• Link to SK Organic Resources
  • Learn to Manage Pests Naturally
  • Learn About Pesticides in Foods
  • LIving Near Fields Increases Pesticide Exposure
  • Driving Near Recently Sprayed Fields Exposes People to Pesticides
  • Weeds Can Be Managed Without Chemical Pesticides
  • SNAP Display at Event
  • Learn About Colony Collapse Disorder and How to Protect Bees
  • SNAP Tour of Organic Vegetable Garden
  • Grow a Lush Garden Organically

Archives for 2020

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Pesticide poisonings: A (solvable) global crisis

estimated 385 million farmers and farmworkers are poisoned every year around the world.

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Pesticide poisonings: A (solvable) global crisis (PANNA, December 2020)

'A recent systematic review of unintentional acute pesticide poisonings found that an estimated 385 million farmers and farmworkers are poisoned every year around the world. That’s about 44% of the global population of 860 million people working in agriculture. Fatalities were also estimated, and found to be around 11,000 annually. This is the first global estimate of unintentional pesticide poisonings done since 1990.'  link to the study in article.

filed under Pesticide Poisoning

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Ubiquitous Herbicide Glyphosate/Roundup Threatens Nearly All Endangered Species, Says EPA

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Ubiquitous Herbicide Glyphosate/Roundup Threatens Nearly All Endangered Species, Says EPA

(Beyond Pesticides, December 4, 2020) From the 'release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) draft biological evaluation (BE) of glyphosate. The assessment indicates that use of this ubiquitous herbicide likely threatens nearly every animal and plant species on the U.S. list of threatened and endangered species — 93% of them, in fact. 

“No NE(No Effect) determinations were made for any species or designated critical habitats; therefore, all species received a MA ( May Affect) determination.” Thus, all species and habitats underwent the second step: NLAA (Not Likely to Adversely Affect) determinations were made for 119 species and 33 species’ critical habitats, and LAA (Likely to Adversely Affect) determinations were made for 1,676 species and 759 critical habitats. For the LAAs, 96% of species and 97% of habitats had moderate evidence; strongest evidence was found for less than 1% of both species and habitats; and weakest evidence was found for 4% of species and 3% of critical habitats.

The review (of glyphosate) began in 2009, has already taken 11 years, without a full assessment of the widespread harmful impacts on people and the environment in that time period.” More specifically, plaintiffs charged EPA with bias, ignoring and using incomplete scientific data, and delay in finishing “any assessment of glyphosate’s impacts on thousands of potentially harmed endangered species, delaying it until a future decision.”  As of the January 2020 interim decision, what remained to be completed before a final reregistration decision were evaluations of (1) the risks of glyphosate exposure to endangered species, and (2) screenings for endocrine system impacts. This biological evaluation goes to the first of those outstanding items..

filed under glyphosate and wildlife//endangered species

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) List of Formulants

updated October 1, 2020

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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Scientists Discover Parasite that “Liquifies” Slugs, Shows Promise as Potential New Biological Control

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Scientists Discover Parasite that “Liquifies” Slugs, Shows Promise as Potential New Biological Control

(Beyond Pesticides, December 8, 2020)  It isn’t a pesticide, but a nematode (Phasmarhabditis spp.), a microscopic animal whose phylum contains potentially millions of different species. Oregon State researchers think they’ve found the specific type of nematode that will parasitize and kill Deroceras reticulatum, also known as the grey garden slug. The research underscores the critical importance of funding and supporting research on biological controls and other non-toxic pest management approaches.

filed under alternatives/insects and invertebrates/ additional info

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Pesticide Exposure Triggers Headaches and Other Cognitive Issues Among Youth in Farms Areas

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Pesticide Exposure Triggers Headaches and Other Cognitive Issues Among Youth in Farms Areas

(Beyond Pesticides, November 25, 2020) The study demonstrates that there is a relationship between pesticide exposure from various farm-related and leisure activities and headaches and neurocognitive functioning (i.e., autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), lower intelligence (IQ), and harmful social behavior and behavioral regulation) in children and adolescents. The results demonstrate a link between headache severity and pesticide exposure-related farm activities as all activities increase the severity score. Neurocognitive results show an overall negative association with pesticide exposure-related activities, lowering multitasking skills, with direct fieldwork contributing to lower spatial memory, and impaired associated learning. Individuals who eat crops grown with chemical-intensive practices have slower motor-visual functioning and processing.

Considering the etiology (cause) of many brain and neurological disorders are unknown, research like this is significant for understanding how pesticide exposure promotes disease development, especially among vulnerable populations.

filed under nervous system effects

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Integrated Control of Nymphal Ixodes scapularis: Effectiveness of White-Tailed Deer Reduction, the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, and Fipronil-Based Rodent Bait Boxes

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Integrated Control of Nymphal Ixodes scapularis: Effectiveness of White-Tailed Deer Reduction, the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, and Fipronil-Based Rodent Bait Boxes (Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2018 Jan;18(1):55-64, from PubMed,gov).

Results of a trial comparing the pesticide fipronil used in rodent bait boxes with a broadcast fungus for deer tick control. This is not a recommendation to use fipronil (not registered in Canada) as there are valid alternatives described for tick control, one being described in the article.

filed under alternatives/insects and invertebrates.under 'additional information' at the bottom of the page/ ticks 
 

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Crop Diversity in Commercial Agriculture Decreases Pests and Pesticides Use, Stabilizes Biodiversity

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Crop Diversity in Commercial Agriculture Decreases Pests and Pesticides Use, Stabilizes Biodiversity

(Beyond Pesticides, November 19, 2020) 'A new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) finds that crop diversity in commercial agriculture is just as essential to supporting a stable biological system as plant diversity on non-commercial landscapes.Furthermore, less diverse crop areas lead to higher, more intensive pesticide use, indicating a threat to environmental and human health, as well as food security.' 

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Pet flea treatments poisoning rivers across England, scientists find

fipronil and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid

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Pet flea treatments poisoning rivers across England, scientists find

Discovery is ‘extremely concerning’ for water insects, and fish and birds that depend on them.

The research found fipronil in 99% of samples from 20 rivers and the average level of one particularly toxic breakdown product of the pesticide was 38 times above the safety limit. Fipronil and another nerve agent called imidacloprid that was found in the rivers have been banned from use on farms for some years.

There are about 10 million dogs and 11 million cats in the UK, with an estimated 80% receiving flea treatments, whether needed or not. The researchers said the blanket use of flea treatments should be discouraged and that new regulation is needed. Currently, the flea treatments are approved without an assessment of environmental damage.  “Fipronil is one of the most commonly used flea products and recent studies have shown it degrades to compounds that are more toxic to most insects than fipronil itself...”

“The problem is these chemicals are so potent,” he said, even at tiny concentrations. “We would expect them to be having significant impacts on insect life in rivers.” One flea treatment of a medium-sized dog with imidacloprid contains enough pesticide to kill 60 million bees, he said.

The researchers found the highest levels of the pesticides downstream from water treatment plants, showing that urban areas were the main source and not farmland.   The washing of pets was already known to flush fipronil into sewers and then rivers, while dogs swimming in rivers provides another pathway for contamination.

see also Flea Treataments Found to Contaminate Waterways.(Beyond Pesticides, November 20, 2020)for more in depth analysis. 'Though these compounds are banned for agricultural uses in the United Kingdom (UK), risk assessment for them, as used on animals, has been minimal because of the assumption that the amounts used for veterinary treatments would mean far-less-significant environmental impact than might be expected with agricultural-scale use..”"

SNAP Comment: As of 19 November 2020,the PMRA label search indicates that fipronil was never registered in Canada. Research indicates that may formulations are licnesed in the USA for a wide variety of usages, likely including flea treatment. In Canada, there are 99 registered insecticides containing Imidacloprid, 50 of which are specifically for flea treatment. 

filed under wildlife and water

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Synthetic Fertilizers Accelerate Climate Crisis; The Way We Feed People Conflicts with Stabilizing Climate

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Synthetic Fertilizers Accelerate Climate Crisis; The Way We Feed People Conflicts with Stabilizing Climate

(Beyond Pesticides, November 17, 2020) 'Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture is driving global nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions higher than any projected scenario, putting the world at greater risk of a climate catastrophe. 

 “The dominant driver of the increase in atmospheric nitrous oxide comes from agriculture, and the growing demand for food and feed for animals will further increase global nitrous oxide emissions”     Nitrous oxide both damages ozone and warms the atmosphere, as it is roughly 300x better at capturing heat than carbon dioxide. 

“Europe is the only region in the world that has successfully reduced nitrous oxide emissions over the past two decades,” said study coauthor Wilfried Winiwarter, PhD. “Industrial and agricultural policies to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution and to optimize fertilizer use efficiencies have proven to be effective. Still, further efforts will be required, in Europe as well as globally.”

A 2018 study from the University of Virginia and The Organic Center found that “reactive” nitrogen, in the form readily available to be taken up by plants, is conserved in organic systems.'

Thursday, November 19, 2020

EPA Overturns State Authority to Restrict Pesticides in the Face of Its Faltering Programs

about dicamba

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EPA by Fiat Overturns State Authority to Restrict Pesticides in the Face of Its Faltering Programs

(Beyond Pesticides, November 13, 2020) 'The toxic herbicide dicamba is once again at the center of a larger story about states’ authority to regulate pesticides beyond federal dictates. The Trump EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has just made it much harder for state regulations to be more protective than federal rules are. It did so via a footnote embedded in dozens of pages of regulatory documents related to EPA’s registration of three new dicamba products.;

SNAP comment:: Despite a recent court ruling voiding the registration of drift-prone dicamba herbicides on genetically engineered (GE) cotton and soybeans, EPA has not only renewed the registration of these chemicals but registered more. In addition, they now prevent states from having more protective regulations than the federal. Changes were made without the input of state regulators. This is a form of preemption.

filed under Legislation/Regulatory/USA 

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Environmental Poisoning by Pesticides—Household Chemical Products and Medications Impact Domestic Pet Populations

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Environmental Poisoning by Pesticides—Household Chemical Products and Medications Impact Domestic Pet Populations

(Beyond Pesticides, November 12, 2020) A new report from the University of Milan and Poison Control Center (CVA) in Milan, Italy suggests that domestic animals experience frequent environmental poisoning by household toxicants. 'Researchers note, “These findings can provide useful information for the identification and monitoring of known and emerging toxicants, with positive repercussions on human, animal, and environmental health.

Pesticides and medicine are the two major causes of domestic animal poisoning (34.1% and 33.5% of incidents, respectively). The remainder of animal poising incidents are from household products and other causative agents. The number one cause of pesticide-related poising events is insecticides (44.6%)—including pyrethrin/pyrethroids and neonicotinoids, followed by rodenticides, fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides, and unspecified pesticides. The leading cause of medicine-related poisoning is veterinary prescriptions.Species observations demonstrate that dogs and cats are most frequently associated with animal poisoning incidents. The most common exposure route is ingestion, preceding dermal and mucosal exposure (via inhalation). Nearly all animal exposures incidents are accidental (93%), however, some incidents occur due to owner errors/misuses, intentional poising, or unknown sources.

filed under Pets..and poisoning

Saturday, November 14, 2020

After Court Rules Herbicide “Would Tear the Social Fabric of Farming Communities,” Dicamba in Genetically Engineered Crops Given Go-Ahead by EPA

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After Court Rules Herbicide “Would Tear the Social Fabric of Farming Communities,” Dicamba in Genetically Engineered Crops Given Go-Ahead by EPA

(Beyond Pesticides, November 4, 2020) Despite a recent court ruling voiding the registration of drift-prone dicamba herbicides on genetically engineered (GE) cotton and soybeans, EPA has renewed  the registration of these chemicals. The court’s ruling stated that EPA, “substantially understated risks that it acknowledged and failed entirely to acknowledge other risks,” in regards to the herbicides XtendiMax and Eugenia (dicamba), produced by agrichemical corporations Bayer and BASF for their genetically engineered (GE) crops.

filed under Legialation/Regulatory/USA

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Bees Lose Sleep Over Pesticides, Adding Stress and Increasing Risk of Death

neonicotinoid thiamethoxam

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Bees Lose Sleep Over Pesticides, Adding Stress and Increasing Risk of Death

(Beyond Pesticides, November 11, 2020) 'Neonicotinoid insecticides inhibit honey bee sleep cycles, leading to stress and population declines, according to research from Vanderbilt University.(link to study).

“Beyond sleep disruption, we know that honey bees rely on their internal sense of time and the position of the sun,” said Dr. Tackenberg. “If they have an incorrect sense of time their ability to effectively navigate is hindered. It stands to reason that if a bee’s internal sense of time is disrupted or altered it could affect learning, memory and foraging efficiency—even outside of reduced capacity from sleep disruptions.”

The mechanistic process discovered by researchers has the potential to explain why many beekeepers experience a dwindling or collapsing hive without evidence of other stressors.'

filed under Bee die-Off

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Pesticide Exposure Increases the Risk of Developing Gene-Specific and Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease Incidences

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Pesticide Exposure Increases the Risk of Developing Gene-Specific and Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease Incidences

(Beyond Pesticides, November 5, 2020) Research at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) finds that pesticide exposure increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD), regardless of whether disease onset is idiopathic (spontaneous) or genetic (GBA genetic risk variant). Although the exact etiology of PD remains unknown, epidemiological and toxicological research repeatedly identifies exposure to pesticides, as well as specific gene-pesticide interactions, as significant adverse risk factors that contribute to PD. Furthermore, this study, “Gene Variants May Affect PD Risk After Pesticide Exposure,” suggests that environmental triggers like occupational exposure to pesticides can prompt PD in individuals with or without the genetic precursor.

filed under 

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Toxic Levels of Heavy Metals and PAHs Discovered in Some Alternatives to Glyphosate-Based Weedkillers

link to alternatives

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Toxic Levels of Heavy Metals and PAHs Discovered in Some Alternatives to Glyphosate-Based Weedkillers   (Sustainable Pulse, Oct 22 2020) 

The formulants (or inerts) are toxic and almost all are still undisclosed in Canada.
Link to The Detox Project which supports alternative non chemical weed control such as RootWave (electrical) and FoamStream (heated foam made of natural ingredients).

'Prof. Seralini’s team recently analysed 14 formulations of some of the new alternative chemical herbicides using gold standard mass spectrometry. Heavy metals were detected at toxic levels of up to 39 mg/L, including iron, lead, nickel, silicium, titanium and arsenic. Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were also detected, at levels up to 32–2430 μg/L in 12 of the herbicides studied.
Sustainable Pulse Director, Henry Rowlands, stated; “These results show that the difference between “active ingredient” and “inert compound” is a regulatory assertion with no demonstrated toxicological basis and thus an immediate ban on both these specific new alternative herbicides and glyphosate-based herbicides is required.”'

filed under formulants/inerts

Saturday, November 7, 2020

More plant diversity, less pesticide

grasslands study

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More plant diversity, less pesticide  {German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Nov 6, 2020)

'Increasing plant diversity enhances the natural control of insect herbivory in grasslands. Species-rich plant communities support natural predators and simultaneously provide less valuable food for herbivores... Increasing plant diversity, thus, has several positive side effects: Compared to monocultures, high-diversity plant communities produce more total biomass. In addition, both natural enemies and resource concentration act in concert to constrain the negative effects of herbivores on plant performance. Andrew Barnes said: "In other words, more diverse plant communities pose a double-edged problem for herbivores—that is, more predators and less preferred food—that could help to naturally reduce herbivore impacts."'

Friday, November 6, 2020

Myths and Truths of Gene-Edited Foods

webinar video, 1 h 42 minutes

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very informative. links to research.

'In a webinar, Myths and Truths of Gene-Edited Foods, molecular geneticist Dr Michael Antoniou and GMWatch editor Claire Robinson explain why gene-edited foods and crops could prove dangerous to our health. They expose the false and misleading nature of many of the claims that are being made about the potential and safety of these new products. They also explain what type of regulation is needed to protect the public and the environment. The presentation includes an in-depth explanation by Dr Antoniou of the science of gene editing and where things can go wrong.'

filed under gmos/safety/health effects

Friday, October 30, 2020

Natural Areas Surrounding Farmland Critical to Reducing Pesticide Use

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Natural Areas Surrounding Farmland Critical to Reducing Pesticide Use

(Beyond Pesticides, October 29, 2020) 'Natural areas around farmlands play an important role in managing pest outbreaks and therefore reducing insecticide use, a new study published in the journal Ecology Letters finds. 

Results show that pest outbreaks above levels that cause significant economic damage are much more likely when farms are surrounded by other vineyards. The effect was particularly pronounced with the second and third generation of moths, which cause the most widespread damage. “At harvest, we found pest outbreaks increased four-fold in simplified, vineyard-dominated landscapes compared to complex landscapes in which vineyards are surrounded by semi-natural habitats,” said Dr. Paredes.'

SNAP Comment: although this study is on vineyards, diversity is a basic principle of organic agriculture in order to reduce insect and disease damage. It has also been shown that planting stips of wildflowers in fields decreases pests by increasing predators. 

Friday, October 30, 2020

Fighting to uphold public participation rights in decision-making about risky pesticides

Ecojustice goes to court about glyphosate

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Fighting to uphold public participation rights in decision-making about risky pesticides (October 2020)

Glyphosate is registered in Canada for spraying on the following crops after they’ve started growing: wheat, barley, oats, chickpeas, flax, lentils, mustard, dry beans, canola (GM), peas, soybean (GM), faba beans. Scientific studies have shown that when glyphosate is used on crops that are not physiologically mature, this results in an accumulation of glyphosate residues in the seeds of the crops.

This means glyphosate’s presence can be found in our food, our water and where our children play.   Glyphosate poses an unacceptable risk to human health. 

Understanding the risks that glyphosate poses, environmental and health organizations — including our clients and Safe Food Matters — requested Health Canada strike an independent review of the PMRA’s decision on glyphosate, stating that the PMRA did not properly account for all the relevant human health and environmental impacts when it made its decision.

A win in this case will uphold public participation rights under the Pest Control Products Act and ensure Canadians have a say in what’s allowed to be put into the air, water and land we all depend on. 

filed under Legal/litigation /Canada

Friday, October 30, 2020

New European Union Looks at Chemical Mixtures

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New European Union Looks at Chemical Mixtures

includes link to the new strategy.

(Beyond Pesticides, October 30, 2020) 'The European Union (EU) adopted, in mid-October, a new strategy on chemicals — including pesticides — that seeks to deal with their combined (synergistic) and cumulative impacts on human and environmental health.

Beyond Pesticides has insisted for years that, here in the states, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been way behind the eight ball in dealing with the potential synergistic and cumulative impacts of the pesticides its registers for use..

SNAP Comment: The PMRA is equally behind in evaluationg the effects of mixtures. 

flied under Legislation/Regulatory/Europe

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

New Weed Control Alternatives Resources added

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Lawns and Landscapes (Beyond Pesticides)

Golf, Pesticides, and Organic Practices (Beyond Pesticides)

filed under Lawn/Turf

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Ecosystem-Killer Fipronil More Toxic Than Previously Thought, Found in Waterways Throughout the U.S.

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Ecosystem-Killer Fipronil More Toxic Than Previously Thought, Found in Waterways Throughout the U.S.

(Beyond Pesticides, October 27, 2020) The insecticide fipronil is more toxic to aquatic insects than previously thought, often present in U.S. waterways, and can trigger trophic cascades that disrupt entire aquatic ecosystems, finds new research published by the U.S. Geological  Survey (USGS). The data have important implications for waterways throughout the country, but particularly in the Southeast U.S. where the chemical was found at hazardous levels in over half of sampled steams. 

SNAP Comment: As of 28 October 2020, the PMRA label search comes up with 0 fipronil products, either curently or historically registered. 

filed under water and wildlife/aquatic organisms

.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Combination of Pesticide Exposure, Limited Food Lead to Wild Bee Declines

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Combination of Pesticide Exposure, Limited Food Lead to Wild Bee Declines

(Beyond Pesticides, October 20, 2020) 'The additive stress of pesticide exposure and food scarcity leads to significant declines in wild pollinator populations, according to research published by scientists at University of California, Davis. 

Certain cages within each food level were treated with the product Admire Pro, a Bayer Cropscience insecticide containing the neonicotinoid imidacloprid.

Scientists found significant impacts on the factors that deal with mason bees’ reproductive success. This includes the likelihood that a female will nest, the number of offspring a female will produce, and the ratio of male to female offspring.

Taken alone, female mason bees exposed to Admire Pro (imidacloprid) were 10% less likely to nest, and when they did, produced 42% fewer offspring. Those with access to limited food supplies produced 26% fewer offspring than those with abundant resources. These stressors were additive, with pesticide exposure and limited floral resources combining to reduce reproduction by 57%, compared to the unexposed group.

The stressors also changed the sex of offspring that were successfully reared. 

filed under wildlife/insects

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Parents Sue Manufacturer of Neurotoxic Insecticide Chlorpyrifos, Corteva (formerly Dow), for Causing Child’s Disabilities

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Parents Sue Manufacturer of Neurotoxic Insecticide Chlorpyrifos, Corteva (formerly Dow), for Causing Child’s Disabilities

(Beyond Pesticides, October 23, 2020) In central California, what promises to be a landmark series of lawsuits against Corteva (formerly DowAgroSciences), maker of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, is under way,.. This first suit, brought by the parents of Rafael Cerda Calderon, Jr. on his behalf, charges that his lifelong disabilities were caused by chronic exposures to chlorpyrifos. The parents are suing for general damages, compensatory damages (due to Rafael, Jr.’s loss of earning capacity), medical care costs, and “punitive damages for the willful, reckless, and recklessly indifferent conduct of the Defendants” in intentionally hiding the dangers of their chlorpyrifos products from customers and the public. As with so many dangerous pesticides, absent effective federal regulation, states, cities, and other entities are taking action to protect people from this compound, and as in this case, individuals are seeking redress for harms suffered.

filed under Legal/Litigation and chlorpyrifos

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Scientists Warn of Another Pandemic If Officials Continue to Ignore Explosion of ‘Antimicrobial Resistance’

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Scientists Warn of Another Pandemic If Officials Continue to Ignore Explosion of ‘Antimicrobial Resistance’

(Beyond Pesticides, October 16, 2020) The Lancet has published an article that identifies several of the multiple and interacting crises the U.S. and world face, with a focus on another “looming potential pandemic . . . a rise in .e, whose rise threatens the health of people in the USA and globally.” It calls on leaders in the U.S. and beyond, asking that even as they address the current coronavirus pandemic, they also attend to the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem, which is a growing threat to public health.

filed under Resistance

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

new page on Pesticides in forestry

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Not my area of expertise so I am deferring to a group that works on the issue

Stop the Spray BC

filed under forestry

.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Bee Protective Habitat Guide

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Bee Protective Habitat Guide (Beyond Pesticides) explains the role pesticides play in pollinator decline. Gives a list of pollinator-friendly plants, several of which may not be native to the area you live in. Rather than bringing in a potential invasive, look for similar native species. 

filed unde bee die-off/educational and wildlife/insects

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

New Insecticides Escalate Indiscriminate Harm to All Organisms

about Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone

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New Insecticides Escalate Indiscriminate Harm to All Organisms

(Beyond Pesticides, October 9, 2020) A new study demonstrates that emerging “novel” insecticides can cause significant, sublethal harm to beneficial organisms at typical “real life” exposure levels.sources. As the study paper notes, “Field-realistic applications of neonicotinoids can have significant sub-lethal impacts on beneficial insects, with knock-on effects on ecosystem services. This has resulted in bans and restriction on neonicotinoid use globally, most notably in the European Union.” 

Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone, like neonics, are systemic insecticides. Flupyradifurone can persist in soils for months or years, whereas sulfoxaflor’s half-life in soil is two or three days. Research data reviewed by the subject study suggest that beneficial insects will be exposed to these compounds at relatively high concentrations in agricultural environments

The researchers learned that flupyradifurone can have lethal impacts at field-realistic levels, with some kinds of bees being more vulnerable than others; further, and unsurprisingly, exposures to the compound were more likely to be harmful in combination with other environmental stressors, such as poor nutrition, pathogens, or other agricultural chemicals. .

The study also shows that sulfoxaflor has negative impacts on bee reproduction similar to those of neonics, particularly reduced reproduction (egg laying) and poor larval development, and that flupyradifurone exposures impair bees’ flight behavior, foraging success, and bodily temperature regulation

filed under Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Literature Review: Pesticides Exposure Highly Correlated with Respiratory Diseases

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Literature Review: Pesticides Exposure Highly Correlated with Respiratory Diseases

(Beyond Pesticides, October 15, 2020) A review of scientific literature on the correlation between respiratory diseases and pesticides exposure—published in the journal Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine (AAEM), “Influence of pesticides on respiratory pathology—a literature review”—finds that exposure to pesticides increases incidents of respiratory pathologies (i.e., asthma, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD—or chronic bronchitis).

Lung cancer has a positive association with the total number of days and intensity of pesticide exposure. Prolonged exposure (over 56 days) to the insecticide chlorpyrifos more than doubles the risk of developing lung cancer. The insecticide diazinon also shows a strong correlation between exposure and lung cancer incidences. Additionally, normal to high exposure to the herbicide metolachlor and high levels of exposure to the herbicide pendimethalin increase the risk of developing lung cancer. More than 109 days of carbofuran exposure, one of the most toxic carbamate pesticides, leads to a 3-fold increase in lung cancer incidences. Intensive exposure to the herbicide dicamba, even at low levels, increases lung cancer incidence. Occupational exposure to chlorophenol-related compound (a group of pesticides contaminated with the highly toxic chemical dioxin) during the manufacturing process has a strong association with lung cancer. Chemicals with a weak but a positive association with lung cancer are malathion, atrazine, coumaphos, S-ethyl-N, N-dipropylthiocarbamate, alachlor, trifluralin, and chlorothalonil.

Nonoccupational exposure to pesticides from residencies near pesticide processing plants, contact with pesticide-tainted clothes and tools, and household with improper storage and use of pesticides are at greater risk of respiratory illness, including asthma (ranking first) from chronic exposure, and upper and lower airway obstruction from acute exposure...Retailers are eight-fold more likely to experience respiratory distress than the general population, especially for retailers that sell manipulated organophosphorus compounds.

The connection between common and chronic respiratory diseases and exposure to pesticides continues to strengthen, despite efforts to restrict individual chemical exposure or mitigate chemical risks using risk assessment-based policy.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Common Fungicide Causes a Decrease in Antioxidant Responsible for Defense Against Diseases like COVID-19

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Common Fungicide Causes a Decrease in Antioxidant Responsible for Defense Against Diseases like COVID-19

(Beyond Pesticides, October 8, 2020) Research from the University of Wisconsin—Madison (UWM), suggests that fludioxonil—a commonly used agricultural fungicide—decreases the human body’s ability to defend itself against illnesses, like COVID-19, and promotes disease permanency....a pesticide-induced reduction in the antioxidant glutathione could be responsible for this lack of bodily defense against disease.Although previous studies report that fludioxonil disrupts hepatic (liver), endocrine, and neurological systems, the mode of action by which this fungicide causes these issues only recently came to light. 

filed under fluodixonil and immune

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Insecticide linked to testicular cancer with Latinos disproportionately affected

living near the use of the insecticide acephate presents the greatest cancer risk

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Insecticide linked to testicular cancer with Latinos disproportionately affected

(Beyond Pesticides, October 14, 2020)  However, out of the 15 endocrine disrupting pesticides applied, 13 were sprayed in greater amounts near Hispanic individuals than non-Hispanic individuals. Acephate was found to have the strongest link to testicular cancer, and presented consistently elevated risks to Hispanic men. Mr. Swartz indicated to press that the findings could translate to acephate accounting for 5-10% of testicular cancers among California’s Hispanic population.

filed under Cancer/link between indivudual pesticides....

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Pesticide Fact Sheets - newly improved section

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As several subpages were not loading properly again, I had to set up the section in a new way. As a result, I had to redo the coding of links to it. I likely have missed some. So far, I have redone all the pages in the issues and information sections as well as all the archived news of 2020. Please let me know if some links still don't work. 

Pesticide fact sheets

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Neonicotinoid Insecticides Trigger Neurodegeneration and Can Blind Insects at Low Doses

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Neonicotinoid Insecticides Trigger Neurodegeneration and Can Blind Insects at Low Doses

(Beyond Pesticides, September 30, 2020) 'Low doses of neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticides are known to disrupt insect learning and behavior, but new science is providing a better understanding of how these effects manifest at a cellular level...this study finds that the neonic imidacloprid binds to brain receptors, triggering oxidative stress, reducing energy levels, and causing neurodegeneration.

“We discovered that imidacloprid did bind to the nicotinic receptors in the larvae’s nervous system, causing a long, enduring influx of calcium ions into the neurons. Having too much calcium inside the neurons damaged the mitochondria, the energy-producing structures of the cell. This led to the accumulation of significant amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals inside the brain that triggered a cascade of damaging events that spread to many other tissues,” Dr. Martelli said.

 “In addition to lipid alterations, we also observed that imidacloprid triggered changes in the activity of genes related to metabolism, energy production, detoxification and the immune response. The overall physiology of the larvae was systemically impaired.”'

filed under neonicotinoids

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Baltimore Becomes Latest Maryland Locality to Restrict Toxic Pesticides on Public and Private Property

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Baltimore Becomes Latest Maryland Locality to Restrict Toxic Pesticides on Public and Private Property

(Beyond Pesticides, October 7, 2020) This week the Baltimore, Maryland City Council passed an ordinance restricting the use of toxic pesticides on public and private property—including lawns, playing fields, playgrounds, children’s facility (except school system property golf courses are exempt—following an approach similar to legislation first spearheaded by Montgomery County, MD in 2015.

filed under bylaws/USA

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Pesticide Trade Group Wrote U.S. Government Policy to Undermine International Efforts to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

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Pesticide Trade Group Wrote U.S. Government Policy to Undermine International Efforts to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

(Beyond Pesticides, October 6, 2020) Despite the rapid rise of antibiotic resistance in the United States and throughout the world, new documents find the Trump Administration worked on behalf of a chemical industry trade group to weaken international guidelines aimed at slowing the crisis.

filed under industry shenanigans/regulatory and legal

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Biological Management Has Added Billions in Benefits to Agricultural Economies

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Biological Management Has Added Billions in Benefits to Agricultural Economies

(Beyond Pesticides, September 29, 2020) 'While the green revolution is often heralded in conventional agriculture circles as the key agricultural innovation of the last century, new research finds that biological controls likely had a bigger beneficial impact on world crop production.

The success of these programs had critically important implications for agricultural economies in the region. “Biological control delivered durable pest control in myriad Asia-Pacific agriculture sectors, permitting yield-loss recoveries up to 73%, 81% and 100% in cassava, banana and coconut crops respectively, said Dr. Furlong.'

filed under alternatives

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Non-GMO approach reduces cases of mosquito-borne dengue by 77%

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Non-GMO approach reduces cases of mosquito-borne dengue by 77%   (GM Watch, 31 August 2020)

'While uncertain and risky GMO approaches to mosquito-borne diseases continue to raise concerns in the countries targeted for experimentation, like Brazil, Burkina Faso, and most recently the United States, two remarkable breakthroughs have recently been made involving highly effective natural means of preventing the transmission of such diseases. In the most recent instance, a randomized field trial found that mosquitoes infected with a natural bacterium called Wolbachia reduced cases of dengue by an "extraordinary" 77%. Wolbachia stops the insects from transmitting some viruses when they bite people'.

filed under mosquito control

Monday, October 5, 2020

Aminomethylphosphonic acid alters amphibian embryonic development at environmental concentrations

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Aminomethylphosphonic acid alters amphibian embryonic development at environmental concentrations    (Environmental Research, Volume 190, November 2020, MarionCheron,FrançoisBrischoux)

Environmentally relevant concentrations of AMPA (the main metabolite of glyphosate) have been found to affect embryonic survival, development duration and hatchling morphology in spined toads. Non-linear concentration response patterns were likely to occur at low concentrations, meaning that the effect did not increase with the dose – greater effects were found at low concentrations of AMPA than higher levels. The study concluded that regulatory decision-making needs to go beyond the use of high-dose studies to identify official no-effect concentrations.'

'Our experimental concentrations of AMPA were 100–6000 times lower than official Predicted-No-Effect-Concentrations. We found that these low-level concentrations of AMPA decreased embryonic survival, increased development duration and influenced hatchling morphology.'

filed under Wildlife/amphibians and glyphosate

Monday, October 5, 2020

Bayer Coordinated with U.S. Government on Pressure Campaign to Stop Thailand from Banning Glyphosate

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Bayer Coordinated with U.S. Government on Pressure Campaign to Stop Thailand from Banning Glyphosate

(Beyond Pesticides, September 23, 2020) 'In September and October 2019, Bayer’s Jim Travis asked the U.S. to act on its behalf in defense of the company’s glyphosate products. Emails reveal that Mr. Travis also collected intelligence on the personal motivations of Thailand’s deputy agriculture minister, including whether she was “a diehard advocate of organic food; and/or staunch environmentalist who eschews all synthetic chemical applications.”

Reports indicate that the U.S. government brought up the issue of glyphosate during trade talks in the context of considerations to revoke Thailand’s trade preferences. The White House specifically created talking points to refute any “concern that action related to Thailand has another cause.”

filed under Industry Shenanigans

Monday, October 5, 2020

Glyphosate in chicken poop used as fertilizer is hurting food production, researchers say

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Glyphosate in chicken poop used as fertilizer is hurting food production, researchers say

 (US Right to Know, September 9, 2020 by Carey Gillam) '

Because there are glyphosate residues in human and animal food, detectable glyphosate levels are commonly found in human urine and animal manure.

'These glyphosate residues in fertilizer are a problem for growers for many reasons, according to the Finland researchers.

“We found that poultry manure can accumulate high residues of (glyphosate-based herbicides), decrease plant growth and reproduction, and thus inhibit the growth-promoting effects of manure when applied as fertilizer,” the paper states. “These results demonstrate that the residues pass through the digestive process of birds, and more importantly, they persist in the manure fertilizer over long periods.”

The researchers said the glyphosate residues can persist in ecological systems, affecting several non-target organisms over many years.'

filed under glyphosate and pesticides in foods

Monday, October 5, 2020

Facts and Fallacies in the Debate on Glyphosate Toxicity

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Facts and Fallacies in the Debate on Glyphosate Toxicity (Robin Mesnage and Michael N. Antoniou, Frontiers in Public Health, Perspective, 24 November 2017)

'Thus, the mechanisms and vast range of conditions proposed to result from glyphosate toxicity presented by Samsel and Seneff in their commentaries are at best unsubstantiated theories, speculations, or simply incorrect. This misrepresentation of glyphosate’s toxicity misleads the public, the scientific community, and regulators. Although evidence exists that glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic below regulatory set safety limits, the arguments of Samsel and Seneff largely serve to distract rather than to give a rational direction to much needed future research investigating the toxicity of these pesticides, especially at levels of ingestion that are typical for human populations.'

SNAP Comment: Hopefully the studies recommended here will be condicted to enlighten the debate.

filed under glyphosate

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Pesticide mixtures harm health even when each pesticide is present at "safe" levels

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Pesticide mixtures harm health even when each pesticide is present at "safe" levels   (GM Watch: 03 October 2020)

'The study also found that the use of molecular analytical techniques known as "omics" can reveal adverse effects on health that are missed by the standard toxicological measures used to support regulatory authorisations of pesticides.

The study is the first to directly compare in-depth profiling of an organism’s molecular components using “omics” analytical techniques with the standard toxicological measures that regulators rely upon to assess the health risks of pesticides.
The study found that the standard toxicological measures – analysis of water and feed consumption, body weight, histology (microscopic examination of tissues), and blood biochemistry – showed little or no evidence of harm. But in contrast, the omics analyses showed biochemical changes in the gut and blood and gene function changes in the liver that indicated the possible onset of harm.
This suggests that it is in the public interest that regulators adopt in-depth omics profiling as part of pesticides risk assessment policy, since the measures they currently rely upon are evidently lacking in sensitivity.”
"In our pesticide mixture, each pesticide was present at the ADI, which is set at least 100 times below the level at which the standard industry tests found no effect. So according to regulators we should have seen nothing.
It is dispiriting that EFSA appears to see any increased emphasis on sublethal effects as a problem rather than a benefit. In reality, such an emphasis would only be a problem for industry, which would rightly bear the burden of proving that any given effect seen by omics analysis is not in fact real. For the public, such an early warning system in pesticides testing would be a benefit and would help fulfil the aim of the precautionary principle, which is enshrined in the EU pesticides regulation.
Dr Antoniou says that there is already enough evidence for a high level of confidence in omics’ predictive ability: “Omics researchers do not interpret their results blindly in an ad hoc manner. They scrutinize them against a huge and ever-increasing database stemming from thousands of studies using this technology, which provide insights into omics profiles representative of health and different disease states. This allows accurate correlations between the results obtained and the health or disease status of the organism under study.”'

filed in low dose and endocrine effects 

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Consumer Reports Study Rates Foods with Pesticide Residues; Doesn’t Include Worker, Environmental Justice, Biodiversity Impacts

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Consumer Reports Study Rates Foods with Pesticide Residues; Doesn’t Include Worker, Environmental Justice, Biodiversity Impacts

(Beyond Pesticides, September 18, 2020) In late August, Consumer Reports magazine (CR) issued a report titled, “Stop Eating Pesticides,”

In addition to providing its analysis and ratings of the pesticide risk of a variety of produce items, CR recommends eating organically grown and raised foods whenever possible. It also makes a host of recommendations on federal pesticide policies and emphasizes the importance of maintaining the integrity of the National Organic Standards (of the USDA-housed National Organic Program). Beyond Pesticides appreciates that this mainstream publication has arrived at many shared, science-based assessments of the risks of pesticides. That said, a wholesale transition to organic and regenerative agriculture — rather than making the public figure out which fruits and vegetables are “safer” or “less safe” — is the real answer to the health risks of pesticides in the food supply, according to Beyond Pesticides.

filed under pesticides in food

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Pesticides and Heavy Metals Found in Blunt (Cigar) Wrappers, Cellulose-Based Rolling Papers, and other Plant-based Rolling Paper Products

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Pesticides and Heavy Metals Found in Blunt (Cigar) Wrappers, Cellulose-Based Rolling Papers, and other Plant-based Rolling Paper Products

(Beyond Pesticides, September 10, 2020) A new analysis by Science of Cannabis Laboratories Inc. (SC Labs) finds detectable concentrations of pesticides and heavy metals in rolling papers, with hemp/blunt wraps and cellulose-based rolling papers containing the highest levels of contaminants. The analysis follows a SC Labs’ finding of high levels of chlorpyrifos—a neurotoxic, organophosphate insecticide—in the rolling paper of pre-rolled cannabis, which was undergoing compliance testing.

filed under pesticides in drugs

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Where Do Pesticides Banned in Europe Go? Mostly to Poorer Countries, While Two-Thirds of Those Sent to Richer Counties Head for the U.S.

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Where Do Pesticides Banned in Europe Go? Mostly to Poorer Countries, While Two-Thirds of Those Sent to Richer Counties Head for the U.S.

(Beyond Pesticides, September 25, 2020) An investigation has revealed that companies in the United Kingdom (UK), as well as in some European Union (EU) countries, are exporting massive amounts of pesticides — banned in their own jurisdictions — to poorer countries. More than 89,000 (U.S.) tons of such pesticides were exported in 2018, largely to countries where toxic pesticide use poses the greatest risks.

U.S. companies also participate in this export practice, as Beyond Pesticides began noting more than 15 years ago (see here and here). In the U.S. it is legal, even when dangerous pesticides have been banned or highly restricted by EPA, for companies to continue to sell them abroad.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

The Way Humans Alter the Environment Increases the Prevalence of Disease Carrying Mosquitoes

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The Way Humans Alter the Environment Increases the Prevalence of Disease Carrying Mosquitoes

(Beyond Pesticides, September 16, 2020) Disease carrying mosquitoes are more likely to flourish in areas being altered by human activities, according to new research published by scientists at Oregon State University.

Human disturbance was measured by five factors, including (i) pesticide use, (ii) nutrient loading, (iii) human population density, (iv) biomass of grazing animals, and (v) loss of vegetation.

While these factors are all well known hazards for wildlife, researchers determined that disease vector mosquitoes are one important exception. Unsurprisingly, each of these impacts are significantly higher, by orders of magnitude, outside the park than inside. It followed that mosquito abundance outside the part is determined to be an average 2.9 times (ranging between 1.5 and 10 times) greater than paired sites of similar layout inside the national park.

Sheer numbers are merely half the story. Scientists also observed changes in the relative abundance of certain species of mosquitoes. Disease carrying mosquitoe populations are much higher outside of the park than inside, consistently accounting for roughly 80% of the difference in community composition between paired sites.

A sound approach to mosquito management is science-based and prioritizes preventive measures. 

filed under mosquito control

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Monarch Massacre: Hundreds of Monarch Butterflies Die After Aerial Mosquito Spraying in North Dakota

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Monarch Massacre: Hundreds of Monarch Butterflies Die After Aerial Mosquito Spraying in North Dakota

(Beyond Pesticides, September 2, 2020) It’s being called the Monarch Massacre—hundreds of monarch butterflies found dead after the Vector Control Department of Cass County, North Dakota aerially sprayed the county for mosquito control. This incident occurred during a moment in history that is seeing monarchs at the edge of extinction, with the number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico having declined 53% from last year, according to a count conducted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico.

filed under wildlife/insects

Sunday, September 27, 2020

U.S. Geological Survey Finds Mixtures of Pesticides Are Widespread in U.S. Rivers and Streams

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U.S. Geological Survey Finds Mixtures of Pesticides Are Widespread in U.S. Rivers and Streams

(Beyond Pesticides, September 24, 2020) 'A new report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project, reveals the presence of pesticides is widespread in U.S. rivers and streams, with over almost 90 percent of water samples containing at least five or more different pesticides. Thousands of tons of pesticides enter rivers and streams around the U.S. from agricultural and nonagricultural sources, which contaminate essential drinking water sources, such as surface water and groundwater.

'The median number of pesticides present per water samples from each land-use type is highest in agricultural settings with 24 pesticides, and lowest in mixed (both agricultural and developed land) settings with seven pesticides. Developed areas fall in the middle, amassing 18 pesticides per water sample. Pesticides in water samples are potentially acutely to chronically toxic to aquatic invertebrates and chronically toxic to fish. Of the 221 pesticide compounds analyzed, 17 (13 insecticides, two herbicides, one fungicide, and one synergist) are primary drivers of toxicity in aquatic taxonomic groups. According to the PTI analysis, one pesticide compound contributes to >50% of the sample toxicity, while other present pesticides only contribute minimally to toxicity.

filed under water and wildlife/aquatic organisms

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Primates, Both Wild and Captive, Are Being Exposed to Toxic Pesticides and Flame Retardants

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Primates, Both Wild and Captive, Are Being Exposed to Toxic Pesticides and Flame Retardants

(Beyond Pesticides, September 15, 2020) Both wild and captive primates are being exposed to hazardous pesticides and flame retardants, according to research published this month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. This is the first study to look at the threat anthropogenic (man-made) chemicals may present for this important order of animals.

Scientists discovered legacy pesticides (such as heptachlor, DDT, hexachlorohexane, chlordane, and related compounds) in every species tested, with the highest levels found in red colobus and red-tailed monkeys. In particular, DDT and its related compounds (DDD and DDE) were found to be widespread, with red colobus monkeys registering a median of 260 ppb DDE in its waste. Current use pesticides were only detected in the feces of primates from the United States and Costa Rica. Over half of these animals have chlorpyrifos pass through their bodies. Baboons in the Indiana sanctuary are the only population exposed to synthetic pyrethroids. Flame retardant exposure is also widespread, with the chemical tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate the most widely detected.

filed unde wildlife/mammals

Sunday, September 27, 2020

EPA Threatens Public Health, Waiving Safety Review of Disinfectants To Be Used by American Airlines and Health Care Facilities; Need Questioned while More Uses Expected

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EPA Threatens Public Health, Waiving Safety Review of Disinfectants To Be Used by American Airlines and Health Care Facilities; Need Questioned while More Uses Expected

(Beyond Pesticides, August 28, 2020) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted “emergency” permission to the State of Texas to allow the use of SurfaceWise®2, an unregistered pesticide, as an anti-viral surface coating.

Beyond Pesticides recognizes the need for protection from transmission of the novel coronavirus, and maintains that it ought to and can be done without exposing people to toxic synthetic pesticides that have not undergone evaluation for safety. See Beyond Pesticides’ guidance on effective and safe precautions against the novel coronavirus.

filed under antibacterials and Legislation/regulatory/USA

Monday, September 7, 2020

Scientists Link Toxic Coronavirus Disinfectant Use to Wild Animal Deaths

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Scientists Link Toxic Coronavirus Disinfectant Use to Wild Animal Deaths

(Beyond Pesticides, August 13, 2020) 'An alarming new scientific report finds that excessive, indiscriminate disinfectant use against COVID-19 puts wildlife health at risk, especially in urban settings. The analysis, published in the journal Environmental Research, finds many of the chemical ingredients in disinfectant products are “acutely toxic to both terrestrial and aquatic animals,” causing death following exposure. Additionally, these chemicals have implications for human health as infectious disease specialists at the World Health Organization (WHO) warn excessive disinfectant use can cause respiratory problems, especially for those with underlying respiratory conditions.

 “Given that there are no scientific guidelines for the large-scale use of disinfectants in outdoor urban environments, it is crucial to develop strategies to minimize the environmental pollution caused by this practice… An effective biological and environmental safety evaluation and prevention system are required to be put forward for facilitating healthy environments for organisms and biodiversity, especially for managing the future global public health challenges.”'

SNAP Comment: I believe this article refers to widespread outdoor use of disinfectants as has been done in many countries. The risks vary with the disinfectant used  (many listed with side effects). The health effects to humans also occur with indoor or personal use. 

filed under antibacterials 

Monday, September 7, 2020

The Insect Apocalypse Moves Up the Food Chain: American Bird Populations in Rapid Decline Due to Pesticide Use

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The Insect Apocalypse Moves Up the Food Chain: American Bird Populations in Rapid Decline Due to Pesticide Use

(Beyond Pesticides, August 18, 2020) 'Ongoing declines in bird population and diversity are being accelerated by the use of neonicotinoid insecticides, according to research published in Nature Sustainability earlier this month.

Using these models, researchers determined that for every 100kg (220 lbs) increase in the use of any neonicotinoid within a US county, grassland bird populations subsequently decrease by 2.2%, and 1.4% of non-grassland birds die-off. Similarly, 1.6% insect-eating birds are lost, and 1.5% of non-insectivorous species are killed off. Species richness, the number of different bird species in a given area, and species evenness, determined by the relative abundance of different species, also decline as neonicotinoid use increases.

The study acts as a culmination of several threads of ongoing research into the impacts of neonicotinoids on bird populations.'

filed under neonicotinoids and wildlife/birds

Monday, September 7, 2020

Atrazine Found to Harm Marsupial Health

still 12 atrazine registered products in Canada

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Atrazine Found to Harm Marsupial Health

(Beyond Pesticides, August 12, 2020) 'The herbicide atrazine can interfere with the health and reproduction of marsupials (including kangaroos and opossums) kangaroo, Virginia opossum, according to research published in the journal Reproduction, Fertility, and Development.

Researchers found changes to the gene expression necessary for basic function of the testis, and a significant reduction in phallus length. “These results demonstrate that atrazine exposure during gestation and lactation can significantly affect the development of male young by affecting virilization,” the authors write.' The doses  were slightly higher than real world models,

'Worse yet, EPA is set to reregister atrazine for another 15 years of hazardous use.'

SNAP Comment: There are still 12 atrazine registered products in Canada as of 6 September 2020.While there are no opossums in Saskatchewan,there are some in other parts of Canada.

filed under atrazine and reproductive health

Monday, September 7, 2020

Study Shows Organic Food Diet Reduces Residues of Glyphosate in Body

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Study Shows Organic Food Diet Reduces Residues of Glyphosate in Body

(Beyond Pesticides, August 13, 2020) 'Levels of the notorious herbicide compound glyphosate in the human body are reduced by 70% through a one-week switch to an organic diet.'

filed under body burden and glyphosate

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Long-Term Pesticide Exposure Linked to Hearing Loss in Farmworkers

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Long-Term Pesticide Exposure Linked to Hearing Loss in Farmworkers

(Beyond Pesticides, July 30, 2020) 'Simultaneous exposure to pesticides and noise from agricultural machinery increases farmworkers, risk of hearing loss, according to the study, “Hearing Loss in Agricultural Workers Exposed to Pesticides and Noise,” published in the journal Annals of Work Exposures and Health....However, this study is one of the first to associate hearing loss with the additive effect to concurrent, persistent pesticide exposure, and noise.

Specifically, the highest level of cumulative pesticide exposure stems from organophosphates (OP)—derived from World War II nerve agents)—which are significantly associated with hearing loss in the high-frequency band, according to the study.'

filed under hearing loss

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Pesticide Use Linked to Increased Risk of Lung Cancer

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Pesticide Use Linked to Increased Risk of Lung Cancer

(Beyond Pesticides, July 23, 2020) Chronic pesticide use, and subsequent exposure, elevate a person’s risk of developing lung cancer.

'Individual pesticides exhibiting a significant correlation with lung cancer are chlorpyrifos, as well as legacy pesticides carbofuran and dieldrin. Lastly, researchers categorized the number of cumulative pesticide exposure days into quartiles (Q1-Q4), with Q1 being the lowest exposure and Q4 the highest. Researchers placed participants who used pesticides for less than 160 days in Q1 and participants who used pesticides for more than 530 days in Q4. According to the study, the use of pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides have a positive association with lung cancer development, with Q4 exposure participants displaying elevated risk of lung cancer compared to Q1 exposure participants.

Although exposure to insecticides and herbicides increases the risk of developing lung cancer for participants in Q2 through Q4, only Q4 exposure (the highest exposure level) significantly increases the risk of lung cancer for fungicide use. From a research perspective, the higher exposure effects for Q2 through Q4 are a function of high acute toxicity for insecticides and herbicides.'

filed under pesticides and cancer

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Researchers Developing New Methods to Detect Pesticide Contamination in Bee Hives

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Researchers Developing New Methods to Detect Pesticide Contamination in Bee Hives

(Beyond Pesticides, July 28, 2020) . 'This new product, APIStrip (Adsorb Pesticide In-hive Strip), can be placed into bee hives and act as a passive sampler for pesticide pollution. Honey bees are sentinel species for environmental pollutants, and this new technology could provide a helpful way not only for beekeepers to pinpoint problems with their colonies, but also track ambient levels of pesticide pollution in a community.'  plus review of other monitoring tools.

filed under new page monitoring

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Unregulated, “Shocking” and Destructive Levels of Pesticide Mixtures Found in Waterways

The discovery of such intensive penetration of pesticides in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon adds to the chronicling of damage being wrought on these marine wonderlands

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Unregulated, “Shocking” and Destructive Levels of Pesticide Mixtures Found in Waterways    (Beyond Pesticides, July 17, 2020)

'Researchers have discovered that the rivers and creeks that discharge into the lagoon of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are riddled with mixtures of pesticides. The University of Queensland team expected to find some such mixtures in their sampling, but was shocked to find that 99.8% of their samples contained up to 20 different pesticides. Michael Warne, PhD, lead researcher and associate professor at the University of Queensland’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, says, “The issue with having mixtures of pesticides is that as the number of pesticides increases the impact to aquatic ecosystems generally increases.”

The discovery of such intensive penetration of pesticides in the GBR Lagoon adds to the chronicling of damage being wrought on these marine wonderlands'

filed under water

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Nearly A Century of Pesticide Use Changed the Size of Australian Dingoes

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Nearly A Century of Pesticide Use Changed the Size of Australian Dingoes

(Beyond Pesticides, August 5, 2020) 'Regions of Australia that use a highly toxic rodenticide are home to larger dingoes than areas where the pesticide is not used, according to research published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Over the course of roughly the last century, dingoes in rodenticide-baited regions have grown by between six and nine percent.

Researchers proposed a range of ideas as to why the size increases occurred.

 Research studied Compound 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate or sodium monofluoroacetate) which  is a water-soluble, odorless, colorless, tasteless, and lethally toxic poison with no antidote; a single teaspoon could kill as many as 100 adult humans. It causes basic cellular process to fail, leading to gross organ failure and a very painful death.'

SNAP Comment: Four products containing  sodium monofluoroacetate bregistered in Canada by the governments of Saskatchewan and Alberta.

filed under wildlife/ mammals

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Environmental Pollutants, including Pesticides, Can Increase Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases

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Environmental Pollutants, including Pesticides, Can Increase Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases

(Beyond Pesticides, July 24, 2020) ' New research shows one such relationship: the transmission of schistosomiasis, a tropical disease caused by contact with the larvae of parasitic worms (schistosomes), is likely accelerated by the use of pesticides and other agrochemicals (such as synthetic fertilizers). The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, also shows that contamination of freshwater bodies with these chemicals disturbs ecological balances that can actually limit schistosome infections.'

filed under immune/infections

Friday, July 10, 2020

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Including Pesticides, Have a Multi-Generational Impact on Commercially Beneficial Inland Silverside Fish

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Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Including Pesticides, Have a Multi-Generational Impact on Commercially Beneficial Inland Silverside Fish

(Beyond Pesticides, July 2, 2020) Exposure to low levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly in waterways, including pesticides, can impact future generations of major commercial fish, despite no direct exposure to the chemicals, according to research published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science by Oregon State University (OSU) researchers.

“What this gets at is something your grandparents may have come into contact within their environment can still be affecting the overall structure of your DNA in your life today.”

Friday, July 10, 2020

Insecticides the Pesticide Industry Said Were “Safer for Bees” Found to Stress and Kill Honey Bees

about the new systemic insecticides sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone

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Insecticides the Pesticide Industry Said Were “Safer for Bees” Found to Stress and Kill Honey Bees

(Beyond Pesticides, June 23, 2020)  'As reported, a study by researchers at Oregon State University in the journal PLOS One, sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone (in the products Transform and Sivanto, respectively) were found to increase apoptosis (cell death) and increase oxidative stress in exposed honey bees. The study indicates that, “With the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for use of both flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor, and with the growing concern regarding pollinator health, it is important to better understand any potential negative impacts (especially sub-lethal) of these pesticides on bees.” However, this statement begs the question ‘why these two new bee-toxic pesticide were approved by EPA in the first place.’.

Independent scientific data has already been established on the harm these pesticides pose to pollinators. Last year, EPA registered new uses of sulfoxaflor, despite these warning signs. “Proposing to register sulfoxaflor for use on bee-attractive crops, in the midst of an ongoing pollinator crisis, is the height of irresponsibility,” said Drew Toher, community resource and policy director for Beyond Pesticides in an interview for Bloomberg Environment. “When all of the available data points to significant risks to pollinators from use of this chemical, we must face the facts: EPA is working towards the protection of pesticide industry, not the environment,” he said. EPA is in the midst of a lawsuit challenging its approval of sulfoxaflor.

The Saving America’s Pollinators Act (SAPA) was amended last year by Representative Blumenhauer to include immediate restrictions in the use of flypyradifurone and sulfoxaflor, in addition to the neonicotinoid insecticides that continue to poison pollinator populations. (US readers: go to the original article for action on this issue)

SNAP Comment: Well, the insecticides are also approved in Canada. As of 10 July 2020, 5 labels (including Transform) are listed for sulfoxaflor and 6 labels for flupyradifurone including Sivanto. As the question of why these products were approved, I suspect it is as replacement for neonicotinoids banned or about to be banned. Another indication that banning one produt at a time after a replacement is found is ridiculous to ensure safety. 

filed under flupyradifurone and Bee Die-off

Friday, July 10, 2020

Implications for Human Health: Pesticides and Other Environmental Contaminants Alter Gut Microbiome

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Implications for Human Health: Pesticides and Other Environmental Contaminants Alter Gut Microbiome

(Beyond Pesticides, June 30, 2020) 'A review of scientific literature on the toxic effect of environmental contaminants—including pesticides—published in the journal Toxicological Science, “The Impact of Environmental Chemicals on the Gut Microbiome,” associates these chemicals to changes in the gut microbiome and other adverse health implications. 

Multi-species evaluations find that various pesticides (i.e., insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) alter the gut microbiome, lipid metabolism, and cause intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress. Specifically, the review mentions that exposure to pesticides glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, as well as other registered pesticides, increases anxiety and depression symptoms in mice, pathogenic bacteria in cattle, and inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut.'

filed under digestive tract.microbiome

Friday, July 10, 2020

Bayer-Monsanto, Committed to Continued Sales of Roundup™-Glyphosate, Announces $10.9 Billion Settlement with Cancer Victims, Protects Company from Future Trials by Jury

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Bayer-Monsanto, Committed to Continued Sales of Roundup™-Glyphosate, Announces $10.9 Billion Settlement with Cancer Victims, Protects Company from Future Trials by Jury

(Beyond Pesticides, June 25, 2020) 
As expected, Bayer is not acknowledging any harm caused by glyphosate. According to chief executive officer of Bayer, Werner Baumann, “The decision to resolve the Roundup™ litigation enables us to focus fully on the critical supply of healthcare and food. It will also return the conversation about the safety and utility of glyphosate-based herbicides to the scientific and regulatory arena and to the full body of science.”

SNAP Comment: Considering how poorly regulatory agencies are doing in including independent science in their pestidie assessment, this means business as usual with little oversight.

filed under Legal/Litigation

Thursday, July 9, 2020

What is on your peaches

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What's on your peaches? (PAN What's on my Food?)

62 Pesticide Residues Found by the USDA Pesticide Data Program1,2,3

What's onmy food? main page

filed under Pesticides in Food

Thursday, July 9, 2020

New French study finds 32 toxic pesticides in the air

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New French study finds 32 toxic pesticides in the air (Connexion, 5 July 2020)

'In total, the study found 75 substances in the air, including 32 judged to be “a priority” due to their danger and toxicity.

Despite being banned since 1998, lindane was found in 80% of the samples collected (rising to 90% in urban areas).

The study has also been criticised for failing to account for seasonal variations and local differences. For example, the average presence of folpel is at 3 ng/m3 in a vineyard area, but this can soar to 100 ng/m3 in the weeks of treatment during June and September.

Similar variations can be seen for the use of prosulfocarb and major field crops from October to December, and from April to June.'

SNAP Comment: most pesticides evaporate during application as well as for several days or weeks after. Whatever is found in the air will represent what is used in an area, although some are carried long distances.

filed under exposure to pesticides

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Pesticide Incident Prompts Dog Owner Warning about Flea and Tick Chemicals

The active ingredients in PetArmor plus are fipronil and methoprene

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Pesticide Incident Prompts Dog Owner Warning about Flea and Tick Chemicals

(Beyond Pesticides, June 15, 2020) ' A dog owner in southern Florida is warning other owners about the safety of flea and tick medication after his dog suffered a seizure and lost mobility in her back legs. As reported by CBS WINK, owner Joe Brewster switched to the product PetArmor Plus for Dogs, manufactured by Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Inc., just three days before his dog, Buddha, suffered a seizure.     

 EPA told WINK news that over the last decade, it received over 1,300 reports of pesticide incidents involving pets, and 67 involving humans after the use of PetArmor products.

The active ingredients in PetArmor plus are fipronil and methoprene, both of which are commonly found in many pet flea and tick treatments. 

filded under pets

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Report Finds Monocropping and Toxic Pesticides Threaten Brazil’s Native Bees as Country’s President Challenges Environmental Protection

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Report Finds Monocropping and Toxic Pesticides Threaten Brazil’s Native Bees as Country’s President Challenges Environmental Protection

(Beyond Pesticides, June 8, 2020) Brazil is home to more than 300 native bee species — many of them stingless — that help pollinate the nation’s valuable agricultural crops and provide other important environmental services.  The Brazilian Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services estimates the financial value of pollinators in Brazil, which include bees, moths, bats, butterflies, wasps, beetles, and other organisms, at roughly $8 billion annually.

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Household Pesticide Exposure Associated with the Risk of Developing Depression Symptoms

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Household Pesticide Exposure Associated with the Risk of Developing Depression Symptoms  (Beyond Pesticides, June 18, 2020)

'This research highlights the significance of researching potential mental health effects resulting from pesticide exposure, especially as society tends to rank mental health risks second to physical health. The study’s scientists note, “Our results highlight the importance of the cautious use of household pesticides because the chronic effects of poisoning may contribute to an elevated risk of depression.” 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression affects 322 million people globally, with the number of diagnosed patients increasing by 18.4% from 2005 to 2015. Although the etiology of depression—and many other psychiatric disorders—is often genetic, studies suggest that other etiological factors, like pesticide exposure, play a role in depression incidents.

 Exposure to agricultural pesticides puts farmers at six times greater risk of exhibiting depressive symptoms, including chronic anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and sadness. Specifically, exposure to organochlorines and fumigants (gaseous pesticides) heighten an individual’s risk of depression by 90% and 80%, respectively.'

filed under mental health/psychological

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Milkweed in Western Monarch Habitat Found to be Completely Contaminated with Pesticides

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Milkweed in Western Monarch Habitat Found to be Completely Contaminated with Pesticides

(Beyond Pesticides, June 12, 2020) 'New research finds that western monarch milkweed habitat contains a “ubiquity of pesticides” that are likely contributing to the decline of the iconic species. The research, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, provides a grim snapshot of a world awash in pesticides, and raises new questions about the U.S. regulatory process that continues to allow these toxic chemicals on to the market without adequate review and oversight.

From roadsides, from yards, from wildlife refuges, even from plants bought at stores—doesn’t matter from where—it’s all loaded with chemicals. We have previously suggested that pesticides are involved in the decline of low elevation butterflies in California, but the ubiquity and diversity of pesticides we found in these milkweeds was a surprise,” Dr. Forister said.

The researchers collected over 200 milkweed samples from nearly 20 different sites across the Central Valley of California, as well as from retailers that sell milkweed plants to customers. In addition to retail locations, samples were taken at agricultural sites, wildlife refuges, and urban areas. Researchers screened the milkweed samples for 262 different pesticide compounds.

The study documents 64 different pesticides across all samples, including 27 fungicides, 25 insecticides, 11 herbicides, and one pesticide adjuvant (substance mixed with pesticide to enhance performance). Every sample tested positive for at least one pesticide, with an average sample containing roughly nine different compounds in its tissue. Some samples contained as many as 25 different pesticides. Researchers note that, for most of the pesticides detected, there is little to no data on how they impact the health of monarch butterflies.

Of particular note is the insecticide chlorantraniliprole, which, in a study published earlier this year, was found to be toxic to monarchs after drifting from adjacent farmland. Chlorantraniliprole was found in 91% of all samples taken. Further, it exceeded the lethal dose necessary to kill 50% of exposed monarchs (LD50) in 58 of the 227 samples tested in the study.'

SNAP Comment: As of 29 June 2020, there are 10 chlorantraniliprole pesticide products regiatered in Canada, two as seed treatments and one as a termiticide.

filed under wildlife/insects 

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Canadian pesticide use of forestry

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Canadian pesticide use of forestry

Forest area treated with herbicides and insecticides (National Forestry Database)

Saskatchewan, Yukon,North-west Territories and Quebec are not currently using herbicides in forestry. 8 herbicides listed on the table, but glyphosate is the main herbicide used. 

Bt is the main insecticide used on forests lately (table goes up to 2018) in New Brunswick, Quebec and British Columbia. 

see also (bottom of page says 2020):  : 

WHICH HERBICIDES ARE USED IN FOREST VEGETATION MANAGEMENT?Category: Vegetation Management

filed under Pesticide Use and Sales

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Court Victory on Three Dicamba Weed Killers Underscores the Need to Reform Pesticide Law

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Court Victory on Three Dicamba Weed Killers Underscores the Need to Reform Pesticide Law

(Beyond Pesticides, June 17, 2020) The June 3 decision in a high-profile “dicamba case” — against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and for the plaintiffs, a coalition of conservation groups — was huge news in environmental advocacy, agriculture, and agrochemical circles. The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated EPA’s 2018 conditional registration of three dicamba weed killer products for use on an estimated 60 million acres of DT (dicamba-tolerant through genetic modification/engineering) soybeans and cotton. There is, however, a related issue that accompanies this and many other pesticide cases. When EPA decides to cancel or otherwise proscribe use of a pesticide (usually as a result of its demonstrated toxicity and/or damage during litigation), the agency will often allow pesticide manufacturers to continue to sell off “existing stocks” of a pesticide, or growers and applicators to continue to use whatever stock they have or can procure.'

SNAP Comment: The article also discusses other tacticsusedby the EPA  to deal with cancellation of pesticide uses while treading lightly on industry interests. The PMRA does the same in Canada. 

filed under dicamba and Legal/litigation

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Dogs (Canis familiaris) – Research Tracks Dogs’ Exposure to Contaminants in the Home, Serves as Sentinel Species for Chemical-Induced Human Diseases

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Dogs (Canis familiaris) – Research Tracks Dogs’ Exposure to Contaminants in the Home, Serves as Sentinel Species for Chemical-Induced Human Diseases

(Beyond Pesticides, June 11, 2020)

'However, dogs can develop comparable anthropomorphic diseases from susceptibility to the same environmental contaminants, but at a much quicker pace. This research highlights the significance of researching disease identification methods, mutual amid multiple species, to mitigate challenges surrounding long disease latency periods. Matthew Breen, Ph.D., professor of comparative oncology genetics at NC State, asserts, “If we develop ways to correlate dog disease with their exposures over time, it may allow human-health professionals to mitigate these exposures for both species. This study reinforces the concept of One Health, demonstrating that in addition to being our closest animal companions, our dogs are truly a sentinel species for health.”

As the prevalence of environmental pollutants continues to rise annually, the disease implications associated with the contaminants may subject to regulatory standards or in many cases may not be fully evaluated. Humans and dogs share over 360 analogous diseases, including various cancers (i.e., testicular, breast cancer, etc.). 

Research models find significant correlations among chemical exposure levels for pets and owners, due to similar chemical concentrations in urine samples and silicone devices. An environmental contaminant present in both human and dog urinalysis is organophosphate ester, a chemical in flame-retardant. The most abundant phthalates on wristbands and dog tags are dioctyl terephthalate (DEHT) and di(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), respectively. Trans- and cis-permethrin are the most abundant pesticides present on wristbands and tags. Furthermore, these silicone devices detect the presence of both pesticides and phthalates 100% of the time. '  Only these few chemicals were tested in this research but thr silicon devides have been shown to accurately quantify pesticide exposure. 

filed under pets

Sunday, June 7, 2020

The Pesticide Atrazine and 200 Other Toxic Chemicals Found in Fracking Wastewater; Contamination Goes Unregulated

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The Pesticide Atrazine and 200 Other Toxic Chemicals Found in Fracking Wastewater; Contamination Goes Unregulated (Beyond Pesticides, June 4, 2020)

SNAP Comment: US study. New analysis method. Is there fracking in Saskatchewan?  'No Canadian province has fewer regulations surrounding the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) than Saskatchewan. Other provinces – and some US jurisdictions and foreign countries – have banned fracking or chosen to heavily regulate it because of its environmental and public health risks.' (Is anyone out there? Exploring Saskatchewan’s civil society involvement in hydraulic fracturingEnergy Research & Social Science, Volume 39, May 2018, Pages 192-197) 

'A new, simultaneous chemical identification method has found the presence of the weed killer atrazine and 200+ other hazardous chemicals in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) wastewater or produced water...Although produced water is a waste product of fracking, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows many states to reuse produced water in agriculture and other industries or dispose of it into waterways.

Currently, EPA waives requirements that chemical companies (e.g., Syngenta in the case of atrazine) monitor for the presence of pesticides in waterways, endangering public health of the environment..

Yale University public health analysis finds fracking operations release fifty-five chemicals into the air and water that are known carcinogens, 20 of which increase the risk of leukemia and lymphoma. Other fracking health implications include asthma and low birth weights. Oil and natural gas production is exempt or excluded from several major federal environmental laws, allowing the industry to use produced water in agriculture or dispose of it in waterways without restrictions. 

Many states use treated produced water to irrigate organic and non-organic crops, compensating for excessive water use, as the federal government leaves fracking regulations largely up to state governments. Even if treated produced water bypasses agriculture use, oil and gas companies dispose of produced water in waterways or ground pits (wastewater disposal wells).

Chemical carcinogens, solvents, and petroleum distillates are present in produced water, directly polluting drinking water sources. .

Chemicals in produced water are not always the same for every fracking operations, and many chemicals still need proper identification.

files under water 

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Occupational Exposure to Pesticides, and Other Environmental Chemicals Increase Risk of Developing ALS

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Occupational Exposure to Pesticides, and Other Environmental Chemicals Increase Risk of Developing ALS

(Beyond Pesticides, May 28, 2020) Exposure to agricultural and industrial pesticides, solvents (thinners), electromagnetic fields, and heavy metals predispose humans to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Results find that agricultural workers have higher risks of developing ALS, with the highest risk association for those who experience over ten years of pesticide exposure in agricultural work. Results show a positive association between work-related solvents exposure (i.e., paint thinners; and paint removers) and disease risk. Non-environmental, occupational pesticide exposure, namely fungicides, augments threats of developing ALS. The risk of developing ALS intensifies indiscriminately with exposure to heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and selenium. Electromagnetic fields marginally foster disease risk via both occupational and environmental exposure. Lastly, participants living near bodies of water are at higher risk for developing ALS, possible due to neurotoxic outgassing from cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).

filed under MS and ALS

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Study Finds an Association between Dicamba Use and Increased Risk of Developing Various Cancers

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Study Finds an Association between Dicamba Use and Increased Risk of Developing Various Cancers

(Beyond Pesticides, May 21, 2020) 'Use of the herbicide dicamba increases humans’ risk of various acute and chronic cancers, according to research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Over half (52.9%) of all pesticide applicators in the study use dicamba. Participants reporting dicamba use are at elevated risk of developing liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the highest exposure level. Additionally, dicamba exposure risks are associated with liver cancer and acute myeloid leukemia linger, as much as 20-years after chemical exposure.

Commercial dicamba use is widespread throughout the U.S., with research findings linking the chemical to neurotoxicity, kidney/liver damage, sensitization/irritation, birth/developmental defects, reproductive damage, and respiratory illnesses. The AHS analysis also associates dicamba use with colon and lung cancer. In addition to human health effects, studies find that dicamba adversely impacts ecological health, causing harm to birds; insects; fish; aquatic organisms; non-target plants; and pollinators, like beetles. Not only do laboratory studies indicate that dicamba alters animal liver function to promote tumor growth and cancer, but they also find that it induces oxidative stress and DNA mutations—all of which are conduits acknowledged to cause cancer. Lastly, extensive dicamba use can induce antibiotic resistance in human pathogens like Escherichia coli and Salmonella eterica. Despite dicamba’s various adverse health associations, it remains available for commercial use in agricultural and non-agricultural settings alike.

filed under cancer/ links between individual pesticides and cancer

Thursday, June 4, 2020

U.S. court blocks sales of Bayer weed killer

about dicamba used on dicamba-resistant crops.

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U.S. court blocks sales of Bayer weed killer (Reuters, 3 June, 2020)

I don't know what it means for this year's crops and gardens. When would the registration be cancelled? It ruled to ban sales, not use, likely because that is what the EPA is legally responsible for enforcing, like the PMRA. I suspect that the sales of dicamba-resistant seeds and dicamba products has already taken place this year. I do not believe this product is registered in Canada.

'Environmental groups have sought cancellation of the EPA’s approval of Monsanto’s dicamba-based XtendiMax herbicide, arguing it harms nearby plants and wildlife.
The court agreed, and its ruling also blocks sales of dicamba-based herbicides like BASF’s Engenia and Corteva Agriscience’s FeXapan.

A three-judge panel ruled the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) substantially understated the risks related to the use of dicamba, a chemical found in herbicides sold by Bayer and rivals that are sprayed on genetically engineered soybeans and cotton.'

filed under dicamba
 

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Neonics Found to Impair Honey Bee Growth and Development, As EPA Re-Opens Opportunity for Public Comment on the Bee-Toxic Pesticides

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Neonics Found to Impair Honey Bee Growth and Development, As EPA Re-Opens Opportunity for Public Comment on the Bee-Toxic Pesticides

(Beyond Pesticides, May 27, 2020) Research published last week in the journal Scientific Reports uncovers new ways that neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticides hamper the growth and development of honey bee colonies. 
Researchers filmed their study from start to finish, focusing on the effect of chronic sublethal doses of the neonciotinoids clothianidin and thiacloprid. Colonies were fed these chemicals in a sugar syrup over the course of three weeks in May and June.

Results showed that nurse bees exposed to low doses of neonics fed larvae less often, causing larval development to take up to 10 hours longer than hives without exposure. “For the first time, we were able to demonstrate that neonicotinoids also change the social behavior of bees,” study coauthor Paul Siefert, PhD, said in a press release. “This could point to the disruptions in nursing behavior due to neonicotinoids described by other scientists.”The mechanism researchers discovered may help explain why neonic-exposed honey bee colonies are at increased risk of varroa mite infestation. In addition to depressing grooming behavior in adult workers, delays in brood development—and thus longer periods where larvae are uncapped -makes it easier for varroa mites to invade a hive and feed on pupae and larvae.  

On balance, this means the study will carry little effect on the agency’s ultimate decision whether to continue registration, which is not based purely on the science, but on a mixture of politics, science, and public opinion.

filed undre bee die-off

Thursday, June 4, 2020

World Health Organization (WHO) Warns Against Hazards of Toxic Disinfectants

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World Health Organization (WHO) Warns Against Hazards of Toxic Disinfectants

(Beyond Pesticides, May 20, 2020) 'The World Health Organization (WHO) released an updated advisory that warns, “spraying disinfectants can result in risks to the eyes, respiratory or skin irritation and the resulting health effects.” 

 As Beyond Pesticides writes in its factsheet, Protecting Yourself from COVID-19 (coronavirus) without Toxic Sanitizers and Disinfectants, “Soap breaks down the virus’s fat membrane—and the infectious material falls apart—as long as you rub the soap on your hands for at least 20 seconds.'

filde under antibacterials

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Face Masks that Contain Toxic Pesticide Distributed in Tennessee for Coronavirus then Recalled

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Face Masks that Contain Toxic Pesticide Distributed in Tennessee for Coronavirus then Recalled

(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2020) While wearing a mask is an important practice to help reduce the chance of Covid-19 infection, a mask produced with pesticide-laden material for Tennessee residents has been identified as elevating the virus’ health risks. . The state of Tennessee began last week and then stopped this week providing residents with free face masks made from sock fabric incorporated with antimicrobial silver pesticide. The investigative unit of NewsChannel 5 Nashville uncovered that the masks contain a toxic antimicrobial pesticide. Because of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) interpretation of federal pesticide law, textiles and other materials, typically plastics, infused with toxic antimicrobial substances are not evaluated by the agency for the wide range of exposure patterns associated with the use of these toxic products. In addition, the silver product in the sock material, Silvadur 930 Flex, states on its label that over 99% of product ingredients are “other ingredients” and provides no disclosure on their potential hazards.

Under 40 CFR 156.10(a)(5)(ix) pesticide manufacturers are prohibited from asserting that a pesticide is “safe” without a qualifying phrase such as “when used as directed.” Silver can be absorbed into the lungs, and excessive exposure can cause lung or kidney lesions, according to prior EPA data. Silvadur’s label indicates it causes moderate eye irritation, and instructs those in contact to “wash thoroughly…before eating,drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco, or using the toilet.”

'All these products treated with antimicrobials are not regulated by EPA unless they are making a public health claim—under what is known as the “treated article exemption.”'

filed under antibacterials

Thursday, June 4, 2020

EU Proposes 2030 Goal to Reduce Pesticide Use by 50% and Increase Arable Land in Organic Production by At Least 17%

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Thursday, June 4, 2020

How to kill Red Lily Beetle - homemade remedy

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Tuesday, May 19, 2020

​EPA sneaks approval for harmful herbicide

Isoxaflutole

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EPA sneaks approval for harmful herbicide

The bad news is that this chemical has been on the Canadian market since 1999. It now has 7 labels including 2 technical.

'Isoxaflutole, manufactured by the German agrichemical giant BASF, combines the worst of glyphosate and dicamba — it’s a weedkiller EPA itself has determined is likely to cause cancer and drift hundreds of feet from where it is applied.

EPA approved isoxaflutole for use in 25 states by sidestepping the usual public input process for the decision. The herbicide’s registration was opened for public comment, but not listed in the federal register. Scientists shared that the press release EPA issued around the approval caught everyone off guard, as they were waiting for the comment period to open and never got word that it already had.

filed under isoxaflutole

 
Sunday, May 17, 2020

Pilot Study Links Celiac Disease to Long-Lived Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, like DDT, in the Environment

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Pilot Study Links Celiac Disease to Long-Lived Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, like DDT, in the Environment

(Beyond Pesticides, May 13, 2020)  'Considering previous studies on the deleterious impact of POPs on the immune system, scientists analyzed blood samples from 30 children and young adults (3-21) who had been recently diagnosed with celiac disease. They compared results to 60 other young people of similar demographics. The research focused on three chemicals: PBDE, DDE, and PFAS.

Researchers found a statistically significant association between DDE and celiac disease after adjusting for confounding factors. Children and young adults with higher blood levels of DDE were two times as likely to be newly diagnosed with celiac. The study found sex-specific PFAS associations among females, and some specific associations among males.'

filed under Endocrine Disruption/disease and health/DigestiveTract

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Animal Fodder – A Driver of the Global Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) Industry

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Animal Fodder – A Driver of the Global Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) Industry

(Beyond Pesticides, April 30, 2020) Chemical-intensive farming of crops for animal fodder powers the global market for highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), according to data analyzed by Unearthed, and the Swiss NGO Public Eye. Animal fodder production not only intensifies global pollution, but it also increases pesticide exposure and degrades human, animal, and environmental health. This data analysis supports advocates advancing pesticide policies to eliminate HHPs by identifying which toxic chemicals lead global pesticide sales.

Unearthed and Public Eye investigated over $23 billion in global pesticide market sales to determine the proportion of pesticides considered highly hazardous by the Pesticide Action Network’s (PAN) International 2019 list of HHPs. HHP hazard categories include acutely toxic, chronic health hazards, environmental hazards, and toxic to bees.

Chemical-intensive farming contributes to HHP global market sales as farmers apply various herbicides and insecticides to many staple fodder crops. International sales of HHPs pose a serious global health risk as 18 out of 19 analyzed HHPs are available in the U.S. pesticide market for use.'

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Glyphosate in Roundup Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

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Glyphosate in Roundup Linked to Parkinson’s Disease (Beyond Pesticides, May 15, 2020) 

The ubiquity of glyphosate use in agriculture — which leaves residues of the toxic chemical in food — may mean that exposures to it represent a significant risk factor for the disease. Glyphosate is already implicated or proved in the development of numerous health anomalies, including cancer.

They found that exposures to glyphosate in adult mice intensified a type of neurotoxicity associated with PD. The abstract for the research paper, titled “Glyphosate exposure exacerbates the dopaminergic neurotoxicity in the mouse brain after repeated administration of MTPT,” is available online; once published, the paper will be available through Science Direct.

The researchers found that the exposures to glyphosate exacerbated the reduction of DAT (dopamine transporter) immunoreactivity in the striatum, and the reduction of TH (tyrosine hydroxylase) positive cells in the SNr after MPTP administration. Translation: the exposure to glyphosate appears both to worsen the ability of local neurons (in the SNr and striatum) to produce and transport dopamine effectively, and to intensify the neurotoxicity of other extrinsic chemicals (in this case, MPTP).

filed under glyphosate and nervous system effects/Parkinson's

Sunday, May 17, 2020

One Quarter of Global Insect Population Lost Since 1990

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One Quarter of Global Insect Population Lost Since 1990

(Beyond Pesticides, April 28, 2020) 'Billed as one of the most comprehensive assessments to date, the study finds significant overall insect declines, but notes of some specific bright spots. While variation in the ongoing crisis is to be expected, ultimately the trends in the data show the need for immediate policy and regulatory action to protect the insect world as the foundation of global food webs.

There was little evidence that climate change was playing a role at either local or global scales, however land use and urbanization was found to have moderate associations with declines. The anthropogenic factors with this trend – pesticide use, light pollution, habitat destruction, are massively under-regulated and can be addressed by elected officials.

It is likely that the declines we are seeing in many bird species are closely linked to insect declines. Recent research finds that three billion birds, or 29% of bird abundance has been lost since the 1970s.

filed undere wildlife/insects

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Monarch Butterfly Larvae Adversely Affected by Pesticide Drift from Contiguous Soybean and Maize Crop Fields

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Monarch Butterfly Larvae Adversely Affected by Pesticide Drift from Contiguous Soybean and Maize Crop Fields

(Beyond Pesticides, April 23, 2020) Pesticide spray drift from adjacent farmlands expose butterfly larvae to lethal pesticide concentrations.

...his study adds weight to the idea that pesticides are playing a role in the ongoing decline of this iconic butterfly, as researchers find insecticide drift from adjacent fields to be strongly associated with larval mortality. 

They chose five common active chemical ingredients in foliar insecticides used on soybean and corn crops: beta‐cyfluthrin (pyrethroid), chlorantraniliprole (anthranilic diamide), chlorpyrifos (organophosphate), and imidacloprid and thiamethoxam (neonicotinoids).

Results of the study found that dermal and dietary exposure to beta-cyfluthrin and chlorantraniliprole was most toxic to monarchs, and resulted in high levels of larvae stasis and mortality. Notably, neonicotinoid exposure uniquely halted monarch ecdysis (molting) and pupation from caterpillar to butterfly. ISU researchers estimated the greatest larval mortality to occur 0 to 15 meters (m) downwind of pesticide-treated soybean/maize fields. Aerial pesticide applications extended larval mortality range to 60m downwind of treated fields compared to boom pesticide spray applications.

filed under wildlife/insects

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Farmland Birds’ Exposure to Neonicotinoid-Treated Seeds (during Winter Seeding) Confirmed by Blood Plasma Tests

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Farmland Birds’ Exposure to Neonicotinoid-Treated Seeds (during Winter Seeding) Confirmed by Blood Plasma Tests

(Beyond Pesticides, April 16, 2020)

'At the time of this study, clothianidin was the most widely used pesticide on treated winter cereal seeds in the UK.

Thirty-two percent of all surveyed bird species suffered CLO exposure with 15 species of bird consuming CLO-treated seeds, in situ. Researchers detected CLO in 50% of individual blood plasma samples in 10 out of 11 avian species. This study demonstrates the highest logged clothianidin exposure levels for wild birds, thus far.

This study demonstrates that clothianidin toxicity is above foraging birds’ threshold for the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL). 

filed under wildlife/birds and neonicotinoids

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Household Pesticide Use During Pregnancy Linked to Nephroblastoma Kidney Cancer

insecticides, particularly use of combinations of insecticides and other pesticides, showed stronger associations.

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Household Pesticide Use During Pregnancy Linked to Nephroblastoma Kidney Cancer

(Beyond Pesticides, April 15, 2020) ' Wilms’ tumor is one of the most common childhood cancers but has an inscrutable etiology. This study adds weight to the theory that pesticides are a driver of the tumor’s development, as pesticide use was more strongly associated than other widely investigated causes, including parental smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

use of any pesticides during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of disease development. Families whose children developed nephroblastoma reported higher rates of pesticide use than control families (52% to 40%). While any pesticide use was associated with a higher risk, insecticides, particularly use of combinations of insecticides and other pesticides, showed stronger associations. The strongest link between Wilms’ tumor and environmental exposure was parental use of pesticides within three months of pregnancy.'

filed under cancer/ Links between individual pesticides and cancer or pesticides and individual cancers

Monday, April 13, 2020

EPA Registers Toxic Pesticide for Use on GE Soybeans without Required Opportunity for Public Comment

about carcinogenic isoxaflutole use on GM soybeans.

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EPA Registers Toxic Pesticide for Use on GE Soybeans without Required Opportunity for Public Comment   (Beyond Pesticides, April 7, 2020) 

'Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered a carcinogenic herbicide for new uses without following  the required public notification and comment process, the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting (MCIR) reports. The chemical in question, isoxaflutole, is a broadleaf weedkiller that can now be applied to genetically engineered (GE) soybeans in half of U.S. states. Health and environmental groups are outraged by EPA’s furtive move, accusing the agency of colluding with the pesticide industry.

A 2018 study found no evidence that rotating herbicides is an effective strategy to manage weeds. Farmers with high levels of resistance retain high weed density, no matter what new chemical are thrown at them. In fact, once a weed develops resistance to one herbicide, it is much more likely to develop resistance to other weedkillers.'

filed under resistance, isoxaflutole and legislation/regulatory/ USA

Monday, April 13, 2020

Federal Dietary Guidelines Needed to Promote Sustainably Grown Food for a Healthy Public and Environment, According to Report

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Federal Dietary Guidelines Needed to Promote Sustainably Grown Food for a Healthy Public and Environment, According to Report

(Beyond Pesticides, April 13, 2020) Since 1990, Congress has required an every-five-years review of its Dietary Guidelines — recommendations that are supposed, minimally, to promote public health and prevent chronic diseases. The next review and a draft updated iteration, the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, are currently underway. The Union of Concerned Scientists (and several colleagues) have examined recent studies on dietary patterns and sustainability; their analysis reveals that the current federal guidelines on diet are unlikely to support sustainability of the food system in the long-term. Beyond Pesticides concurs, and maintains that a transition to sustainable, organic, regenerative agriculture is the path to both improved human health and long-term sustainability of the natural world essential to life.

Monday, April 13, 2020

Honey Bee Queens’ Exposure to Pesticides Weaken Reproductive Success and Colony Development

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Honey Bee Queens’ Exposure to Pesticides Weaken Reproductive Success and Colony Development   (Beyond Pesticides, April 9, 2020)   

...researchers determined which pesticides (miticides, insecticides, and fungicides) are commonly used in combination and then used those pesticide combinations to expose honey bees to field-realistic doses in the labtau-fluvalinate and coumaphosamitraz, or chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos. Pesticide-contaminated beeswax impaired honey bee colonies during the queens’ maturation. This led to reproductive dysfunction that significantly decreased worker bees’ entourage size and the queens’ egg-laying rate. Worker bee performance decreased in response to the queen’s change in pheromone secretions and reproductive ability. Worker bees favored queens raised in pesticide-free conditions and formed larger cohorts to tend to the queen.

This research broadens the understanding of the range of pesticides that can harm honey bees. Pesticides intensify honey bees’ vulnerability to health risks (such as pathogens and parasites), and colony collapse as pesticide-contaminated conditions limit colony productivity, growth, and survival.

filed under Bee Die-Off

Monday, April 6, 2020

New page on Health/Parasites

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Monday, April 6, 2020

Washington Farmworkers Harmed by Pesticides Walk Out, Demand Justice

SNAP Comment: I guess these points may be related to why it is so hard to keep North Americans doing farm jobs

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Washington Farmworkers Harmed by Pesticides Walk Out, Demand Justice

(Beyond Pesticides, March 12, 2020) Farmworkers walked out of an orchard in Sunnyside, Washington on Friday, March 6 to demand improved working conditions. Over a dozen individuals cited unacceptable issues, such as toxic pesticide exposure, unfair wages, and lack of paid breaks. Their employer, Evans Fruit, owns and farms over 8,000 acres in the state. These workers represent the ongoing fight against injustice perpetuated by the chemical-intensive agriculture industry. Evans Fruit workers said the company gives insufficient protective gear and training before requiring workers to spray pesticides for most of their 12 to 15-hour workdays.

SNAP Comment: I guess these points may be related to why it is so hard to keep North Americans doing farm jobs.... Will Canada be able to bring in the foreign agricultural workers needed on our farmsthis year?

filed under exposure to pesticides

Monday, April 6, 2020

Farmworkers at High Risk During Coronavirus Pandemic

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Farmworkers at High Risk During Coronavirus Pandemic

(Beyond Pesticides, April 2, 2020) As COVID-19 grips the U.S. and medical workers scramble for personal protective equipment (PPE), farmworkers charged with applying pesticides are facing potential shortages of the same protective masks, gloves, and Tyvek suits. Farmworkers are a frontline community to the compounding crises of pesticide poisoning and the coronavirus pandemic. 

Monday, April 6, 2020

Infectious Human Disease, Snail Fever, Worsened by Pesticide Run-Off into Fresh Waterways

about schistosomiasis

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Infectious Human Disease, Snail Fever, Worsened by Pesticide Run-Off into Fresh Waterways

(Beyond Pesticides, March 18, 2020) Freshwater habitats are threatened now—more than ever—by the adverse effects of pesticide pollution...Pesticide pollution, attributed to runoff from agricultural farms, indirectly increased the rate of the tropical disease schistosomiasis, which infects over 280 million people (2018). This research underlines the range of uncertainties that exist as a result of pesticide contamination, making it critically important that subtropical areas where this disease threat exists move toward organic and pesticide-free approaches. 

Increased prevalence of this disease is devastating to socioeconomic development in affected regions, as life expectancy, employment rate, and gross domestic product (GDP) decreases.

Laboratory testing discovered freshwater snails have a higher tolerance toward commonly used agriculture pesticides, like neonicotinoids (neonics) and organophosphates. This tolerance enabled the host snail to persist in an environment where non-tolerant (macro)invertebrates could not. In turn, the population of parasitic flatworms increased with its snail host... Neonicotinoid use eradicates the host snail’s predators and supports destructive planktonic algae (periphyton), a food source for snails.

This study is just one example of pesticide use causing a trophic cascade in unhealthy marine environments.

filed under Health/Parasites

Monday, April 6, 2020

As the World Bans Highly Toxic Wood Preservative, Pentachlorophenol, a Low-Income U.S. Community May Be Home to the Last Production Plant

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As the World Bans Highly Toxic Wood Preservative, Pentachlorophenol, a Low-Income U.S. Community May Be Home to the Last Production Plant

SNAP Comment: What will Canada and Saskatchewan do? Because of penta' s toxicity, we were no longer manufacturing it in Canada, but the quantities imported filled the gap. In 2017, SNAP answered Sask Power's 2017 Wood Pole Maintenance Program blog facebook poston its use of pentachlorophenol treated posts.

'UPDATE: The same day Beyond Pesticides published this piece, Gulbrandsen Chemicals announced it would drop its effort to produce pentachlorophenol in Orangeburg, SC, according to The State newspaper.

(Beyond Pesticides, March 10, 2020) Orangeburg, South Carolina may be the last place in the world to produce one of the most toxic pesticides known to humanity, pentachlorphenol. Despite a global ban on “penta” in 2016, in force in 186 countries, the United States has continued to import and use this hazardous wood preservative on telephone poles and railroad ties throughout the country.

filed under treated wood/ pentachlorophenol 

Monday, April 6, 2020

Safer Practices and Disinfectants for Coronavirus Identified by CDC, As EPA Advances Toxic Products, Suspends Public Health and Environmental Protections

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Safer Practices and Disinfectants for Coronavirus Identified by CDC, As EPA Advances Toxic Products, Suspends Public Health and Environmental Protections   (Beyond Pesticides, March 27, 2020)      In fact, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending 70% alcohol for surface disinfection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs is advising the use of unnecessarily toxic substances, and reducing standards that govern their allowance on the market. '

his reference includes a llist of the products to avoid.  T

'To some extent, the expanded allowance of disinfection products on top of the 281 disinfectants previously permitted has been made possible by relaxing oversight on so-called “inert” or other ingredients that are not disclosed on product labels and often highly toxic. The agency says it is allowing the use of these “inerts” with “no significant differences” compared to already-approved ingredients. Since inerts are not disclosed to the public and subject to limited EPA oversight, identifying potential contaminants or hazardous byproducts is critical to determining product safety.'

filed underantibacterials

Monday, April 6, 2020

Monarch Population, Under Threat from Pesticide Use and Habitat Loss, Declines by Half in One Year

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Monarch Population, Under Threat from Pesticide Use and Habitat Loss, Declines by Half in One Year

(Beyond Pesticides, March 17, 2020) The number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico is down 53% from last year, according to a count conducted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico.

Recent studies indicate that even when monarchs can find milkweed plants to lay their eggs, pesticide contamination from chemical intensive agriculture may be undermining their ability to continue their journey. A 2019 study found 14 different agricultural pesticides on milkweed tested near farm fields in Indiana, including the neonicotinoid class of insecticides implicated in the decline of pollinators. Research published late last year finds that monarchs that feed on neonicotinoid-contaminated milkweed experience a significantly shortened lifespan. Most monarchs (79%) exposed to neonicotinoids died within 22 days, while only one in five of those unexposed perished.

filed under wildlife/insedts

Friday, March 6, 2020

New picloram page added

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Friday, March 6, 2020

Chemical-Intensive Agriculture Increases Pregnant Mother’s Risk of Her Child Developing Leukemia

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Chemical-Intensive Agriculture Increases Pregnant Mother’s Risk of Her Child Developing Leukemia   (Beyond Pesticides, March 3, 2020) 

'The findings are based on a review of pesticide use data in rural, agricultural areas of California, where many minority, low-income and farmworking communities live. Under current laws, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permits the use of cancer-causing pesticides with an expectation that a certain number of cancers (anywhere from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,000,000, based on the pesticide in question) should be considered ‘acceptable risk.’

"A statistical analysis conducted by researchers found that use of any carcinogenic pesticides within 4,000m (~2.5 miles)" (or 4 km for Canadians) "during a mother’s pregnancy increases the odds of the child developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia nearly two-fold and three-fold, respectively. Urea-based herbicides, such as diuron and linuron, are found to be particularly troubling, substantially increasing the risk of childhood cancer.

Scientists also considered the cancer connection for several pesticides not considered carcinogenic by EPA, but widely used in California. Among those, glyphosate and and paraquat dichloride were both found to increase the risk of leukemia.'

filed under cancer/ link to individual pesticides and cancer. 

Friday, March 6, 2020

Glyphosate Causes Biodiversity Loss in Freshwater Ecosystems, According to Study

Experimental ponds in Gault Nature Reserve

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Glyphosate Causes Biodiversity Loss in Freshwater Ecosystems, According to Study  Experimental ponds in Gault Nature Reserve. Photo credit: Vincent Fugère (Beyond Pesticides, March 5, 2020)

'Researchers found that algae can develop resistance to contamination, but surviving phytoplankton communities are much less diverse. Diversity loss is cause for concern as it could hinder adaptation to other potential stressors, such as climate change.

Using experimental ponds, researchers first exposed some phytoplankton communities to low levels of Roundup over time, then dosed the ponds with a lethal amount. Groups that had been given low doses survived the lethal phase whereas unpolluted, control ponds did not. Researchers observed “community rescue,” where genetic changes avert population collapse in a lethal environment. In fact, glyphosate eventually became a fertilizer in resistant ponds as it is a significant source of phosphorus. Other studies, too, have noted that phosphorous loading is an overlooked impact of glyphosate contamination.    The resulting damage to genetic diversity causes concern. Andrew Gonzalez, Ph.D., says, “We observed significant loss of biodiversity in communities contaminated with glyphosate. This could have a profound impact on the proper functioning of ecosystems and lower the chance that they can adapt to new pollutants or stressors.'

filed under water/algae blooms 

Friday, March 6, 2020

Baby Bees’ Brain Growth Adversely Affected by Neonicotinoid Insecticides

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 Baby Bees’ Brain Growth Adversely Affected by Neonicotinoid Insecticides

(Beyond Pesticides, March 6, 2020) 
This research, however, examines how exposure to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, through consumption of contaminated nectar and pollen during the larval stage, affects bumblebees (Bombus terrestris audax). It finds that these exposures cause abnormal brain growth in some parts of the bees’ brains, and significantly impairs learning ability compared to bees who were not exposed....The brains of nearly 100 bees were examined, and the team found that an important part of the bee brain involved with learning — the mushroom body — was smaller in those exposed to the neonics. Smaller mushroom body volume is correlated with poorer performance in learning tasks. Bees fed with contaminated food in the larval stage show significantly impaired learning ability compared to those that are not.

Further, bee larvae have been shown to be vulnerable not only to a single pesticide, but also, to synergistic effects of the plethora of pesticides that may end up in the colony’s hive, plus the so-called “inert” ingredients in pesticide compounds. Researchers in one study noted, “One hundred and twenty-one different pesticides and metabolites were identified in the hive with an average of seven pesticides per pollen sample, including miticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and insect growth regulators.”

'The amount of pesticide residue present inside colonies following exposure appears to be an important measure for assessing the impact on a colony’s health in the future.”'

SNAP Comment: In my view, if it is affecting the development of bumblebee's brains, there is no reason it can't affect humans.

filed under neonicotinoids and wildlife/insects

Friday, March 6, 2020

Soil-Based Organic Agriculture Takes on the Climate Crisis, Economic Insecurity, and Health Inequity

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Soil-Based Organic Agriculture Takes on the Climate Crisis, Economic Insecurity, and Health Inequity (Beyond Pesticides, March 4, 2020) 

'California produces the most food of any state in the U.S. – more than half of all domestic fruits and vegetables – but only 4% of its agriculture is organic. After releasing a report on the benefits of organic agriculture last year, the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Foundation is continuing to offer a “Roadmap to an Organic California” with an extensive policy report. The document proposes a wealth of concrete strategies for California lawmakers to employ. Organic agriculture, the authors skillfully reason, can respond to three pressing issues in California: climate resilience, economic security, and health equity.'

filded under organics/ Economy

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Longest Field Trials Show Organic Practices Yield Higher Returns than Chemical-Intensive Agriculture

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Longest Field Trials Show Organic Practices Yield Higher Returns than Chemical-Intensive Agriculture  (Beyond Pesticides, February 24, 2019)

 nearly 40-year research project are these:

  • after a five-year transition period, organic yields are competitive with conventional yields
  • in drought years, organic yields are as much as 40% higher than conventional yields
  • farm profits are 3–6 times higher for products from organically managed systems
  • organic management systems use 45% less energy than conventional, and release 40% fewer carbon emissions into the atmosphere
  • organic systems leach no toxic chemicals into waterways
  • organic systems build, rather than deplete, organic matter in soil, improving soil health

filed under organic/farming

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Report Finds Top Chemical Companies Making Billions Off Poisoning the Earth

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Report Finds Top Chemical Companies Making Billions Off Poisoning the Earth

(Beyond Pesticides, February 27, 2020) A new report finds that as birds and pollinators continue to decline, and chronic diseases remain on the rise, the global agrichemical industry is raking in billions of dollars from hazardous pesticides that contribute to these crises. A joint investigation from Unearthed and Public Eye finds that 35% of pesticide sales from the largest agrichemical corporations are made from the most toxic pesticides on the market

Monday, February 24, 2020

Experts Identify Fireflies as the Latest Victim of the Ongoing Insect Apocalypse

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Experts Identify Fireflies as the Latest Victim of the Ongoing Insect Apocalypse  (Beyond Pesticides, February 19, 2020) 

'In an article published this month, “A Global Perspective on Firefly Extinction Threats,” experts are sounding the alarm over declines in fireflies attributed to habitat loss, light pollution, and indiscriminate pesticide use.

Pesticide use is particularly pernicious in the context of firefly ecology. While direct contact with pesticide sprays is a concern, exposure in soil and water represent greater hazards. This is because many firefly species lay their eggs in soil, and many spend the first years of their life in aquatic habitats like mangroves and other riparian vegetation (vegetation along the banks of waterways). Pesticides, like the neonicotinoid class of insecticides also implicated in pollinator declines, are known to drift once applied, and persist in soil and waterways.'

filed under wildlife/insects

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

EPA Fails to Follow Congressional Mandate to Protect Children from Pesticide Exposure

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EPA Fails to Follow Congressional Mandate to Protect Children from Pesticide Exposure

(Beyond Pesticides, February 13, 2020) Congress unanimously passed the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) in 1996 to increase protections for children from pesticide exposure. Unfortunately, according to a new study published in Environmental Health, the law is not being employed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to its full capacity. For most of the 59 pesticides reviewed by the study, EPA did not apply an additional FQPA safety factor and thereby missed an opportunity to protect children’s health. In fact, FQPA solidified EPA’s reliance on risk assessment calculations and mitigation measures that consistently fall short of adequate levels of protection because of serious data gaps, a failure to consider exposure to mixtures and synergistic effects, and a bias against consideration of alternatives (alternatives assessment)  that show toxic pesticides to be unnecessary. 

SNAP Comment: Does anyone know whether Canada is supposed to apply an additional safety factor for children in pesticide registration?

filed under safety of pesticides and children

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Victory for Farmers as Jury Awards Grower $265 Million in Damages From Drift of Monsanto s Dicamba

"This verdict is just the tip of the iceberg."

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'Victory for Farmers' as Jury Awards Grower $265 Million in Damages From Drift of Monsanto's Dicamba  (by Andrea Germanos, staff writer, Common Dreams, 17 February 2020)   also see Bader Farms Wins $265 Million in Lawsuit Against Bayer’s Monsanto, BASF   (Beyond Pesticides, February 20, 2020)

'The jury sided with Bader Farms on Friday and awarded them $15 million in damages, as St. Louis Public Radio reported:

Monsanto and BASF were found liable for negligent design of the products and negligent failure to warn regarding the products. The jury also found that the two companies created a joint venture to manufacture and sell dicamba-resistant seed and low-volatility herbicides, and that they conspired to create an "ecological disaster" to increase profits.
Pesticide Action Network welcomed the development as well.

"This verdict is just the tip of the iceberg — there is a long queue of farmers who have been impacted by dicamba drift and deserve their day in court," said Linda Wells, Pesticide Action Network organizing director. "The internal Monsanto (now Bayer) documents uncovered in this case show that the company released a highly destructive and intentionally untested product onto the market, and used its influence to cheat the regulatory system."

"While farmers who don't use the Xtend system are hit with crop damage and yield loss from dicamba drift, Bayer and BASF are reaping the financial gains of an increase in acreage planted to dicamba resistant soybeans, and an increase in use of dicamba formulations," Wells continued. "Bader Farms' victory in this case signals a turning tide, and opens opportunities for farmers to hold Bayer and BASF legally accountable for the dicamba drift crisis more broadly."

filed under dicamba and legal/litigation

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Major Manufacturer of Chlorpyrifos Drops Out of Market, But EPA Continues to Allow Use

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Major Manufacturer of Chlorpyrifos Drops Out of Market, But EPA Continues to Allow Use

(Beyond Pesticides, February 12, 2020) 'Corteva, a company spun-off from DowDupont, will stop producing chlorpyrifos by the end of this year as a result of declining sales. Despite the move being in the interest of public health, the company is earning little praise from health advocates for what amounts to simply a shrewd financial decision.

At odds is the difference between halting production of chlorpyrifos and cancelling its EPA registration. While Corteva has the ability to voluntarily stop producing its own product, EPA registration permits other generic manufacturers to continue to producing the product. And, over the years, there would be nothing to stop Corteva from reintroducing “new” chlorpyrifos products back onto the market.

The removal of Corteva (DowDupont) from the chlorpyrifos marketplace is indicative of a pattern within the current administration that puts profit at all cost above the health of the American people, and American children in particular, according to advocates. Decisions regarding public health should not be determined by the dictates of the marketplace, but by the sound science in states like NY, CA, and HI, the EU and other countries are following for the benefit of their residents.

filed under chlorpyrifos

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Hey Farmer Farmer, Put Away that Dicamba Weed Killer

A round up the plethora of recent news on dicamba — the toxic and destructive culprit behind each of these stories.

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“Hey Farmer Farmer, Put Away that” Dicamba Weed Killer

(Beyond Pesticides, February 14, 2020) US story. 'The weed killer dicamba has been blamed for killing or damaging millions of acres of non–genetically modified crops and other plants that have no protection against the compound.

This article 'round(s) up the plethora of recent news on dicamba': regulations, complaints, law suits, history, health effects.'

'Originally developed in the 1950s, dicamba is a benzoic acid herbicide that, when absorbed by plant tissue, ultimately causes the plant to outgrow its nutrient supply and die. Plants poisoned by dicamba typically exhibit curled, cup-shaped leaves, and often, stunted growth. Dicamba’s health effects on animal organisms can manifest as developmental, reproductive, neurological, hepatic, or renal harms. It also is a particular threat to birds, insects, fish, and aquatic organisms, as well as to non-target plants.'

'Dr. Ford Baldwin (a herbicide damage expert) who has previously testified on behalf of Monsanto and BASF), testified that “air in parts of the Midwest and South has become so contaminated with the weed killer dicamba that it has caused widespread damage to soybeans and other crops... It didn’t just come from one field.’” This happens because everyone sprays around the same time, dicamba evaporates, and there is an inversion, keeping the chemical near the ground overnight.

 State agencies and laboratories cannot cope with the mumber of complaints and “meanwhile, because they’re fully occupied with dicamba complaints, inspectors don’t have time for all their other work, such as routine inspections of pesticide use at schools, golf courses or businesses. (NPR)  'The volume of complaints and losses associated with dicamba use has not moved the current EPA to address the compound’s toxicity in any significant way... But the EPA actually extended its approval of dicamba just a year ago, before the 2019 growing season. The agency decided the problems could be addressed with a few new restrictions on how and where dicamba can be sprayed, along with more training for people who use it... Those changes did not fix the problem, Reed says. ‘As a matter of fact, the complaint numbers went up’ in Indiana and several other states.”'

The 'EPA made a low-key announcement on March 19 suggesting that it may change its handling of requests from states to exert stricter controls on use of pesticides than the federal agency sets out in its registration of the compounds — by disapproving them. This issue of preemption of localities’ desires to protect their populations and environment has become an increasingly dynamic frontier at the nexus of pesticide use, health, and environment.'

SNAP Comment: It seems like the US EPA is treating dicamba like a public relations problem rather than a chemical one. Dicamba is volatile, period. The new regulations in place for spraying have not changed the number of complaints. If anything they are going up. So, the EPA's answer is to make it impossible for states to set up more stringent regulations? Really? This alone indicates an out of touch regulatory system. How can one trust a regulatory system that attempts to suppress evidence rather than taking into consideration in regulation? Keep that in mind when industry uses registration of a particular pesticide to imply safety.

filed under dicamba

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Glyphosate and Roundup disrupt gut microbiome, contradicting regulator’s assumptions, study says

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Glyphosate and Roundup disrupt gut microbiome, contradicting regulator’s assumptions, study says (GM Watch,:December 11 2019) with link to original paper.

'The study in rats by an international team of scientists... has found that Roundup herbicide and its active ingredient glyphosate cause a dramatic increase in the levels of two substances, shikimic acid and 3-dehydroshikimic acid, in the gut, which are a direct indication that the EPSPS enzyme of the shikimic acid pathway has been severely inhibited.

In addition, the researchers found that both Roundup and glyphosate affected the microbiome at all dose levels tested, causing shifts in bacterial populations.

For the study, female rats (12 per group) were fed a daily dose of either glyphosate or a Roundup formulation approved in Europe, called MON 52276. Glyphosate and Roundup were administered via drinking water to give a glyphosate daily intake of 0.5 mg, 50 mg and 175 mg/kg body weight per day (mg/kg bw/day), which respectively represent the EU acceptable daily intake (ADI), the EU no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL), and the US NOAEL.

The study found certain adverse effects at all doses tested, disproving regulators’ assumptions that these levels have no adverse effect.

Dr Antoniou said that the study has broken new ground in identifying the first ever biomarker of glyphosate exposure, which could be relevant to humans.

The study also revealed that Roundup, and to a lesser extent glyphosate, damaged the liver and kidneys of the rats, even over the relatively short study period of 90 days.' However, these changes were not reflected in blood chemistry.

''Thus far, regulators have not incorporated these methods into the risk assessment process.'

SNAP COMMENT: Note the large difference between the EU and US no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL). It illustrates the role of interpretation and lack of rigorous science when the US (and likely Canada) can have a 3 1/2 times higher NOAEL the the EU, presumably from the same background studies. And now, this study provides evidence that serious effects occur at those levels anyways,further illustrating.the severe limitations of basing approval of pesticides on regulatory studies only.

filed under health./digestive tract/microbiome

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Farmer Takes Bayer/Monsanto to Court for Crop Damage Caused by the Herbicide Dicamba

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Farmer Takes Bayer/Monsanto to Court for Crop Damage Caused by the Herbicide Dicamba  (Beyond Pesticides, February 6, 2020)

'Mr. Bader says that not only did he lose over 30,000 trees, his remaining peaches are now smaller and his trees are less productive. According to Bader, the damage has cost him $20.9 million for which he seeks restitution. The case is claiming that Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, and German partner company BASF knew that the sale of their products would result in crop damage due to drift, but sold dicamba-resistant cotton and soybean seeds anyway. The companies deny the claims.

“The damage occurring was part of the plan,” said plaintiff attorney Billy Randles in an opening statement. “The damage was an essential element of selling this product.” Randles said that Monsanto could not control the product in their own greenhouse pointed to internal company discussions where the defendants “so thoroughly anticipated the problem” that they came up with a term for those who were impacted: “driftees.”

Steve Smith, the director of agriculture at world’s largest canned tomato processor, Red Gold Inc., testified at the trial that Monsanto had many warnings regarding the risk dicamba posed to farmers. Mr. Smith was a member of an advisory council to Monsanto on dicamba. “We told them (Monsanto) over and over again it was not a good idea,” said Smith in an interview with Sierra, “They keep saying it’s a matter of educating the growers. But the problem is not education; the problem is chemistry.”'

filed under Legal/Litigation and dicamba

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Toxic Herbicide Atrazine Causes Wasp Gut Microbiome to Develop Pesticide Resistance Across Generations

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Toxic Herbicide Atrazine Causes Wasp Gut Microbiome to Develop Pesticide Resistance Across Generations  (Beyond Pesticides, February 11, 2020)

 This study not only represents one of the first evolutionary studies on symbiont-mediated pesticide resistance, it also provides fodder for future research regarding the implications of exposure to xenobiotics (i.e., chemical substances like toxic pesticides foreign to an organism or ecosystem) for other gut bacteria hosts – such as honey bees and humans.

Early generations of wasps in the study received a field-realistic dose of atrazine (300 ppb) or a subtoxic dose (30 ppb); exposed individuals showed a gut flora composition significantly different from the control group. The shift in microbiome composition persists across subsequent generations.

After the 8th generation of sublethal dosing, there was a significant increase in tolerance to atrazine. LC50 increased in later generations of the atrazine-exposed population, indicating pesticide resistance. The paper reads, “Our study is one of the few cases to experimentally evolve cooperation between a host animal and rare members of the microbiome to derive new fitness traits within the population.”

Even when wasps are switched to an atrazine-free diet for six generations, the bacterial composition was similar to that of the exposed parents. Overall, researchers observed an increase in microbiota diversity and bacterial load.'

filed under atrazine and wildlife/insects and digestive tract/microbiome

Monday, February 3, 2020

Rate of Male Breast Cancer on the Rise in Scotland, Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Suspected

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Rate of Male Breast Cancer on the Rise in Scotland, Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Suspected

(Beyond Pesticides, January 29, 2020) A study of male breast cancer (MBC) in Scotland reports an alarming, increasing trend of this rare disease – especially in agricultural areas. While only accounting for 1% of diagnosed breast cancer, MBC forms in the breast tissue of men and is often fatal because of delayed diagnosis and lack of research on male-specific treatment.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can, even at low exposure levels, disrupt normal hormonal (endocrine) function. EDCs include many pesticides, exposures to which have been linked to infertility and other reproductive disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and early puberty, as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and childhood and adult cancers.

EDCs represent an under-researched and under-regulated threat to human health. Beyond Pesticides wrote on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s stalled analysis of the risk these chemicals pose, “A persistent critique of EPA’s toxicological assumptions has to do with the “dose makes the poison” concept that underlies conventional toxicology. In fact, researchers have discovered that this concept—that the more exposure, the more extreme the impacts—is not consistently the case across exposures to chemical compounds such as pesticides. Additionally, even very low-level exposures (aka “doses”) can, in some instances, cause more extreme health impacts.

 A 2017 European study shows that costs of disease burden and health care related to chemical environmental exposures, writ large, may constitute a figure somewhere north of 10% of global gross domestic product (GDP).

filed under cancer and endocrine disruption

Monday, February 3, 2020

Can Eating Organic Lower Your Exposure to Pesticides?

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Can Eating Organic Lower Your Exposure to Pesticides?  (Civil Eats, 11 February 2019) 

'While the study reaffirms previous research, it also breaks new ground by testing for newer classes of pesticides that are now the most widely used in the U.S. today to kill insects, namely neonicotinoids and pyrethroids. Previous organic diet studies focused primarily on organophosphates, such as chlorpyrifos, an older class of pesticides with enough well-documented human toxicity results that some scientists recently called for a ban on all of them.
Organophosphates dropped the most, with a 70 percent overall reduction. Chlorpyrifos—which has been linked to increased rates of autism, learning disabilities, and reduced IQ in children—dropped 61 percent in participants, and malathion, a probable human carcinogen, dropped 95 percent... 2,4-D, dropped by 37 percent in the post-organic urine samples...Among the newer classes of pesticides studied, pyrethroid levels dropped overall by about 50 percent and the one neonicotinoid detected (out of two researchers set out to study) dropped by 84 percent. The other neonicotinoid wasn’t found in the urine samples.

SNAP Comment: Industry either doesn't comment, or answers that rules are followed. Let's face it, mandatory regulatory studies are done with high amount and do not measure the amount of a pesticide excreted by the body or the body accumulation and, essentially, industry and government do not look at low dose effects because positive results would invalidate the current NA regulatory model of 'the dose makes the poison".

already under Exposure to pesticides  scroll to April 2019
 

Monday, February 3, 2020

Pesticide Use Harming Key Species Ripples through the Ecosystem

good literature review article

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Pesticide Use Harming Key Species Ripples through the Ecosystem (Pesticides and You, summer 2018)
'Halstead et al. (2017) incorporated these data into epidemiological models to determine the risk of disease transmission in real world scenarios. It was determined that while atrazine
caused a 28% increase in schistosomiasis transmission risk by indirectly increasing snail populations, the loss of crayfish and water bug predators were catastrophic for human health,
leading to a 10-fold expected increase in parasitic infection.
On the other hand, in healthy mesocosms unexposed to either pesticide, predator populations were able to adequately
maintain snail numbers below thresholds for disease transmission.

In both still and fast-moving aquatic environments, pesticides act powerfully on the foundational levels of the food web. Although algae blooms are usually considered the result of excess nutrient input, it could also be the case that a recent insecticide application eliminated all of the herbivorous grazing macroinvertebrates. Likewise, declines in threatened predators like otters could be related to impacts two steps down the food chain, if the fish on which they rely have declined due to pesticide-induced reductions in their prey.

During the first month after seed treatment (with neonics) in a soybean field, slug predation was reduced by 33%, slug activity increased by nearly 70%, and, over the course of the season, soybean yields were down 19%. '

The EPA and PMRA agencies must develop a “No Observed Adverse Effect Level” for ecosystems. Many other examples presented in the article.

filed under Wildlife and Legislation/regulatory
 

Monday, February 3, 2020

Croplands’ Toxicity to Pollinators Has Skyrocketed Since the Turn of the Century

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Croplands’ Toxicity to Pollinators Has Skyrocketed Since the Turn of the Century

(Beyond Pesticides, January 28, 2020) 'Findings indicate that from 1997-2012, contact bee toxic load remained steady, while oral bee toxic load increased nine times, despite significant declines in the overall weight of insecticides applied during that time period.

The trend is particularly pronounced in the U.S. Midwest. According to the study, the widespread use of neonicotinoid seed treatments increased oral bee toxic load by 121 times. Worse yet, there is little to no evidence that these seed treatments are actually managing pest problems.

filed under Bee Die-Off and neonicotinoids

Monday, February 3, 2020

Documented Decline of Mayflies, a Keystone Species, Destabilizes Ecosystems

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Documented Decline of Mayflies, a Keystone Species, Destabilizes Ecosystems (Beyond Pesticides, January 28, 2020)

In more bad news from the insect world, recent research reveals a precipitous decline in numbers of mayflies in territories where they have been historically abundant.  Neonicotinoid insecticides are a significant factor in this decline because mayflies are exquisitely vulnerable to their impacts, even at very low exposure levels.

The plummeting mayfly “count” is especially alarming because mayflies are a critical, primary food source in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and provide an important ecological service.

Three phenomena account for most of this dive in mayfly populations: (1) dramatically increased use of neonicotinoid pesticides in recent years in these regions; (2) algal blooms, especially in Lake Erie, caused primarily by runoff of agricultural fertilizers and other nutrient-dense pollutants; and (3) the warming impacts of the climate crisis, which include higher water temperatures that can cause havoc with the development of these tiny creatures...

 Neonics in Great Lakes tributaries, for example, have registered at levels 40 times those established as protective by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Aquatic Life Benchmarkaccording to a 2018 study.

also see  In a Pesticides and You article, “Pesticide Use Harming Key Species Ripples through the Ecosystem,

filed under wildlife/aquatic organsims

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Regulatory Capture: USDA’s Organic Governance Board Dominated by Affiliates of Industry’s Corporate Lobby

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Regulatory Capture: USDA’s Organic Governance Board Dominated by Affiliates of Industry’s Corporate Lobby   (Beyond Pesticides, January 24, 2019)

'Continuing a trend well established by prior Republican and Democratic administrations, the five new members recently appointed by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) all have a current or past relationship with the industry’s major lobby group, the Organic Trade Association (OTA). 

Over the past decade, Big Food has consolidated ownership of most of the largest and best-known organic brands. At the same time, many have criticized USDA for “stacking” the board, which is charged with guiding the regulatory oversight of organic farming and food production, with members from, or friendly to, corporate agribusiness interests.

“After serving five years on the National Organic Standards Board myself,” said Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides, “I have witnessed how cards are stacked against independent voices. OrganicEye’s research is designed to empower industry stakeholders, so we can put pressure on our governmental officials and on brands that betray true organic values in the marketplace.”'

filed under industry shenanigans/regulatory and legal

Friday, January 17, 2020

New Method of Lyme Disease Prevention Promising, But Not Ready to Replace Personal Protective Measures

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New Method of Lyme Disease Prevention Promising, But Not Ready to Replace Personal Protective Measures   (Beyond Pesticides, January 14, 2020)

'...incorporating Lyme vaccines into pelletized mouse food had the effect of reducing levels of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, in both mice and ticks in a certain location.

“So, the idea here is to vaccinate the mice,” study author Kirby Stafford, PhD told WBUR. “What we’ve done is incorporate a Lyme disease vaccine in an oral bait that would immunize them. That would prevent ticks feeding on those animals from becoming infected and then ultimately turn around and infect you.”'

filed under alternatives/ disease

Friday, January 17, 2020

Environmental Chemicals Are Stealing IQ Points from American Children and Costing Trillions to the U.S. Economy

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Environmental Chemicals Are Stealing IQ Points from American Children and Costing Trillions to the U.S. Economy  (Beyond Pesticides, January 16, 2020) 

' “Although people argue against costly regulations, unrestricted use of these chemicals is far more expensive in the long run, with American children bearing the largest burden,” says senior study author Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP in a press release.'

Despite modest declines in organophosphate pesticide use over the study period, the impacts of organophosate exposure appear roughly on par with lead exposure. Pesticides were estimated to result in over 26 million lost IQ points and over 110,000 cases of intellectual disability, totaling roughly $735 billion in economic costs.

filed under nervous system effects

Friday, January 17, 2020

Study Links Pyrethroid Insecticides to Cardiovascular Disease and Other Health Hazards

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Study Links Pyrethroid Insecticides to Cardiovascular Disease and Other Health Hazards   (Beyond Pesticides, January 10, 2020)

'A new study... demonstrates that greater exposure to pyrethroid insecticides is associated with higher risks of death from all causes and from cardiovascular diseaseThese compounds can be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin; they are highly neurotoxic, and have also been linked to certain cancers, endocrine disruption, and suppression of the immune system, as well as respiratory and reproductive impacts.

The co-authors report that subjects with the highest levels of metabolites had a 56% higher risk of death during the follow-up period than did subjects with the lowest exposure levels. In addition, “those in the highest exposure group had three times the cardiovascular mortality risk of those in the lowest exposure group.

Pyrethroids account for 30% of global pesticide use, and have been generally regarded as effective against insects with few short-term risks to human health.

 “Other than cigarette smoking, few, if any, chemical exposures are known to trigger a threefold increase in the risk of death from heart disease, especially in people younger than 60 years.” They conclude that immediate further investigation of pyrethroid health impacts is warranted.

the EPA) is now apparently welcoming the recommendations of industry — from, in this case, the Pyrethroid Working Group, a consortium of pesticide companies — to continue stripping away regulations designed to protect human and environmental health.

filed under cardiovascular and pyrethrins

Friday, January 17, 2020

Exploratory Study Indicates Pesticide Exposure May Relate to Higher Risk for Endometriosis

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Exploratory Study Indicates Pesticide Exposure May Relate to Higher Risk for Endometriosis   (Beyond Pesticides, January 15, 2019)

Researchers examined exposure to 11 “universal pesticides” and their metabolites and its relationship to endometriosis...This study detected six of the pesticides or their metabolites in ≥95% of urine samples — including organophosphates and 2-4,D. Pyrethroids and their metabolites were detected in 47–80% of the samples. The odds ratios, or measure of association between exposure and an outcome, are significant for two organophosphate metabolites: 2-Isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (IMPY) and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPY). The authors conclude, “Our results suggest that exposure to elevated concentrations of diazinon (the parent compound of IMPY) and chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl (parent compounds of TCPY) may be associated with endometriosis.” However, the authors emphasize the small sample size and need for further studies. “Our findings should be considered as exploratory,” they state.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are far under-studied and under-regulated.' 

filed under reproductive health and endocrine disruption 

Friday, January 17, 2020

European Union Bans Neonicotinoid Insecticide, Citing Health and Environmental Concerns

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European Union Bans Neonicotinoid Insecticide, Citing Health and Environmental Concerns   (Beyond Pesticides, January 17, 2020)

about the neonicotinoid Thiacloprid.

“There are environmental concerns related to the use of this pesticide, particularly its impact on groundwater, but also related to human health, in reproductive toxicity.”


One commercial product in Canada: 
'GENERAL INFORMATION
Calypso 480 SC Insecticide is a locally systemic and translaminar insecticide which provides
control of insect pests in pome fruit. Calypso 480 SC Insecticide controls insect pests by contact action and by ingestion of the treated plant tissue. '

Pome fruits are apple type fruits and a systemic insecticide that can't be washed off is used on them. I don't believe thiacloprid is covered in the neonicotinoids that Canada will ban in a few years.

filed under legislation and neonicotinoids

Sunday, January 5, 2020

University of Iowa research ties pesticides to heart-disease deaths

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University of Iowa research ties pesticides to heart-disease deaths
'We're in some ways ground zero for a lot of these pesticides'

Use Raid anyone? or mosquito coils? clothing or mosquito nets treated with pyrethroids?

About synthetic pyrethroids, which have replaced more toxic insecticides on the home and general market. In spite of pyrethroids having been known to cause allergies and a variety of other health problems, widespread contamination,.as well as being the number one group of pesticides reported to the EPA as causing adverse health effects, they are generally considered by regulatory agencies as safe.
'“There is very little out there where people have actually looked at the cardiovascular system as a target of toxicity for these kind of compounds”. This study correlates urine levels with death occurrence. As many more people have heart disease than die from it, the proportion of people affected by pyrethroids is likely a lot more than 'three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those with low or no exposure.'
'New University of Iowa research out this week associates higher exposure to commonly used insecticides — including those in use across Iowa — with an increased risk of death from all causes, specifically cardiovascular disease — even as the market share of that potentially deadly pesticide grows.
That swell in use, according to UI assistant professor of epidemiology and study author Wei Bao, means the rate of deaths related to the chemical exposure likely has increased as well — although he urged more investigation.'

filed under pyrethroids and cardiovascular

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Soaking up Australias drought

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Soaking up Australia's drought (ABC News, 3 December 2018)

I hadn't heard of them but they found a method that works.

'Is Natural Sequence Farming the secret to restoring our water-starved continent? For more than a decade, two farmers have shown that parched landscapes can be revived. And finally Canberra's listening.

Two years ago, The Mulloon Institute was recognised by the United Nations as one of only five case studies globally to demonstrate landscape-scale sustainable agriculture.'

more on organics and regenerative farming 

Friday, January 3, 2020

Study Highlights Lasting Benefits of Organic Practices on Soil Health and Crop Productivity

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Study Highlights Lasting Benefits of Organic Practices on Soil Health and Crop Productivity (Beyond Pesticides, January 2, 2020)

The research, published by scientists at Cornell University, underlines the important role soil-dwelling organisms (SDOs) must play in a sustainable agricultural future... “Really, we need to be optimizing these biotic processes in our soil and focusing more on biotic measurements,” Ms. Jernigan said.  

For instance, sorghum planted on the enhanced weed management plot, where the soil was frequently plowed, had fewer weeds, but the SDOs soil-dwelling organisms present are those better able to handle disturbances, and less likely to significantly enhance soil health. This contrasts with the reduced tillage plot, which contained an abundance SDOs that enhance microbial activity in the soil and facilitate nutrient cycling. Despite the higher level of weed biomass in the reduced tillage plot when compared to the weed management plot, weeds problems were not overwhelming, and crop productivity was higher with reduced tillage.

...“The study is important because unsustainable farming practices are depleting soils of biological activity and nutrients, leading to widespread concern about farmers’ ability to grow enough food to keep up with global population growth.”

Thus, this research underscores the importance of a frequently overlooked “limiting factor” in crop productivity – soil health.

filed under organics