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03/22/2495% of These Fruits and Vegetables Tested Positive for Pesticides
The latest edition of the Environmental Working Group’s annual consumer’s guide reveals that almost three-fourths of non-organic fruits and vegetables sampled contained traces of toxic pesticides while the “dirty dozen” — including strawberries and spinach — tested at levels closer to 95%.
03/19/24Just Like Pharma? Bayer Lobbies for Liability Shield After Juries Side With People Harmed by Pesticides
After a series of lawsuits alleging Roundup caused cancer led to high-dollar judgments against Bayer, the company is lobbying state legislatures to shield it from future lawsuits and to annul at least some of the 50,000 claims that are currently active, according to a New Republic report.
03/05/24EPA Failed to Assess Safety of Pesticides in Flea and Tick Collars Linked to 3,000+ Pet Deaths
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General issued a report stating the agency failed to properly review the safety of two pesticides, flumethrin and imidacloprid, used in Seresto flea and tick collars.
12/13/23EPA ‘Safe’ Limits for Pesticides on Food Geared Toward Adults, Not Kids
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has, in most cases, failed to take children into account when setting allowable limits for pesticides. As a result, children who eat conventional produce may be exposed to unsafe levels of these chemicals.
11/22/23Common Pesticides Linked to Erectile Dysfunction in Younger Males
Exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates has a positive association with the development of erectile dysfunction (ED), according to a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation. Recent studies point to ED as an emerging issue among adolescents.
10/18/23Testing Reveals High Level of Toxic Pesticides in Foods Sold by Top 20 Fast Food Chains
Moms Across America called on Congress to invest in organic food for school lunches after testing showed high levels of glyphosate and other pesticide chemicals in products sold by the 20 most popular fast food restaurants, some of which supply school lunches.
10/16/23Chemical Industry Spending Millions to Block State Laws Banning Pesticides Near Schools, Parks
The industry is spending millions to persuade Congress to block, or preempt state laws and rob state and local officials of their ability to protect children and farmworkers.
09/22/23Brain Tumors in Children Linked to All Classes of Pesticides: Review
Pesticide exposure, even at home, can cause central nervous system tumors and other cancers in children ages 0-14, according to a review of the scientific literature. Researchers said their findings show the need for policies and education to curb pesticide use and promote organic agriculture.
07/20/23Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides Linked to Aggression, Attention Disorders in Children
A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives adds to the growing body of research reinforcing the adverse effects of exposure to organophosphate pesticides on cognitive health and neurological development, especially for infants and children.
07/18/2370,000 Tons of Pesticides Leach Into Aquifers Every Year: Global Study
The authors of a new study published in Nature called on national authorities to disclose statistics on the use of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, given how they affect global ecosystems and freshwater sources.
06/29/23New Scientific Review Adds to Evidence of Pesticides’ Harmful Effect on Gut-Brain Axis
Often called the “second brain” because it houses nerve cells and produces neurotransmitters, the gut-brain axis may be the most important locus where microbes and pesticides meet.
05/10/23More Pesticides on Kids’ Food? EPA Wants to Greenlight Chemical Linked to Reproduction, Developmental Issues
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has “a legal duty to protect infants and children against the toxic effects of pesticides,” said Dr. Phil Landrigan, a professor of public health and epidemiologist at Boston College. “And they appear not to have taken that responsibility seriously.”
04/26/23Petrochemical Pesticides and Fertilizers Linked to Children’s Health Issues
Beyond Pesticides on Tuesday released a special report, “Transformative Change: Informed by Science, Policy, and Action,” which includes a compendium of “shocking scientific findings that compel us to act in our communities, states, and as a nation and world community.”
04/11/23Syngenta’s Deadly ‘Quat’ Pesticides to Go on Trial for Allegedly Causing Parkinson’s Disease
More than 3,000 farmers are suing Syngenta, the lead manufacturer of paraquat, and Chevron, a key distributor, arguing the chemical caused their Parkinson’s disease. The first federal trial is set for October 2023. More than 100 lawsuits also were filed in California, where trials are set to begin in June 2023.
03/30/23Pesticides Don’t Just Ruin Flavor — They Also Destroy the Nutritional Value of Strawberries and Other Fruits
The flavor and nutritional value of fruit is the result of their unique composition and essential nutrients. Fungicides designed to interrupt cell processes to control fungi can also interfere with the production of the volatile compounds and nutrients that are essential to a strawberry’s flavor.
02/27/23EPA Still Hasn’t Studied How Pesticides Disrupt Human Hormones 27 Years After Congress Demanded It
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to implement the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, testing of the affect of pesticides used in food production on human hormones, led to a lawsuit filed late last year by a group of nonprofits.
02/16/23Honey Bee Colony Loss Linked to Pesticides, Parasites and Extreme Weather Across U.S.
Honey bee declines in the U.S. are “primarily related” to pesticide exposure, parasitic mites and extreme weather conditions, research published by Penn State scientists have determined.
12/09/22Kids Exposed to Higher Levels of Pesticides More Likely to Experience Early Onset of Puberty
Children with higher levels of certain pesticide metabolites are more likely to go through early puberty, according to research published recently in Environmental Pollution.
10/17/22Why Is EPA Still Exposing Women to Pesticides Linked to Breast Cancer?
A recent peer-reviewed study by scientists at the Silent Spring Institute — named after Rachel Carson — found that regulators routinely fail to consider whether a pesticide might cause breast cancer before approving its use.
09/20/22Pesticides Sprayed on California-Grown Produce Pose Grave Risk to Farmworkers, Children
Ventura County, California, produces nearly $2 billion worth of fruits and vegetables, but while many consider these foods staples of a healthy diet, the profusion of pesticides used on the fields pose significant risks to already vulnerable populations living and working in the area.
08/24/22Children of Parents Exposed to Pesticides More Likely to Develop Cancer
A study published in Environmental Research suggests occupational (work-related) exposure to pesticides among nonpregnant women and men may increase childhood cancer risk for offspring.
07/27/22EPA Banned These Pesticides — But They May Still Be Causing Hearing Loss
DDT and hexachlorobenzene are no longer used in the U.S., but they still lurk in our air, water, sediment, soil and food — and they may contribute to hearing loss, according to research published this month in Scientific Reports.
07/21/22Biden Admin Refuses to Phase Out Toxic Pesticides on National Wildlife Refuges
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday denied requests by conservationists and members of Congress to phase out the use of agricultural pesticides on national wildlife refuges.
07/01/22Pesticides Linked to Cancer in Children, Adults in Western U.S.
Two studies published in the peer-reviewed journal GeoHealth used geospatial data and publicly available pesticide databases to uncover the relationship between chemical-heavy agricultural practices and cancer in both adults and children.
06/06/22Neurotoxic Pesticides Disrupt Gut Microbiome, Increase Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
A study published in The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology found environmental exposure to neurotoxic pesticides increases Parkinson’s Disease risk through gastrointestinal disruption.
05/19/22Pesticides, Pharmaceuticals Used in Industrial Fish Farms Threaten Swimmers, Marine Life
Fish farms pollute seawater with pesticides and pharmaceuticals, and contribute to the rise of genetically engineered species that spread that DNA into wild populations.
05/16/22Chemical Giant Pressured Researchers to Modify Study on Neonic Pesticides
Bayer paid for a study to determine how much its insecticide-coated seed products affected bees during corn planting season in 2014 and 2015, then pressured researchers to exclude from their final report photos in which the product appeared defective, according to communications obtained by U.S. Right to Know.
05/06/22Under Guise of ‘Charity,’ Gates Foundation Pushes Pesticides, GMOs on Small Farmers
The video series “Rich Appetites” takes a look at what’s behind the push for industrial agriculture in Africa. The third segment in the series, “Money,” examines who stands to benefit if Africa embraces agribusiness.
04/29/22Pesticides Don’t Reduce Risk of Lyme, Other Tick-Borne Diseases
Using pesticides to reduce the number of ticks in residential areas does not translate to lower rates of tick-borne disease in humans, according to scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who for more than a decade studied the relationship between pesticide use, tick bites and tick-borne diseases.
04/13/22EPA Unveils Plan to Protect Wildlife From Pesticides, Environmentalists Call for More Concrete Steps
Environmental campaigners on Tuesday cautiously embraced the Biden administration’s historic new blueprint to guard endangered species from pesticides as a much-needed step forward while also calling for more concrete moves to protect wildlife, people and the planet.