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Pesticide Contamination Threatens Drinking Water Sources
A quarter of U.S. rivers and streams — including those used for drinking water — are contaminated with a common pesticide that can pose dangers to human health, a new report from the Center for Biological Diversity says. Released September 24, the research found atrazine at harmful levels in more than 25% of all river and stream miles in the lower 48 states, accounting for nearly 860,000 miles.
Atrazine is the most widespread pesticide contaminant in U.S. waterways, according to the report. More than 20% of U.S. surface water facilities that supply drinking water draw from highly contaminated watersheds, and at least 675,000 drinking water wells are located within them, the research said.
About 70 million pounds of atrazine are used in the U.S. annually to control weeds in crops such as corn and soybeans, at golf courses and on lawns. The pesticide is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to reproductive and pregnancy health risks. The World Health Organization classified atrazine as “probably carcinogenic to humans” last year.
Is Parkinson’s Disease a Man-Made Epidemic?
Twelve million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease. That number has nearly doubled in six years. Unlike many neurological conditions, researchers say Parkinson’s may largely be something we are doing to ourselves.
For most of history, Parkinson’s has been a very rare disease. Although records of possible Parkinson’s disease can be found in very early texts, the first clear medical documentation was written only two hundred years ago in 1817.
“The principal causes of the disease are not in our DNA but outside in our environment,” Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurologist and co-author of “The Parkinson’s Plan,” told The Epoch Times. “Only 13 percent of Americans carry any known genetic cause or risk factor for the disease — the principal causes are chemicals in our food, water, and air.”
Approximately 85 to 90 percent of Parkinson’s disease cases are linked to environmental factors or a combination of environmental exposure and genetic susceptibility, according to a 2025 study published in BMJ.
Driscoll’s Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Berry Pesticide Residue Claims in Canada
A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed in Quebec Superior Court against U.S. berry company Driscoll’s, alleging that some of its berries contained chemical residues above levels permitted in Canada. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to inform consumers purchasing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries about pesticide residues or other chemicals.
The proposed class includes people who purchased Driscoll’s berries in Quebec since Jan. 1, 2022. The allegations have not been tested in court. The lawsuit claims there could potentially be millions of class members if authorized by a judge, while compensatory and punitive damages have yet to be determined.
The action follows allegations made by former Driscoll’s employee David Harada in a lawsuit filed in June. Harada alleged that approximately half of the company’s exports to Canada contained chemicals, including bifenthrin, iprodione, and captan, above Canadian limits between 2022 and 2024. He estimated the value of berry exports that may have been affected at nearly US$100 million.
Are LED Lights Bad for Us? Study Warns They’re the ‘New Asbestos’
LED lights could be “the new asbestos” for people exposed hours on end, leading scientists have warned. They fear prolonged exposure to LED lighting in homes, schools, offices or hospitals could raise the risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
Neuroscientist Glen Jeffery described LED technology as a “clear and present public health emergency” comparable to the toxic building material asbestos, which was widely used before its health risks were understood. Jeffery and his University College London (UCL) colleague Bob Fosbury fear prolonged exposure to LEDs may disrupt with the way cells generate energy.
They advise people to spend more time outdoors in natural daylight every day.
And they say families should use at least one conventional incandescent or halogen bulb in each room to restore some of the wavelengths missing from LED lighting.
Jeffery says the body can begin responding to exclusive LED lighting within minutes.
But the concern about more serious health effects relates to repeated or prolonged exposure over time in practical terms.
Cat Food Investigation Finds Heavy Metals, Pesticides and Plastic Chemicals
Nearly all tested cat foods contain toxic plastic contaminants, the herbicide glyphosate and heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic, according to a new investigation provided exclusively to CNN.
“Most cats eat the same foods nearly every day, with little variation,” said report author Molly Hamilton, executive director of the Clean Label Project, a Colorado nonprofit that tests consumer products for contaminants and certifies those meeting its standards.
“The contaminants are an ongoing exposure that may accumulate in cats’ bodies over their lifetimes,” Hamilton said. “For example, chronic kidney disease is among the most common causes of death in older cats — the kidneys play a major role in filtering heavy metals.”
Toxins were found in all types of cat food — wet, dry and air- or freeze-dried — even in products labeled as natural and nutritionally superior, according to the analysis released Friday.
