Archives for 2024
- Friday, October 4, 2024
Good nutrition boosts honey bee resilience against pesticides, viruses
Good nutrition boosts honey bee resilience against pesticides, viruses (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau, Science Daily, 24 September 2024)
In a new study, researchers have tackled a thorny problem: How do nutritional stress, viral infections and exposure to pesticides together influence honey bee survival? By looking at all three stressors together, the scientists found that good nutrition enhances honey bee resilience against the other threats.
On the natural pollen diet, bees exposed to the virus still experienced higher mortality, the researchers found. But fewer bees died when they were also exposed to a mixture of chlorpyrifos and a fungicide.
"Different pesticides have different molecular targets and do different things," Dolezal said. "It's not okay if bees get exposed to a little bit of any pesticide. It depends on the chemical."
Pesticides, alone or in combination with viruses, are in most cases detrimental to bees.
"But it is gratifying to know that providing high-quality habitat can at least increase their resilience to these stressors," Hsieh said.
SNAP Comment: The summary does not say whether other end point than mortality were considered. Of the 3 insecticides fed to bees, better nutrition lessened death only when exposed to chlorpyrifos and a fungicide. Presumably better nutrition did not help with exposure to the pyrethroid or thiamethoxam (a neonicotinoid) ? I don't know how far 'high-quality prairie habitat near agricultural sites' was in this study, but looking at pesticide depeosition in sloughs in pastures shows the same amount of water contamination of most herbicides tested at least 1/2 mile away from sprayed fields. (see pesticides in water/ Saskatchewan :Concentrations of Herbicides in Wetlands on Organic and Minimum-Tillage Farms) so presumably prairie habitat within 1/2 mile would be an "ecological trap".
filed under bee diee-off p 2
- Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Ecosystem consequences of herbicides: the role of microbiome
Ecosystem consequences of herbicides: the role of microbiome (opinion)
(Suvi Ruuskanen et al, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Volume 38, Issue 1, January 2023, Pages 35-43)
'While many herbicides were initially considered safe for non-target taxa as their mechanism of action was thought to be absent in these organisms, it has been understood only recently that herbicides may have profound effects on non-target taxa via alterations of microbial communities and microbial function in soil, plants, and animals 3,4 (Table 1). Given the imperative role of microbes in driving ecoevolutionary adaptations since the origin of life, and that microbes and their hosts comprise coevolving, multipartite entities, holobionts 5, a comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with altered microbiomes is needed 6. Here, we propose that herbicides can influence natural and agricultural ecosystem functioning due to soil- and host-associated microbiome alteration (Figure 1) and may have evolutionary consequences. 'filed under health/microbiota changes
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
One of World s Largest Dementia Clusters in Young People May Be Tied to High Blood Levels of Glyphosate
still fingitng to get to the bottom of New Brunswick cluste of neurological disease
One of World’s Largest Dementia Clusters in Young People May Be Tied to High Blood Levels of Glyphosate (Beyond Pesticides, September 3, 2024)
This article details the saga of getting to the bottom of New Brunswick cluster of neurological disease cases.
Enough evidence to get federal money to investigate but 'the investigation of the potential cluster and its possible explanations was rapidly derailed by intergovernmental turf wars in which one combatant was determined to make the problem go away. Within 20 months of the federal investigative study startup, the project was shut down by provincial authorities.'
certainly worth a read.
see also
filed under health/nervous system effects and glyphosate 2
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
A novel pesticide has lethal consequences for an important pollinator
Flupyradifurone
A novel pesticide has lethal consequences for an important pollinator (Science of The Total Environment, Volume 952, 20 November 2024,
"in a semi-field experiment, we exposed solitary bees (Osmia lignaria) to a commercial pesticide formulation (Sivanto Prime) containing flupyradifurone at label-recommended rates. We originally designed the experiment to examine sublethal effects, but contrary to our expectations, 100 % of bees released into pesticide-treated cages died within 3 days of exposure, compared to 0 % in control plots. Bees exposed to flupyradifurone a few days after the initial application survived but endured prolonged sublethal effects, including lower nesting success, impairment to foraging efficiency, and higher mortality.'
- Flupyradifurone is a novel insecticide licenced for use on bee-visited crops.
- We found that flupyradifurone was lethal to solitary bees.
- The pesticide also had sublethal impacts on bee nesting, foraging, and longevity.
filed under pesticide fact sheets/Flupyradifurone and wildlife section/insects p.2
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Biofungicides Show Promise in Agriculture and Land Management, Study Finds
several examples of success
Biofungicides Show Promise in Agriculture and Land Management, Study Finds
(Beyond Pesticides, September 6, 2024) A literature review in the Internal Journal of Molecular Sciences provides promising insights into biofungicides as a “sustainable and economically viable alternative” to synthetic fungicides in expanding organic agriculture.
Researchers identify three SM primary types: terpenes and terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds that are produced via four different mechanisms: the shikimic acid pathway, the malonic acid pathway, the mevalonic acid pathway, and the non-mevalonate (MEP) pathway.
Currently, the authors note, biofungicides are more expensive and do not yet achieve the level of pest control of traditional synthetic fungicides. There are also challenges related to handling, applying, and producing these natural products that are readily degraded by air, light, and temperature extremes.
The growing demand for organic food contributes, the study argues, to a 15% growth rate for biofungicides annually.
filed under alternatives/ disease
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Carbon Markets Entrench Pesticide Use
Carbon Markets Entrench Pesticide Use (Beyond Pesticides, August 27, 2024)
In recent years, powerful agribusiness corporations—including Corteva (chlorpyrifos) and Bayer/Monsanto (glyphosate)—have made significant progress in becoming leading providers of carbon markets based in the United States. Advocates, farmers, and communities view the misrepresentation of carbon offsets and trading as a climate solution in a strategy that undermines proven alternative systems of agriculture and land management (aka organic).
Based on Civil Eats’ reporting, Bayer/Monsanto with Climate FieldView and Corteva with its Carbon Solutions program, cite their pesticide products as tools for sustainable agricultural practices, such as no-till/reduced-till agriculture and cover cropping. “Independent” carbon trading platforms, such as Indigo and Nora, have begun partnering with Bayer and Corteva respectively because they view collaboration as an opportunity to expand their services to new clients (e.g., farmers who are trapped in the toxic pesticide dependency treadmill).
CropLife International, a pesticide trade association that represents Bayer, Corteva, and other manufacturers of pesticide products, submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2022 emphasizing the recognition of pesticides as a critical tool for climate-smart farming practices as USDA developed its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program.
Both organic and conventional farmers who are navigating the introduction and expansion of carbon offset tools remain concerned “that carbon markets would inadequately support a full range of beneficial soil management practices,”
filed under Climate Change
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Pesticide Residue Impacts Microbial Health
Nigeria study
Pesticide Residue Impacts Microbial Health (Beyond Pesticides, September 17, 2024)
Today, International Microorganism Day, is a prime moment to focus on the complexity of billions of living beings that establish the foundation of land management and food production.
A recent article in British Journal of Environmental Sciences points to several microbial populations adversely affected by pesticide-contaminated soil on various farmland plots in Nigeria.
filed under Soils/pesticides in
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Scientific Literature Review Again Links Pesticides to a Range of Illnesses and Ecological Decline
literature review linked ot health problems in India
Scientific Literature Review Again Links Pesticides to a Range of Illnesses and Ecological Decline (Beyond Pesticides, September 4, 2024) A study in the Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health adds to the body of science that highlights the ecological decline threatening all species as a result of hazardous chemicals in the environment. “Pesticides, particularly persistent organic pollutants (POPs), are among the top ten chemicals and hazardous compounds that the WHO World Health Organization has recognized as being a concern for global health. The overuse and improper handling of agrochemicals is the primary driver of the ecological disaster.”
filed under health/overview and Wildlife section/overview
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Continued Decline in Insect Species Biodiversity with Agricultural Pesticide Use Documented
Continued Decline in Insect Species Biodiversity with Agricultural Pesticide Use Documented (Beyond Pesticides, September 11, 2024) A literature review in Environments, written by researchers from South Korea and Ghana, highlights the threat to nontarget species and the biodiversity of insects that occur as a result of agricultural pesticide use.
filed under wildlife seciton/insects
- Thursday, September 19, 2024
Bayer push to block lawsuits
preemption laws
Bayer push to block lawsuits (The New Lede, 11 July 2024)
'In an effort to block further litigation, the chemical giant has turned its focus to getting federal and state legislation passed to block Roundup users from suing the company for damages. According to a recent Washington Post article, Bayer helped draft language for a legislative measure that would limit the types of lawsuits brought by the Roundup users. That measure is included in the US House of Representatives version of the 2024 Farm Bill, which is slated to be finalized later this year. The company has also been pushing lawmakers in several states to pass similar measures.
Key to Bayer’s messaging to legislators is that, because glyphosate is EPA-approved, research showing its harms should be rejected. But the process by which the EPA approved glyphosate decades ago has never been reassuring to independent scientists such as myself. EPA scientists conducting initial assessments of glyphosate in the 1980’s discovered several mice dosed with the pesticide developed rare kidney tumors, prompting the scientists to confirm the pesticide’s link to cancer.
Then the EPA’s pesticides office did what it often does: It ignored the troubling research and the recommendation of its own scientists and approved the pesticide without acknowledging its documented link to cancer.
Even the EPA’s subsequent assessments and reapprovals of the pesticide, required every 15 years, have been plagued by questionable science. In 2022 a federal appeals court ruled that the agency’s finding that glyphosate has no link to cancer violated its own Cancer Guidelines and “was not supported by substantial evidence.”
SNAP Comment: I find the conclusion 'The disturbing revelation that consumers simply cannot trust that a pesticide is safe simply because it gets the EPA’s stamp of approval.' is made by someone who does not know the history. It used to be a stated part of regulatory agencies policy (including the Canadian PMRA) that registration was not equivalent to safety because pesticides were designed to kill... The regulatory approach has been to reduce concentration and rate or frequenccy of application and set up some type of safety factor rather than ban a substance. None of these approaches have been showln to be sufficient to reduce risk. That is why many pesticides have finally been banned.
filed under Industry Shenanigans/Regulatory and Legal including preemption laws and glyphosate 2
- Thursday, September 19, 2024
Revealed - Far higher pesticide residues allowed on food since Brexit
Exclusive: Unlike the EU, Great Britain has slashed protections for scores of food types
Revealed: Far higher pesticide residues allowed on food since Brexit
Exclusive: Unlike the EU, Great Britain has slashed protections for scores of food types (The Guardian, 19 September 2024)
'Changes to regulations in Great Britain mean more than 100 items are now allowed to carry more pesticides when sold to the public, ranging from potatoes to onions, grapes to avocados, and coffee to rice.
For tea, the maximum residue level (MRL) was increased by 4,000 times for both the insecticide chlorantraniliprole and the fungicide boscalid. For the controversial weedkiller glyphosate, classed as a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization (WHO), the MRL for beans was raised by 7.5 times.
The purpose of the pesticide MRL regime is to protect public health, wildlife and the natural environment. Campaigners said the list of pesticides included reproductive toxins and carcinogens and that the weaker MRLs reduced protections for consumers in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has retained the EU MRLs.
...MRLs have been weakened for 49 different pesticides, 15 of which are on a list of “highly hazardous pesticides” compiled by Pesticides Action Network UK (Pan UK), based on data from national and international authorities.
Strikingly, the UK chose to adopt the Codex MRLs only where they offered lower protection to consumers. Where the Codex standard was stricter, the HSE decided to retain the weaker British MRL.
A spokesperson for the HSE said: “We make independent decisions based on careful scientific assessment of the risks, with the aim of achieving a high level of protection for people and the environment."'
SNAP Comment: Hmmm.... Increasing allowable pesticide residues in foods achieves a higher level of protection...Does that make sense to you? Unfortunately, the reality is likely that MRLs are increased because the food available is so contaminated that the previous lower MRL can no longer be met. This happened for mercury residue in fish decades ago.
filed under Food/pesticides in/ p.2
- Saturday, September 7, 2024
New Glyphosate studies find risks with on-label preharvest use
study on malting barley
New Glyphosate studies find risks with “on-label” preharvest use (Safe Food Matters, 5 September 2024) 'Preharvest use of glyphosate on malting barley “should not be a recommended practice”, according to the conclusion of a recent field trial report, because it risks “the quality and residue status” of the grain. The study was conducted to assess preharvest use on barley at different rates and stages of crop maturity. The unexpected finding was that maximum residue limits (MRLs) of glyphosate were exceeded, “even when glyphosate was applied at the recommended level … and time”. In other words, even when spray label directions were followed.' Pre-harvest use is currenetly banned in Europe.
filed under glyphosate 2 and Food-pesticides in/ p.2
- Saturday, September 7, 2024
B.C. against maker of herbicide that allegedly causes Parkinson s
The representative plaintiff says Syngenta, which produced and marketed paraquat-based herbicides, should be liable for its health effects
B.C. against maker of herbicide that allegedly causes Parkinson's
The representative plaintiff says Syngenta, which produced and marketed paraquat-based herbicides, should be liable for its health effects (byJoseph Ruttle, Vancouver Sun, Aug 14, 2024)
This article also presents industry's defense.
'The lawsuit argues “Syngenta’s labels make no mention of any implications of chronic exposure, nor do they make any reference to Parkinson’s disease.”
Hundreds of pages of supporting documents include expert testimony showing that prolonged exposure to paraquat is associated with a 250-per-cent increase in the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease.
They also submitted a collection of internal corporate documents dating back decades that suggest “Syngenta’s public statements about Parkinson’s risk conflicted with its internal research.”
- Saturday, September 7, 2024
Campaign calls on province to ban glyphosate spraying
Use of herbicide in Northern Ont. forests impacts wildlife and threatens human health, say Anishinabek critics
Campaign calls on province to ban glyphosate spraying
Use of herbicide in Northern Ont. forests impacts wildlife and threatens human health, say Anishinabek critics (by Jim Moodie, Sudbury Star, Aug 19, 2024)
'Since glyphosate has been applied as an aerial herbicide, elders “have observed dramatic changes in moose, deer, muskrat and other forest life, as jack pine plantations began replacing mixed forests,” according to the release.
Together, the opponents of the herbicide spraying assembled a petition counting more than 300,000 signatures.
Gelinas noted Quebec actually has far more hydro infrastructure than Ontario, exporting its power to the U.S. as well as domestically, but their utility is still profitable, without relying on the chemical. Meanwhile 'umerous First Nations people are employed to clear brush manually from transmission lines.'
filed under glyphosate 2 and forestry/ herbicides
- Saturday, September 7, 2024
Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests
Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests
Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests (by Emily Chung, Benjamin Shingler, CBC News, Sep 05, 2024)
Because bats play a crucial role in eating up and controlling insect pests, 'Eyal Frank, an environmental economist at the University of Chicago, decided to look at what happened when white-nose syndrome spread into new counties in the eastern U.S., decimating bat populations.
He found that farmers responded to the resulting insect outbreaks by increasing their pesticide use 31 per cent. Pesticides are toxic, and often associated with human health impacts such as increases in infant deaths.
Frank found that infant mortality went up eight per cent after the arrival of white-nose syndrome in a county, according to his study published today in the journal Science.
Frank also found evidence that not only were the pesticides expensive, but they weren't as good as the bats at controlling insects — farmers' revenue from crop sales fell 29 per cent in areas hit by the bat pandemic.
He estimates that in total, farmers in communities with bat die-offs lost $26.9 billion between 2006 and 2017. Putting a number to damages from infant mortality resulted in a societal cost of $39.6 billion from the loss of bats.'
filed under insecticides and wildlife section/mammals. and children 2
- Thursday, August 15, 2024
Conclusion of the Transformation Agenda: Nothing Transformed
Conclusion of the Transformation Agenda: Nothing Transformed ( Safe food Matters blog, 10 August 2024)
links and details in original article.
On August 4, 2021, Health Canada announced:
- it was pausing proposed increases to pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), including for glyphosate
- the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) would receive $42 million over three years “to further strengthen its human and environmental health and safety oversight and protection”- the Transformation Agenda.
Three years later, and $42 million later, nothing has been transformed. The PMRA is consulting on 4 proposed regulations, that do NOT strengthen protection from pesticides. Two of them do nothing, and two actually make matters worse.
Consultation Deadline
The deadline for submitting comments on the consultation is midnight EST, August 24, 2024.
filed under legislation/regulatory/Canada p.2
- Thursday, August 15, 2024
Burns me to a crisp: Farmers allege link between popular herbicide paraquat and Parkinson s disease
Internal documents show the manufacturer has been aware of concerns for decades.
'Burns me to a crisp': Farmers allege link between popular herbicide paraquat and Parkinson's disease Internal documents show the manufacturer has been aware of concerns for decades.(By Cho Park and Jared Kofsky, ABC Newss, November 28, 2023)
filed under nervous system effects/ Parkinson's p. 2, and paraquat
- Saturday, August 10, 2024
PAN Applauds EPA Suspension Of DCPA, Calls For Quicker Action
PAN Applauds EPA Suspension Of DCPA, Calls For Quicker Action (PAN, 8 Aug 2024)
'According to EPA documents, exposure to DCPA can lead to changes in fetal thyroid hormones that are linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills observed later in life. Dangerous exposure levels that could cause harm are low enough that a pregnant individual could be exposed to DCPA without experiencing adverse health effects to their own body, while the fetus could experience permanent and significant lifelong adverse effects.
In the meantime, this product continued to be used on lawns, turf applications, and food crops,
While PAN is pleased that the emergency suspension was put into place, we are deeply disappointed in the flawed processes that delay actions that would effectively protect public health. EPA knew of the potential for harm posed by DCPA for eighteen years before taking the first step to suspend it, and then it took another ten years from that first request for more studies on DCPA to finally suspend its registration. That’s nearly three decades worth of exposure to a dangerous herbicide.
SNAP Comment: Dacthal (DCPA or dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate) is not and apparently has not historically been registered in Canada. The same flawed process of evaluation also applies to Canada. It is classified as an Alkyl Phthalate but also contains 4 clhlorine atoms.
filed under herbicides and Legislation/regulatory/ USA p.2
- Friday, August 2, 2024
Some condom and lubricant brands contain alarming levels of PFAS – study
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to low birth weight, reduced sperm counts and infertility
Some condom and lubricant brands contain alarming levels of PFAS – study Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to low birth weight, reduced sperm counts and infertility (The Guardian, 28 July 2024) Last month, scientists discovered human skin absorbs "forever chemicals" like PFAS more than previously thought. Now, popular brands of condoms and lubricants like Trojan and K-Y Jelly have been found to contain "alarming levels" of PFAS. The former head of the EPA's toxicology program says because “condoms are an exposure to the most sensitive areas on the human body for both men and women, I would strongly recommend the industry identify and remove these chemicals immediately.”
SNAP Comment: not in pesticides but worrisome.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
- Sunday, July 28, 2024
The toxic weed killer linked to Parkinson Disease
(EWG) 2 minutes video
The toxic weed killer linked to Parkinson's Disease (EWG) 2 minutes video Paraquat comes to our food supply via crops sprayed with it like pistachios, almonds, tomatoes and more.
- Sunday, July 28, 2024
Popular POM juice producer among California leading users of paraquat
Toxic weedkiller, linked to Parkinson’s, banned in over 60 countries
Popular POM juice producer among California's leading users of paraquat (EWG news release, April 2024) 'Toxic weedkiller, linked to Parkinson’s, banned in over 60 countries.
Wonderful’s brands include POM pomegranate juice, Landmark Vineyards wine and Fiji Water, among many others.
In 2021 alone, Wonderful sprayed more than 56,000 pounds of paraquat on California fields where it grows pistachios, almonds and pomegranates, according to state and county records analyzed by EWG.
Paraquat is mostly used by U.S. growers to clear fields of weeds and leftover crops before planting almonds, corn, peanuts, soybeans, wine grapes and other crops. The herbicide can remain in soil for years.
It can also linger in dust or drift on air currents, creating exposure risks for residents in nearby communities. A recent EWG investigation found that Latinos in some California communities with high poverty rates are exposed to far higher amounts of paraquat than people elsewhere.
Only the J.G. Boswell Company, a major crop grower, used more paraquat in California than Wonderful in 2021. Boswell applied more than 58,000 pounds of paraquat on cotton, tomatoes and other crops.
The New Lede, an independent journalism initiative of EWG, and The Guardian recently revealed that Syngenta actively sought to mislead Environmental Protection Agency regulators about the link between paraquat and Parkinson’s
EWG is sponsoring state legislation that would ban the use of paraquat in California by January 2026.'
SNAP comment: the last paraquat product in Canada was taken off the market in 2022. It may still be used as the PMRA only bans sales and not use.
Filed under paraquat , nervous system effects/Parkinson's p 2
- Saturday, July 27, 2024
Most of the glyphosate in European rivers may not come from farming, researchers suggest
source seems to be a detergent additive not used in the USA.
Most of the glyphosate in European rivers may not come from farming, researchers suggest (by Universitaet Tübingen, Phys Org, 26 July, 2024)
In Europe, the seasonal water concentrations of glyphosate in water were mostly constant and not related to pattern of use.
'Initial laboratory tests have now been completed and confirm the hypothesis of glyphosate formation in wastewater treatment plants from this laundry additive.' (aminopolyphosphonates). 'However, there is also some good news: "We do not see glyphosate formation when we simulate conditions directly in the washing machine." '
'The situation in the U.S. is different from that in the EU; concentration patterns of glyphosate in U.S. river water closely follow those of other herbicides, indicating a dominant agricultural input. In contrast to Europe, aminopolyphosphonates are hardly used in the U.S. in laundry detergents.'
SNAP Comment: This illustrates the problem of using sewage sludge to grow food, a widely accepted practice.
filed under glyphosate 2 and water
- Friday, July 26, 2024
Study links specific pesticides to increased risk of over 6 types of cancers
Study links specific pesticides to increased risk of over 6 types of cancers (by Robby Berman, Medical News Today, July 25, 2024)
Agricultural pesticide use in the U.S. is linked to various cancers as strongly as smoking cigarettes, a new population-based study shows.
Its authors found strong links between environmental pesticides and leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, bladder, colon, lung, and pancreatic cancers, as well as cancer combinations.
Though individual pesticides have been linked to cancers, the study emphasizes that mixtures of pesticides — the manner in which they’re typically delivered to crops — significantly multiply their carcinogenic risk.
This risk is not confined to areas where agriculture actually occurs. Many communities under the greatest threat are visited by hazardous air- and water-borne pesticides that emanate from neighboring farms.
Identified pesticides associated with higher risks cancers: glyphosate, Imazethapyr. Metolachlor, Metolachlor-S, and the combination of both, atrazine, boscalid, dimethomorph, dicamba, Dinotefuran, Dimethenamid and Dimethenamid-P.
SNAP Comment: All pesticides mentioned are regiastered in Canada except Metolachlor-S. Numbers of products containing the following registered in Canada: glyphosate: 198, Imazethapyr:40, Metolachlor:38, Metolachlor-S:0, and the combination of both, atrazine:12, boscalid:22, dimethomorph:4, dicamba:106 (including lawn products), Dinotefuran:10, Dimethenamid:8 and Dimethenamid-P:8.
filed under cancer/ links 2
- Friday, July 26, 2024
Goats are back in Regina for vegetation and weed control
For the last few days, the goats have been cleaning the vegetation along the drainage ditch between Queen Street and Lakeview Ave (South Storm Channel). After they are done their 6 days here, they are moving to the Big HIll in Wascana Park for 11 days.
thebigcrunchgrazing is an Ontario company which operates under that name in Ontario. In Saskatchewan, they operate under the name NO KIDDING WEED MANAGEMENT in Saskatchewan.
For more info contact:
thebigcrunchgrazing.com before and after Saskatchewan projects Contact info on the web site.
2023 Regina Leader Post article abouth them: Meet the goats: Regina's newest weed control comes from Elbow, Sask.
- Friday, July 26, 2024
Le glyphosate affecterait la réponse immunitaire montre une étude
Glyphosate alters human immune response
Le glyphosate affecterait la réponse immunitaire montre une étude (Radio-Canada, 21Mai 2023)
Healthy tissue degradation?
"The herbicide #glyphosate alters the functioning of the human immune system, according to a new Quebec study. #Autoimmune disorders may appear after prolonged exposure. »
.
"As a reminder: Glyphosate is the best-selling herbicide in the world." Between 1994 and 2014, the amounts used annually increased from 16 million kilograms to 79 million kilograms.
Glyphosate and its metabolites can be detected in 80% of the population. They are found in many organs, in human blood and milk. The body eliminates these products in 48 hours, but we continuously ingest them through our diet. »filed under glyphosate 2 and immune
- Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Environmental and Trade Groups Successfully Call for End to Pesticide Company Alliance with UN-FAO
Environmental and Trade Groups Successfully Call for End to Pesticide Company Alliance with UN-FAO
(Beyond Pesticides, July 5, 2024) After years of advocacy against corporate interference in global pesticide policy, the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) has ended its “strategic partnership” with petrochemical pesticide and fertilizer trade association CropLife International. ... The signatories to the release last month believe that this severing of ties with the chemical industry will contribute to building momentum from frontline communities for “sustainable, resilient and equitable production systems under the agroecological paradigm.” The groups say, however, “We remain concerned about the FAO’s continuing informal engagements with CropLife and call for greater transparency and accountability in this regard.”
filed under Industry Shenanigans
- Sunday, July 21, 2024
Recent Studies Continue To Highlight Connection Between Depression and Suicide in Pesticide-Exposed Farmers
(Beyond Pesticides, July 2, 2024) 'Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, which took place last month, evokes concern about the growing body of science linking pesticide exposure to neurological effects linked to depression.
Through systematic reviews, meta-analyses, surveys and interviews, and blood sampling, these three studies add to the growing body of science linking pesticide exposure to neurological impacts.'
filed under mental health/psychological
- Sunday, July 21, 2024
Pesticide Free Towns Taking Hold Worldwide with Growth in Europe
bylaws
Pesticide Free Towns Taking Hold Worldwide with Growth in Europe (Beyond Pesticides, June 26, 2024)
'The Hungarian city of Törökbálint (featured above) is one of several dozen towns to join the European Pesticide Free Towns Network, an initiative of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe.'
'We are also working to promote the public acceptance of environmentally friendly mosquito control.” In joining the European Pesticide Free Towns Network, each city must pledge to four primary objectives:
- Ban the use of herbicides in public areas under city/town’s control
- Ban the use of all pesticides in public areas under city/town’s control
- Extend the ban of pesticides to private areas with public access and agricultural areas next to where citizens live
- Step up greening efforts towards local biodiversity enhancement
There are three tiers or categories in which local governments can adhere to: “glyphosate free in public area”, “pesticide free in public area”, and “entire pesticide free.”
According to the database as of the day of publication, currently there are over 100 cities and towns that fall into “pesticide free in public area,” two banning glyphosate use in public areas and just one city in Europe banning all pesticide use. There is a legacy of EU member states leading the charge on pesticide regulations and bans, as laid out on the Policy & Strategies page. Germany, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, France, Spain, and Luxembourg are acknowledged as leaders.'
filed under bylaws/international
- Sunday, July 21, 2024
Seeds Coated with Neonicotinoid Insecticides Again Identified as an Important Factor in Butterfly Decline
(Beyond Pesticides, June 28, 2024) ...' insect populations globally are declining two to four percent a year, with total losses over 20 years of 30-50 percent, according to a new study of the interacting effects of pesticides, climate, and land use changes on insects’ status in the Midwest.... Of the three drivers of insect loss, the study confirmed unequivocally that insecticides lead the pack in causing the loss of richness and abundance in Midwest butterfly species, particularly monarchs. “Overall declines are overwhelmingly supported by the evidence,” they write. Monarchs, bumblebees, dragonflies and lowland butterflies all drop catastrophically in areas where pesticides are used.
And while the steep crash of monarch butterflies coincides neatly with the introduction of glyphosate, the authors note that while herbicides reduce habitat diversity sharply, they do not directly kill insects like pesticides do. The study’s end result was clear: seeds coated with neonicotinoids are causing the most damage. Study published in PLos One.
filed under neonicotinoids 2 and wildlife section/insects/neonicotinoids
- Sunday, July 21, 2024
Could robot weedkillers replace the need for pesticides?
Could robot weedkillers replace the need for pesticides? (The Guardian, 20 July 2024)
Two types of robots are being developed, to cut weeds in monoculture fields, or spray them. Discusses the dangers of pesticides and presents companie developing the technology.
filed under alternatives/weeds
- Sunday, July 21, 2024
Biosolid Biohazard- EPA Sued for Failing to Protect Farmers and Public from PFAS-Contaminated Biosolids
also called sewage sludge
(Beyond Pesticides, June 27, 2024) 'Earlier this month, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of a group of ranchers and farmers in Texas harmed by biosolids contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).'
'EPA estimates more than 2.4 million tons of biosolids, or sewage sludge, are applied as fertilizers on farms, homes, parks, and other lands across the U.S. annually. Biosolids result from the wastewater treatment process, which collects wastewater and greywater, including anything flushed down the drain from homes, businesses, and industries. Some of the industries that discharge to wastewater treatment plants include metal plating, pulp and paper mills, fabric, and plastics manufacturing. Wastewater may even include the liquid waste or “leachate” that oozes from landfills.' In Regina, this also includes the refinery.
'As reported in Nature in 2022, EPA has identified 726 chemicals and “structure-based classes” in the biosolids it has tested, including pesticides and drugs (and their associated metabolites), cosmetics, flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs), dioxins, and dibenzofurans. PFAS chemicals are not broken down during sewage treatment and yet biosolids are not currently tested for the presence of PFAS or other chemicals, outside of some heavy metals and pathogens.'
SNAP Comment: According to PFAS and Biosolids: Status, technologies, and trends (2023) ''In addition, land application of biosolids divert a valuable organic product from the landfill. A common practice in both the United States and in Canada, it is particularly important to Ontarians as Ontario's landfills will reach the end of their lives within the next 10-12 years.' The use of sludge is rejected in organic farming because of heavy metal contamination. (Sludge By Any Name Will Never Be “Organic”, (Fall 2003). The City of Regina is now landfilling its sludge rather than sending it to be applied to farm fields because of its high contamination with heavy metals. Another legal option for disposal is incineration which likely releases the toxic pollutants in the air.
filed under Pesticides in soils and sewage sludge (biosolids)
- Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Manitoulin Island beekeeper looking for answers after toxic herbicide detected in dead bees Lab tests reveal higher-than-normal levels of glyphosate in bee colonies
glyphosate
Manitoulin Island beekeeper looking for answers after toxic herbicide detected in dead bees
Lab tests reveal higher-than-normal levels of glyphosate in bee colonies (Nishat Chowdhury, CBC News, Jul 08, 2024)'So, she sent them off for more testing at the University of Guelph's agriculture and food laboratory. Turns out, the lab detected 0.57 milligrams of glyphosate, a herbicide used to control troublesome weeds, in the dead bees.
Research from Europe's Pesticide Action Network says exposure to the herbicide in concentrations between five to 10 milligrams, similar to those found in the environment, reduces beneficial gut bacteria in honey bees and dysregulates their immune system.'
'Last week, CBC News reported a story about a beekeeper in Lively, Ont. who is raising money to run tests and necropsies after she discovered 1.2 million bees suddenly dropped dead at Mikkola Family Farm & Apiary.'
filed under Bee Die-Off p.2
- Sunday, July 7, 2024
First Wascana sprying schedule posted, finally
On previous correspondence from 2024, Wascana Center authority admitted they were currently spraying, although there were no spraying schedules posted. The first schedule is finally posted for the week of July 1st to 5, 2024.
- Friday, June 21, 2024
Gluten-Free Food Test Results
Gluten-Free Food Test Results (posted by Zen Honeycutt, Moms Across America, 10 June 2024)
This article also presents a summary of results, gluten content regulatory levels and that, "across the board, the samples are extremely low in each mineral based on the FDA Recommended Daily Values and accurate serving sizes per category".
Results of glyphosate and pesticides:
- 44 out of 46 of the samples came back positive for glyphosate.
- Out of the 237 pesticides we tested for, glyphosate was the most prevalent.
- Not all of the gluten-free products that were also organic were the lowest in glyphosate.
- 21% of the samples were positive for glyphosate at levels higher than 10 ppb, the EU threshold for acceptable glyphosate residues.
- According to Don Huber, Purdue University Emeritus and plant pathologist of 60 years, exposure to .1 ppb of glyphosate is harmful and should be avoided. 95.6% of the samples contained higher than .1 ppb of glyphosate.
- 100% of the samples contained trace levels or higher of pesticides. 7 samples (15%) contained only trace levels.
The highest level of glyphosate in gluten-free food tested was in Banza Chickpea pasta. 2,4-D was the second most prevalent pesticide.
SNAP Comment: US study. Not all brands are present in Canada and if one eats these alternative products, one may need an additional mineral supplement.
filed under glyphosate 2 and pesticides in food p.2
- Friday, June 14, 2024
Wildlife experts urge action on pesticides as UK insect populations plummet
Wildlife experts urge action on pesticides as UK insect populations plummet Campaigners say next government must reduce use and toxicity of pesticides before it is too late (The Guardian,14 June 2024)
In recent years, concerns have been raised over earthworm populations, which have fallen by a third in the past 25 years. A citizen science project that monitors flying insects in the UK, meanwhile, found a 60% decline between 2004 and 2021. The overall trajectory, as government monitoring figures show, has been downwards since the 1970s. “There is an almost complete lack of effective monitoring of pesticide use in UK agriculture,” said Nick Mole, the policy officer at Pesticide Action Network UK. “What little we do have is incomplete, out of date and on such a broad scale as to be virtually meaningless." Under the new post-Brexit farming payments, the environment land management schemes, farmers are rewarded for using fewer pesticides. However, agricultural businesses argue that more support and education is needed so farmers do not fear moving away from the pesticides they have long relied on to grow their crops. SNAP comment: One step forward, two steps back....
- Friday, May 31, 2024
Digging deep into herbicide impact on forest ecosystems
glyphosate ecosystem study
Digging deep into herbicide impact on forest ecosystems (UNBC Stories, 12 February 2024)
Ecosystem Science and Management Associate Professor Dr. Lisa Wood has garnered an Alliance Society grant ... to lead a five-year project aimed at better understanding the extent of the impact of glyphosate-based herbicides on forest systems.
While consistently finding glyphosate residues in forest plants in past studies, Wood and her collaborators have also documented a reduction in forest foods for wildlife, changes in the chemistry of residual foods present after treatment and they’ve noted how environmental conditions such as temperature and photoperiod impact residue breakdown. Building on that body of work, this new project will delve into if, and how, changes to forest vegetation influence the health of wildlife at different levels in the food chain.
“We’re focusing on how GBH influences gut bacteria and hormones in organisms in the ‘wild’ forest food web, which is a new direction as previous studies of this type have been conducted in more controlled settings.”
filed under glyphosate 2 and issues/forestry /herbicides
- Saturday, May 18, 2024
Sticky trick: new glue spray kills plant pests without chemicals
Sticky trick: new glue spray kills plant pests without chemicals Edible oil droplets trap bugs without the harm to people and wildlife that synthetic pesticides can cause. (Damian Carrington Environment editor, The Guardian, 18 May 2024)
'Tiny sticky droplets sprayed on crops to trap pests could be a green alternative to chemical pesticides, research has shown.
The insect glue, produced from edible oils, was inspired by plants such as sundews that use the strategy to capture their prey. A key advantage of physical pesticides over toxic pesticides is that pests are highly unlikely to evolve resistance, as this would require them to develop much larger and stronger bodies, while bigger beneficial insects, like bees, are not trapped by the drops.
Pests destroy large amounts of food and chemical pesticide use has risen by 50% in the past three decades, as the growing global population demands more food. But increasing evidence of great harm to nature and wildlife, and sometimes humans, has led to a rising number of pesticides being banned.
... the new sticky drops are thought to be the first such biodegradable pesticide to be demonstrated.
The drops were tested on the western flower thrip, which are known to attack more than 500 species of vegetable, fruit and ornamental crops. More than 60% of the thrips were captured within the two days of the test, and the drops remained sticky for weeks.'
link to the research paper in the article.
filed under alternatives/insects
- Saturday, May 18, 2024
Pesticide Residues in Food Do Not Tell the Full Story on Hazards and the Importance of Organic
Pesticide Residues in Food Do Not Tell the Full Story on Hazards and the Importance of Organic
(Beyond Pesticides, May 1, 2024) According to a new analysis by Consumer Reports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary has once again failed to accurately portray the safety of some of the most commonly sold fruits and vegetables in the United States. A review of seven years of PDP data show that 20% of the foods tested pose a “high risk” to the public and 12 specific commodities are so dangerous that children or pregnant people should not eat more than one serving per day, according to Consumer Reports analysis. Consumer Reports contend that U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) pesticide residue tolerances are too lenient. To better evaluate potential health risks associated with various foods, Consumer Reports applied stricter residue limits than the EPA tolerances (see here for CR’s analytical methodology).
Scientists at Consumer Reports note that EPA’s calculations of “tolerable” levels of pesticides in food are at least 10 times higher than they should be to adequately ensure the health and safety of the public and the country’s ecosystems.
filed under pesticides in foods, p. 2
- Saturday, May 18, 2024
Meta-Analysis Catalogues Pesticides’ Adverse Impact on How Genes Function
Meta-Analysis Catalogues Pesticides’ Adverse Impact on How Genes Function
(Beyond Pesticides, April 30, 2024) Researchers found epigenetic changes, including changes relating to “DNA methylation, histone modification, and differential microRNA expression which ‘can alter the expression of many disease-related genes’,” in a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature published in Environmental Epigenetics. “Our review did provide evidence that pesticide exposure could lead to epigenetic modifications, possibly altering global and gene-specific methylation levels, epigenome-wide methylation, and micro-RNA differential expression,” researchers share in the conclusion of the study. This study is an amalgamation of various studies on epigenetic changes based on a literature review process: “Article review involved 3,529 articles found through extensive searches across major human health databases,
filed under Gene Function Changes (epigenetics)
- Saturday, May 18, 2024
Parkinson’s Disease Explodes as Researchers Find Connection to Pesticide Exposure and Genes
several classes of pesticides including arsenic based
Parkinson’s Disease Explodes as Researchers Find Connection to Pesticide Exposure and Genes
(Beyond Pesticides, May 3, 2024) 'Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world after Alzheimer’s. Genetic factors account for only a fraction of PD cases, and for decades scientists have been aware of associations between pesticide exposures and PD. Yet, not everyone exposed to pesticides gets PD. Consequently, neither the genetic nor the environmental hypothesis is fully satisfactory; both may be involved. Thus, there has been great interest in identifying gene variants that affect the risks of PD associated with pesticide exposure. Now a team of University of California at Los Angeles researchers led by neurologist Brent Fogel, MD, PhD has traced a connection between certain gene variants and the occurrence and severity of PD in a cohort of central California PD patients who have had long-term exposure to pesticides. The genes are related to autophagy, the process by which cells organize, degrade, recycle or eject molecules to maintain healthy chemical balance. Autophagy is an essential process throughout the body, including regulation of mitochondria, which are also vital for healthy cellular function. The study supports other research suggesting that autophagy is disturbed in neurodegenerative diseases. '
The cotton cluster includes organoarsenic pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, and n-methyl carbamates, all of which have “strong epidemiologic association with Parkinson’s disease,” according to the researchers.' The authors also expressed concern about the other pesticides such as herbicide trifluralin, Prometryn, a persistent herbicide harmful to fish, and the insecitcide phorate.
SNAP Comment: There are still 10 arsenic based pesticides registered in Canada mostly for wood treatment (from a historical 20), 28 trifluralin (from 47), 3 (from 5) Prometryn, 4 phorate (from 8). There are still many organophospahtes and carbamate pesticides registered as of 2024.
filed under nervous system effects/Parkinson's
- Monday, May 6, 2024
ALS Risk Elevated from Toxic Petrochemical Landscape Pesticides, Study Adds to Previous Findings
ALS Risk Elevated from Toxic Petrochemical Landscape Pesticides, Study Adds to Previous Findings
(Beyond Pesticides, April 18, 2024) University of Michigan researchers have found a statistically significant relationship between heightened risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and household exposure to lawn care products and pesticides. The study results were published earlier this month in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration.
The researchers in this study find that pesticide storage, lawn care product storage, and woodworking supplies storage indoors have a statistically significant relationship with poorer ALS survival.
filed under immune/ MS and ALS
- Monday, May 6, 2024
Industry Stops PFAS Restrictions, Reverses EPA in Court, as Plastic Leaches Contaminants
on a technical basis
Industry Stops PFAS Restrictions, Reverses EPA in Court, as Plastic Leaches Contaminants
(Beyond Pesticides, April 9, 2024) The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in an opinion authored by Circuit Judge Cory T. Wilson, has vacated an action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that had ordered the Texas-based manufacturer Inhance Technologies, L.L.C. to stop producing plastic containers that leach toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into pesticides, household cleaners, condiments, and additional products. EPA has taken action after the agency determined that the PFAS created during the fluorination process “are highly toxic and present unreasonable risks that cannot be prevented other than through prohibition of manufacture.” While the court is not challenging EPA’s authority to determine the hazards associated with PFAS exposure to be unacceptable, on a technicality, it is finding that the agency used the wrong section of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Section 5, which the court says is focused on new uses.
filed uder Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
- Monday, May 6, 2024
Wide Range of Harmful Effects of Pesticides Documented in Literature Review
Wide Range of Harmful Effects of Pesticides Documented in Literature Review
(Beyond Pesticides, April 25, 2024) In a study from earlier this year, “Pesticides: An alarming detrimental to health and environment,” scientists compiled research from 154 articles regarding pesticide use and the adverse effects they have on the environment and human health.
filed under health/overview and wildlife section/overview
- Monday, May 6, 2024
Forever Chemical” PFAS Drinking Water Rules Issued, Urgency to Shift from Petrochemicals Pesticides
'Forever Chemical' PFAS Drinking Water Rules Issued, Urgency to Shift from Petrochemicals Pesticides
(Beyond Pesticides, April 17, 2024) With headlines drawing public attention to the contamination of drinking water after years of federal government neglect, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 10 new standards to reduce public exposure to PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their persistence. EPA has finalized a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, which EPA has recognized have no safe level of exposure, regulating new chemicals for the first time since the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
SNAP Comment: Only for 6 PFAs out of the 15,000 on the market, according to a chemicals database (CompTox) maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
filed under PFAs
- Monday, May 6, 2024
Coffee grounds might be the answer to agricultural contamination: Here’s how
Coffee grounds might be the answer to agricultural contamination: Here’s how (by
By Harriet Reuter Hapgood, euronews.green , 25/03/2024)'On a domestic level, try directing your cafetiere contents to your garden, not your bin: used coffee grounds are excellent as an addition to home compost bins and wormeries, a mulch for roses and a deterrent to snails. And on a global scale, science might have the answer.
Scientists from Brazil’s Federal Technological University of Paraná found that leftover coffee can absorb bentazone, a herbicide frequently used in agriculture.
When old coffee grounds are activated with zinc chloride, their carbon content becomes 70 per cent more efficient in removing the herbicide.
The European Environment Agency has highlighted dangerous levels of bentazone in surface water, exceeding levels set in the Water Framework Directive and putting European Green Deal targets for pesticide use in jeopardy.
The UK’s Environment Agency cites bentazone as having the potential to affect long-term water quality and lead to an increased need to treat the UK’s drinking water sources. The herbicide has been shown to impact human health if it is inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin.'
SNAP Comment: Bentazone is widely used for a variety of crops including soybeans, alfalfa, beans, corn, peas, peppers, and sorghum. It is used in Europe and approved in the US, but not in Canada at present. As the test has only been done with bentazone, it is unknown at present whether this method would work for other herbicides or pesticides in general.
filed under pesticide fact sheets/herbicide and remediation/removal
- Monday, May 6, 2024
EPA Draft Herbicide Strategy Update Further Weakens Plan to Protect Endangered Species
EPA Draft Herbicide Strategy Update Further Weakens Plan to Protect Endangered Species
(Beyond Pesticides, April 24, 2024) . The update outlines three types of modifications to the Draft Strategy, including “simplifying” its approach, increasing growers’ “flexibility” when applying mitigation measures, and reducing the mitigation measures required in certain situations. By reducing the stringency of the Strategy, advocates are again questioning EPA’s commitment to fulfilling legal requirements under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or protecting endangered species and their habitats in the midst of an unprecedented rate of global extinction. ESA is celebrated as one of the most far-reaching conservation laws globally, credited with preventing the extinction of 99 percent of those species the government targets for protection, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
filed under legislation/regulatory/ USA p2
- Monday, May 6, 2024
Study of Chemical Mixtures at Low Concentrations Again Finds Adverse Health Effects
heptachlor and triallate and trifluralin and lindane at lower concentrations,
Study of Chemical Mixtures at Low Concentrations Again Finds Adverse Health Effects
(Beyond Pesticides, April 10, 2024) Researchers in a 2024 Chemosphere study find synergistic relationships in certain chemical mixtures, particularly heptachlor and triallate and trifluralin and lindane at lower concentrations, respectively.... “According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assessment, more than 50 pesticides are detected in blood or urine samples from the US population,” Researchers point to a cause for concern.... Researchers “used the exposure data from a complex operating site with legacy pesticide pollution.
“Only volatile COPCs... in soil and groundwater were included in this study (triallate, trifluralin, lindane, heptachlor, dieldrin, and aldrin,” the researchers indicate in the Methods section. Quantitative risk assessment for pesticide exposure was rooted on oral exposure... which demands a higher dose to induce an identifiable adverse effect relative to inhalation exposure. In other words, using an oral reference dose may underestimate the potential risk.
Researchers did find values suggesting “significant health concerns” to toddlers, infants, teenagers, and adults in “commercial and industrial land use.”... “Nine of the 15 tested binary mixtures of pesticides synergistically reduced cell viability. Seven mixtures (Trifluralin/Heptachlor, Trifluralin/Aldrin, Lindane/Heptachlor, Lindane/Aldrin, Heptachlor/Dieldrin, Heptachlor/Aldrin and Dieldrin/Aldrin) were synergistic at higher concentrations. However, two mixtures of herbicides and OCPs (organochlorine pesticides) (Trifluralin/Lindane and Triallate/Heptachlor) interacted synergistically at lower concentrations'.
SNAP Comment: All the pesticides listed were historically registered in Canada except dieldrin and two still are:trifluralin and triallate. 'There are 23,078 federal sites listed in the FCSI maintained by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, including 5,337 active contaminated sites and 2,355 suspected sites. 15,386 are listed as closed because remediation is complete or because no action was necessary following assessment.' Inventory of federal contaminated sites. 'Research shows adverse health effects most likely occur within a 1.8 mile boundary around a Superfund site.' Millions of Americans Live Near Toxic Waste Sites. How Does This Affect Their Health?(February 16, 2022)
filed under organochlorines, health/low dose, and mixtures effects
- Sunday, April 14, 2024
Raptors And Rat Poison
Raptors And Rat Poison (By Cathy Bell, Cornell Lab All About Birds, July 15, 2015)
Of 161 raptors brought in to Tufts Wildlife Clinic between 2006 and 2010, 139—a whopping 86 percent—tested positive for anticoagulant rodenticides. Ninety-nine percent of those had brodifacoum in their liver tissues. Yet only nine of these birds displayed sufficient symptoms to lead to a clinical diagnosis of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning.
A knowledge gap, says Allen Fish, is precisely the trouble. “There’s no clear public record of where we’re putting pesticides, who’s using them, how much is being used. Until we demand that information, we’re flying blind. There needs to be a whole public reckoning of who uses what, and why. We need to track how operators are using pesticides and then see if there’s any correlation with animal kills. We don’t know these impacts. We don’t have any data.”
As for the environmentally conscious homeowner with a rodent problem, Palmer points out that “there are many effective, economical, and easy-to-use pest control options that are much better for human health and for wildlife.” (ABC offers a list at saferodentcontrol.org.) According to Fish, snap traps offer a more humane way to kill rats than a drawn-out and painful death by poison.
SNAP Comment: Brodifacoum is usually used in rodent bait. There are 17 brodifacoum containing pesticides regiaterd in Canada in April 2024. Most are registered as commercial products, none for direct use by consumers (domestic).
filed under rodenticides and wildlife section/birds p.2
- Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Weed Killer 2,4-D’s Adverse Effect on the Liver Adds to List of Hazards from Food, Lawn, and Water Residues
(Beyond Pesticides, February 21, 2024) In addition to its effects including cancer, and reproductive, immune or nervous system disruption, according to international findings, a review published in Toxics finds that the the widely used weed killer 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) causes significant changes in liver structure and function. 2,4-D can damage liver cells, tissue, and inflammatory responses through the induction of oxidative stress.
The review primarily focuses on structural damage and chemical biomarkers indicating toxicity to the liver and its function. Assessing studies from PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, researchers found 83 articles on liver effects and exposure to 2,4-D, ranging from in vivo (in living organisms) models (~70%) to in vitro (in test tube) models (~30%). Most studies focused on the 2,4-D as an active ingredient, while the remainder focused on commercial formulations of 2,4-D.
From 1974 up to the present day, studies in this review highlight what many studies have previously: 2,4-D has a negative impact on the liver both structurally and biochemically. The review highlights that oxidative stress increases the progression of 2,4-D-induced liver damage. Yet, the lack of studies on the mechanism of action, targets, and molecular pathways involved in liver toxicity needs further understanding.
filed under 2,4-D and liver disease
- Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Pesticide Exposure Linked to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Metabolic Disease in Seniors
Pesticide Exposure Linked to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Metabolic Disease in Seniors
(Beyond Pesticides, February 27, 2024) Popular culture and official policy continue to ignore a blatant source of the rise in obesity: chemical exposures, including pesticides. A study, “Associations of chronic exposure to a mixture of pesticides and type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese elderly population,” contributes to the now-massive trove of evidence linking pesticides to diseases and shows that by the time people reach retirement age they are suffering from a heavy burden of contamination that raises their risk of complex disease.
The researchers from the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified 39 pesticides in the study population. Women had slightly higher levels and a stronger correlation between obesity, pesticide burden and type 2 diabetes than men. The most significant contributors were β-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-BHC) and oxadiazon.
SNAP Comments: There are/were 0 β-Hexachlorocyclohexane (β-BHC) products and 2 oxadiazon products registered in Canada until 2023-03-16.
filed under Diabetes/Obesity
- Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Mexico Ban on Genetically Engineered Corn Imports Spurs Challenge from U.S. and Canada under Trade Agreement
(Beyond Pesticides, March 20, 2024) A report by CBAN unpacks the ecosystem and wildlife health impacts of genetically engineered (GE) corn in the context of Mexico’s 2023 decision to stop its importation into the country. The phase out of genetically modified (GM) corn imports into Mexico was immediately challenged by the U.S. and Canadian governments as a trade violation under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as the primary vehicle for North American trade policy.
SNAP Comment: That is why it is so hard for any country to ban any pesticide products. Canada itself has been sued by so many companies and countries for trying to do the right thing... This reminds me of the first article (2001) reporting that traces of DNA from genetically modified corn had contaminated the genomes of Mexican indigenous maize varieties despite of a 1998 ban. For his discovery and his vocal opposition to "dangerous liaisons with the biotechnology industry" Ignacio Chapela (UC Berkeley), was denied tenure in November 2003. 'The science journal later said it had erred in publishing the paper, an extraordinary step, just short of a formal retraction, that some attributed to a pressure campaign by the biotech industry.' The contamination results were upheld by subsequent research. After a bitter battle and lots of international support, Chapela was reisntated as a tenured professor in May 2005. (Professor Ignacio Chapela Wins Bitter UC Tenure Fight (By Richard Brenneman, The Berkeley daily Planet, May 24, 2005))
filed under Legal/Litigation/glyphosate
- Wednesday, March 20, 2024
State Legislation Popping Up to Limit Liability of Pesticide Manufacturers
State Legislation Popping Up to Limit Liability of Pesticide Manufacturers
(Beyond Pesticides, Feb 22, 2024) The Idaho Senate failed to pass SB 1245 last week which would have provided legal protection to pesticide manufacturers from “failure-to-warn” liability. This legal framework has been pivotal not only for plaintiffs, who are typically users of a toxic product, seeking redress from exposure to glyphosate-based herbicide products such as Roundup, but can also potentially extend to any toxic pesticide products. Similar bills have recently been introduced in the Iowa, Florida, and Missouri state legislatures as petrochemical pesticide industry actors such as Bayer face billions of dollars in legal settlements from victims of pesticide injury.
see also Bayer/Monsanto in Roundup/Glyphosate Case Stung with Largest Multi-Billion Dollar Jury Award, Asks States to Stop Litigation (Beyond Pesticides, February 23, 2024)
filed under Legal/Legislation/ USA2
- Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Auditor general says Alberta s enforcement of pesticide rules needs significant improvement
Auditor found records of illegal pesticide sales, little oversight of applications
Auditor general says Alberta's enforcement of pesticide rules needs 'significant improvement'
Auditor found records of illegal pesticide sales, little oversight of applications (CBC News, Mar 23, 2022)'In a report released Tuesday, Auditor General Doug Wylie found people and businesses may have sold 80 products in 2018 that were illegal in Canada and that inspectors aren't checking whether the people applying pesticides are properly certified. The auditor general also found admissions where people had applied too much pesticide near bodies of water, or applied pesticides in unsafe weather conditions, which went unnoticed by the ministry of environment and parks... He also said the provincial government's list of registered pesticides is out of date and inaccurate... When Wylie's staff reviewed the site, they found about 1,000 legal products missing, and 700 products included that the federal government now prohibits in Canada. The environment department told the auditor general it was working on updating the list... Alberta stopped proactive inspections of pesticide applicators in 2017, which Wylie said is out of step with many other provinces. He raised concerns, too, with a lack of compiling and publicly posting the measured levels of pesticides in water... The report said the environment department's pesticide regulatory program has three employees. Whether that's enough personnel to adequately run the program is a question for the government, Wylie said.'
- Wednesday, February 7, 2024
US court bans three weedkillers and finds EPA broke law in approval process
US court bans three weedkillers and finds EPA broke law in approval process Ruling, specific to three dicamba-based weedkillers, is major blow to Bayer, BASF and Syngenta (The Guardian, 7 february 2024)
'The ruling is specific to three dicamba-based weedkillers ... which have been blamed for millions of acres of crop damage and harm to endangered species and natural areas across the midwest and south.
This is the second time a federal court has banned these weedkillers since they were introduced for the 2017 growing season. In 2020, the ninth circuit court of appeals issued its own ban, but months later the Trump administration reapproved the weedkilling products, just one week before the presidential election at a press conference in the swing state of Georgia.
Bury wrote that the EPA did not allow many people who are deeply affected by the weedkiller – including specialty farmers, conservation groups and more – to comment.
The EPA first approved Monsanto and BASF versions of dicamba touted to be less likely to move off target for the 2017 growing season. Since then, dicamba has caused millions of acres of crop damage, and has been the subject of several lawsuits.
In February 2020, a federal jury in Missouri awarded the state’s largest peach farmer $265m for damage to his farm, though that total was later reduced by a federal judge. In June 2020, Bayer announced a $400m settlement with soybean growers that had been damaged by non-target drift.
For years, Bayer and BASF have blamed other factors than their weedkillers, including illegal use of older chemicals, for the damage. Discovery documents turned up in the litigation showed the companies knew that their dicamba weedkillers would probably lead to off-target crop damage.'
SNAP Comment: There was no public notice and comment as required by law. Note that even when there is, and opponents present their evidence and independent studies, this evidence is usually discounted in favour of industry studies. Cost-benefit evaluations tend to inflate benefits and discount costs.
filed under Legal/Litigation/Dicamba p.2
- Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Webinar: When Pesticide Drift Happens To You
Webinar: When Pesticide Drift Happens To You (PANNA, 28 August 2023)
While the webinar had an Iowa focus, much of the content is applicable throughout the United States.
This three and a half hour webinar can be viewed here in its entirety.
filed under pesticide drift/incidents and emergencies
- Saturday, January 27, 2024
New herbicide for weed control in wheat registered
Batalium, fluorine based herbicide
New herbicide for weed control in wheat registered
(By Farmtario Staff
'The company said in a release Batalium combats weed-related losses across all soil zones. Its forumulation features four powerful active ingredients from three modes of action, providing an easy-to-use tool for optimal results.'
The following is provided by Meg Sears:
Batalium is a newly approved herbicide (tech sheet here), that is a mixture of three old herbicides, Flucarbazone-sodium – Group 2, Fluroxypyr – Group 4, and Bromoxynil – Group 6.
Batalium is "Compatible with over 23 registered tank-mix partners, BATALIUM AMPED herbicide lets you customize your weed management program based on weed pressure and application conditions."
Acutely toxic, Health hazard, and Environmental hazard, Irritant
These three herbicides include the -C-F3 group that will break off and affect the ozone layer, as well as halogenated ring structures that typify endocrine disruptors.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
- Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Sustainable Agriculture Strategy – Ambitious success, from the Guelph Organic Conference
For arguments on real sustainable agriculture see
Sustainable Agriculture Strategy – Ambitious success, from the Guelph Organic Conference (Prevent Cancer Now, 17 March, 2023)
filed under Organics/farming
- Tuesday, January 23, 2024
A brand new “Frankenstein” herbicide – Tiafenacil
Tiafenacil is a new fluorine-containing herbicide, that inhibits a key enzyme to make chlorophyll.
A brand new “Frankenstein” herbicide – Tiafenacil
(Prevent Cancer Now) scroll down the page.
Tiafenacil is a new herbicide, that inhibits a key enzyme to make chlorophyll.
Tiafenacil features several biologically-active, toxic groups, that are combined in a large molecule—a bit like a “Frankenstein” chemical.
This degrades into smaller molecules of toxic chemicals. For example, the top group with three fluorine atoms separates to form highly persistent trifluoroacetic acid. The PMRA found that young children would exceed the maximum allowable daily intake, then stated that is deemed to be acceptable because the assessment is “conservative.” This is hard to understand, given that the extrapolation (a.k.a. “safety”) factor for sensitive populations was eliminated, and there is no human data on this brand new pesticide.
SNAP Comment: As of 23 January 2024, 4 tiafenacil herbicides are registered by the PMRA for use in a variety of crops.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
- Tuesday, January 23, 2024
P.E.I. potato growers have new pesticide to fight wireworm
Broflanilide, containing several trifluoromethyl groups that will likely contribute to ozone depletion
P.E.I. potato growers have new pesticide to fight wireworm (Broflanilide)
Potato board estimates cost of wireworm damage to crops at $5 million a year (Nancy Russell ,CBC, Posted: Mar 04, 2021) Chemical Formula: C25H14BrF11N2O2. Chemical name: 3-(benzoylmethylamino)-N-2-bromo-4-1,2,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl-2-fluorobenzamide. This product contains several trifluoromethyl groups that will likely contribute to ozone depletion.SNAP COMMENT: perhaps it is different in large scale plantings, but in my organic garden, the only potatoes that ever get wireworm damage are the ones planted near the outside grass. When I edge in spring, I used to throw the grass rhizomes on top of the soil to dry up, until I found sereval wireworms seemingly living in there so now rhizomes are thrown on the grass and I have very little problems. Also PEI has an imported wireworm that may behave differently.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
- Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Ending glyphosate is a virtuous goal, and reducing pesticides is essential
Ending glyphosate is a virtuous goal, and reducing pesticides is essential (Prevent Cancer Now, 2023) with a quick review of several registered pesticides of concern. The Federal Government (Canada) response to the Parliamentary Petition indicates no plan to support substantially lower-input and organic practices, to achieve substantial reduction in pesticides use and risk.
a stated goal of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP-15), in Montreal this December, is to reduce pesticides by two thirds.
- Tuesday, January 23, 2024
new page on Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs + EPA page
Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
Some pesticides contain fluorine and some formulants (inerts) are fluorine based. In addition, at least HDPE plastics used in containers (i.e.for food and pesticides) contain them as well, and they are now known to leach from these containers into the content. The leaching is worse in products formulated in organic solvents such as methanol compared with water-based products. For both solvents tested (methanol and water), the study also shows continued gradual leaching of PFAS over time according to the EPA. Some pesticides contain a trifluoromethyl group that end up breaking off and forming ozone-depleting chemicals.It is apparently had to get information on that topic.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pesticide and Other Packaging (US EPA, updated 5 December 2023) This page describes EPA actions at all levels for these chemicals. 'In December 2022, the Agency issued a notice announcing the removal of 12 chemicals identified as PFAS from the current list of inert ingredients approved for use in nonfood pesticide products to better protect human health and the environment. These chemicals are no longer used in any registered pesticide product.'
- Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Work-Related Pesticide Exposure Puts Farmers at Risk of Cognitive (Intellectual) Harm
Work-Related Pesticide Exposure Puts Farmers at Risk of Cognitive (Intellectual) Harm
(Beyond Pesticides, January 4, 2024) A review published in the Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice finds an association between farmers’ pesticide exposure and cognitive impairment. Specifically, farmers suffer from attention deficit, lack of information processing, non-comprehension of verbal cues, slow processing speed, memory loss, sluggishness, speech difficulties, and impaired motor function. Additionally, the risk of adverse effects from exposure increases with time spent around pesticides, like in other occupational (work-related) settings.
filed under health/nervous system effects
- Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Mental Health: Pesticides Continue to Impact the Body and Mind, Especially for Farmers
Depression
Mental Health: Pesticides Continue to Impact the Body and Mind, Especially for Farmers
(Beyond Pesticides, January 17, 2024) Science continues to find a link between mental health and occupational (work-related) chemical exposure, with a study published in Toxicology finding an increased risk of depression among farmers exposed to pesticides. Brazil study.
filed under mental health
- Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Field Study of Bumble Bees Finds Exposure to Chemical Mixtures, High Hazard, Flawed Regulation
Field Study of Bumble Bees Finds Exposure to Chemical Mixtures, High Hazard, Flawed Regulation
(Beyond Pesticides, January 9, 2024) A “landscape-level” study finds that typical risk assessment studies used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European regulators fail to “safeguard bees and other pollinators that support agricultural production and wild plant pollination.” The study, published in Nature (November 2023), evaluates the health of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) as a sentinel species placed in 106 agricultural landscapes across Europe.
The study found a combination of insecticides and fungicides, including ten compounds found in colony pollen stores, which the authors consider to present the highest risk, based on acute toxicity. The ten pesticides (nine insecticides and one fungicide) include indoxacarb, spinosad, chlorpyrifos-ethyl, deltamethrin, dimethoate, imidacloprid, cyfluthrin, dithianon, etofenprox, and chlorpyrifos-methyl. Concern about impacts on bees extends beyond acute effects to a range of adverse impacts, including disorientation, other sublethal effects, reproductive effects and development delays, and vulnerability to disease and mite infestation.
“Without knowledge of safe environmental limits, the total pesticides used—and therefore the total environmental dose—is governed by market demand rather than by a limit on what the environment can endure.” Standard toxicity tests on individual pesticides, according to the authors, is of “limited use” when considering wide, “diffuse environmental effects that arise from ecosystem connectivity at a landscape scale.” The study in Nature adds to the empirical evidence of devastation wrought by pesticides and the ineffectiveness of current European as well as U.S. regulatory approaches... The failure of EPA to consider the effect of pesticide mixtures in the environment extends to the formulation of pesticide products.'
SNAP Comment: The PMRA does not consider the effects of mixtures either. There are 0 indoxacarb, 23 spinosad, 0 chlorpyrifos-ethyl,19 deltamethrin, 7 dimethoate (Cygon),102 imidacloprid, 10 cyfluthrin, 0 dithianon, 2 etofenprox, and 0 chlorpyrifos-methyl registered in Canada as of now.. Historically, there are over 200 chlorpyrifos prrducts registered. Some may still be in use, as the PMRA only regulates sales, not use.
filed under Wildlife section/ insects/ p 2
- Friday, January 5, 2024
Groups Petition EPA to Remove from the Market the Weed Killer Glyphosate
Groups Petition EPA to Remove from the Market the Weed Killer Glyphosate
(Beyond Pesticides, December 19, 2023) Last week, farmworker organizations and Beyond Pesticides, represented by the Center for Food Safety, filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging that the weed killer glyphosate be removed from the market. The petition cites 200 studies, which represent a fraction of the independent scientific literature on the hazards of glyphosate and formulation ingredients of glyphosate products. This action follows previous litigation in 2022 in which a federal court of appeals struck down EPA’s human health assessment, finding that the agency wrongfully dismissed glyphosate’s cancer risk.
“The threat of glyphosate is way outside the bounds of any reasonable person’s definition of acceptable harm, surpasses allowable risk under federal pesticide law, and represents the poster child for what has gone dangerously wrong with EPA’s program to control toxic pesticides in our environment, homes, workplaces, and communities, with disproportionate injury to farmworkers and landscapers,” said Jay Feldman, executive director, Beyond Pesticides. “This petition attempts to hold EPA accountable to the rule of law, while recognizing that glyphosate, which causes adverse effects to biological systems—from soil microbiota to the gut microbiome, can be replaced by cost-effective organic food production and land management of parks, playing fields, or lawns.”
filed under Legal/litigation/ glyphosate
- Friday, January 5, 2024
Loss of Chromosome Y in Male Farmers Genotoxic Implications for Cancer
Loss of Chromosome Y in Male Farmers Genotoxic Implications for Cancer
(Beyond Pesticides, January 3, 2024) A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives finds elevated, chronic exposure to glyphosate throughout one’s lifetime increases the risk of mosaic loss of chromosome Y (loss of chromosome Y occurs to many men in some cells due to aging mLOY) that impacts a noticeable fraction of cells... the risk of mLOY is a biomarker for genotoxicity (the damage of genetic information within a cell causing mutations from chemical exposure, which may lead to cancer) and expansion of cellular response to glyphosate, resulting in the precursor for hematological (blood) cancers. This study is one of the first to identify sex-specific chromosome degradation, with stark evidence demonstrating links to various cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The results find that mLOY is detectable in 21.4 percent of farmers, with mLOY expanding throughout most cells in 9.8 percent of farmers. Most farmers with mLOY expanding throughout most cells are older in age, with a greater lifetime exposure and intensity of exposure to glyphosate. However, these individuals are non-smokers and non-obese, which are other risk factors for mLOY.
Filed under glyphosate p.2, DNA damage and cancer/links 2
- Friday, January 5, 2024
International Group of Scientists Calls for Restraints on Conflicts of Interest in Publications and Regulation
(Beyond Pesticides, December 15, 2023) Drawing on a recent gathering of international scientists, a group of 34 scientists published a call for much stricter scrutiny of researchers’ conflicts of interest by agencies that regulate and register chemicals, with recommendations for the newly formed Intergovernmental Science Policy Panel. The Environmental Science & Technology article cites an abundance of examples of chemical companies and their trade associations manufacturing doubt via an array of techniques, resulting in agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dropping certain provisions from rulemaking, ignoring scientific consensus, and keeping chemicals on the market—and in the environment—that many scientists say should be entirely banned.
The problem of industry interference applies to almost every industrial chemical, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plastics, flame retardants, and asbestos. The tactics remain the same across fields, and are derived from the campaigns waged by climate deniers, tobacco companies, and fossil fuel companies as detailed in 2010 in Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway.
The article documents lobbying costs, but also presents at least 24 strategies industry uses to disguise its conflicts of interest and further its economic goals, according to Rebecca Goldberg and Laura Vandenberg, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. These include, the authors write, “‘revolving doors’ between a regulatory authority and the industry it is meant to regulate; reliance for safety data on unpublished industry documents while largely ignoring publications by independent scientists; and covert influence by the industry.” They also often threaten lawsuits against researchers whose work conflicts with their goals.
filed under Industry Shenanigans/ p.2
- Friday, January 5, 2024
Low-Dose Chronic Glyphosate Exposure Increases Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Low-Dose Chronic Glyphosate Exposure Increases Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
(Beyond Pesticides, December 21, 2023) A new study published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology adds to prior research indicating glyphosate promotes the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through diet by causing liver inflammation and oxidative stress. More importantly, the predisposition for NAFLD occurred at levels within toxicological limits, which are doses of glyphosate classified as causing no adverse effects or No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL). NAFLD is a condition that causes swelling of the liver and can eventually lead to cirrhosis, cancer, or liver failure.
Health officials estimate about 100 million individuals in the U.S. have NAFLD, with NAFLD being the most common liver disease among children. Cases of NAFLD have doubled over the past 20 years.
However, glyphosate did increase the rate (upregulation) of 212 genes associated with oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver while downregulating 731 genes related to cell division. Muouse study.
filed under glyphosate p.2 and liver disease
- Friday, January 5, 2024
THE PESTICIDE PUZZLE A Look at Agricultural Chemicals
30 minute video
THE PESTICIDE PUZZLE A Look at Agricultural Chemicals (Real Ag series, 19 Dec 2023) 30 minute very interesting video giving a good introduction to pesticides.
It features a case study on atrazine by reknowned biologist Dr. Tyrone Hayes. PAN Senior Scientist, Marcia Ishii (PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), shares her knowledge on the ecological, social and political dimensions of pesticides in food and agriculture. Rob Faux (Fox) speaks about the benefits of agroecological practices based on two decades of growing experience.
filed under atrazine and Pesticides 101, Organics/farming
- Thursday, January 4, 2024
Ontario superior court certifies Canada-wide class action seeking compensation for cancer caused by pesticide glyphosate
Ontario superior court certifies Canada-wide class action seeking compensation for cancer caused by pesticide glyphosate click on statement for the record for the pdf document.
(January 2, 2024—Ottawa: Bill Jeffery, Executive Director and General Legal Counsel of the Centre for Health Science and Law)
'The Ontario court action alone claims $1.2 billion plus several, as yet unquantified, additional amounts to compensate for damages. Although the main elements of proof (especially of causation) remain to be proved in the full trial, Justice Grace described the record before him as ‘mammoth’ and comprising 17,000 pages of legal and factual material. Acknowledging the Supreme Court of Canada’s reminder that “certification is a meaningful screening device” Justice Grace wrote: I have concluded there is some basis in fact for the plaintiff’s theory of liability, despite the fact its proponents face significant challenges. The required threshold has been crossed. para. 124'
filed under Legal/.litigation/ Canada p.2