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Syngenta Says It Will Stop Making Paraquat — a Pesticide Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
Syngenta, maker of a controversial pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease, said on Tuesday that it will stop making its paraquat weed killer by the end of June. The announcement comes as the company is facing several thousand lawsuits brought by people in the US who allege they developed Parkinson’s disease due to their exposure to Syngenta’s paraquat products.
The company did not mention the litigation in making the announcement, and did not respond to a request for comment. The company’s announcement cites “significant competition” from generic producers of paraquat and a “less than 1 percent” contribution to the company’s global sales as reasons for exiting the paraquat business.
“This decision is about focusing our resources where they deliver the greatest value for our business and our customers,” Mike Hollands, President Syngenta UK and Head of Syngenta Global Production and Supply, said in a statement. The company said it “affirms that paraquat is safe when used in line with registered label instructions,” and that paraquat remains “highly effective in controlling weeds.”
Nitrate Levels in Tap Water May Raise Dementia Risk
Nitrate levels in drinking water may increase the risk of dementia, even when levels fall far below current safety limits, research suggests — raising questions about regulatory standards in the United States and Europe. The study published in December 2025 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia observed a higher dementia risk at drinking water nitrate levels as low as 5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) — well below current regulatory limits of 50 mg/L in the European Union (EU) and Denmark, and 10 mg/L set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States.
“This is the first time drinking water nitrate has been linked to dementia,” study author Nicola Bondonno, a postdoctoral research fellow at Edith Cowan University’s Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute, said in a social media post. The findings also revealed a surprising paradox: While nitrate from drinking water and meat may increase dementia risk, nitrate from vegetables appears to protect against it.
The researchers tracked more than 54,000 Danish adults for up to 27 years to examine how nitrate and nitrite intake — nitrogen-oxygen compounds with different chemical structures — from various sources affected people’s dementia risk. Although nitrates and nitrites from plants and water share identical chemical structures, the evidence suggests that the accompanying compounds associated with these substances influence whether they benefit or harm the brain.
Colorado’s Oil and Gas Industry Is Vastly Underestimating Methane Emissions
A unique aerial measurement campaign found that emission inventories compiled by energy companies to account for planet-warming methane leaking from equipment on Colorado oil and gas production sites undercount such pollutants by at least two times.
Results from the $3.25 million project, led by a team of university researchers and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, provided officials for the first time with a more complete picture of the invisible pollutant emitted from well pads. Fossil fuel extraction is the state’s second-largest source of methane pollution, which has a global warming potential roughly 80 times that of carbon dioxide during a 20-year period.
The data is important to provide a baseline from which regulators can hold companies accountable for complying with laws that require them to significantly reduce methane emissions from pipes, compressors, tanks and other equipment. It’s also valuable to the oil and gas industry: Researchers notified companies when they saw leaks during overflights of targeted facilities.
Farm Pesticides Are Reaching Streams Through Hidden Underground Pathways
How do chemicals sprayed on farm fields make their way into the water we drink? It’s a question that continues to trouble both scientists and farmers alike. Pesticides help crops grow by killing weeds and insects, but these chemicals can also harm rivers, fish, and even human health. When rain falls on farmland, water can carry pesticides into nearby streams. To reduce this risk, experts often suggest planting strips of grass and shrubs along streambanks. These strips are called riparian buffers.
A new study from Penn State shows that buffers help in some cases, but not always.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends the use of riparian buffers because plants can trap soil, nutrients, and some pollutants before water reaches a stream.
Roots hold soil in place, and thick grass can slow down flowing water. This process reduces erosion and keeps sediment out of waterways. Many farmers use buffers as a simple and natural way to protect water quality. However, scientists still question how well these buffers stop different types of pesticides.
Breathing This Every Day? Scientists Warn Air Pollution May Be Rewiring Your Brain
For decades, pollution was treated primarily as a threat to lung and heart health. New research is now pointing to something more disturbing: the environment of modern cities may be quietly shaping mental health as well. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has issued a warning that exposure to polluted air, industrial chemicals, and constant urban noise is increasingly associated with anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders.
This warning comes as mental health disorders continue to rise across Europe. In 2023, they represented the sixth largest burden of disease in the European Union and were the eighth leading cause of death, according to European health statistics.
Researchers now suspect that environmental conditions in heavily polluted cities may be playing a larger role than previously understood.
Scientists say the problem is not confined to extreme industrial zones. Millions of people living in everyday urban environments are exposed to pollutant levels that may slowly affect brain health over time.
Unprecedented Wildfire Pollution Linked to Higher Stroke Risks
When heavy plumes of sepia-toned smoke from the 2023 Canadian wildfires blanketed the Mid-Atlantic, the most immediate visible threat appeared to be respiratory, but for residents of Camden, New Jersey, the environmental crisis was quietly escalating a different kind of health emergency.
An abstract slated to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 78th Annual Meeting indicated that short-term surges in air pollutants during this event were associated with a significant rise in both the incidence and clinical severity of strokes.
Air pollution has long been recognized as a cerebrovascular risk factor, known to exacerbate systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction.
However, although the health effects of long-term exposure to urban pollutants are well-documented, the acute neurological impact of intense, short-term wildfire smoke remained a “critical gap” in medical literature. The 2023 wildfire season, the deadliest in Canada’s history, caused unprecedented declines in air quality across the northeastern US, providing a unique opportunity to evaluate how sudden spikes in ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) influence stroke etiology and outcomes.
