Insecticides

Flupyradifurone, organophosphates (including chlorpyrifos and malathion), neonicotinoids,  Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone, cancer/links, organophosphates, nervous system effects/ADHD and autism, heath/diabetes

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)

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.