Archives for 2025
- Saturday, December 27, 2025
Delayed Polyneuropathy in Farm Sprayers Due to Chronic Low Dose Pesticide Exposure
Delayed Polyneuropathy in Farm Sprayers Due to Chronic Low Dose Pesticide Exposure Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014 May 5;16(5): In Iran, 60% of pesticides are organophosphate compounds that may lead to delayed polyneuropathy. Tested Compound Muscle Action Potential (CMAP), amplitude and Distal Latency (DL) and Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) of sseveral nerves. The mean peroneal CMAP amplitude and NCV, sural PL, radial SNAP amplitude, PL and NCV in the case group were significantly different compared to control group. Mean exposure time to OPs in farm sprayers without neurological problem (40%) was 11.81 ± 5.84 years but in farm sprayers with neurological problems (60%) was 15.70 ± 9.08 years, which represents the effect of OPs exposure duration on neurologic problems. Chronic low dose pesticide exposure could lead to delayed peripheral neuropathy as well as systemic (skin, eyes and lungs) complications. In farm sprayers electrodiagnostic indices were significantly abnormal as compared to control group.
- Thursday, December 25, 2025
Republicans aim to exempt major polluters from Pfas cleanup costs
Water treatment and landfill companies given chance to make case that EPA rules should not apply to them
Republicans aim to exempt major polluters from Pfas cleanup costs Water treatment and landfill companies given chance to make case that EPA rules should not apply to them ( The Guardian, 24 December 2025)
Over industry objections, the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2024, under Joe Biden, put in place the rules when it designated PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the nation’s Superfund law.
The designation gives the EPA the option to require polluters to pay for cleanups, though it isn’t mandated, and the agency has already said it in many cases may not take enforcement action against water utilities.
Still, reversing the rule has been at the top of industry’s wishlist since Trump’s election, but the EPA in September reaffirmed the rule. The hearings represent a first step toward attacking the rule from a different angle by chipping away at it, public health groups opposed to the plan say.
The water utility industry, which has often strongly opposed to new clean water rules in recent decades, argues that it should not be liable for contaminated water pollution or contaminated drinking water because it is not the source of the chemicals.
Industry spits virtually unchecked amounts of Pfas into the nation’s sewer system and surface water, creating a problem for the utilities.
Utilities and state agencies typically have the power to order polluters to stop discharging Pfas into the sewer system, and the process is not difficult, advocates say.
SNAP Comment: a water filter has to be certified to remove PFAs. There must be a cost involved or the utilities would not be fighting it.
filed under PFAs p.2
- Saturday, December 20, 2025
Pesticides Coalition: Canada Must Choose Science and Health Over Lobbyists
MEDIA RELEASE
Pesticides Coalition: Canada Must Choose Science and Health Over LobbyistsThe Coalition also stresses that the statutory review of the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) is nearly four years overdue. The law requires parliamentary review at least every seven years, and the last review took place in 2015.
Therefore, the Coalition calls on the federal government to:
1- Reform the pesticide assessment process to ensure it is based on marketed pesticide products, up to date independent scientific knowledge, and real life multiple exposures.
2. Maintain periodic and ad-hoc reviews of active substances and pesticide products, including biocontrols, to respond quickly to emerging risks or harms, and to identify least-toxic approaches.
3. Conduct a comprehensive review of the entire PCPA and its application
4. Launch an expedited special review of glyphosate-based herbicides,
Paule Hjertaas co-signed on behalf of Saskatchewan Network for Alternatives to Pesticides
- Sunday, December 14, 2025
Study Finds Pesticide Product Labels Fail to Convey Toxic Effects to Consumers
Study Finds Pesticide Product Labels Fail to Convey Toxic Effects to Consumers (Beyond Pesticides, August 28, 2024) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pesticide labeling requirements fail to adequately communicate acute toxicity levels to the public, as evidenced in a recent study of consumers published last month in the journal Nature. After evaluating whether the current three “signal” words (CAUTION, WARNING, DANGER) on pesticide products adequately convey pesticide toxicity, the authors conclude that current labeling may result in “unintended adverse effects” because it does not “effectively communicate toxicity risks to consumers.” The signal words on pesticide labels, based on laboratory animal testing for determining lethal doses, are intended to protect users of the product from exposure that can kill through inhalation, skin absorption, and ingestion of the pesticide. However, the signal words do not warn about long-effects like cancer, neurological diseases, reproductive harm, as well as other adverse effects associated with pesticide exposure.
The authors cite previous research that indicates that consumers’ awareness and understanding of pesticide risks significantly influences their behavior. In addition, the results support the notion that consumers are willing to pay a premium for less toxic alternatives when they understand the choice. For example, under the current “three-word system,” only 21% of participants indicate a willingness to pay an extra dollar for a “less toxic pesticide,” while under the traffic light system, 60% of consumers will choose to pay more. When the price of two pesticides is the same, 60% opt for the less toxic pesticide under the three-word system, as compared to 80% under the traffic signal system.
- Thursday, December 11, 2025
Ghost-written study backed Canada s most-used herbicide. Now retracted, it is raising red flags on approval process
Ghost-written study backed Canada s most-used herbicide. Now retracted,
it is raising red flags on approval process (By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson, National Observer, December 11th 2025)This article is very complete, covering the retracted study, as well as Ottawa's plans to ditch its current risk assessment system for pesticides,
'The question PMRA is supposed to be asking is whether, in light of new science, thereis a reasonable certainty that no harm to human health or the environment will arisefrom the use of a pesticide' said Mary Lou McDonald, president of Safe Food Matters,in an email. Instead, the agency 'asks whether new science fits their science model,and whether it will change their conclusion;'
The new approach 'should be called the 'continuous overlook policy; she said. The PMRA has formalized a triage process where new science needs to meet a suite of eligibility criteria, an approach that rejects the 'fundamental' scientific tenet that hypotheses and scientific models should change as new evidence comes to light, she said.
Olivastri was more open to the continuous oversight process. If done well — in a way
that responds to new science and is transparent — the approach could lighten the
workload for PMRA scientists, easing the massive backlog of re-evaluations they
currently face, she said.also see Scientific Deception by Monsanto/Bayer on Display with Retraction of Landmark Glyphosate Safety Study (Beyond Pesticides, December 12, 2025)
(Beyond Pesticides, December 12, 2025)
filed under legislation/regulatory/Canada p2
- Thursday, December 11, 2025
Synthetic chemicals in food system creating health burden of $2.2tn a year, report finds
Scientists issue urgent warning about phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and Pfas “forever chemicalsâ€
Synthetic chemicals in food system creating health burden of $2.2tn a year, report finds Scientists issue urgent warning about chemicals, found to cause cancer and infertility as well as harming environment (The /guardian, 10 December 2025)
The health burden from phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and Pfas “forever chemicals” amounts to up to $2.2tn a year – roughly as much as the profits of the world’s 100 largest publicly listed companies, according to the report published on Wednesday.
Most ecosystem damage remains unpriced, they say, but even a narrow accounting of ecological impacts, taking into account agricultural losses and meeting water safety standards for Pfas and pesticides, implies a further cost of $640bn. There are also potential consequences for human demographics, with the report concluding that if exposure to endocrine disruptors such as bisphenols and phthalates persists at current rates, there could be between 200 million and 700 million fewer births between 2025 and 2100.
Human and ecosystem exposure to synthetic chemicals has surged since the end of the second world war, with chemical production increasing by more than 200 times since the 1950s and more than 350,000 synthetic chemicals currently on the global market.
Three years ago, researchers from the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) concluded that chemical pollution had crossed a “planetary boundary”...
Unlike with pharmaceuticals, there are few safeguards to test for the safety of industrial chemicals before they are put into use, and little monitoring of their effects once they are. Some have been found to be disastrously toxic to humans, animals and ecosystems, leaving governments to pick up the bill.
SNAP Comment: There should be safeguards for the safety of pesticides. Unfortunately, the system works poorly. As Mary Lou McDonald, president of Safe Food Matters, states 'The question PMRA is supposed to be asking is whether, in light of new science, there is a reasonable certainty that no harm to human health or the environment will arise from the use of a pesticide. Instead, the agency 'asks whether new science fits their science model,and whether it will change their conclusion;'
filed under health/overview
- Thursday, December 11, 2025
Budget 2025 Proposal to Eliminate Cyclical Pesticide Re-evaluations
Budget 2025 Proposal to Eliminate Cyclical Pesticide Re-evaluations (Vigilance OGM and other Canadian environmental groups November 12, 2025)
On November 12, 2025 this letter was sent to the Hon. Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health hcminister.ministresc@canada.ca
The importance of a strong post-market re-evaluation process – to ensure the health and environmental risks of registered pesticides remain “acceptable” – cannot be overstated.
- The proposal to eliminate cyclical re-evaluations is even more concerning in light of a separate proposal, announced through Health Canada’s report on red tape reduction, to amend the Pest Control Products Regulations to eliminate the 5-year validity period for most pesticides.
- Re-evaluations also provide an important opportunity for public participation, fulfilling the Act’s ancillary purpose of encouraging public awareness in relation to pest control products by informing the public, facilitating public access to relevant information and public participation in the decision-making process.
- We are also concerned with the lack of transparency with which this proposal has come about
filed under legislation/regulatory/Canada p2
- Thursday, December 11, 2025
B.C. launches lawsuit against makers of forever chemicals
PFA/s
B.C. launches lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals' The defendants are companies that have made perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (CBC,The Canadian Press Jun 21, 2024)
British Columbia PFAS class action is a proposed national lawsuit filed by the BC government in June 2024 against PFAS manufacturers, seeking to recover costs for cleaning up "forever chemical" contamination in Canadian drinking water system. It targets PFAS makers for product defects and failure to warn, and is aiming to represent all Canadian municipalities and governments dealing with PFAS in water. The goal is to get manufacturers to pay for the expensive detection and removal of PFAS from water supplies. You don't need to sign up; it's a government-led action for public systems. If certified, you'd be automatically included if you're part of the defined group, but the focus is on governments seeking funds for system-wide fixes. The lawsuit is moving through the court system in BC, with Koskie Minsky LLP tracking it as a significant case against chemical manufacturers.
" He said the chemicals contain a carbon-fluorine bond, the strongest bond in organic chemistry, earning them the ;forever chemical' nickname. "These carbon-fluorine bonds are extremely resilient and extremely strong, they cannot be broken down easily," he said. "Once you manufacture these products, they are very difficult to degrade and be removed, so they stay in the environment for years."
SNAP Comment: What I can't get from this article is how many chemicals we are talking about. First there were 2 the world became aware of. They were replaced by unregulated PFAS. Now the EPA lists 15,000 PFAs on the market. and we keep approving formulants and pesticides with that same chemistry. They are all forever chemicals and will present the same problem.
filed under legal/litigation/ canada p2 and PFAS/Canada
- Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Silicone wristbands track hundreds of unique chemical exposures
Silicone wristbands track hundreds of unique chemical exposures (By Adeline Lopez, NIESH, August 2023)
Small, lightweight technology records pesticides, personal care products, flame retardants, and more on a global scale. ...The highly sensitive wristbands can be used to measure exposure to low levels of hundreds of chemicals, offering a unique tool to better understand the complex mixtures people may be exposed to throughout daily life.
Anderson and former SRP trainee and 2012 K.C. Donnelly award winner Steven O’Connell, Ph.D., developed an approach to extract and analyze more than 1,500 chemicals from silicone wristbands, including pesticides, volatile organic contaminants, personal care products, smoke and oil compounds, flame retardants, and more. The tool provides scientists with a simple way to characterize a person’s unique environmental exposures. Knowing this can help scientists better understand how exposure to chemicals in everyday life affects human health.
The team also co-founded MyExposome Inc., a small business dedicated to monitoring individual environmental exposures.
Silicone mimics the way that skin and other cells in the body absorb chemicals. When a person wears the silicone wristband, organic chemicals from the air, water, and even their skin are absorbed into the band.
“The methods used to extract and analyze chemical compounds from the wristbands is easy to learn and uses routinely available lab equipment,” said Anderson. “Coupled with ease of use in the field, these passive samplers are well suited for all different kinds of populations around the world.”
- includes a list of studies the wristbands were used in.
updated NIESH page (August 07, 2025)
filed under Monitoring Pesticides
- Saturday, December 6, 2025
Toxic substances in your suds? Study finds PFAS in local water used to brew beer
mostly US beer study.Worse for small breweries using PFA contaminated water
Toxic substances in your suds? Study finds PFAS in local water used to brew beer
Scientists at RTI International tested 23 different beers from around the U.S. and international beers for sale in the U.S. and found over half contained measurable amounts of PFAS. As the world’s third most-consumed beverage, it could increase PFAS exposure for those drinking it.
They discovered that beer was more likely to contain forever chemicals (PFAs) when brewed in areas with water known to be contaminated with the toxic chemicals – such as parts of California, Michigan and North Carolina.
Smaller, local breweries were especially affected, because they probably do not have advanced water filtration systems that could reduce or eliminate PFAS. Breweries, like households and others that rely on municipal water supplies, receive drinking water laced with forever chemicals because of years of industrial PFAS pollution.
Some of the beer even had levels of PFOS or PFOA – two of the best-studied and notorious PFAS – that exceeded the level the Environmental Protection Agency now considers safe for drinking water.
SNAP Comment: see Water talk: Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water sheet (Government of Canada, 2024-08-13) The objective of 30 ng/L applies to the sum of 25 specific PFAS and serves to reduce potential exposure to PFAS through drinking water while the formal guidelines are being revised. An objective is a guideline, not enforceable by law. ...see article on How to reduce your exposure to PFAS in drinking water on link below. The current data we have on PFAS in Canadian freshwater sources and drinking water are limited. The data we do have suggest that PFAS are present across Canada at levels generally below the objective. Health Canada does not provide testing nor interpretation of the results of water quality tests. For water quality concerns, testing and interpreting results, contact your municipal service provider, local drinking water or health authority. Dale tells me that, in SK, pesticides are not regularly testedby municipalities because of cost. Find out if you municipality is testing for PFAs in water.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
- Saturday, December 6, 2025
Water talk_ Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water
Canada:objective of 30 nanograms per litre (ng/L) for a sum of 25 specific PFAS measured in drinking water
Water talk: Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water (Government of Canada, 2024-08-13) Includes section on How to reduce your exposure to PFAS in drinking water 'We worked with provinces, territories and other federal departments to develop an objective of 30 nanograms per litre (ng/L) for a sum of 25 specific PFAS measured in drinking water.' The current data we have on PFAS in Canadian freshwater sources and drinking water are limited. The data we do have suggest that PFAS are present across Canada at levels generally below the objective. The concentrations of PFAS in freshwater and drinking water may be higher near:
- facilities that use large amounts of these chemicals
- locations where fire-fighting foams containing PFAS were used to put out a fire
- landfills and wastewater treatment plants
PFAS can travel long distances through soil, water and air. As a result, PFAS can be found in freshwater and drinking water in areas that are far away from where they entered the environment. Health Canada does not provide testing nor interpretation of the results of water quality tests. For water quality concerns, testing and interpreting results, contact your municipal service provider, local drinking water or health authority.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs/Canada
- Thursday, December 4, 2025
RETRACTED Cornerstone glyphosate cancer study
RETRACTED: Cornerstone glyphosate cancer study Will Health Canada act on compelling evidence of cancers in humans? (Prevent Cancer Now, 3 December 2025)
Glyphosate is by far the most-used herbicide in Canada.
It is hard to follow the industry influence, scientific shenanigans and half-truths underlying decades of escalating use of glyphosate herbicide—"Roundup”. The latest blow to the crumbling veneer of scientific "safety" was the RETRACTION on November 28, 2025, of a much-cited study dating back to April 2000. The claim that, “under present and expected conditions of use, Roundup herbicide does not pose a health risk to humans” has echoed among regulators ever since. This flawed, unethical, industry-influenced study was an early cornerstone to the manufacturer’s contention and the regulators’ conclusions that the pesticide was “safe and effective.”.
The RETRACTION article quoted above cites 'oncerns were raised regarding the authorship of this paper, validity of the research findings in the context of misrepresentation of the contributions by the authors and the study sponsor and potential conflicts of interest of the authors', as well as that the carcinogenicity of glyphosate is solely based on unpublished data.
SNAP Comment: A perfect example of ghost writers in the industry shenanigans page. also see: Citing “serious ethical concerns,” journal retracts key Monsanto Roundup safety study tnl (Truth from the ground up), 3 December 2025
filed under glyphosate 2 p.3 and Legislation/Regulatory/Canada p.2
- Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Prenatal and Early Childhood Exposure to Pesticides Linked to Metabolic Disorders in Males
obesity, hypertension, cholesterol imbalances, and insulin resistance
Prenatal and Early Childhood Exposure to Pesticides Linked to Metabolic Disorders in Males (Beyond Pesticides, November 7, 2025) study on Latino mothers and children in an agricultural community.
...In recent decades, attention has begun to focus on the developmental origins of health and disease—prenatal exposures to pesticides, for example, that contribute to diseases in adulthood, such as cardiovascular and metabolic problems, along with the combination, known as cardiometabolic syndrome. Cardiometabolic disorders include obesity, hypertension, cholesterol imbalances, and insulin resistance.
Based on quantities applied, the researchers identified a subset of the California Pesticide Use Report (PUR) data comprising 11 pesticides for both prenatal and postnatal analysis (acephate, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion, oxidemeton-methyl, dimethoate, methomyl, permethrin, neonicotinoid insecticides, manganese-containing fungicides such as maneb, and glyphosate) with the addition of naled in the postnatal group.
For females, higher prenatal exposure was associated with higher HDL levels, and the pesticides contributing most to the mixture effect were glyphosate, neonicotinoids, and acephate. ...renatally-exposed males. For males, higher prenatal exposure was associated with a higher likelihood of metabolic syndrome, and the bad actors here were glyphosate and the insecticides malathion and permethrin. For males, higher postnatal exposures to glyphosate, malathion, and naled also increased the risk of metabolic syndrome.
This article also contains links to multiple other studies.
filed under diabetes/obesity and children 2
- Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Prenatal Insecticide Exposure Linked to Negative Birth Outcomes in a Biomonitoring Study
Prenatal Insecticide Exposure Linked to Negative Birth Outcomes in a Biomonitoring Study
(Beyond Pesticides, November 13, 2025) A study in Environmental Science & Technology shows that maternal exposure to organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid insecticides adversely affects newborn health. ,...this research analyzes metabolic pathways linking pesticide exposure to negative birth outcomes.
- Seven metabolites are significantly associated with first-trimester OP and pyrethroid insecticide exposure.
- “The analysis revealed significant negative associations between third-trimester insecticide metabolite levels and birth weight…
- “The association between insecticide exposure and birth outcomes was statistically more significant in male infants.
- The data suggests that “third-trimester insecticide exposure may potentially impair fetal development by interfering with critical energy metabolism pathways, such as glucose metabolism and fatty acid β-oxidation.”
filed under children,/organophosphates, and /pyrethroids, organophosphates and pyrethroids
- Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Project Ashbloom working on a non-toxic biodegradable fire fighting foam
Project Ashbloom- working on a non-toxic biodegradable fire fighting foam
The University of Alberta iGEM (international Genetically Engineered Machine) team earned a Gold Medal at this year’s Grand Jamboree conference in Paris, France which was held from October 28th to 31st.
This year’s team tackled the global, and decidedly local, problem of wildfires by looking to improve on current, industrially produced firefighting foams through the production of a naturally occurring class of surfactants called Rhamnolipids from an engineered strain of Pseudomonas Putida.
The project, named Ashbloom (team promotional video) not only encompassed the genetic modification of P. putida by Ashbloom’s wet lab team, but also examined and optimized metabolic modeling to maximize rhamnolipid production during bacterial growth through the efforts of the dry lab team.SNAP Comment: Why add this page here. Persistent PFAs have been used in fire fighting-foam. They, as well as other unsustainable toxins currently in use, should be replaced by less toxic products. This one is produced by genetic engineeering. The bacterium Pseudomonas Putida is a saprophytic soil bacterium often used in research, bioremediation, and synthesis of chemicals and other compounds. (Wikiipedia). It is presumably inocuous. I am unsure if the rhamnolipids are extracted before spraying, or wethrer the bacteeria are sprayed too.
filed under alternatives/fire fighting foam
- Friday, November 28, 2025
Herbicide concentration in Canadian lentils exceeds norms
La concentration d’herbicides dans des lentilles canadiennes dépasse les normes
La concentration d’herbicides dans des lentilles canadiennes dépasse les normes- Herbicide concentration in Canadian lentils exceeds norms (Radio Canada, Novembre 2025) english follows. (glyhosate)
Les équipes de La semaine verte et de L'épicerie ont obtenu des données du gouvernement fédéral qui montrent que certains échantillons de lentilles vendues au Canada affichent des taux d'herbicides allant jusqu'à trois fois la limite permise.
La concentration moyenne de résidus d’herbicides décelés dans les lentilles canadiennes testées par le gouvernement fédéral a augmenté de près de 40 % entre 2015 et 2020. En 2020, 14 échantillons en contenaient des quantités qui représentaient jusqu’à trois fois la limite permise, ce qui n’a pourtant pas déclenché de rappel.
Les lentilles canadiennes sont sous le feu des critiques depuis la diffusion d’un reportage à l’émission française Sur le front, le 10 novembre dernier.
Au Canada, la limite maximale de résidus (LMR) de glyphosate pour les lentilles est de 4 parties par million (ppm). Ce seuil est plus de deux fois inférieur à celui de l’Europe. Les limites européennes ont été augmentées en 2012, résultat des pressions de plusieurs industries, dont celle des producteurs canadiens de lentilles. Le Canada est le plus gros producteur et exportateur mondial de cette légumineuse.
... les lentilles qui ont subi une mise en conserve présentent beaucoup moins de résidus de pesticides que les lentilles sèches, ce qui suggère que la cuisson a eu un effet sur les résidus de pesticides.'
English
Herbicide average concentration in Canadian lentils increased almost 40% between 2015 and 2020. In 2020, 14 individual samples reached 3 times the allowable limit. There was no product recall. The Canadian MRL is 4 ppm, more than twice the allowable level in Europe. European limits also increased in 2012 because of trade pressures.
Canned lentils have much less glyphosate residues than dry.
filed under Food/Pesticides in/ p.3
- Friday, November 28, 2025
‘Sticky’ pine needles could provide clues about forever chemicals in Minnesota’s air
‘Sticky’ pine needles could provide clues about forever chemicals in Minnesota’s air (MPR News, 25 November 2025)
'It turns out that coniferous needles make surprisingly good natural air monitors. They have a waxy surface that contaminants easily stick to.
“That air pathway is really important for moving PFAS all around the environment — not just in Minnesota, but globally,” she said.
In the lab, scientists will test the needles for 75 different PFAS compounds, far more than they typically screen for in drinking water.
Kaylie Donelson, an environmental chemist, was the lead author of that study while she was a graduate student at NCSU. She said the pine needle testing provided a “fingerprint” showing the evolution of forever chemicals over decades.
“We could see PFAS pop up over time, and then, as they were phased out of use, we could watch them go back down,” Donelson said. “We could see the PFAS that were specific to the airport versus near the manufacturing plant, and kind of see how far those traveled.”
A North Carolina study, published in 2022, detected 70 PFA, including both traditionally monitored legacy perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and their emerging replacements such as chlorinated derivatives, ultrashort chain PFAAs, perfluoroalkyl ether acids including hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO–DA, “GenX”) and Nafion byproduct 2, and a cyclic perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) analog.
The collections were done by volunteers.
filed under monitoring and pesticide fact sheets/Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs / monitoring
- Thursday, November 27, 2025
Rural officials hopeful strychnine use will resume
Rural officials hopeful strychnine use will resume. Federal ag minister opens door for possible emergency registration to address burgeoning gopher populations.(SaskToday, Karen Briere,Nov 23, 2025)
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities is taking a verbal commitment from the federal agriculture minister on strychnine use as a good sign.
Strychnine was banned for control of Richardson’s ground squirrels in March 2023, and all uses became illegal in September 2024.
Delegates passed a resolution calling on SARM to lobby both levels of government for better alternatives to strychnine, or its reintroduction until better alternatives are found. They also want the province to enact legislation to control the gopher overpopulation.
Producers say the alternatives to strychnine don’t work as well. The zinc phosphide products have to be placed early in the year.
Sameer Thakker, president of the Canadian Pesticide Management Association, said the future will focus on integrated rodent management. Integrated rodent management includes education, elimination or reduction of water and food sources, and then control. Thakker said several jurisdictions have banned what he calls second-generation rodenticides because they are highly toxic to non-target animals.
Thakker expects training courses will be necessary. The risks of using rodenticides, the proper use of personal protective equipment and following the labels are critical.
For example, mandatory carcass search and removal procedures will have to be followed.
He said conversations have to extend beyond rodenticides to raptor programs, alternative products, use of bait stations and the changing habitat of the pests.
People must educate themselves on the biology of the pest with which they are dealing . As well, they can’t complain about a problem but do nothing to prevent or address it.
SNAP Comment: .bad news ...nontarget species poisonings with strychnine have been widely documented in Canada and elsewhere. I disagree with the observation that 'Dogs were the most common species poisoned with strychnine". I would amend it to most reported species as most wildlife carcasses are unlikely to be found or reported. People care about their dogs and horses and are moke likely to bring them in. Because of the current poor SK pesticide use training, and that it excludes mandatory training for farmers, I would say that wearing protective equipment and removal of carcasses is no likely to be followed.
filed under wildlife section/ mammals and rodenticides
- Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Evolving PFAS Regulations in Canada: What you need to know
Illustrates how far behind regulation of PFAs is in Canada
Evolving PFAS Regulations in Canada: What you need to know (Environment Journal, June 23, 2025) 'Beyond the focus on PFAS in environmental media, a Mandatory Section 71 Notice was put in place by the federal government in July 2024 which mandated reporting by manufacturers, importers, and users of 312 specified PFAS in the 2023 calendar year.' SNAP Comment: 312 out of 16,000....
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Information sheet (Government of Canada, 2025-09-26) includes a section called : Existing risk management at the time of the assessment:
- The Objective for Canadian Drinking Water Quality – Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances was published by Health Canada in 2024. It recommends a single treatment-based value for a group of PFAS in Canadian drinking water. The objective of 30 ng/L applies to the sum of 25 specific PFAS and serves to reduce potential exposure to PFAS through drinking water while the formal guidelines are being revised.
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began enforcing an interim standard for PFAS in biosolids in October 2024
- Reducing risks from known federal contaminated sites through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan
- and many more
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs/Canada
- Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Synergistic Effects from Glyphosate and Urea Fertilizer Magnify Earthworm Poisoning
Synergistic Effects from Glyphosate and Urea Fertilizer Magnify Earthworm Poisoning
(Beyond Pesticides, November 4, 2025) A study of earthworms published in Environmental Science & Technology highlights how chemical mixtures can have both synergistic and species-specific effects, threatening the soil microbiome and overall soil health. In exposing two species, Eisenia fetida and Metaphire guillelmi, to the weed killer glyphosate alone and in combination with urea, a form of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, the researchers find enhanced toxicity with co-exposure as well as varying health effects between the two species.
- Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Report on Weed Killer Paraquat Identifies True Hazard Costs from Manufacturing to Use
Report on Weed Killer Paraquat Identifies True Hazard Costs from Manufacturing to Use (Beyond Pesticides, November 6, 2025) The report, Designed to Kill: Who Profits from Paraquat, and accompanying interactive storymap, unpacks the supply chain of the infamous herbicide paraquat and underscores the true costs of pesticide products, from manufacturing to use in the fields.
Top Highlights
This report highlights, among other notable points, “that every stage of the paraquat supply chain—which spans the globe—emits greenhouse gases and toxic air pollutants.” With SinoChem as the lead producer and player in the paraquat market, the Chinese government-owned pesticide company’s supply chain “includes fossil fuel extraction in Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia, chemical manufacturing in India, Germany, and the United Kingdom, international chemical shipping, and final formulation and distribution in the United States.”
Paraquat is not currently manufactured in the U.S., accounting for imports of “between 40 and 156 million pounds of paraquat each year, according to the last eight years of pesticide import records available from the private database.” Despite the publicity surrounding “Making America Healthy Again,” the Trump administration exempted China from “reciprocal” tariffs on paraquat dichloride imports in April 2025, according to the report.
SNAP Comment: Considering the amount used in the USA, paraquat likely still contaminates food imported in Canada.
filed under pesticide fact sheets/ paraquat
- Tuesday, November 18, 2025
California farms applied millions of pounds of Pfas to key crops, study finds
California farms applied millions of pounds of Pfas to key crops, study finds ‘Forever chemicals’ sprayed on almonds, grapes, tomatoes and other crops as activists warn of ‘obvious problem’ (Tom Perkins, The Guardian,18 Nov 2025)
California farms applied an average of 2.5m lb of Pfas “forever chemicals” per year on cropland from 2018 to 2023, or a total of about 15m lb, a new review of state records shows.
The chemicals are added to pesticides that are sprayed on crops such as almonds, pistachios, wine grapes, alfalfa and tomatoes, the review of California department of pesticide regulation data found. The Environmental Working Group non-profit put together the report.
The risk for uptake of Pfas is likely higher in water-rich fruits and vegetables, because water attracts the chemicals, and research has shown Pfas may concentrate at dangerous levels in some produce. The chemicals also pollute water supplies and present a higher risk to the often low-income and Latino farm workers.'
- Monday, November 17, 2025
France’s birds start to show signs of recovery after bee-harming pesticide ban
neonicotinoids
France’s birds start to show signs of recovery after bee-harming pesticide ban Analysis shows small hike in populations of insect-eating species after 2018 ruling, but full recovery may take decades (The Guardian, 17 November 2025)
Neonicotinoids are the world’s most common class of insecticides, widely used in agriculture and for flea control in pets. By 2022, four years after the European Union banned neonicotinoid use in fields, researchers observed that France’s population of insect-eating birds had increased by 2%-3%. These included blackbirds, blackcaps and chaffinches, which feed on insects as adults and as chicks.
The lead researcher, Thomas Perrot from the Fondation pour la recherche sur la biodiversité in Paris, said: “Even a few percentage points’ increase is meaningful – it shows the ban made a difference. Our results clearly point to neonicotinoid bans as an effective conservation measure for insectivorous birds.”
Perrot’s team analysed data on 57 bird species at these sites, each of which measured 2km by 2km (1.25 miles). They found that the numbers of insectivorous birds at pesticide-treated sites were 12% lower compared with sites where there was no neonicotinoid use.
filed under pesticide fact sheets/ neonicotinoids 2 and wildlife/birds p.2
- Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Trump officials set to approve ‘forever chemical’ as pesticide ingredient
PFAs
Trump officials set to approve ‘forever chemical’ as pesticide ingredient Critics say that fifth Pfas Trump’s EPA has proposed for approval this year would put food and water supply at risk (The Guardian, 10 November 2025)
'The latest ingredient, called Epyrifenacil, can break down into a smaller forever chemical called trifluoroacetic acid (Tfa). 'The substance would be sprayed on corn, soybeans and wheat,.. Four of the five pesticides proposed for approval this year have active ingredients that break down into Tfa, a compound that is considered a Pfas per the definition used in by the vast majority of governments, scientists and regulatory agencies around the world.
Pfas are a class of about 16,000 compounds most frequently used to make products water-, stain- and grease-resistant. They have been linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease and a range of other serious health problems. They are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down in the environment.
At least 60% of active ingredients approved for use in common pesticides over the last 10 years fit the most widely accepted definition of Pfas, and about 40% overall, a 2023 analysis of EPA data found.
The chemicals are used as an active ingredient in pesticides to kill weeds, insects or fleas on pets. When included as inactive ingredients, Pfas are likely to be used as surfactants and to help the chemicals disperse or be absorbed.'
filed under pesticideFact sheets/ Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs /PFAs p.2 and Legislation/regulatory/USA p.2
- Monday, November 10, 2025
Hyperactive Behavior in Preschoolers Linked to Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Exposure
Chinese study
Hyperactive Behavior in Preschoolers Linked to Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Exposure
(Beyond Pesticides, October 29, 2025) A study published in Environment International evaluates residues of individual and mixtures of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including pesticides, and finds an association between exposure and hyperactive behavior in children. The researchers evaluated urine samples from over 800 preschoolers, identifying and statistically analyzing concentrations of 22 EDCs, and finding that nine of these chemicals are significantly associated with hyperactivity trajectories and EDC mixtures are positively associated with hyperactive behavior, noting the strongest association in girls. “The current study indicates the adverse health effects of exposure to mixtures of EDCs among preschoolers, and suggests gender specificity in these effects,” the researchers state.
the main chemicals assessed in this study include bisphenols (BPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which include pesticides, organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), and parabens.
filed under nervous system effects/Attention Deficit, hyperactivity Disorders
- Monday, November 10, 2025
Pesticide Contamination of Seaweed Threatens Public Health, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Functioning
Pesticide Contamination of Seaweed Threatens Public Health, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Functioning
(Beyond Pesticides, October 23, 2025) A global literature review of pesticide residues in marine seaweed, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, highlights the widespread presence of pesticides in bioindicator species. As vital coastal primary producers, seaweed acts as a key indicator for regional pesticide contamination patterns. The bioaccumulation within seaweed species also threatens consumers, including humans, as the chemicals can biomagnify as they move through the food web.
“Perhaps the most significant research gap is the disconnect between contamination quantification and ecological impact assessment. Current studies document the presence and concentrations but rarely establish causal relationships with physiological or ecological effect.'
filed under exposure to pesticides p.2
- Monday, November 10, 2025
Childhood(and) Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Impacts Immune System According to Study
organochclorines,organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids
Childhood, Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Impacts Immune System, According to Study (Beyond Pesticides, October 24, 2025) A literature review published in Science of the Total Environment reports numerous peer-reviewed studies associating prenatal and childhood (Up to 5 y.o) pesticide exposure to measurable alterations to children’s immune systems, including indicators of immunosuppression and increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines, among other adverse health effects. These immune system alterations are linked to higher infection risk and potentially contribute to autoimmune diseases and allergies later in life. They continue: “Pro-inflammatory cytokine production was significantly increased (effect size: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.28; p < 0.001).” In short, the overall effect is significant across the selected studies. Separately, organochlorines were associated with decreased lymphocyte counts, while a metabolite of DDT (p,p’-DDE) “was associated with increased lymphocyte white blood cell counts.” Additionally, exposures to a mixture of pesticides “showed elevated immunoglobulin responses.”
- Monday, November 10, 2025
Scientists find hidden brain damage from a common pesticide
chlorpyrifos
Scientists find hidden brain damage from a common pesticide (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, November 7, 2025)
A new investigation has identified a connection between prenatal exposure to the commonly used insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and measurable differences in brain structure, along with reduced motor skills, among children and adolescents in New York City.
For this study group, indoor pesticide use was the main source of exposure.
'Each child had detectable levels of CPF in their umbilical cord blood at birth and underwent brain imaging and behavioral assessments between the ages of 6 and 14.
Results showed a clear pattern: children with higher prenatal exposure to the insecticide displayed more pronounced structural and functional brain differences. They also performed worse on tests measuring motor speed and coordination. The evidence suggests that CPF exposure before birth disrupts brain structure, function, and metabolism in direct proportion to the level of exposure.
SNAP Comment: while Chlorpyrifos is now finally banned in Canada, the PMRA had 297 chlorpyrifos-containng insecticides registered including 172 consumer products for indoor, lawn and garden use.. As of 16 January 2017, there are still 29 chlorpyrifos products registered for use in Canada. 'lthough the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned chlorpyrifos for household use in 2001, it remains in use in (US) agriculture for non-organic produce and grains. This continued use means farm workers and nearby communities can still be exposed through contaminated air and dust', and it likely comes in on imported produce.
filed under health/nervous system effects/brain damage, children 2 and pesticide fact sheet: chlorpyrifos
- Monday, November 10, 2025
Renowned Intl Ecologist to Speak at Forum Today, Study Released on Bats, Beavers, and Biodiversity
Renowned Intl Ecologist to Speak at Forum Today, Study Released on Bats, Beavers, and Biodiversity (Beyond Pesticides, October 29, 2025)
To determine the impacts on human health from these population declines, Dr. Frank collected data from counties experiencing WNS (white-nose syndrome) regarding insecticide use and infant mortality from 2006-2017. In comparing these numbers, “after the onset of bat die-offs, farmers in the county increase their insecticide use by 31.1%, on average,” he states. “Infant mortality rates due to internal causes of death (i.e., not due to accidents or homicides) increased by 7.9%, on average, in the affected counties. This result highlights that real-world use levels of insecticides have a detrimental impact on health, even when used within regulatory limits.” These rates correspond to an additional 1,334 infant deaths, which shows that for every 1% increase in pesticides, there is a 0.25% increase in the infant mortality rate.
filed under children2
- Monday, November 10, 2025
Report on Pesticide Contamination of Nation’s Groundwater Shows Widespread Exposure and Health Threats
US study
(Beyond Pesticides, October 15, 2025) The latest Scientific Investigations Report for 2025 from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), entitled “National Water Quality Program: Multidecadal Change in Pesticide Concentrations Relative to Human Health Benchmarks in the Nation’s Groundwater,” finds moderate concentrations of five pesticides, with the highest percentages in agricultural wells, and concentrations of the carcinogenic soil fumigant DBCP (1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane), which also causes infertility, that are greater than the maximum containment level, despite being banned over 45 years ago.
While previous asssessments included 80 pesticides, only 22 pesticides were included in their analysis from 1993 to 2023. 'Furthermore, the limitation of HHBs as a measure of safety has been raised as a concern by Beyond Pesticides. HHBs, like other regulatory measures of risk, do not take into account certain adverse health outcomes, such as endocrine disruption, for which EPA has not established a completed protocol for regulatory review. Additionally, EPA does not fully evaluate the effect of pesticide mixtures with other pesticides and other chemicals like pharmaceuticals. Exposure to mixtures can cause both cumulative and synergistic effects, as captured by the independent peer-reviewed scientific literature.
filed under water/ground water
- Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Pesticides, Public Health, and the MAHA Commission
Pesticides, Public Health, and the MAHA Commission (PANNA, September 9, 2025)
The intent ( of MAHA)... was to “fully address the growing health crisis in America” and “ensure our healthcare system promotes health rather than just managing disease.”
However, under pressure from industry-friendly politicians, Secretary Kennedy made it clear that nothing would actually be done to reduce exposures to pesticides when he said: “There’s a million farmers who rely on glyphosate. We are not going to do anything to jeopardize that business model,” at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee. And sure enough, the finalized strategy published Tuesday after long delays confirms that the administration has no real plans to reduce exposures to pesticides, and further, it broadly reaffirms the administration’s continued reliance on volunrry industry compliance rather than enfirceable government regulation.
filed under Health overview/Health p.2
- Wednesday, October 29, 2025
New Report! Precision Agriculture distracts from real climate solutions
New Report! Precision Agriculture distracts from real climate solutions (PANNA, September 17, 2025) The report reveals that despite the industry hype, these tools don’t deliver meaningful climate or environmental benefits. ...“But what we have seen is more pesticide use, more dependence on fossil fuels, and farmers’ sensitive information in the hands of a few corporate giants. That is not climate justice. We need investments in more climate-friendly solutions led by farmers, farmworkers, and impacted communities.”
Key Findings
- No real reductions in input use: Overall usage has actually increased.
- Environmental costs: Precision agriculture technologies rely on energy-hungry data centers, mined minerals, and high water use.
- Drives consolidation and pushes out small farmers:
- Undermines farmers and working people: Automation displaces farm labor and weakens farmers’ knowledge and independence. At the same time, corporations gain more control over land, data, and production.
- A poor use of taxpayer dollars:
- Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Trump EPA Announces Plan to Re-approve Dangerous, Drift-prone Pesticide Dicamba
Federal Courts Have Twice Banned Dicamba for Widespread Damage to Crops and Communities
Trump EPA Announces Plan to Re-approve Dangerous, Drift-prone Pesticide Dicamba Federal Courts Have Twice Banned Dicamba for Widespread Damage to Crops and Communities (PANNA, August 7, 2025)
“EPA has had seven long years of massive drift damage to learn that dicamba cannot be used safely with GE dicamba-resistant crops,” said Bill Freese, science director at Center for Food Safety. “If we allow these proposed decisions to go through, farmers and residents throughout rural America will again see their crops, trees and home gardens decimated by dicamba drift, and natural areas like wildlife refuges will also suffer,” he added. “EPA must reverse course and withdraw its plans to re-approve this hazardous herbicide.”
The decision to seek re-approval comes less than a month after Kyle Kunkler, a former lobbyist for the American Soybean Association (ASA), was installed as the deputy assistant administrator for pesticides in EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
filed under Legislation/Regulatory/ USA p.2 and pesticide fact sheeets/dicamba
- Sunday, October 26, 2025
Lower Pesticide Exposure Documented for Organic Farmers, Elevated for Others
Lower Pesticide Exposure Documented for Organic Farmers, Elevated for Others
(Beyond Pesticides, October 7, 2025) Published in Environment International, a study utilizing silicone wristbands provides a snapshot of chemical exposure in over 600 participants across 10 European countries.
Notably, insecticides, such as permethrin and chlorpyrifos, are the most commonly detected across all groups (>85%). The analysis of pesticide mixtures also finds that one combination of three insecticides occurs frequently, in 72 % of all samples, of permethrin, chlorpyrifos, and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), a breakdown product of the legacy pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). DDE is still found among the most common food residues in the United States.
filed under organics/health also see Lower Pesticide Exposure Documented for Organic Farmers, Elevated for Others (Beyond Pesticides, October 7, 2025)
- Sunday, October 26, 2025
Transport of Pesticides in Clouds Causes Transcontinental Contamination, Study Finds
French study
Transport of Pesticides in Clouds Causes Transcontinental Contamination, Study Finds (Beyond Pesticides, September 30, 2025) A pioneering study has measured the concentrations of pesticides in clouds. Prior to this, rainwater has been tested and found to be a common depositor of pesticides. The findings add to general scientific understanding that pesticides go everywhere: into soils, water bodies, and the bodies of plants and animals—even when they are not intentionally applied.
No environment, no matter how pristine it seems, escapes atmospheric pollutants. The more volatile a chemical is, the more it will spread in the atmosphere.
The samples were collected from the upper margin of the boundary layer, which is the air mass closest to the Earth and influenced by planetary factors, and from the free troposphere, which is the next highest layer where the air behaves with less terrestrial influence. The scientists searched for 446 compounds categorized as “pesticides, biocides, their transformation products and additives.” They found 32 compounds comprising three fungicides, seven insecticides, one biocide and eight transformation products. Among the pesticides were atrazine, cypermethrin, DEET, metolachlor, tributyltin, and fipronil. Mesotrione (a broadleaf herbicide for field corn), DMST (a metabolite of the fungicide tolylfluanid, used on apples, grapes, hops and tomatoes), and triphenyl phosphate (a plasticizer related to the fungicide tributyltin) were found in the highest concentrations.
Further, neither the concentrations nor the types of pesticides found in clouds resembled those in local streams, adding support to the long-range transport concept... Intriguingly, the study analysis includes “back-trajectory” tracing of the history of various air masses crossing the sample site.
The authors also compare results from aerosol studies with their cloud samples, finding significant differences. In one aerosol study, 58 pesticides were found in boundary layer sites, but only eight of those were found in the cloud samples. Two pesticides in cloud samples (fipronil and cypermethrin) did not appear in any aerosol samples. The authors also note that pesticide transformation products were found in clouds but not aerosols, suggesting that chemical processes in the clouds are converting the actual pesticide formulations in a way that does not occur to aerosols circulating freely in the atmosphere.
filed in Pesticides in Water/ clouds
- Sunday, October 26, 2025
Combination of Pesticide and Nitrogen Use in Agriculture Escalates the Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
three-year study in China using soil bacteria and phages
(Beyond Pesticides, October 16, 2025) An important new study links pesticides, antibiotics, and nitrogen fertilizers to the extreme global crisis of antibiotic resistance, raising serious concerns about the adverse impacts of conventional (chemical-intensive) agricultural practices. The research team, from several Chinese universities and laboratories and Queen’s University in Belfast, conducted a three-year study in China using soil bacteria and phages (bacteriophages, or viruses that invade bacteria) from an experimental field, exposing them to a variety of conditions ranging from the control (no exposures) to various combinations of nitrogen fertilizer and two categories of pesticides (the insecticide chlorpyrifos and a blend of the fungicides azoxystrobin and propiconazole). ARG= antibiotic resistant genes.
- the researchers found that nitrogen was a strong driver of resistance processes.
- The number of high-risk ARGs in the group exposed to the highest levels of mixed pesticides plus nitrogen was more than three times the number in the control group.
filed under health/antibiotic resistance
- Sunday, October 26, 2025
Study Reports Higher Cognitive Scores with an Organic Diet
Study Reports Higher Cognitive Scores with an Organic Diet
(Beyond Pesticides, October 3, 2025) A study published in European Journal of Nutrition finds that consumption of organic animal-based and plant-based foods is positively associated with higher cognitive scores. Among women, there was both better cognitive function before testing (at baseline) and up to a 27 percent lower MCI mild cognitive decline score over the course of the study period for participants identifying as organic consumers, There was no correlation for men.
filed under Organics/ health and nervous system effects/prevention
- Sunday, October 26, 2025
Study Reveals Mechanisms of Kidney Injury and Cancer from Exposure to Weed Killer Glyphosate
Study Reveals Mechanisms of Kidney Injury and Cancer from Exposure to Weed Killer Glyphosate (Beyond Pesticides, October 1, 2025) 'The analyses identify glyphosate targets that correlate with kidney injury and kidney cancer, revealing pathways with significant glyphosate-induced alterations, including the dysregulation of nitrogen metabolism that leads to ammonia accumulation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to renal (kidney) damage and carcinogenesis (development of cancer). ...this study utilizes network toxicology as a “transformative framework for dissecting the complex biological interactions triggered by chemical exposures.”
filed under health/kidney
- Sunday, October 26, 2025
‘I was contaminated’: study reveals how hard it is to avoid pesticide exposure
Study from 10 European countries
‘I was contaminated’: study reveals how hard it is to avoid pesticide exposure Silicone wristbands worn by volunteers in the Netherlands captured 173 substances in one week ( the Guardian, 24 October 2025)
'Regulators closely monitor dietary intake of pesticides when deciding whether they are safe enough for the market, but little attention has been paid to the effects of breathing them in or absorbing them through the skin.
“What’s most surprising is that we cannot avoid exposure to pesticides: they are in our direct environment and our study indicates direct contact,” said Paul Scheepers, a molecular epidemiologist at Radboud University and co-author of the study. “The real question is how much is taken up by the body and that’s not so easy to answer.”
Non-organic farmers had the highest number of pesticides in their wristbands, with a median of 36, followed by organic farmers and people who live near farms, such as Wesselius and his wife. Consumers living far from farms had the fewest, with a median of 17 pesticides.
Bartosz Wielgomas, the head of the toxicology department at the Medical University of GdaÅ„sk, who was not involved in the study, said the results were of “great value” but may even underestimate exposure to pesticides. The silicone wristbands do not absorb all substances to the same degree, he said, and the researchers tested for fewer than half of the pesticides approved in the EU.
The researchers found participants in the study were also exposed to pesticides that have been taken off the market, with breakdown products of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), which was banned decades ago on health grounds, commonly found in the wristbands. They also detected some banned insecticides, such as dieldrin and propoxur.
filed under Exposure to Pesticides p.2
- Monday, October 6, 2025
The Dose Disrupts the Pathway application of Paracelsus principle to mechanistic toxicology
The Dose Disrupts the Pathway.:application of Paracelsus principle to mechanistic toxicology by Suvorov, Toxicological Science, 2024, 200(2), 228–234
Abstract
Arguably the most famous principle of toxicology is “The dose makes the poison” formulated by Paracelsus in the 16th century. Application of the Paracelsus’s principle to mechanistic toxicology may be challenging as one compound may affect many molecular pathways at different doses with different and often nonlinear dose-response relationships. As a result, many mechanistic studies of environmental and occupational compounds use high doses of xenobiotics motivated by the need to see a clear signal indicating disruption of a particular molecular pathway. This approach ignores the possibility that the same xenobiotic may affect different molecular mechanism(s) at much lower doses relevant to human exposures. To amend mechanistic toxicology with a simple and concise guiding principle, I suggest recontextualization of Paracelsus’s following its letter and spirit: “The dose disrupts the pathway”. Justification of this statement includes observations that many environmental and occupational xenobiotics affect a broad range of molecular cascades, that most molecular pathways are sensitive to chemical exposures, and that different molecular pathways are sensitive to different doses of a chemical compound. I suggest that this statement may become a useful guidance and educational tool in a range of toxicological applications, including experimental design, comparative analysis of mechanistic hypotheses, evaluation of the quality of toxicological studies, and risk assessment.
filed under Low Dose Effects
- Saturday, October 4, 2025
New peer-reviewed EWG study finds eating some produce increases pesticide levels in people
New peer-reviewed EWG study finds eating some produce increases pesticide levels in people EWG also emphasizes fruits and vegetables remain vital to a healthy diet (Environmental Working Group, September 2025)
'Participants who consumed more fruits and vegetables with higher levels of pesticide residues – like strawberries, spinach and bell peppers – had significantly higher levels of pesticides in their urine compared to those who ate mostly produce with lower levels of pesticide residue. These findings highlight how diet is a driver of pesticide exposure and provide a foundation for future research into how that exposure might affect human health over time.
Certain pesticide classes need more attention. NHANES currently monitors only a subset of pesticides found in food and identified in the study. Many more pesticides need attention because people are exposed to a wide range of agricultural chemicals.
People are exposed to mixtures of pesticides. The study confirms people are exposed to several pesticides at a time. Fruits and vegetables had measurable residues of 178 unique pesticides, but only 42 of those chemicals matched biomarkers in the urine data.
Potatoes skew the results.Given the widespread exposure documented in this paper and other studies, serious questions remain about whether current pesticide safety regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency sufficiently protect public health.'
SNAP Comment: same would apply in Canada
filed under Pesticides in Food/ p.3 and Exposure to pesticides/testing
- Thursday, October 2, 2025
Glyphosate: Cancer, liver disease, endocrine disruption and other health concerns
Glyphosate: Cancer, liver disease, endocrine disruption and other health concerns
(Stacy Malkan, U.S.Right to Know, September 30, 2025)
- Friday, September 19, 2025
Assessing the impact of perfluoroalkyl substances on liver health: a comprehensive study using multi-donor human liver spheroids
Assessing the impact of perfluoroalkyl substances on liver health: a comprehensive study using multi-donor human liver spheroids (Lucy Golden-Mason et al, Environment International, Volume 203, September 2025, 109763 through Science Direct)
'Our findings suggest that PFAS disrupt liver metabolism and may promote pro-oncogenic signaling through compound- and sex-specific mechanisms. These insights enhance our understanding of PFAS hepatotoxicity and underscore the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in future toxicological and public health assessments.'
filed under pesticide fact sheets/Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs p.2 and health/liver disease
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
Alberta Water Quality and pesticide contamination
Alberta Water Quality and pesticide contamination (Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition, no date)
Includes link to 'An Overview Of Pesticide Data In Alberta Surface Waters Since 1995' (link in 3rd paragraph). Includes glyphosate testing.
Within the Alberta WaterPortal one can find information on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including pharmaceuticals in the environment, personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
filed under Water/ pesticides in Water-Canada
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
EPA Approves Four New Pesticides That Qualify as PFAS
EPA Approves Four New Pesticides That Qualify as PFAS Despite MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) promises to reduce chemical exposures, experts warn the Trump administration is approving a wave of ‘frightening’ pesticides. (By Lisa Held, Civil Eats, September 8, 2025)
“At a time when most industries are transitioning away from PFAS, the pesticide industry is doubling down. They’re firmly in the business of selling PFAS.”
Because the EPA uses a different, narrower definition of PFAS, the agency does not categorize the new pesticides as falling into that category. And based on their chemical structure, they are likely not as persistent or harmful as the widely used PFOS and PFOA that have wreaked havoc on farms to date. But they still are likely to persist for decades or even centuries, and Americans are already being widely exposed to them. And experts say the approvals come at a time when the administration is also rolling back other policies that were beginning to address all forever chemical contamination in the food supply.
Under the Trump administration, the OCSPP is being run by three industry insiders. Nancy Beck, formerly an executive at the American Chemistry Council, who previously pushed the EPA to weaken rules on PFAS in consumer products; Lynn Ann Dekleva, a former DuPont executive; and Kyle Kunkler, who has lobbied against pesticide regulations for the American Soybean Association.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs /PFAs p.2
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
French court of appeal orders French government to review environmental toxicity of hundreds of pesticide authorisations within 24 months
French court of appeal orders French government to review environmental toxicity of hundreds of pesticide authorisations within 24 months (PAN Europe, 4 September 2025)
In a landmark decision, the Paris Court of Appeal has held the French State accountable for ecological harm resulting from outdated and inadequate pesticide environmental risk assessments. The ruling obliges the French State to update its pesticide evaluation protocols and review all pesticide authorisations within 24 months.
“The Court of Appeal has made it clear: outdated protocols on pesticide risk assessment are harming biodiversity. In order to ensure compliance with the law, pesticide risks need to be assessed on the basis of the most recent scientific insights,” said Dr. Barbara Berardi, Senior Policy Officer at PAN Europe, who previously worked on the case. 2
SNAP Comment: Updating pesticide evaluation protocols is sorely needed in Canada too. However, I wonder how it can be proven the government is doing it....
filed under Legal/Litigation
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
Awareness and Confidence in Canada’s Pesticide Regulatory System Findings Report
Prepared for Health Canada, 2023
Awareness and Confidence in Canada’s Pesticide Regulatory System Findings Report Prepared for Health Canada, 2023
Thanks to Bill Jeffery for providing the following analysis.
The 2023 Public opinion survey of 3,548 Canadians that was commissioned by PMRA: The federal government is required to disclose the results of such surveys. I was not aware that it had been commissioned. There are a few interesting points that grabbed my eye while skimming through it:
- only 35% of respondents believed that PMRA considers industry data in approving pesticides,
- 68% would believe what the Canadian Cancer Society says about pesticides (but they didn't ask why they think the CCS never says anything about pesticides), You have to ballpark some of the reported statistics (about awareness of consultations and having participated in them), but it seems that about 5% of respondents reported participating in consultations about pesticides (which would equate to about a million adults, which seems extremely unlikely to me,
- 77% believe Canada's pesticide regulatory system is better than or about the same as the European Union system (presumably without knowing their vastly different numbers on banning, the glyphosate issue aside), and
- 56% of Canadians have a net negative view of pesticides.
SNAP COMMENT: while it is good to know that over 50%of the Canadian population has a negative view of pesticides, it is disturbing that Canadians know so little about the pesticide regulatory system and make an assumption it works.. As to the Canadian Cancer Society, The Regina ( or Saskatchewan) office spoke on pesticides for a few years, then the whole section was dismantled and it was no loger a priority for anyone. I was not able to get them to add pesticides as a risk for their brochures. I admit I have not checked lately. It seems like the PMRA has a lot of incentive to keep Canadians in the dark to keep operating the way they always did.
filed under legislation/regulatory/ Canada p.2
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
Temporal trends of 46 pesticides and 8 transformation products in surface and drinking water in Québec, Canada (2021–2023): Potential higher health risks of transformation products than parent pesticides
Temporal trends of 46 pesticides and 8 transformation products in surface and drinking water in Québec, Canada (2021–2023): Potential higher health risks of transformation products than parent pesticides (Xiameng Feng a, Zhen Liu et al, Water Research, Volume 277, 1 June 2025, 123339
Surface and drinking water were sampled twice per week at a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) from 2021 to 2023 (838 days).
- Peak pesticide and tansformation products (TP) levels in surface water were observed in June and July.
- 5 TPs had higher concentrations than their parent compounds in surface water.
- 11 pesticides and 1 TP had higher concentrations post drinking water treatment.
- TPs exhibited hazard index 1.4–144 times higher than parent compounds.
The present study was the first to evaluate the health risks associated with the presence of pesticide TPs in drinking water using a continuous monitoring approach, highlighting the urgent need for setting the maximum acceptable levels for pesticide TPs in water supplies.
filed under Water/Pesticides in Water-Canada
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
Pesticides, Public Health, and the MAHA Commission
Pesticides, Public Health, and the MAHA Commission (PANNA, September 9, 2025)
USA. The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s strategy addressing children’s health was billed as a way to address declining public health, with a particular focus on curtailing recent increases in chronic illness in children.
However, under pressure from industry-friendly politicians, Secretary Kennedy made it clear that nothing would actually be done to reduce exposures to pesticides when he said: “There’s a million farmers who rely on glyphosate. We are not going to do anything to jeopardize that business model,” at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee. And sure enough, the finalized strategy published Tuesday after long delays confirms that the administration has no real plans to reduce exposures to pesticides, and further, it broadly reaffirms the administration’s continued reliance on voluntary industry compliance rather than enforceable federal regulation.
filed under legislation/regulatory/USA p.2
- Thursday, September 11, 2025
PFAS in Pesticides
US study finds 14% of all U.S. pesticide active ingredients are PFAS
USA: PFAS in Pesticides (Center for Food Safety, 2024 or 2025) A peer-reviewed study published in July 2024 confirms that PFAS are increasingly being added to U.S. pesticide products, contaminating waterways and posing potential threats to human health.
The study's major findings include:
- 14% of all U.S. pesticide active ingredients are PFAS, including nearly one-third of active ingredients approved in the past 10 years.
- PFOA and PFOS, thought to be among the most toxic PFAS chemicals, have been found in some pesticide products, likely from the leaching of fluorinated containers these products are stored in, and other unknown sources.
- PFAS ingredients in pesticide products have been found in streams and rivers throughout the country.
- Pesticides can accumulate PFAS from multiple sources, leading to mixtures of different PFAS chemicals in containers.
- The current U.S. pesticide regulatory framework is not equipped to adequately identify and assess the risks from PFAS in pesticides.
A 2022 study found seven out of ten insecticides contained PFAS chemicals, with one insecticide, Spiromesifen, containing PFOS at a level as high as 19m parts per trillion (ppt), a sharp contrast to EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level Goal of zero ppt. Currently, there are around 200 pesticide ingredients that are currently registered which qualify as PFAS chemicals. PFAS are also present in the containers which pesticides are stored in, where they eventually leach into the product. About 20% of pesticides are stored in these types of fluorinated plastic.
SNAP Comment: According to Meg Sears, the PMRA was recently unable to produce a list of pesticides containing PFAs.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs / PFAs p.2
- Friday, September 5, 2025
Study Links Pesticides to Monarch Butterfly Deaths in Pacific Grove
pyrethroids
Study Links Pesticides to Monarch Butterfly Deaths in Pacific Grove (Xerces Society, July 25, 2025)
'A new study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry documents a mass mortality event of monarch butterflies near one of California’s most iconic overwintering sites and links the deaths to pesticide contamination. In late January 2024, hundreds of monarchs were found dead or dying on a private property near the trees of Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary, where they typically cluster during the winter.'
(original article) We identified 15 pesticides and associated metabolites in the butterflies, including eight insecticides (plus one associated metabolite), two herbicides (plus two associated metabolites), and two fungicides. On average, each monarch butterfly contained seven pesticides, excluding transformation products if the parent compound was also detected. Notably, three pyrethroid insecticides—bifenthrin, cypermethrin, and permethrin—were consistently detected at or near each chemical’s lethal dose. Bifenthrin and cypermethrin were found in every sample, whereas permethrin was present in all but two samples.
'Cibotti says the monarch population is especially vulnerable to mass deaths from pesticides when they congregate for the winter.'
filed under wildlife section/insects p2 and pyrethrins
- Thursday, September 4, 2025
Activists question why Nova Scotia is not providing glyphosate aerial spray locations
glyphosate in forestry
Activists question why Nova Scotia isn't providing glyphosate aerial spray locations
Forestry sector feels unfairly targeted by activists who've established encampments in years past (Luke Ettinger, CBC News , Sep 04, 2025)Previously, the provincial government provided premises identification (PID) numbers for where aerial sprays were approved. That didn't happen when four approvals for spraying were issued in August.
"We don't have to tell everyone where these PIDs are, because what it does, it attracts people who don't know the full story about forest management to actually show up in your private woodlot and roadblock your woodlot, and prevent you from managing your woodlot as you see fit," said Todd Burgess, executive director of Forest Nova Scotia.
There is still a requirement to post signs at entry points, tell residents within 500 metres, stay 30 metres away from water and only spray when wind speeds are below 10 kilometres per hour.
SNAP comment: Not the main question but who is checking the requirementsare followed? How many provincial and federal pesticide inspectors are there?
- Monday, September 1, 2025
Giving Up Glyphosate
Giving Up Glyphosate
The forestry industry’s prized pesticide may be harming people and nature. Is it time to stop spraying? (Maisonneuve, By Moira DonovanJan. 25, 2022)- Saturday, August 30, 2025
Down and dirty: how regenerative farming is digging into microscopic soil life
Down and dirty: how regenerative farming is digging into microscopic soil life
Nurturing everything from bacteria and fungi to worms is seen as essential to helping minimise use of chemicals and machinery ( The Guardian, 29 August 2025)
filed under organics
- Friday, August 15, 2025
Womb to Menopause: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Effects on Reproductive Health
various with emephasis on s per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and organochlorines pesticides
https://www.snapinfo.ca/info/health/endocrine-disruption
fild under health/endocrine disruptioo
- Friday, August 15, 2025
Behind the Numbers Linking Pesticides to Neurological Disorders, the Worlds Largest Source of Disability
(Beyond Pesticides, July 29, 2025) Are neurological diseases increasing around the world? Yes and no, according to a report published by The Lancet in 2024 on the global burden of nervous system diseases between 1990 and 2021. About 3 billion—a third of the world’s people—suffer from some nervous system condition.
In all, the authors include 47 preclinical and 40 clinical reports involving about 30 pesticides, singly and in combination, including all the major groups. Their analysis shows that the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which pesticides cause neurotoxicity are many and varied. These include the herbicide glyphosate, atrazine, the insecticides rotenone, chlorpyrifos, malathion, deltamethrin, and almost all neonicotinoids, the fungicide tebuconazole and many persistent pesticides no longer registered but with persistent effects such as DDT.
One set of pesticides has received very little attention until recently, when evidence has emerged that these chemicals do indeed have neurological effects: gibberellic acid and indole-3-butyric acid, both derived from natural plant growth regulators. These substances are not technically classed as pesticides, but they remain as residues on plant products.
filed under health/nervous system effects p.2
- Friday, August 15, 2025
Fungicide Nontarget Harm to Insect Confirms Deficiency in EPA s Ecological Risk Assessment, Study Finds
chlorothalonil
(Beyond Pesticides, July 17, 2025) These impacts include potential nontarget harm through adverse developmental and reproductive effects on the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the subject of a peer-reviewed study in Royal Society Open Science. The authors, who studied the organochlorine fungicide chlorothalonil, conclude, “Chlorothalonil exposure decreases larval survival, extends developmental duration and reduces fecundity.” “Even at the lowest tested concentration, chlorothalonil exposure resulted in reduced body weight, ovariole count and egg production compared with non-exposed individuals,” the researchers find.
This specific fungicide was chosen for various reasons, including its wide use across cereals, vegetables, and fruits; evidence linked to adverse health effects on vertebrate and invertebrate species; and the fungicide’s “frequent detection in soil and water bodies near agricultural areas.”
After reviewing studies, the authors determined EPA’s reliance on honey bee data from lab studies focused on LD50 does not accurately capture the threats that pesticides pose in the real world to thousands of other bee species
SNAP Comment: The number of registered pesticides containing chlorothalonil dropped from 69 to 23 in Canada.
- Friday, August 15, 2025
Sublethal Effects of Weed Killer Glyphosate Associated with Colony Decline, According to Study
Sublethal Effects of Weed Killer Glyphosate Associated with Colony Decline, According to Study
(Beyond Pesticides, July 31, 2025) A study published in Environmental Advances finds that hundreds of honeybee hives across central and northern Italy are contaminated with various pesticides and their metabolites, including glyphosate and fosetyl. “There was no significant difference in glyphosate presence between dead/dying and live bees, suggesting chronic exposure rather than acute toxicity. However, higher pesticide concentrations in dead/dying bees indicate potential sublethal effects contributing to colony distress,” according to the authors.
filed under Bee Die Off
- Friday, August 15, 2025
Variability in Effect of Pesticides on Bumblebee Survival Tied to Gut Microbiome Health
Variability in Effect of Pesticides on Bumblebee Survival Tied to Gut Microbiome Health
(Beyond Pesticides, July 18, 2025) A study in Royal Society Open Science shows intraspecific differences (between individuals of a species) in wild bumblebees (Bombus vosnesenskii) exposed to an herbicide (glyphosate), a fungicide (tebuconazole), and an insecticide (imidacloprid), with gut microbiome health as a factor.
- Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Nearly all potato samples contain pesticide not approved for use in the EU
igh concentrations of chlorpropham, banned in the European Union due to health concerns.
Nearly all potato samples contain pesticide not approved for use in the EU (EWG, June 11, 2025)
'Potatoes – the most consumed vegetable in the U.S. – join this year’s Dirty Dozen™ in twelfth place. The reason: high concentrations of chlorpropham, a plant growth regulator banned in the European Union due to health concerns.
From 2022 to 2023, the (US) Department of Agriculture collected and tested more than 1,000 samples of potatoes. They washed and scrubbed the samples, then tested for pesticide residues. Ninety percent of the samples contained residues of chlorpropham.
The average concentration across all samples was nearly three parts per million – high concentrations relative to most other pesticides detected across produce. And the concentrations are twice the level that the Environmental Protection Agency used in its most recent assessment of chlorpropham from 2017.
The chemical was detected on 90% of U.S. potato samples. Since 1990, chlorpropham has mostly been used on potatoes in the U.S. to prevent them from sprouting during storage.
SNAP Comment: I have seen Canadian potaotes in US stores before. There are 26 chlorpropham containing pesticides currently regeistered in Canada so it is very likely found on non-organic potatoes sold in Canada.
filed under pesticides in food p.3 and pesticide fact sheets/chlorpropham
- Thursday, August 7, 2025
Plan to reintroduce banned pesticide in France overruled by constitutional council
the insecticide acetamiprid which is registered in Canada
Plan to reintroduce banned pesticide in France overruled by constitutional council ‘Duplomb law’ provision to allow use of acetamiprid, toxic to pollinators, found not to abide by environmental charter. ( the Guardian, 7 August 2025)
'The petition on the website of France’s lower-house National Assembly called the measure a “frontal attack on public health”. Beekeepers have described the chemical as “a bee killer”, and its effects on humans are also a source of concern, though its risk remains unclear in the absence of large-scale studies.
SNAP Comment: There are 12 Canadian registered acetamiprid products, including one domestic formulation (for consumers) with the following warning: 'For outdoor use only. Do not apply indoors. Apply to outdoor plants when insect problems are noticed. Do not apply this product in a way that the spray will contact persons, either directly or through drift. Keep children and pets out of treated areas until sprays have thoroughly dried.'
filed under pesticide fact sheets/ insecticides and legislation/regulatory/international
- Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Beyond Strobys and Triazoles: How Do Fungicides Work?
Beyond Strobys and Triazoles: How Do Fungicides Work? 1 page poster describing the groups of fungicides and their modes of action.
filed under Pesticide fact sheets/ fungicides
- Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Contaminants éternels: Drummondville forcée de dévoiler des données secrètes
PFAs
« Contaminants éternels » : Drummondville forcée de dévoiler des données « secrètes »
Une concentration très, très élevée
'La concentration détectée dans les eaux usées provenant du site d’enfouissement de Drummondville est de 9900 ng/l, .. Même après avoir été traitées, les eaux usées qui sont rejetées dans la rivière Saint-François contiennent toujours des PFAS puisque la Ville ne possède pas l'équipement spécialisé pour les traiter. Dans le rapport rendu public, 257 ng/l ont été détectés., plus de 8 fois l'objectif federal d’une concentration maximale de 30 ng/l de PFAS dans l’eau potable.
Toutefois, il n’existe actuellement aucune norme au Québec quant à la quantité de PFAS qui peuvent être rejetés dans les réseaux d’égouts ou l’environnement par une entreprise.
Propagation des contaminants vers les boues épandues dans les champs?
Les experts croient qu’une partie des PFAS qui arrivent à l’usine des eaux usées de la Ville s’accumulent dans les boues municipales. Il s’agit de la matière solide qui résulte du traitement des eaux. C’est très probable dans ce cas que les biosolides contiennent des PFAS, souligne la professeure au Département des sciences de la terre de l’Université de Toronto, Miriam L. Diamond. Drummondville confirme que les biosolides sont utilisés comme engrais dans les champs. Un nouveau guide du gouvernement du Québec imposera certaines exigences dès 2026 sur la quantité de PFAS dans les boues municipales
SNAP English summary: Extremely high levels of PFAs (9900 ng/l,) in a site in Drummondville,QC.Even after a second municipal treatment, the level released in the St-Francois river is over 8 times (257 ng/l) what is acceptable in drinking water (30 ng/l ). The rest is likely accucmulated in sewage sludge which is then spread in fields, spreading the problem around.
filed under Pesticide fact sheets/PFAs/ Canada
- Saturday, July 26, 2025
In case of pesticide drif tool kit
Link to In case of pesticide drift tool kit (Englsih and Spanish versions)
Throughout much of the US and Canada, insecticide and fungicide applications on row crops are visible evidence of pesticide use during the months of July and August. It is also the time of year that many people, often in rural areas, are victims of pesticide drift.
Sometimes drifting pesticides are visible as a cloud of spray droplets, as dust during application, or as a lingering unpleasant odor. Drift can also be invisible and odorless, and can be present for several days after pesticides are applied.
If you’ve been exposed to pesticide drift, or have lost crops due to drift damage, download this toolkit for details on how to protect your health, how and where to report drift incidents, and how to seek compensation for crop loss if you’re a farmer. We also include tools for telling your story to legislators and other policymakers.
SNAP Comment: Canadian links on how to report a pesticide incident. In Canada health care providers are NOT required to report pesticide-related illnesses. IN Canada, it has been very difficult to file a lawsuit especially over health effect, and/or even to find a lwyer that would do it.
filed under issues/pesticide drift
- Thursday, July 24, 2025
How To Identify, Prevent & Control Scarlet Lily Leaf Beetles
What to do when you have a scarlet lily leaf beetle infestation
How To Identify, Prevent & Control Scarlet Lily Leaf BeetlesWhat to do when you have a scarlet lily leaf beetle infestation (Gardener's Supply Company, by Ann Whitman, April 3, 2024)
Great photos of stages and explanations, resisitant lily varieties, although neem oil is not currently registered in Canada. I behead the adults and squish the larvae but parasites on the way.
filed under alternatives/ insects/ links
- Saturday, July 19, 2025
Exposure to a mix of pesticides raises risk of pregnancy complications, study suggests
Research looks at health impacts of being exposed to multiple pesticides versus just one substance
Exposure to a mix of pesticides raises risk of pregnancy complications, study suggests 'Research looks at health impacts of being exposed to multiple pesticides versus just one substance ( The Guardian, 19 July 2025)
The new study checked for pesticides in the urine of nearly 90 pregnant women in Santa Fe, Argentina, a heavily agricultural region, and monitored their pregnancy outcomes. About 40 different pesticides were detected.
At least one pesticide was found in the urine of 81% of women, and 64% showed multiple pesticides. Of those, 34% had pregnancy complications.
But about 70% of women in rural settings showed multiple pesticides, compared to 55% of women in urban settings, highlighting a greater risk among the former.
Rural participants were over twice as likely to have pregnancy-related complications compared to urban, in part because they are more frequently exposed to mixtures.
Gestational hypertension was among the most common pregnancy-related complications, and the most common outcome was intrauterine growth restriction, a condition in which the fetus does not grow to a normal weight during pregnancy.
The findings may also point to dangers in the type of pesticide to which women are exposed, the authors wrote. Those who had complications showed higher levels of triazole fungicides, a pesticide class that is widely used on crops like corn, soybeans and wheat.
Though not all the same pesticides are used in the US or other countries as in Argentina, the use of triazole fungicides increased four-fold in the US between 2006 and 2016, especially in the southeast and midwest. Still, it has drawn little regulatory scrutiny.
Exposure to mixtures of pesticides in general “is the rule, not the exception”,'
The study, which bio-monitored pregnant women in a heavily agricultural state in Argentina, adds to recent-but-limited evidence pointing to heightened dangers in mixtures of pesticides.
SNAP Comment: There are currently 293 triazole fungicide formulations registered as pesticides in Canada.
filed under mixture effects
- Thursday, July 17, 2025
Weedkiller ingredient widely used in US can damage organs and gut bacteria, research shows
Diquat is banned in the UK, EU, China and other countries.. 45 Canadian registered pesticides contain diquat.
Weedkiller ingredient widely used in US can damage organs and gut bacteria, research shows Diquat is banned in the UK, EU, China and other countries. The US has resisted calls to regulate it. (The Guardian, 6 July 2025)
The herbicide diquat used to replace glyphosate in Roundup and other weedkiller products can kill gut bacteria and damage organs in multiple ways, new research shows.
But the new piece of data suggests diquat is more toxic than glyphosate, and the substance is banned over its risks in the UK, EU, China and many other countries.. and Roundup formulas with the ingredient hit the shelves last year.
Diquat is also thought to be a neurotoxin, carcinogen and linked to Parkinson’s disease. An October analysis of EPA data by the Friends of the Earth non-profit found it is about 200 times more toxic than glyphosate in terms of chronic exposure.
The new review of scientific literature in part focuses on the multiple ways in which diquat damages organs and gut bacteria, including by reducing the level of proteins that are key pieces of the gut lining. The research further scrutinizes how the substance harms the kidneys, lungs and liver. Meanwhile, it seems to attack the lungs by triggering inflammation that damages the organ’s tissue. More broadly, the inflammation caused by diquat may cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, a scenario in which organ systems begin to fail.
SNAP Comment: There are currently 45 pesticide products containing diquat registered in Canada. It is registered as a dessicant at least since 1987.
filed under
- Saturday, July 12, 2025
Fact sheets on SK Weeds
from the SK Invasive Weeds Council
Fact sheets on SK Invasives (Saskatchewan Invasive Weeds Council)
includes many weeds including absinthe, baby's breath, and tansy, aquatic plants, insects and others
filed under alternatives/weeds
- Friday, July 4, 2025
Landmark US study reveals sewage sludge and wastewater plants tied to Pfas pollution
New study finds troubling levels of Pfas near wastewater plants and sludge sites in 19 states
Landmark US study reveals sewage sludge and wastewater plants tied to Pfas pollution. New study finds troubling levels of PFAs near wastewater plants and sludge sites in 19 states (The Guardian, 4 July 2025)
The study is the first to sample water up- and downstream from sites, and to test around the country. It found the levels downstream were higher for at least one Pfas compound 95% of the time, suggesting that the sludge sites are behind the increased pollution levels.
Sludge is a mix of human and industrial waste that is a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process. Its disposal is expensive, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows it to be spread on cropland as “biosolid” fertilizer because it is also rich in plant nutrients.
Most of the levels far exceeded the EPA’s draft guidance for Pfas in surface waters, which is as low as 0.0009 parts per trillion for PFOA, one of the most common and dangerous types of compounds.
The largest increase around a field on which sewage sludge was spread was found in the Dragoon Creek near Spokane, Washington, where total Pfas levels jumped from about 0.63 ppt to about 33ppt, an increase of over 5,100%.
SNAP comment: 'While there are no federal regulations specifically for biosolids, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) has developed a national approach to promote the beneficial use of biosolids. Additionally, provinces and territories have their own regulations and guidelines for the management and application of biosolids. Potential Risks: Sewage sludge can contain heavy metals and other contaminants that could pose risks to the environment and human health. Therefore, regulations and guidelines are in place to ensure that the sludge is treated and applied safely. Apparenty, in Alberta, sludge or biosolids are commonly applied to agricultural lands, while in Ontario, there are restrictions on applying nutrients containing human waste during certain times of the year.(google AI overview) The City of Regina has not sent their sludge for agriculture for years because of heavy metal contamination. In Saskatchewan, the application of sewage sludge to agricultural land is regulated under the Public Health Act, 1994 and related regulations, with the Saskatchewan Health Authority acting as the local authority for enforcement. The Public Health Act, 1994, in its current form, does not specifically cover PFAS contamination from sewage sludge used in agriculture. However, Canada has implemented an interim standard for PFAS in commercial biosolids used as fertilizer, and is taking steps to address PFAS contamination in various sectors, including agriculture.
Landmark US study reveals sewage sludge and wastewater plants tied to Pfas pollution
New study finds troubling levels of Pfas near wastewater plants and sludge sites in 19 states
- Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Wascana using new pesticides in addition to 2,4-D and Round Up
Bird Stop and Doktor Doom Fungicide
Bird Stop contains Methyl anthranilate. PAN Pesticide database on this chemical. Not a well researched chemical. It is either not listed or insufficient data for pollution or health effects. Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
- ' May be harmful if swallowed H313:
- May be harmful in contact with skin H315:
- Causes skin irritation H320:
- Causes eye irritation H333:
- May be harmful if inhaled'
Doktor Doom Fungicide The MDSD provided by Wascana links to an insecticide formulation containing pyrethrins, not the fungicide formulation. However, I was able to find the following on google but wonder if it applies to the fungicide or the pyrethrin insecticide product.
Doktor Doom Fungicide is a pesticide product with potential hazards, including skin and eye irritation and ecotoxicity. It's crucial to handle it with care, following the directions on the label and the information provided in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
Key points from the SDS and related information:- Phytotoxicity: The product can be harmful to plants, especially delicate ones like sweet peas, nasturtiums, and ferns. It's recommended to test on a small area before widespread use.
- Skin and Eye Irritation: Direct contact with skin may cause irritation, and eye contact may cause temporary irritation.
- Inhalation: May irritate the respiratory tract if inhaled.
- Ecotoxicity: Very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects.'
The DOKTOR DOOM PREMIUM FUNGICIDE CONCENTRATE. registered by the PMRA contains Copper Octanoate. PAN pesticide database on Copper Octanoate. Whwile copper has been traditionally used as a fungicide, there seems to be a number of health and environmental chicks with insufficient data. There are 17 pesticides containng Copper Octanoate currently registered by the PMRA.
Wascana current spraying schedules can be accessed at the bottom right of SNAP's home page
- Thursday, June 19, 2025
Maximum residue limits search in Canada
Maximum residue limits search in Canada
This example is for glyphosate residues allowed in dry pulse crops, but you can search for any pesticide for any type of crop.
filed under Food (Pesticides in)/ MRLs in Canada
- Thursday, June 12, 2025
Elevated Exposure to Wastewater Contaminants in Communities Near Ag Fields, Study Finds
Elevated Exposure to Wastewater Contaminants in Communities Near Ag Fields, Study Finds
(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2025) Netherlands study. Analyzing influent wastewater is already being done to assess covid risks and drug use in populations. Here, wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) is used as a complementary approach to human biomonitoring “to assess the spatial differences in human exposure in areas with relatively high use of pesticides versus reference areas.”
The pesticides that correlate with the detected metabolites in the study are associated with toxicity to aquatic organisms, endocrine disruption, reproductive effects, developmental effects, epigenetic effects, organ damage, neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, oxidative stress, and potential cancer.
filed under monitoring pesticides
- Thursday, June 12, 2025
Adding to Wide Body of Science, Study Finds Pesticide Residues Threaten Health of Soil Microbiome
Adding to Wide Body of Science, Study Finds Pesticide Residues Threaten Health of Soil Microbiome (Beyond Pesticides, May 13, 2025)
'A study in Environmental Pollution examines ecological and health risks in farmland soil with pesticide contamination. ...the study finds that “more than ten pesticides were detected in 98.62% of the soil samples, which changed the soil environment” and threatens the health of the soil microbiome.
... (the authors) assess 50 selected pesticides in 145 soil samples from agricultural land in Zhejiang Province, China and calculate the associated risks to ecosystems and public health.
145 soil samples were obtained from citrus orchards (26), vineyards (29), and vegetable gardens (90) and range in crop types,. Each sample was analyzed for pesticide residues and physicochemical properties such as total nitrogen, pH, and organic matter.
“more than 10 pesticides were detected in 98.62% of the soil samples, and more than 20 pesticides were detected in 56.55% of the soil samples. A further detailed analysis of the detection rates of specific pesticide types in the samples revealed that 33 pesticides were detected in 20% of the soil samples, and 17 pesticides were detected in 60% of the soil samples.”
From the health risk assessment, the calculations identify high carcinogenic risks from dimethomorph, imidophos, indoxacarb, and imidacloprid.
Within the ecological risk assessment, nightshade vegetables were the planting type with the highest average, and the insecticides chlorpyrifos and bifenthrin were identified as having higher entropy (uncertainty) values, classifying them as ‘medium ecological risk threats.’
“The vineyard soil had the most unique species (1,059) among all planting types. As the type with the most serious pesticide residue pollution and highest ecological risk, nightshade land had only 52 exclusive species.”
The soil microbial communities were most impacted by dimorpholine, and the “soil bacterial composition changed significantly under different ecological risk levels at the phylum level .” Of the bacteria, Firmicutes exhibit the clearest response to pesticide residues. .. Altering the abundance of Firmicutes, and any soil biota, leads to impacts on soil health and crop productivity. .. these bacteria may be an indicator of the ecological risk of pesticides.'
SNAP Comment: As of June 2025, there are 4 (down from 7) dimethomorph, 0 imidophos, 0 indoxacarb, 94 (down from 138) imidacloprid, 0 (down from 297) chlorpyrifos and 0 (down from 4) bifenthrin were containing pesticides registered for use in Canada.
filed under soils, microbiota changes, cancer/ links 2
- Thursday, June 12, 2025
Hypertension and High Blood Pressure Linked to Pesticide Metabolites in Elderly, According to Research
(Beyond Pesticides, June 4, 2025) A new study published in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology finds that “higher pesticide exposure was significantly associated with elevated blood pressure and greater risks of hypertension.” More specifically, “the results indicated that exposure to PNP para-nitrophenol/parathion and 2,4-D may contribute to an increased risk of hypertension.”
- Thursday, June 12, 2025
United Nations Lists Neurotoxic Insecticide Chlorpyrifos for Elimination, Exempt Uses Criticized (Beyond Pesticides, May 15, 2025) The United Nations’ Conference of Parties (COP) for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), orig
United Nations Lists Neurotoxic Insecticide Chlorpyrifos for Elimination, Exempt Uses Criticized
(Beyond Pesticides, May 15, 2025) The United Nations’ Conference of Parties (COP) for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), originally adopted by 128 countries in 2001, voted to move the highly neurotoxic organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos, linked to brain damage in children, to Annex A (Elimination) with exemptions on a range of crops, control for ticks for cattle, and wood preservation, according to the POPs Review Committee. The exemptions drew criticism from groups seeking to eliminate chlorpyrifos without exemptions, as had been originally proposed. In the world of pesticide restrictions, this POPs classification marks a step forward in the international regulation of chlorpyrifos, as the U.S. sits on the sidelines.
SNAP Comment: There are currently 0 (down from 297) chlorpyrifos products registered for sale in Canada. Stocks purchased before the sales ban may still be used. The last uses of chlorpyrifos was for mosquito control in Winnipeg and Edmonton.
filed under chlorpyrifos and Legislation-Regulatory/International
- Thursday, June 12, 2025
Farmers and Farmworkers Face DNA and Cellular Damage with Chronic Pesticide Exposure, Study Finds
Farmers and Farmworkers Face DNA and Cellular Damage with Chronic Pesticide Exposure, Study Finds
(Beyond Pesticides, May 29, 2025) A study, published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, “investigates genotoxic effects on farmers in Paraíba, Brazil, analyzing buccal mucosa cells cells from inside the cheek for DNA and cellular damage,” ... the researchers report that the “findings revealed significantly higher frequencies of cellular alterations and DNA damage among exposed farmers relative to the control group, with no significant impact from factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or family cancer history.”
The pesticides that the agricultural workers identified as being utilized include the insecticides deltamethrin, methamidophos, methomyl, teflubenzuron, abamectin, imidacloprid, beta-cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, and chlorfenapyr, as well as the herbicides 2,4-D, ametryn, hexazinone, diuron, and glyphosate. Of these active ingredients, the most commonly reported by the farmworkers is 2,4-D.
SNAP Comment: I had never heard of the Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMCyt) assay. Seems like a minimally invasive way of estimating genotoxicity. Most of the products used by workersin tis study are currently registered in Canada. As of June 2025, the following products are currently registered for sale in Canada: 19 (down from 24) deltamethrin, 0 (down from 5) methamidophos, 4 (down from 13) methomyl, 0 teflubenzuron, 19 (down from 26) abamectin, 94 (down from 138) imidacloprid, 3 beta-cyfluthrin, 8 (down from 20) cypermethrin, and 3 chlorfenapyr, as well as the herbicides 139 (down from 585) 2,4-D, 0 ametryn, 5 (down from 14) hexazinone, 8 (down from 23) diuron, and 190 (down from 376) glyphosate.
filed under health/gene function
- Thursday, June 12, 2025
New scientific publication confirms glyphosate causes cancer at EU safe exposure levels – evidence ignored in EU reapproval
New scientific publication confirms glyphosate causes cancer at EU “safe” exposure levels – evidence ignored in EU reapproval (PAN Europe, June 11, 2025)
article includes link to study.
' It shows that long-term exposure to glyphosate and its formulations, even at very low levels equivalent to the EU’s Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), causes early-onset leukemia in rats. Worryingly, it also reveals a significant increase in multiple other types of tumours (e.g. skin, liver, thyroid, nervous system, ovary, mammary gland, adrenal glands, kidney, urinary bladder, bone, endocrine pancreas, uterus and spleen), providing solid evidence of glyphosate’s carcinogenic potential.
Alarmed by these results, the authors already shared the leukemia data with EU authorities in 2023, ahead of glyphosate’s reapproval. 2 Under EU pesticide law, active substances and products that may cause cancer must not be approved. Yet despite the study’s scientific rigour and relevance, the European Commission and Member States ignored this evidence and renewed glyphosate’s approval for another decade.' also see Multiple Organ Toxicity from Glyphosate and Roundup at Regulatory Relevant Doses
filed under glyphosate 2 and healthc/ cancer/ links2
- Tuesday, June 3, 2025
New Study Reveals Alarming Levels of ‘Forever Chemical’ TFA in bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals
PAN Europe and Global 2000 call for an immediate ban of PFAS pesticides
New Study Reveals Alarming Levels of ‘Forever Chemical’ TFA in bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals (PAN Europe, June 3, 2025)nnnnPAN Europe and Global 2000 call for an immediate ban of PFAS pesticides.
In conventional grain products, the average levels were so high that a health risk to children can no longer be ruled out," warns study author Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, an environmental chemist at GLOBAL 2000. This conclusion was reached by comparing the levels found with the current risk assessments of the health authorities in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Professor Hans Peter Arp, an internationally renowned environmental chemist and TFA researcher 3, sees the study results as further confirmation of the massive and accelerated accumulation of TFA in water, soil, and plants, which poses a serious threat to planetary boundaries
TFA is a breakdown product of PFAS pesticides and industrial chemicals. Due to its extreme persistence and water solubility, TFA accumulates in water resources and living organisms. Recent soil analyses by German environmental authorities confirm that agricultural soils are now a major reservoir of TFA, which partly explains its accumulation in food crops.
filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs
- Monday, May 26, 2025
Bayer CEO Warns that Company May Stop Making Roundup
Bayer CEO Warns that Company May Stop Making Roundup (Illinois Farm Policy News,April 18, 2025)
' “Roundup has generated tens of billions of dollars in sales over time for Bayer and Monsanto, the biotech seed giant and developer of Roundup that Bayer acquired in 2018,” Thomas reported. “Bayer currently produces about 40% of the world’s glyphosate, which farmers spray across fields to tame crop-threatening weeds.”
Reuters’ Rachel More reported Thursday that “Bayer is lobbying U.S. states to adjust their regulations in the battle to control costly litigation targeting its herbicide glyphosate but is also prepared for a possible exit from the market, the group’s CEO said on Thursday.”
“In a court filing Friday, Bayer urged the Supreme Court to take up a Missouri case that awarded $1.25 million to a man who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after spraying Roundup on a community garden in St. Louis,” Lieb reported. “The federally approved label for Roundup includes no warning of cancer. Bayer contends federal pesticide laws preempt states from adopting additional labeling for products and thus prohibits failure-to-warn lawsuits brought under state laws."
“The Supreme Court in 2022 declined to hear a similar claim from Bayer in a California case that awarded more than $86 million to a married couple,” Lieb reported. “But Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018, contends the Supreme Court should intervene now because lower courts have issued conflicting rulings.” '
SNAP Comment: Presumably, this seems to affect all Bayer's production of glyphosate, or is it only US production? .I suspect Bayer's decision will depend on their success or defeat in avoiding responsibility... If Bayer stops producing RoundUp, the manufacturing will likely just be picked up by some other companies.
filed under glyphosate 2
- Thursday, May 15, 2025
Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease
Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease
(by Brittany Krzyzanowski et al, JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(5):e259198. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9198, May 8, 2025)
After adjusting for patient demographics and neighborhood characteristics, living within 1 mile of a golf course was associated with 126% increased odds of developing PD compared with individuals living more than 6 miles away from a golf course
Individuals living within water service areas with a golf course had nearly double the odds of PD compared with individuals in water service areas without golf courses and 49% greater odds compared with individuals with private wells. Additionally, individuals living in water service areas with a golf course in vulnerable groundwater regions had 82% greater odds of developing PD compared with those in nonvulnerable groundwater regionssee also Parkinson’s risk higher for those living close to a golf course: study (by Katie Dangerfield, Global News, May 13, 2025)
filed under nervous system effects/Parkinson's p.2 and exposure /p.2
- Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Quebec study finds cocktail of different pesticides in treated tap water
Samples did not exceed Quebec guidelines, but scientists fear cumulative effects of pollutants
Quebec study finds 'cocktail of different pesticides' in treated tap water
Samples did not exceed Quebec guidelines, but scientists fear cumulative effects of pollutants (by Annabelle Olivier, CBC News, ( Montreal), May 13, 2025)Un « cocktail » de pesticides mesuré dans l’eau de 10 villes du Québec (Radio Canada) La concentration totale des pesticides dans l’eau des 10 villes est de 4 à 24 fois plus élevée que le critère en vigueur en Union européenne. Ce critère est établi selon le principe de précaution. Le bureau régional pour l’Europe de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) avait aussi recommandé cette norme en 2017.À titre d’exemple, la Ville de Saint-Hyacinthe a un total de 12,462 microgrammes par litre (µg/L) de pesticides et Granby de 2,308 µg/L. Le critère en vigueur en Europe est de 0,5 µg/L.
The river was chosen because it runs through areas of intensive agriculture activity, where pesticides used by farmers eventually make their way from the fields into waterways.
Highest concentrations of pesticides occurred in June and July at the beginning of growing season... Researchers discovered that the treatment process did not effectively filter out pesticides.
Traces of at least 50 different kinds of pesticides and metabolites were found in tap water, in some cases in higher concentrations than the source water. Metabolites are molecules that result from the degradation or breakdown of pesticides.... some pesticides were found in almost all the samples, while others weren't detected as often.
"One of the main ones, or the highest concentration, was for glyphosate," Sauvé said, which is the main active ingredient used in many herbicide formulations.
"...we cannot know what the actual combination effect of the toxicity of all these compounds are, so there's a lot of unknown," Sauvé said.
...having stricter standards for drinking water could help, but said it's important to note that 20 per cent of exposure to pesticides is assumed to come from drinking water, and 80 per cent through other sources such as food.
In her view, upgrading water treatment plants can be expensive and would only solve part of the problem.
"It'll solve the problem for drinking water," she said, but not other problems linked to biodiversity and ecosystem health.
SNAP Comment: It is not surprisinng that glyphosate is the most commonly found pesticide as it is the most used. A 2007 Saskatchewan study has also found that drinking water of several small communities contained 3-15 herbicides (average 6.4) at levels below respective guidelines of the 7 that have guidelines. Activated carbon is one of the best options for removing organic contaminants, including pesticides, from water sources like drinking water. (ScienceDirect.com). The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant uses GAC filtration from May to November to remove taste and odors. During winter months, GAC is removed and regenerated, then re-introduced in May (Google AI overview). I don't know whether other SK utilities are using charcoal filtration or not.
- Thursday, May 1, 2025
North Dakota pesticide protection law a first for the US
provides legal protections for pesticide manufacturers
North Dakota’s pesticide protection law a first for the US(ByJeff Beach, North Dakota Monitor, April 24, 2025)
North Dakota is poised to be the first state in the nation to implement a law that provides legal protections for pesticide manufacturers — an issue that has been debated in legislatures across the country in the face of large payouts to cancer victims.
Critics have said the bill will make it harder for people harmed by chemicals to win lawsuits against the manufacturers of chemicals.
She noted that similar legislation has been pushed in other states.
While the debate focused on Roundup, the law applies to other pesticides registered with the state Department of Agriculture.
The North Dakota law will take effect Aug. 1. If signed, the Georgia law would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
filed under Legislation/Regulatory/ USA p.2
- Monday, April 21, 2025
Banned DDT discovered in Canadian trout 70 years after use, research finds
Potential danger to humans and wildlife from harmful pesticide discovered in fish at 10 times safety limit
Banned DDT discovered in Canadian trout 70 years after use, research finds Potential danger to humans and wildlife from harmful pesticide discovered in fish at 10 times safety limit (The Guardian, 21 April 2025)
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, known as DDT, was used on forested land in New Brunswick, Canada, from 1952 to 1968. The researchers found traces of it remained in brook trout in some lakes, often at levels 10 times higher than the recommended safety threshold for wildlife.
“DDT is a probable carcinogen that we haven’t used in 70 years here Canada, yet it’s abundant in fish and lake mud throughout much of the province at shockingly high levels,” said Josh Kurek, an associate professor in environmental change and aquatic biomonitoring at Mount Allison University in Canada and lead author of the research.
“This mess can’t be cleaned up,” said Kurek. “DDTs can persist in lake mud for decades to centuries and then cycle in the food web. The best approach is to manage the public’s exposure of legacy DDTs by encouraging everyone to follow fish consumption guidelines and consider reducing exposure.
“Our findings are a clear wake-up call to abandon our overreliance on synthetic chemicals. Lessons need to be learned so we don’t repeat past mistakes.'
SNAP Comment: I am wondering whether this might be linked (or causal) to the neurological degeneration cases in New Brunswick....
filed under pesticide fact sheets/ insecticides
- Monday, April 21, 2025
Weedkiller maker moves to settle suit over Parkinson’s disease claims
Paraquat
and Weedkiller maker moves to settle suit over Parkinson’s disease claims Syngenta has been besieged by lawsuits from people claiming its product caused the neurological condition (The Guardian, 15 April, 2025)
'Besieged by thousands of lawsuits alleging that its paraquat weedkiller causes Parkinson’s disease, its manufacturer, Syngenta, has entered into an agreement aimed at settling large swaths of those claims. “Syngenta believes there is no merit to the claims, but litigation can be distracting and costly. .." Syngenta’s effort to settle the litigation before any high-profile trials comes after Monsanto’s owner, Bayer, was rocked by similar litigation alleging its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer.'
Paraquat has become one of the most widely used weedkilling chemicals in the world. In the United States, the chemical is used in orchards, wheat fields, pastures where livestock graze, cotton fields and elsewhere.
Internal Syngenta documents revealed by the Guardian and the New Lede show the company was aware many years ago of scientific evidence that paraquat could affect the brain in ways that cause Parkinson’s, and that it secretly sought to influence scientific research to counter the evidence of harm.'
SNAP Comment: It is my understanding that settling a lawsuit before it gets to trial ensures that the evidence never makes it into the public eye. Victims who settle are generally asked to sign agreements not to share any information.
filed under Legal/Litigation and paraquat
- Monday, April 14, 2025
Toxic cocktail: study finds almost 200 pesticides in European homes
‘Toxic cocktail’: study finds almost 200 pesticides in European homes (The Guardian, 11 April 2025)
More than 40% of pesticides discovered in dust linked to toxic effects including cancer and hormone disruption.
- 10 European countries in 2021 detected 197 pesticides in total.
- More than 40% of the pesticides found in the dust have been linked to highly toxic effects, including cancer and disruption of the hormonal system in humans.
- The number of pesticides in each home ranged between 25 and 121, and levels of pesticides tended to be higher in the homes of farmers.
- pesticides in dust found their way into people’s homes via shoes, as well as cats and dogs.
- small concentrations but unstudied mixtures of dozens of chemicals could have an impact on health, as well as increasing exposure to pesticides when they were also often encountered in higher concentrations on fruit, vegetables and flowers.
- DDT remained in the environment despite the pesticide having been banned in some countries in 1972.
- identified mixtures of pesticides found in the environment could be tested,as well as the combinations produced for commercial use that they already tested.
- The persistent presence of DDT also meant risk assessments of newer pesticides might need to consider interactions with older ones, they said.
- Scheepers said those authorising the use of products should take environmental persistence into account, and that even if products such as Pfas were banned now, they would probably remain in the environment.
filed under Exposure to Pesticides/ p.2
- Monday, April 14, 2025
How can you treat your pet for fleas without harming nature
How can you treat your pet for fleas without harming nature? (The Guardian, 18 February 2025) With studies showing flea treatments can damage rivers and kill baby birds, experts suggest other options.
filed under Pets/ Fleas and Ticks
- Monday, March 10, 2025
The Hidden Threat: Why Neonics Are Still Putting Birds at Risk
The Hidden Threat: Why Neonics Are Still Putting Birds at Risk By Allison Manthorne, Bird Studies Canada, 4 Feb, 2025
Neonics and Their Impact on Birds
The widespread use of neonic pesticides has been shown to result in insect declines, meaning less food for insectivorous birds and, when consumed on neonic-treated agricultural seed, to have troubling effects on the behaviour and health of birds. In fact, over 20 years of evidence on the negative impacts of neonics on the environment and wildlife has led to bans and stricter regulations for their use in many parts of the world, including some Canadian provinces. However, more needs to be done.
How You Can Help
As birds return to our fields and forests this spring, they need us to reduce threats to their habitats and young, including the risks posed by pesticides. This means taking action across multiple scales – in our own backyards and in calling for stricter regulation.
As a supporter, your actions make a difference. This spring, you can:
- Contact your local MP, MLA, or town council to ask them what they are doing to eliminate the risks to birds and other wildlife from pesticides.
- Make your garden bird-friendly by avoiding plants treated with neonics and creating a welcoming habitat (visit Birdgardens.ca for tips).
- Monday, March 3, 2025
Study Finds Increased Offspring Mortality in Pesticide-Laden Bird’s Nests
cetral Europe study of birds using fur to line their nests
Study Finds Increased Offspring Mortality in Pesticide-Laden Bird’s Nests
(Beyond Pesticides, February 11, 2025) In a Science of The Total Environment study, scientists test over 100 blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tit (Parus major) birds’ nests for pesticide residues in comparison with the number of dead offspring and unhatched eggs within the nest. Fur-lined nests, from animals treated with ectoparasitic chemicals, expose birds to compounds that can impact reproductive success. The authors found fipronil, a phenyl pyrazole insecticide, in all nests, with the majority also containing the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid and synthetic pyrethroid insecticide permethrin. The data shows higher insecticide levels are linked to increased offspring mortality and threaten biodiversity. This study highlights an important exposure route that is overlooked.
the researchers highlight the study’s novel design, saying, “To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have been performed to detect and quantify veterinary ectoparasitic drugs in the fur used for nest-building and explored the potential associated effects in these bird species.” They continue, writing, “The environmental impact of insecticides used as ectoparasitic treatments for companion animals is not well understood, since they are not subject to detailed environmental risk assessment.”'
SNAP Comment: As of 3 March 2025, there are 0 fipronil, 98 imidacloprid, and 303 permethrin containing pesticides registered by the PMRA, many for treating pets and livestock.
filed under Wildlife Section/Birds p.2
- Monday, March 3, 2025
Microplastics Interact with Pesticides, Exacerbating Environmental Health Threats, Studies Find
Microplastics Interact with Pesticides, Exacerbating Environmental Health Threats, Studies Find
(Beyond Pesticides, February 25, 2025) A literature review of over 90 scientific articles in Agriculture documents microplastics’ (MPs) increase in the bioavailability, persistence, and toxicity of pesticides used in agriculture. The interactions between MPs and pesticides enhance the threat of pesticide exposure to nontarget organisms, perpetuates the cycle of toxic chemical use, and decreases soil health that is vital for productivity.
In agriculture, the primary sources of microplastics are plastic mulching, coatings on pesticides, and fertilizers such as biosolids, in addition to the particles carried to the fields by wind and water. As Dr. Tang says: “MPs are defined as plastic fragments measuring less than 5 mm in size and can either result from the breakdown of larger plastic waste (secondary MPs) or be produced intentionally for specific uses (primary MPs), like in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial applications. Owing to their diminutive size, durability, and widespread presence, MPs have been recognized as a global pollutant that can interact with various environmental contaminants, including pesticides.”
- the bioavailability of pesticides can be altered by the mechanism of adsorption, where particles from the pesticides can adhere to the plastic’s surface.
- When microplastics influence the uptake of pesticides, they can cause a decline in pesticide effectiveness that results in lower agricultural yields and higher costs of having to apply more pesticides.
- “MPs could greatly extend the degradation half-lives of several pesticides,
- “In degradation experiments, MPs substantially prolonged the persistence of herbicides in aquatic environments, from 86.6–231 days in the control to 346.5–886.2 days in water.”
- Adverse impacts on soil structure and cohesion. (See here and here.)
- Effects on the ability of soil to retain water. (See here.)
- Affected presence of soil nutrients, such as organic matter, and microorganisms. (See here, here, here, here, here, and here.)
- Decreased microbial activity in the soil. (See here and here.)
- “Toxicity observed in the MPs after herbicide adsorption being markedly greater than in those without herbicides.”
- The presence of MPs “not only heightened chlorpyrifos accumulation in radishes but also diminished the fresh root biomass of the plants.”
filed under Formulants, Inerts and Contaminants/Contaminants
- Monday, March 3, 2025
What Will Happen if We Continue like This?
short video
What Will Happen if We Continue like This? (PAN Europe, short video)
We interviewed the German Professor Dr. Carsten Brühl, specialist in ecotoxicology. His University Kaiserslautern-Landau recently published an alarming study in the journal “Scientific Reports”. Almost unbelievable but true, this was the first to examine #pesticide contamination over the course of a year.
They found a cocktail of pesticides not only during the spraying periods in the fields, but also throughout the year and in adjacent meadows. The significant impact on the environment has hardly been investigated. The rapid loss of biodiversity is a disaster for our environment and jeopardises our food production, which depends on healthy and biodiverse ecosystems for pollination and fertile soil. The current EU pesticide regulation is failing, as was shown in our recent report ‘Licence to Kill’.
In this campaign, we will interview scientists, review new scientific research and highlight the importance of lesser-known arthropods. Our aim is to stimulate the discussion to achieve the urgent protection of the natural abundance on which our lives depend.filed under Wildlife Section/Insects p.2
- Monday, March 3, 2025
Revealing Dirty Weed: Pesticides in Cannabis Raises Health Concerns, as Advocates Advance Organic Solution
California study
(Beyond Pesticides, February 6, 2024) 'Months after publishing a June 2024 study regarding concentrations of pesticides discovered in legal (and illegal) cannabis products in California, the Los Angeles Times has released a follow-up exposé highlighting extensive pesticide contamination, including from “hidden” pesticides that regulators have not monitored.
in total, 79 toxic chemicals were found in the products tested, 45 of which tested positive in cannabis products specifically. All but one of these “hidden pesticides” are prohibited from use on cannabis plants due to failing to meet California’s “use criteria”.
Limited research exists on the safety of these pesticides when burned and inhaled. ... the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not fully evaluate residues in inhaled tobacco smoke “because of the severity and quantity of health effects associated with the use of tobacco products themselves.”
5 pesticides were identified several hundred to thousand times over the permitted residue level or EPA criteria.
... unregulated products are more likely to contain one or more of the 66 regulated chemicals, whereas regulated products are more likely to contain one or more “hidden” chemicals, for which there is no required screening.;
Pesticides were also found in 50% of vape products.
SNAP Comment: ' All Cannabis products intended for sale or provided to any party under the Cannabis Act will require pesticide testing. Eurofins Experchem Laboratories can detect all 96 pesticide actives proposed by Health Canada, and our method has been validated.' Eurofins (March 2025) The list of tested pesticides is provided. Of the 5 pesticides identified as way above safe limits in this California study, chlorfenapyr, trifloxystrobin and bifenazate are tested for, but not pymetrozine or 2-phyenylphenol.
filed under Pesticides in Drugs
- Monday, March 3, 2025
Pesticides that Adversely Affect Cell Function Linked to Brain Cancer
Pesticides that Adversely Affect Cell Function Linked to Brain Cancer
(Beyond Pesticides, February 7, 2025) ...' a new meta-analysis identifies studies that pesticides can overwhelm cells’ defenses against them, interfere with cell communication in the brain, and disrupt the epigenetic (gene function) regulation of gene expression. In the journal Nucleus, Bilal Ahmad Mir, PhD and colleagues at the University of Kashmir in Srinagar, India, review what is known at the molecular level about pesticides’ role in brain cancer.
The brain, only two percent of the body’s mass, uses 15-20 percent of all the energy the body generates via aerobic metabolism, so oxygen homeostasis is of utmost importance. It is clear that pesticides induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are implicated in many diseases. In the brain, two important communication pathways can be disrupted by ROS: gap junctions, which are direct connections between cells allowing for transfer of molecules such as neurotransmitters, and synapses, where electrical signals travel between neurons. The brain is especially vulnerable because it needs both significant amounts of oxygen and higher levels of iron and copper than the rest of the body.
Many pesticide families have been demonstrated to produce ROS: organophosphates (chlorpyrifos, quinalphos, dichlorvos); organochlorines (paraquat, dieldrin); and pyrethroids (permethrin), for example.'
Many have multiple ways of harming cells... The weed killer araquat also interferes with the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+ and NADH) process, which involves enzymes crucial for regulating mitochondrial energy generation, the oxygen-iron and oxygen-copper reactions, signal transduction, genomic stability, gene expression regulation, circadian clock management, immunity, and inflammation.
filed under health/ cancer/links (2)
- Monday, March 3, 2025
Pesticides disrupt ecosystems and harm wildlife, study finds
Pesticides disrupt ecosystems and harm wildlife, study finds
(Environmental Health News, Feb 24, 2025)
In short:
- A review of 1,700 studies found that pesticides negatively affect more than 800 species, including plants, animals, fungi, and microbes.
- Researchers identified impacts such as reduced reproductive success, slower growth, and altered behaviors that threaten ecosystem stability.
- The study comes ahead of United Nations biodiversity talks in Rome, where officials will discuss strategies to address deforestation, pollution, and overexploitation.
Key quote:
"It is often assumed that pesticides are toxic primarily to the target pest and closely related organisms but this is clearly not true. Concerningly, we found pervasive negative impacts across plants, animals, fungi, and microbes, threatening the integrity of ecosystems." (Dave Goulson, study co-author, University of Sussex)
filed under Wildlife Section/Overview
- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
New report reveals dramatic increase in overuse of toxic pesticides in Canada
Canada has become the fifth largest pesticide user in the world
New report reveals dramatic increase in overuse of toxic pesticides in Canada (Ecojustice, 8 January 2025)
 A new report from Ecojustice reveals that pesticide sales in Canada increased by a staggering 47 per cent between 2011 and 2021. These dramatic increases in sales lead to higher and higher exposures for people in Canada and their environment. The report calls on the Canadian government to take urgent steps to address its broken regulatory system and identify pesticides reduction as a clear policy goal to reach its biodiversity commitments and better protect the health of people in Canada.
Canada has become the fifth largest pesticide user in the world, despite having a colder climate than many other countries where pests are reduced in the winter. In 2005, 26 million kilograms of pesticides were estimated to be sold in Canada. Since then, annual pesticide sales have skyrocketed fivefold to more than 130 million kilograms.
The report identifies steps the Canadian government must take to reach our commitment of reducing the risk of pesticides by at least 50 per cent by 2030, and align itself with international best practices to better protect people and the environment. This includes:
- Establishing a clear long-term goal to eliminate the use of toxic pesticides. 
- Realizing easy reductions in the short-term by eliminating certain high-risk, high-volume and low benefit practices such as forestry and cosmetic uses.
- Increasing supports to farmers to shift towards alternative pest management strategies.
- Significantly increasing transparency and weeding out undue and harmful industry influence in decision-making on harmful pesticides.
filed under Pesticide Use
- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Environmental justice in the US-Canada trade war: why it matters
If Canada is serious about increasing trade with the EU, we must improve our pesticide use policies.
Environmental justice in the US-Canada trade war: why it matters (Muhannad Malas, Ecojustice,February 25, 2025)
This article discusses pipelines, future-proofing our economy as well as the section below on Increasing trade with non-U.S. partners.
'The EU is the world’s largest trading block and is known for having some of the highest environmental standards, particularly in agriculture and chemicals. A recent Ecojustice report revealed that Canada has become the fifth-largest user of pesticides in the world, many of which are banned in the EU.
The agricultural sector is one of Canada’s largest employers. Currently, 60 per cent — or $99.1 billion — of our exported agriculture and food products are destined for the U.S.
By contrast, our agri-food exports to the EU are estimated at only around $5 billion, presenting a significant opportunity for Canada to increase trade with the EU. If Canada is serious about increasing trade with the EU, we must improve our pesticide use policies.
This month, the EU published its latest Vision for Agriculture and Food,21 which signals the EU’s intent to restrict the import of agricultural products that contain banned pesticides. Canada must invest in alternative pest-management strategies and better support our farmers and the tens of thousands of agricultural migrant workers who ensure that Canadians have healthy food on their tables.
- Saturday, February 22, 2025
UK soil breakthrough could cut farm fertiliser use and advance sustainable agriculture
Research group says discovery could lead to new type of environmentally friendly farming
UK soil breakthrough could cut farm fertiliser use and advance sustainable agriculture
Research group says discovery could lead to new type of environmentally friendly farming (The Guardian, 22 February 2025)
'A biological mechanism that makes plant roots more attractive to soil microbes has been discovered by scientists in the UK. The breakthrough – by researchers at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, Norfolk – opens the door to the creation of crops requiring reduced amounts of nitrate and phosphate fertilisers, they say.
The team led by Charpentier has announced that it has discovered a mutation in the legume Medicago truncatula which enhances partnerships with bacteria and fungi that supply the roots with nitrogen and phosphorus. This process improves the plant’s take-up of nutrients.
Crucially, the team – whose research was recently published in Nature – showed the same gene mutation in wheat enhances similar partnerships in field conditions. This opens the door to the creation of wheat varieties that can exploit soil microbes to provide nutrients and so reduce the need to use large amounts of artificial inorganic fertilisers.
filed under Organics/Farming
- Saturday, February 22, 2025
Federal Court rules Canada’s approval of glyphosate product unreasonable
Federal Court rules Canada’s approval of glyphosate product unreasonable (EcoJustice, 20 February 2025)
'In its decision, the Court noted that Health Canada’s 2022 conclusions that glyphosate-based pesticide products continued to pose acceptable risks was unsubstantiated by any scientific analysis. The Court set aside the renewal of the product, giving Health Canada six months to make a new decision on the renewal that transparently addresses new science on glyphosate risks.
After the hearing of the judicial review, an access to information request revealed that Health Canada planned a review of new glyphosate science in 2022 but proceeded to renew approvals for glyphosate products without completing this review. The planned review was not disclosed to the Court or the public.
A new report from Ecojustice reveals that Canada is now the fifth largest user of pesticides in the world, with sales increasing a staggering 47 per cent in just a decade. These pesticides pose potential harm to the health of humans and the environment.'
also see
Judge rejects Health Canada's 'trust us' approach in glyphosate pesticide approval Health Canada's approval of the glyphosate pesticide Mad Dog Plus failed to consider contradictory science, court rules. (by Stefan Labbe, Vancouver is Awesome)
filed under pesticide fact sheets/glyphosate 2 and legal/litigation/glyphosate
- Saturday, February 22, 2025
Sleep Disorders in Farmers and Farmworkers Linked to Pesticide Exposure in Study Supporting Similar Findings
Thai farmers study
(Beyond Pesticides, January 31, 2025) A recent cross-sectional study in Heliyon highlights the link between sleep disorders in Thai farmers and pesticide exposure. The authors find pesticide exposure as an important risk factor for sleep disorders after surveying 27,334 farmers over the age of 20 who had work experience for at least five years.
.38 individual pesticides are included in the study... These pesticides were chosen based on findings from previous studies that indicated a connection to sleep health and their common usage in Thailand.”
“For individual pesticides, significant associations were observed in 19 out of 38 individual pesticides. There were twelve insecticides, including three organochlorine insecticides (chlorpyrifos, chlordane, dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane DDT), five organophosphates (ethyl p-nitrophenyl phenylphosphorothioate EPN, folidol, methamidophos, mevinphos, profenofos), three carbamates (carbaryl, carbofuran, methomyl), and imidacloprid.”
Overall, the study shows that the female group displays higher associations with sleep disorders. Significant associations are also noted for “two herbicides (diuron and paraquat) and five fungicides (benomyl, Bordeaux mixture, carbendazim, copper sulphate, metalaxyl). The association for some chemicals, e.g., chlorpyrifos, DDT, endosulfan, carbosulfan were in a dose-response pattern.”
“A notable strength of this study lies in its collection of exposure information for various pesticides, coupled with the use of medically diagnosed diseases confirmed by ICD-10 a medical classification list by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is considered more accurate than relying on self-reported outcomes.
SNAP Comment: Although several pesticides linked to sleep problems are not currently registered in Canada, many have been in the past. This study is a long-term exposure study so previous exposure to now banned pesticides may be relevant. Currently there aee 98 imidacloprid containing pesticides registered in canada, Organaochlorines: 0 chlorpyrifos, (historically 297) 0 chlordane (historically 11), 0 dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane DDT) ( historically 55), 0 endosulfan (historically 16), five organophosphates:0 ethyl p-nitrophenyl phenylphosphorothioate EPN (historically 0), 0 folidol (historically 0), methamidophos (historically 5), 0 mevinphos (historically 0), 0 profenofos (historically 0), three carbamates:3 carbaryl (historically 206), 0 carbofuran (historically 7), 4 methomyl (historically 13), 0 carbosulfan (historically 0) and imidacloprid (above).
herbicides:8 diuron (historically 23) and 0 paraquat (historically 16) and five fungicides: 0 benomyl (historically 13), 0 Bordeaux mixture (historically 0), 3 carbendazim (historically 7), 0 copper sulphate (historically 0, although there were historically 543 copper containing pesticides), 89 metalaxyl (historically 138).
filed under Health/Sleep Disorders
- Thursday, February 20, 2025
Saskatchewan Invasive Plant Species Identification Guide - 2nd Edition
Saskatchewan Invasive Plant Species Identification Guide - 2nd Edition
Designed for forage producers. Good identification guide with descriptions and photos.Also gives a visual with graphics of control methods. SNAP disagrees with what seems like exclusive chemical control methods. For instance, wormwood is easy to pull when small and may not spread much if not let go to seed.
filed under alternatives/weeds
- Thursday, February 13, 2025
Pesticides Harming Immune Cell Function Linked to Elevated Breast Cancer Rate in Young Women
Brazizlian study if occupationally exposed women
Pesticides Harming Immune Cell Function Linked to Elevated Breast Cancer Rate in Young Women (Beyond Pesticides, January 14, 2025)
'Women with occupational pesticide exposure have elevated rates of breast cancer, according to a study in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology. Based on an analysis of clinicopathological data from 188 affected women, the study authors demonstrate “that occupational exposure to pesticides modifies the clinical presentation of disease in breast cancer patients, depending on their age at disease onset, affecting cytokine production, especially in those exhibiting early age at diagnosis.” '
filed under health/cancer/links2
- Thursday, February 13, 2025
Multitude of Studies Find Epigenetic Effects from PFAS and Other Endocrine Disrupting Pesticides
Multitude of Studies Find Epigenetic Effects from PFAS and Other Endocrine Disrupting Pesticides
(Beyond Pesticides, January 16, 2025) In Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, researchers highlight a multitude of studies on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and endocrine disrupting pesticides (EDPs) showing epigenetic effects from exposure.
In causing epigenetic modifications, the authors describe that EDCs can create changes “at the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (nDNA and mtDNA) or RNA levels, without changing the underlying DNA sequence. These alterations modify the structure or conformation of DNA, influencing gene expression and, consequently, cellular function.” They continue, “The mechanisms of epigenetics include changes in DNA methylation, chromatin modifications and the involvement of certain noncoding RNAs.”
The researchers further explain: “Due to the distinct structural features of EDPs, the mode of their toxic action varies with different dosages, influencing the molecular mechanisms of hormone secretion, targets, and even the toxic pathways that affect various hormones in various ways indeed at extremely low concentrations. Nonetheless, the biological mechanisms underlying their effects remain incompletely understood.'
SNAP Comment: In other words, the basis of the North American pesticide regulatory system, 'the dose makes the poison" is grossly inadequate in evaluation of pesticide health effects.
filed under health/Endocrine Disruption and Low dose Effects
- Thursday, February 13, 2025
Pesticides and the cut flower industry
Pesticides and the cut flower industry (Prevent Cancer Now, 13 February 2025) 'Countries are interconnected Over 80% of cut flowers sold in Canada are imported, mainly from Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya. In addition to contributing to the carbon footprint of air transport in controlled temperatures, these countries pesticide regulations are lax.Studies show that conventional floriculture leaves remnants of insecticides such as chlorpyrifos and neonicotinoids, similar quantities of fungicides, and lesser quantities of herbicides including glyphosate. Various pesticides on flowers are linked to hormone disruption, neurological damage, and increased cancer risks.
Knowledge and health protections are uneven In 2017, 200 kilograms of pesticides were applied per hectare in Columbia—about 75 times the amount typically used in Canada. A Belgian study found that roses were the most contaminated cut flowers, with on average 14 substances detected per sample, including old, highly toxic pesticides such as acephate, methiocarb, and methomyl. Pesticide residues on leaves and stems can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Pesticides used on cut flowers are often poorly regulated Flowers aren’t considered food crops, yet exposure still affects workers, the environment, and even those enjoying a bouquet at home.
- Thursday, February 13, 2025
Viability of Hemp as a PFAS Remediation Tool Moves Forward, as Contamination Spreads
Viability of Hemp as a PFAS Remediation Tool Moves Forward, as Contamination Spreads
(Beyond Pesticides, January 23, 2025) According to reporting by Bangor Daily News, “Starting in 2025, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Upland Grassroots, University of Virginia, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District will use a four-year, $1.6 million EPA grant to continue hemp planting at the former Loring Air Force Base and testing potential ways to extract PFAS per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from harvested hemp.”
PFAS, colloquially known as “forever chemicals,” persist in various petrochemical-based pesticides, chemicals, and other consumer products.
PFAs have widespread direct uses and are widespread contaminants in 'homes and gardens, food, water, and soil. PFAS compounds have been found to contaminate water and irrigation sources, and soils themselves — often through the use of fertilizers made from so-called “biosludge” (biosolids) from local waste treatment plants where PFAS active ingredients can end up. In addition, run-off from land treated with PFAS active ingredients, these treatment plants may discharge millions of gallons of wastewater into waterways, contaminating them; current waste and water treatment generally does not eliminate PFAS compounds from the treated effluent water.'
Of the 28 PFAS varieties identified in the soil, 10 were found in the harvested hemp plants, according to the group’s research. (T)he group now must contend with how to properly dispose of the contaminated plants without contributing to landfills or leading to eventual exposure in future generations.
filedunder remediation/removal and Polyfluorinated Pesticides and PFAs
- Thursday, February 13, 2025
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (Endocrine Society web page) regularly updated
'Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals that mimic, block, or interfere with hormones in the body's endocrine system. EDCs have been associated with a diverse array of health issues. Watch an animated overview to learn more and explore the rest of the Society's education, resources, and advocacy campaigns on EDCs.
View our introduction to EDCs, what EDCs are, why you should care and what you can do about EDCs in the navigation bar to the right. Additionally, learn about where we stand on EDCs and our scientific statement defining EDCs.'
filed under Health/ Endocrine Disruption
- Monday, February 10, 2025
Global Glyphosate Study Reveals Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Cause Leukemia in Early Life
international study, pre-publication
Global Glyphosate Study Reveals Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Cause Leukemia in Early Life (The Ramazzini Institute / October 25, 2023)
In this long-term study, glyphosate alone and two commercial formulations, Roundup BioFlow (MON 52276) used in the EU and Ranger Pro (EPA 524-517) used in the U.S., were administered to rats via drinking water beginning in prenatal life, at doses of 0.5, 5, and 50 mg/kg body weight/day. These doses are currently considered safe by regulatory agencies and correspond to the EU Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and the EU’s No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) for glyphosate.
About half of the leukemia deaths seen in the rats exposed to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides occurred at less than one year of age. By contrast no cases of leukemia have been observed below one year of age in more than 1600 sprague-dawley rats studied over the past two decades by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the Ramazzini Institute.”
Study Information, including FAQs:at the link
SNAP Comment: neither of the two formulations tested is registered in Canada, or might be under another name. Howver, it seems like glyphosate by itself was also linked to leukemia.
filed under pesticide fact sheets/glyphosate 2 and health/ cancer/links 2
- Friday, February 7, 2025
Inside Quebec fight over bee-killing pesticides
neonicotinoids
Inside Quebec's fight over bee-killing pesticides (National Observer, By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson, January 31st 2025)
'Spooked by Labrie's warnings, the government started looking for neonics — and found them in 100 per cent of the Quebec waterways they tested.
(Labrie) told the crowd that her research showed neonic-treated seeds didn't boost yields, except in exceptional circumstances. Neonic-treated seeds also harm predatory insects like ground beetles that Michon relied on to kill pests naturally...
Initially, he (farmer) struggled to find untreated seeds. But everything changed by 2019, when Quebec introduced groundbreaking rules banning neonics, including treated seeds, unless prescribed by an agronomist. The rules were a North American first and marked a rare defeat for Canada's $2.5-billion pesticide industry which has lobbied fiercely to keep neonic use widespread nationwide.
After the ban, the pesticide companies launched another backdoor attack: they replaced their neonic seed coatings with diamides — a group of insecticides particularly deadly to ecologically important aquatic organisms. Within a year, diamides were showing up in provincial pesticide water monitoring data.
This month, to close that loophole, Quebec banned the use of all insecticide-coated seeds unless prescribed by an agronomist. The ban is a Canadian first. The restrictions will come into force this August to align with the 2026 seed-buying season, said Jacques Fadous, an agronomist with the province's environment ministry...
But the most intense resistance to her research came from her bosses at CÉROM, giving her a key role in the so-called "Louis Robert" scandal that rocked Quebec in 2018. Robert,a career agronomist with the province's agriculture ministry,was fired after leaking an internal briefing note to reporters. The note outlined how CÉROM's then-president Christian Overbeek and other executives tried to stop Labrie and her colleagues from talking about their neonic findings. The situation got so bad that Labrie and several colleagues resigned in 2017.
Public outrage over the case led Premier François Legault to apologize publicly and offer Robert his job back or compensation.
An investigation by Quebec's Auditor General slammed Overbeek for overstepping ethics rules and violating provincial conflict of interest provisions by trying to silence Labrie and her colleagues. Following the scandal, the Quebec government replaced the organization's executive board and restructured the organization.'
filed under Legislation/Regulatory/Canada p2, neonicotinoids p2 and Industry Shenanigans
- Friday, February 7, 2025
Map of pesticide lobby influence
CARTOGRAPHIER pour mieux lutter contre l emprise des lobbyistes
CARTOGRAPHIER pour mieux lutter contre l'emprise des lobbyistes
Map of pesticide lobby influence (Vigilance OGM, January 2025)filed under Industry Shenanigans p2
- Monday, January 20, 2025
Glyphosate Product: Safe Food Matters and others in Court on Wednesday
Glyphosate Product: Safe Food Matters and others in Court on Wednesday
This fight is about the product “Mad Dog Plus”, and the fact that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) routinely renews products, on a 5 year basis, without looking into new science on risks arising after major registration decisions.
SNAP Comment: In Canada, a pesticide is re-registered every 5 years and re-evaluated eveyr 15 years, in theory. Historically, the re-evaluation process has often been far behind. I think new research only has to be considered in re-evaluations. Even then, the issue is deeper than that: independent studies are consistently not given the same weight as inadequate industry mandated studies and considered irrelevant. Will this precedent European decision help us? PAN successfully challenges pesticide product authorisation - major implications (PAN Europe, January 20, 2025)
filed under LegalLitigation/ Canada p.2 and glyphosate 2
- Monday, January 20, 2025
PAN successfully challenges pesticide product authorisation - major implications
fungicide difenoconazole
PAN successfully challenges pesticide product authorisation - major implications (PAN Europe, January 20, 2025)
'Thereby, this assessment needs not only take into account certain types of scientific and technical knowledge or the time when such knowledge became available (para 77). The determination of whether an active substance has endocrine-disrupting properties must be made on the basis of all available, relevant and reliable scientific and technical knowledge.
...‘In its objection, PAN argued that several studies (among others) show that difenoconazole has endocrine-disrupting properties. The Ctgb did not initially assess this information in the examination of the application for authorisation, because it believed that endocrine-disrupting properties of an active substance should only be assessed at European level when approving that active substance. In the College's view, it is thus established that the contested decision was negligently prepared. The Ctgb's later position - in response to the ECJ's ruling - that the studies cited by PAN are insufficient to identify difenoconazole as endocrine disrupting, is in the opinion of the Board insufficient. If the Ctgb is of the opinion that the studies cited by PAN cannot be regarded as available, relevant and reliable scientific and technical knowledge, it should have given proper and insightful reasons for this.’
‘The conclusion is that the contested decision was insufficiently carefully prepared and unsoundly motivated.’ The Ctgb must issue a new decision within six months, in which ‘the authorisation decision (and the renewal decision) will have to be reconsidered in its entirety, taking into account all the facts and circumstances at the time of the reconsideration.’
SNAP Comment: The same issue we constantly have in Canada. Independent studies are consistently considered irrelevant. Will this prrecedent European decision help us? There are currently 31 difenoconazole containing pesticides registered in Canada.
filed under Legislation/Regulatory/Europe
- Friday, January 10, 2025
EPA s Registration of Herbicide under New Framework Puts Endangered Species at Elevated Risk, Advocates Say
EPA’s Registration of Herbicide under New Framework Puts Endangered Species at Elevated Risk, Advocates Say (Beyond Pesticides, December 13, 2024)
Advocates argue that EPA’s Framework has effectively substituted one problematic and insufficient process for another. Even once a mitigation requirement is identified after a new or renewed pesticide registration, compliance by a pesticide applicator, farmer, or worker operates under a “self-service, honor system,” relying on users to proactively seek information online and then simply consider mitigation steps from a still complex menu of possible choices. EPA notes: “The final strategy itself does not impose any requirements or restrictions on pesticide use. Rather, EPA will use the strategy to inform mitigations for new active ingredient registrations and registration review of conventional herbicides.” Therefore, with this Framework, EPA does not appear to establish clear and specific use and site restrictions communicated through a pesticide label, which has historically been established as a set of enforceable legal restrictions under federal pesticide law.
Critics observe that EPA does not possess the scientific expertise, nor the statutory authority, to accurately determine the potential for “population level” impacts to “listed species.” They are obligated to rely on the USFWS and NMFS through a consultation process to make such assessments of the potential effects on species that inhabit such complex ecological systems. Therefore, any pesticide that has not gone through a complete ESA (Endangered Seecies Act) consultation cannot have been properly evaluated. (The Center for Biological Diversity argued this in its June 2024 comments.)
SNAP Comment: I don't know if this is also the current Canadian approach, but our approach leaves alot to be desired as well.
filed under Legislation/Regulatory/ USA p2 and wildlife section/endangered species
- Friday, January 10, 2025
Study Links Numerous Chemical Families of Pesticides to Endocrine Disrupting Effects, Including Obesity
phenoxy herbicides like 2,4-D, organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids
Study Links Numerous Chemical Families of Pesticides to Endocrine Disrupting Effects, Including Obesity (Beyond Pesticides, December 17, 2024)
A systematic review of studies on pesticides as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on body weight, published in Biomedicines, evaluates 36 clinical and preclinical studies and links their agricultural use to obesity. The authors ... assess studies on a range of pesticides, including organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and others. In addition to concluding that the EDCs promote obesity, they report that the chemicals cause “other anthropometric changes by altering lipid and glucose metabolism, modifying genes, or altering hormone levels such as leptin.”
“Participants with obesity were found to have higher urinary concentrations of 2,4-D and 2,5-D. Higher concentrations of these pesticides were associated with increased BMI and waist circumference,” the authors note. “As in children, the adult study showed a higher prevalence of obesity with higher urinary levels of 2,4-D and 2,5-D.” The additional studies find that carbendazim, thiophanate, benomyl, metalaxyl, propineb, and chlorpyrifos show a statistically significant association with obesity prevalence.
Seven in vitro studies evaluate the “effects of pesticides on the anatomy and physiology of hepatocytes and adipocytes” and the prevalence of obesity. Regarding hepatocytes, which are cells primarily in the liver that play a role in metabolism, cis-Bifenthrin is found to increase intracellular triglyceride levels in these cells after just 24 hours.
Adipocytes, fat cells found in adipose tissue, experience impacts from multiple pesticides:
filed under Diabetes/Obesity
- Friday, January 10, 2025
Early ‘forever chemicals’ exposure could impact economic success in adulthood – study
PFAs
Early ‘forever chemicals’ exposure could impact economic success in adulthood – study ( The Guardian, 10 January, 2025)
'Those (children) who lived in regions with firefighting training areas earned about 1.7% on average less later in life, and showed a graduation rate about 1% lower. Those born between 1981-1988 earned about $1bn less in today’s earnings, or about $1,000 a person on average, compared to those who did not live near the firefighting training sites.
The data also shows lower birth weights among the population – a factor linked to lower economic success later in life...
The chemicals have been used as the primary ingredient in firefighting foam because the formulas are effective at putting out jet fuel fires, or other difficult to manage fires. The Department of Defense is still trying to get a handle on the scope of its pollution around bases.
The study looked at children who were born during a period between 1969 and 1989. It found a stronger correlation in lower earnings among those born later in that period, probably because the chemicals can take several years to pollute groundwater, and the level of pollution likely grew.
The data also showed declines in birth weight starting in the late 1970s, with an average birth weight decrease of nearly eight grams by the 1980s.'
filed under Polyfluorinated pessticides and PFAs
- Friday, January 10, 2025
Investigative Report Finds Canada’s Reversal of Neonicotinoid Ban Influenced by Bayer/Monsanto
Investigative Report Finds Canada’s Reversal of Neonicotinoid Ban Influenced by Bayer/Monsanto(Beyond Pesticides, December 18, 2024)
A bombshell investigation conducted by Canada’s National Observer finds that Bayer, which acquired the Monsanto chemical company in 2018, colluded with environmental and public health regulators in Canada to obstruct a proposed neonicotinoid insecticide ban originally introduced in 2018.
To the dismay of Dr. Morrissey, federal officials at PMRA shared her unpublished data from 2014 with Bayer despite an understanding that the pesticide regulatory body would not share the data with industry unless “they signed an affidavit to use it as a part of the registration process.” “I... Bayer replicated her tests during the end of summer when fields were dry and neonics weren’t running into the water,” Canada’s National Observer reports. “Instead of visiting and taking water samples from the sites, they relied primarily on Google Earth and Street View to find the wetlands Morrissey sampled and evaluate if they were relevant to the PMRA’s pesticide risk assessment. Bayer’s team only visited ‘a few sites’ in person,” the report says. In reversing the proposed ban, PMRA adopted Bayer’s critique of “relevant” sites in Dr. Morrissey’s aquatic risk assessment in its final decision to allow the continued use of imidacloprid.
In a recent press release, the David Suzuki Foundation, alongside numerous medical, legal, and civil society organizations, is calling on Health Canada to engage in an independent review to correct for agency corruption and industry influence.
filed under Industry shenanigans/regulatory and legal p.2 and neonicotinoids 2
- Friday, January 10, 2025
Review Cites Memory and Learning Impairments; Children, Workers, and Nontarget Organisms at Risk
Review Cites Memory and Learning Impairments; Children, Workers, and Nontarget Organisms at Risk
(Beyond Pesticides, December 12, 2024) 'A literature review of 161 articles in Discover Toxicology finds that pesticides with different mechanisms of action cause memory and learning impairments. These effects are noted in nontarget species including humans. Pesticide “exposure during development, as well as chronic environmental and occupational exposure, can contribute to decreased cognitive performance,” the researchers say. With a focus on organophosphate pesticides, synthetic pyrethroids, and neonicotinoid insecticides, the authors highlight neurological impacts. Both learning and memory are crucial for the survival of many species.'
The article proceeds to describe the effects found for the various classes of pesticides.
filed under health/nervous system effects
- Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Widespread Prevalence of Banned Crop Chemical In US Food Supply Sparks Concerns
chlormequat
Widespread Prevalence of Banned Crop Chemical In US Food Supply Sparks Concerns
(ByJess Cockerill, Science Alert, 21 February 2024)
Many countries allow the use of chlormequat in agricultural crops, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union.
But in the US, the chemical is banned from use on any food crops, and is only approved for use in growing ornamental plants. However, since a decision by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2018, foods grown with chlormequat are allowed to be imported into the country.
Where it was detected, concentrations of the chemical were consistent between the 2017 and 2018-2022 groups, while the samples from 2023 had significantly higher concentrations. Chlormequat doesn't stay in the body long, so the authors say the high prevalence could indicate "likely continuous exposure".
SNAP Comment: As chlormequat is allowed on crops in Canada, similar testing should show similaar results.
filed under Chlormequat
- Tuesday, January 7, 2025
EWG finds little-known toxic chemical in four out of five people tested
chlorrmequat herbicide, link to Canada
EWG finds little-known toxic chemical in four out of five people tested (By Anthony Lacey (EWG) and Alexis Temkin, Ph.D. (EWG), EWG, February 15, 2024)
- First-in-the-U.S. study looked for the presence of chlormequat in humans.
- Federal rules allow the chemical’s use on oats and other grains imported to the U.S.
- Animal studies link chlormequat to reproductive and developmental problems, creating questions about its impact on humans.
Environmental Protection Agency regulations allow the chemical to be used on ornamental plants only – not food crops – grown in the U.S. But its use is permitted on imported oats and other foods sold here. Many oats and oat products consumed in the U.S. come from Canada.
Chlormequat was not allowed on oats sold in the U.S. before 2018, when the Trump EPA gave first-time approval for some amount of the chemical on imported oats. The same administration in 2020 increased the allowable level. These regulatory changes might help explain why we’re seeing more frequent, higher detections of the chemical in Americans tested.
In April 2023, in response to a 2019 application submitted by chlormequat manufacturer Taminco, the Biden EPA proposed allowing the first-ever use of chlormequat on barley, oat, triticale and wheat grown in the U.S. EWG opposes the plan.
SNAP Comment: Chlormequat is a herbicide, and 'can also be used as an adjuvant for herbicides by retarding their oxidative disposal by plants' (Wikipedia). The CAS number for chlormequat chloride is 999-81-5 and 7003-89-6 999-81-5 for chlormequat chloride salt.. As formulants (or inerts) are secret in the US and Canada, who knows what pesticide formulations it has been added toas an adjuvant. Howeve, neither CAS number or the name chlormequat appears in the current formulant list from the PMRA. As of January 2025, there are 5 registered chlormequat pesticide poducts registered in Canada: 2 commercial formulations, and 3 technicals. In the United States, chlormequat is classified as a 'low risk plant growth regulator', likely because its LD50 (rat, oral) is approximately 670 mg/kg. The LD 50 is the level at which 1/2 the test animals die. It does not account for more subtle effects.
filed under pesticide fact sheets/chlormequat
- Thursday, January 2, 2025
Replacement crop treatment not safe for important pollinator, experts say
flupyradifurone, has been licenced globally for use on bee-visited crops
Replacement crop treatment not safe for important pollinator, experts say (University of Bristol Press release, 6 September 2024)
A novel pesticide thought to be a potential successor to banned neonicotinoids caused 100% mortality in mason bees in a recent test.
The novel pesticide, flupyradifurone, is thought to pose less risk to pollinators and consequently has been licenced globally for use on bee-visited crops.
...research by scientists at the University of Bristol and the University of Texas at Austin, discovered, contrary to their expectations, that the chemical was lethal in the bees Osmia lignaria exposed to pesticide-treated wildflowers.
They also found a number of sublethal effects. Seven days post-application, bees released into the pesticide-treated plants were less likely to start nesting, had lower survival rates, and were less efficient foragers, taking 12.78% longer on average to collect pollen and nectar than control bees.
“Our findings add to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that pesticide risk assessments do not sufficiently protect wild bees from the negative consequences of pesticide use.”
Paper: A novel pesticide has lethal consequences for an important pollinator’ by Harry Siviter et al (Science of the Total Environment, Volume 952, 20 November 2024, 175935)
SNAP Comment: 7 flupyradifurone pesticides are currently registered in Canada. The first 3 are registered since 2015.
filed under Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone and wildlife/insects p.2