Insecticides

Flupyradifurone, organophosphates (including chlorpyrifos and malathion), neonicotinoids,  Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone, organophosphates, pyrethrins, cancer/links, nervous system effects/ADHD and autism, heath/diabetes, health/reproductive health, wildlife section/mammals

The new diamide insecticides were intended as replacement for neonicotinoids but, for most purposes,neonics are still allowed in Canada. Studies on 2 diamides (Cyantraniliprole and Chlorantraniliprole) indicate they are more toxic to aquatic insects than imidacloprid (neonic)

Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests    Researchers find infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to compensate for rise of pests  (by Emily Chung, Benjamin Shingler, CBC News, Sep 05, 2024)       Because bats play a crucial role in eating up and controlling insect pests, 'Eyal Frank, an environmental economist at the University of Chicago, decided to look at what happened when white-nose syndrome spread into new counties in the eastern U.S., decimating bat populations.    He found that farmers responded to the resulting insect outbreaks by increasing their pesticide use 31 per cent. Pesticides are toxic, and often associated with human health impacts such as increases in infant deaths.    Frank found that infant mortality went up eight per cent after the arrival of white-nose syndrome in a county, according to his study published today in the journal Science.     Frank also found evidence that not only were the pesticides expensive, but they weren't as good as the bats at controlling insects — farmers' revenue from crop sales fell 29 per cent in areas hit by the bat pandemic.      He estimates that in total, farmers in communities with bat die-offs lost $26.9 billion between 2006 and 2017. Putting a number to damages from infant mortality resulted in a societal cost of $39.6 billion from the loss of bats.'

Study Confirms Connection Between Exposure to Pesticides and Male Reproductive Problems   (Beyond Pesticides, December 1, 2023) 'One of the new studies, a meta-analysis of 25 studies on the connection between pesticides and male reproductive problems, finds that men exposed to organophosphate (such as glyphosate and malathion) and carbamate (such as carbaryl and methiocarb) insecticides have lower sperm concentrations than the general population. This is especially true of men exposed in work settings. The senior author of the study, Melissa J. Perry,ScD of the George Mason University College of Public Health, told HealthNews, “The evidence available has reached a point that we must take regulatory action to reduce insecticide exposure.”

Mother and Child Health: Learning Disorders and Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Study Results Released    (Beyond Pesticide, December 20, 2022) A meta-analysis published in Chemosphere finds prenatal pesticide exposure, or pesticide exposure during pregnancy has a positive association with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Particularly, exposure to chemical classes organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid (PYR) insecticides, in addition to the mother’s age during pregnancy (≥30 years old), increased the risk factor of ASD. ADHD risk increases among offspring whose mothers encounter organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) during gestation.

Estrogen-Mediated Cancers in Humans Have Links to Endocrine Disrupting Pesticides   ( focus on organochlorines)  (Beyond Pesticides, December 13, 2022)  Adding to the science, a review published in Environmental Exposure, Biomonitoring and Exposure Assessment highlights how specific estrogen-mimicking pesticides increase the risk of disease, particularly hormone-related cancers among women (i.e., breast, ovarian, endometrial cancer) and men (i.e., testicular, prostate cancer). Like pesticides, endocrine disruptors are xenobiotic (i.e., chemical substances foreign to an organism or ecosystem).   Pesticides are one of the most potent xeno-estrogenic compounds, as estrogenic strength and environmental half-life exceed those of other xeno-estrogenic compounds. Focusing on organochlorine pesticides (OCs), the study evaluates the chemical effects on the physiological (anatomic) system to increase cancer risk. Using human studies, researchers assessed how estrogen-medicated cancer develops in women and men. Various OCs, including aldrin, dieldrin, endosulfan, HCH, DDT, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, phenoxy acid herbicides, and methoxychlor, have associations with hormone-related cancers.    Despite the ban on many OCs across the globe, these chemicals remain in the environment. Many OCs can exist in the body for at least three to six years, in soil for decades, and in water for at least a century. Moreover, consumption of food and water resources contaminated with OCs can cause these chemicals to bioaccumulate in the body, resulting in the biomagnification of OCs.

Study Links Carbamate Insecticides to Diabetes and other Metabolic Diseases   (Beyond Pesticides, January 25, 2017) A study conducted at the University of Buffalo recently revealed a connection between two common insecticides and an increased risk for certain metabolic diseases, including diabetes. Researchers found that by binding to and disrupting melatonin receptors that control numerous physiological functions, chemicals such as insecticides can affect melatonin levels, creating a higher risk for metabolic diseases to develop. The study, Carbamate Insecticides Target Human Melatonin Receptors, was published in Chemical Research in Toxicology and was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. The implicated chemicals in this research, carbaryl and carbofuran, are notoriously dangerous carbamate insecticides. SNAP Comment: Independent research once more finding helath issues with pesticides. As of this writing, there are still 30 carbaryl insecticide products available in Canada and none with carbofuran. Canada's Cabofuran registration expired at the end of 2012.