under neonicotinoids 2 and nervous system effects
- Thursday, January 26, 2023
Growing Sunflowers Near Honey Bee Colonies Helps Reduce Mite Problems
Growing Sunflowers Near Honey Bee Colonies Helps Reduce Mite Problems
(Beyond Pesticides, January 18, 2023) Sunflower plantings have the potential to significantly reduce mite infestations in nearby honey bee colonies, according to research recently published in the Journal of Economic Entomology by researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
For every doubling of sunflower crop production, models employed show a nearly 1/3 decrease in varroa mite infestation. For the fall pollen feeding experiment, colonies fed sunflower pollen saw a 2.75 fold reduction in the intensity of Varroa infestation compared to the artificial pollen treatment. For the spring feeding, Varroa was found in only one-third of hives sampled. Neither the fall nor spring feed experiment, or the individual caged bee experiment saw a significant effect on viral loading or Nosema prevalence, however.
filed under alterntives/insects and invertebrates/additional information and Bee Die-Off
- Thursday, January 26, 2023
Glyphosate Exposure and Urinary Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in the Agricultural Health Study
evidence supporting an association between glyphosate exposure and oxidative stress in humans
Glyphosate Exposure and Urinary Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in the Agricultural Health Study (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, djac242, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djac242, January 2023)
Our findings contribute to the weight of evidence supporting an association between glyphosate exposure and oxidative stress in humans and may inform evaluations of the carcinogenic potential of this herbicide.
filed under glyphosate and cancer/links
- Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Pesticides Not Only Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development, But Accelerating Disease Symptoms
Pesticides Not Only Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development, But Accelerating Disease Symptoms
(Beyond Pesticides, January 12, 2023) Exposure to certain pesticides among individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) can increase the risk of symptom progression. According to a study published in Science of the Total Environment, nearly 20 percent of pesticides associated with the onset of PD also increase the risk of faster decline in motor and non-motor function. Using a geographic information system (GIS) tool to gather information on ambient exposure to pesticides in residences and workplaces via California Pesticide Use Report records and land use records. The researchers examine the association between 53 pesticides with links to PD onset to determine PD symptom progression for five years and 2.7 years (respectively) for two patients.
Of the pesticides with links to PD onset, ten or ~18.8 percent (i.e., copper sulfate pentahydrate, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid MCPA dimethylamine salt, tribufos, sodium cacodylate, methamidophos, ethephon, propargite, bromoxynil octanoate, monosodium methanearsonate MSMA, and dicamba) have associations with faster symptom progression.
SNAP comment: dicamba is used in most lawn care herbicide formulations. There are currently 83 copper sulfate, 95 MCPA , 4 ethephon,107 dicamba,and 0 tribufos, sodium cacodylate, methamidophos, propargite, bromoxynil octanoate, monosodium methanearsonate MSMA products registered in Canada although some have been historically registered.
filed under nervous system effects/Parkinson's
- Friday, January 20, 2023
Study Connects Neonicotinoids to Liver Damage Ignored by EPA
Study Connects Neonicotinoids to Liver Damage Ignored by EPA
(Beyond Pesticides, January 11, 2022) Neonicotinoid insecticides can have detrimental effects on liver health, according to research published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. (Chinese study)
Scientists determined the amount of eight neonicotinoids in bile samples, including acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, imidaclothiz, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam.
Researchers found that neonicotinoids are neither metabolized by the liver nor excreted by urine. Of all samples taken, at least one neonicotinoid was detected in 99% of individuals tested. However, different neonicotinoids were found to act in different ways. While the detection of acetamiprid was low (1% of samples), 97% contained nitenpyram. The widely used insecticide dinotefuran was detected in 86% of bile. Detections did not appear to differ between participants of different health backgrounds.(cancer vs control).
The results led scientists to believe that neonicotinoids found in bile will eventually be absorbed again by the intestines, make their way into blood, and eventually one’s liver. Biomarkers tested, such as cholesterol, bilirubin, and bile acids, were found to correlate with higher concentrations of certain neonicotinoids. Of the various neonicotinoids, dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin were found to pose the greatest risk to liver health.
filded under neonicotinoids and liver
- Friday, January 20, 2023
Pollinator Decline Leads to Crop Losses, Malnutrition, and Highest Threat to Low-Income
Pollinator Decline Leads to Crop Losses, Malnutrition, and Highest Threat to Low-Income
(Beyond Pesticides, January 10, 2023) Pollinator losses are responsible for reducing the global production of nuts, fruits, and vegetables by 3-5%, and this loss of healthy, nutrient-dense food is resulting in over 425,000 excess deaths each year, according to research published late last year in Environmental Health Perspectives.
filed under terrestrial invertebrates
- Friday, January 20, 2023
Insecticidal Bed Nets Contribute to Resistance in Bed Bug Populations
Insecticidal Bed Nets Contribute to Resistance in Bed Bug Populations
(Beyond Pesticides, January 5, 2022) The use of insecticidal bed nets (IBNs) to prevent mosquito bites in malaria-endemic communities can result in resistance developing in secondary pests like bed bugs, according to research published in Parasites and Vectors. Decreased efficacy against bed bugs and other non-mosquito pests may result in misuse of both mosquito adulticides and bed nets, hampering efforts to stop the spread of malaria and other insect-borne disease.
filed under resistance/insecticides
- Friday, January 20, 2023
Neonicotinoid Insecticides Add to the Growing List of Chemicals that Transfer between Mother and Fetus
(Beyond Pesticides, January 4, 2022) A study published in Environmental Science and Technology finds neonicotinoids (neonics) and their breakdown products (metabolites), like other chemical pesticide compounds, can readily transfer from mother to fetus.
Levels of five neonics (acetamiprid, imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam) and two metabolites of acetamiprid and imidacloprid were measured.
The most abundant neonic in mothers’ serum (MS) and cord serum (CS) samples is imidacloprid, whereas acetamiprid’s metabolite is the most abundant in CS and MS. Both parent and metabolite neonics have a high ransplacental transfer efficiencies (TTE), with imidacloprid having the highest transfer rate (1.61). Even the neonic with the lowest TTE of 0.81, thiamethoxam, is within the high TTE range, indicating proficient placental transfer of these chemicals from mother to fetus. Researchers identify that transplacental transfer of these chemicals mainly occurs through passive mechanisms depending on chemical structure.
filed under neonicotinoids and children/neonicotinoids
- Friday, January 20, 2023
Survey Technique Increases Agricultural Resiliency and Protects Pollinators; Higher Species Diversity in Organic
(Beyond Pesticides, December 21, 2022) Imagine plucking a flower and being able to find out every insect that recently visited that plant. By evaluating the environmental DNA (eDNA) left behind by insect pollinators alongside visual assessment surveys, a new study is providing an innovative way for farmers to improve pollination and protect on-farm biodiversity. Scientists also conducted visual monitoring, whereby an observer stood between two orchard rows and recorded all flower visitors within roughly eight feet of themselves. The two methods of observation provide somewhat differing, yet complimentary results.
filed under terrestrial invertebrates