Wie groente zonder gif wil eten, kan het
beste bloemkool kopen. Dat blijkt uit de jaarlijkse Gifmeter van Vereniging
Milieudefensie, Stichting Natuur en Milieu en Foodwatch.
Jarenlang leek het goed te gaan. Groenten
en fruit werden steeds schoner, onder druk van consumenten en milieuorganisaties. Maar het
gif is weer helemaal terug van (bijna) weggeweest. In 2008 voldeed 5 procent van de
onderzochte groenten en fruit niet aan de normen. Nu is dat 7 procent. Van elke kilo
druiven bevat dus 70 gram volgens de wet te veel gif. Maar ook de rest van dit 'gezonde'
snoep is niet bepaald gifvrij: tweederde van alle onderzochte fruit en groenten bevat
gifresten.
Gif op ons eten: het moest niet mogen. Maar het mag wel! De overheid stelt veel te slappe
normen aan de hoeveelheid landbouwgif die op onze peren of broccoli mag achterblijven.
Officieel moeten die normen ons beschermen. Maar vooral baby's en peuters lopen meer
risico's, blijkt ook uit onderzoek van het Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu
(RIVM). Zij zijn immers volop in de groei en eten relatief meer groente en fruit dan
volwassenen. Relatief krijgen ze dan ook veel meer gif binnen.
Lees meer over de uitslag, kijk hoe uw supermarkt scoort en eis strengere normen en betere
handhaving!
Het consumentenprogramma Radar heeft op
maandag 1 november 2010 aandacht besteed aan de uitkomsten van de Gifmeter 2009. U kunt de
uitzending bekijken via onze website.
A team of scientists from the University of
Montreal and Harvard University have discovered that exposure to organophosphate
pesticides is associated with increased risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) in children. Published in the journal Pediatrics, the investigation found a
connection between exposure pesticides and the presence of symptoms of ADHD. The study
focused on 1,139 children from the general U.S. population and measured pesticide levels
in their urine. The authors conclude that exposure to organophosphate pesticides, at
levels common among U.S. children, may contribute to a diagnosis of ADHD. "Previous
studies have shown that exposure to some organophosphate compounds cause hyperactivity and
cognitive deficits in animals," says lead author Maryse F. Bouchard of the University
of Montreal Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the Sainte-Justine
Hospital Research Center. "Our study found that exposure to organophosphates in
developing children might have effects on neural systems and could contribute to ADHD
behaviors, such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity."
--
Organofosfaten zijn Cholinesteraseremmers. Ze worden gebruikt als insecticide (pesticide)
en werken in op het zenuwstelsel.
De pesticiden van het
organofosfaat (evenals sarin en VX het zenuw gas) stelt onherroepelijk
acetylcholinesterase buiten werking, die aan zenuwfunctie in insecten, mensen, en veel
andere dieren essentieel is. De pesticiden van het organofosfaat beïnvloeden dit enzym op
gevari?ërde manieren, en zo in hun potentieel voor vergiftiging. Bijvoorbeeld, parathion,
is één van eerste op de markt gebrachte OPs, vaak meer machtig dan malathion, een
insecticide gebruikt in bestrijden Mediterrane fruitvlieg (Med-Vlieg) en Virus het West-
van Nijl- het overbrengen van muggen.
Gezond he, je dagelijkse portie
chemische/toxische verbindingen. Waarom worden mensen toch steeds minder gezond?
Pesticiden worden getest op risico
voor bijen
Phytofar, de Belgische vereniging van de
industrie van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen, geeft enige toelichting bij de
erkenningsprocedure van fytomiddelen om duidelijk te maken dat toxiciteit voor bijen een
belangrijk onderdeel vormt van de testen.
How to save yourself from food
containing pesticides
How do you save yourself from food laden
with insecticides & harmful chemicals? Dr Shikha Sharma explains the long-term harms
of these. This video extols the benefits of going organic & where to find such foods.
Radio - Actieplan pesticide Europa
Duizenden tonnen overbodige pesticiden
liggen weg te rotten in Oost-Europa, en die kunnen ook een bedreiging vormen voor
Nederland. Europarlementariër Ria Oomen van het CDA vindt dat het tijd wordt voor een
actieplan.
Radiomakers hekelen oneigenlijk
gebruik van pesticiden
Onlangs illustreerden radiomakers Peeters & Pichal op Radio 1 dat je in Vlaanderen
gemakkelijk niet-toegelaten pesticiden kunt kopen. Dezelfde soort pesticiden zorgen in de
VS voor heel wat ophef. Een onderzoek aan Harvard University legt een verband tussen
pesticiden met organische fosforverbindingen en ADHD bij kinderen. Velt vraagt alle
betrokkenen dringend hun verantwoordelijkheid te nemen.
Pesticide leidt tot handgemeen over
de veiligheid in Californië
Het Californische Departement vor de
Regulering van Bestrijdingsmiddelen heeft voorgesteld om een populair schimmelmiddel door
methyljodide te vervangen, ondanks bedenkingen van hun eigen wetenschappelijke
adviescommissie, dat het lucht en water zou kunnen vergiftigen.
Kinderen die blootgesteld zijn aan
pesticiden van de groep van zgn. organofosfaten hebben een grotere kans op
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Channel 17 and 29 report on a hearing
attended by California State Senator Dean Florez and who questions the use of a new
pesticide being used to replace an environmentally damaging one. The new pesticide has
some major health concerns, according to many in the health and safety areas.
Nog te veel zuiders fruit bevat
residuen van pesticiden
Acht op tien onderzochte stalen zuiders
fruit bevatten residuen van pesticiden.
Neurologische tekorten in gedrag en
verhoogde bloeddruk bij schoolgaande kinderen die na de geboorte zijn blootgesteld aan
pesticiden
Raul Harari, Jordi Julvez, Katsuyuki
Murata, Dana Barr, David C. Bellinger, Frodi Debes, Philippe Grandjean
Korte samenvatting
Achtergrond: De neurotoxische risico's op de lange termijn die veroorzaakt worden door de
blootstelling aan pesticiden na de geboorte zijn onduidelijk, maar een voorafgaande
voorlopige studie bij Equadoriaanse schoolkinderen suggereert dat de bloeddruk en de
dieptewaarneming kwetsbaar zijn.
Doelstellingen: In hetzelfde gebied in Noord Equador waar de bloementeelt intensief is en
die berust bij vrouwelijke werknemers, werd een intensievere dwarsdoorsnede studie
verricht om een aantal kinderen gedetailleerd te onderzoeken in hun gedragsfuncties in de
leeftijd van 6-8 jaren.
Methoden: We onderzochten alle 87 kinderen uit twee klassen van de lagere publieke school met
een hoeveelheid aan gedragstesten. Informatie over de blootstelling aan pesticiden
gedurende de zwangerschap was verkregen door interviews met de moeders. De huidige
blootstelling met pesticiden aan deze kinderen werd onderzocht door de urine te
onderzoeken op verteerde orgaanfosfaten en de activiteit van erythrocyte acetylcholine
esterase. (Acetylcholine is een neurotransmitter. Het zijn stoffen in de hersenen die
informatie overbrengen)
Resultaten: Er waren 84 deelnemers die in aanmerking kwamen. Hiervan waren 35 personen
blootgesteld aan pesticiden gedurende de zwangerschap als gevolg van de blootstelling van
deze zwangere vrouwen tijdens hun werk en 23 personen waren indirect blootgesteld aan de
pesticiden door het werk van hun vaders. Tweeëntwintig kinderen hadden waarneembare
gangbare blootstelling onverschillig de status van blootstelling voor hun geboorte.
Alleen kinderen blootgesteld na de geboorte
door het werk van hun moeder in de kassen, toonden consequente afwijkingen na aanpassingen
in de variabelen, waaronder "stunting" en sociaal economische variabelen. (het
is een onderdeel van de methoden en statistiek die men in de psychologie gebruikt voor het
uitvoeren en beoordelen van onderzoeksresultaten. Een covariaat is een onafhankelijke
variabele ook wel predictor (voorspeller) genoemd voor de waarde van de afhankelijke
variabelen).
Afwijkingen gerelateerd aan blootstelling
waren het sterkst bij motorische kracht (de tiptoets met de vinger); beweging coördinatie
(Santa Ana Form Board)(soort conditie test); prestatie van gezichtsvermogen
(Stanford-Binet Copying Test); en een herkenningstest met de ogen (Stanford-Binet Copying
Recall Test). Deze associaties komen overeen met een ontwikkelingsachterstand van 1,5-2
jaar. Blootstelling aan pesticiden na de geboorte werd ook duidelijk geassocieerd met een
gemiddelde toename van 3.6 mm Hg in de systolische bloeddruk en een lichte afname van de
lichaamsmassa van 1.1 kg/m2. Het meerekenen van deze gegevens van deze voorlopige studie
versterkte de resultaten.
Conclusie: Deze resultaten ondersteunen het begrip dat blootstelling aan pesticiden na de
geboorte - in hoeveelheden die geen nadelige gezondheidsproblemen geven aan moeders -
duurzame nadelige effecten kunnen geven voor de hersenontwikkeling. De blootstelling aan
pesticiden kan bijdragen aan een "stille pandemie" van het ontwikkelen van
zenuwvergiftiging.
Citaten: Harari R, Julvez J, Murata K, Barr
D, Bellinger DC, Debes F, et al. 2010. Neurobehavioral Deficits and Increased Blood
Pressure in School-Age Children Prenatally Exposed to Pesticides. Environ Health Perspect
:-. doi:10.1289/ehp.0901582
Een federale rechter heeft de verkoop van
een BayerCropScience-pesticide verboden. Milieugroepen en beroepsimkers beweren dat deze
pesticide toxisch kan zijn voor de honingbijen van het land en een bedreiging vormt voor
het bijenvolk. Zowel BayerCropScience (een onderafdeling van Bayer AG in Noord-Carolina,
V.S.), als het Environmental Protection Agency (milieu-organisatie) krijgen 60 dagen de
tijd om beroep aan te tekenen tegen de beslissing van Denise Cote, rechter te Manhattan.
Het verbod zou de verkoop van Movento en Ultor illegaal maken. Beide merkprodukten
bevatten in hoofdzaak spirotetramat, een nieuwe insecticide die langdurig werkt tegen
insecten en parasieten op allerlei gewassen.
Common herbs and spices show promise as an
environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional pesticides, scientists have told a
major US conference. They have spent a decade researching the insecticidal properties of
rosemary, thyme, clove and mint. They could become a key weapon against insect pests in
organic agriculture, the researchers say, as the industry attempts to satisfy demand.
Jumbo en C1000 verkopen meest
vervuilde sla en mandarijnen
Sla bevat meer bestrijdingsmiddelresten dan
in 2008, mandarijnen doen het ietsje beter. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek dat Natuur en Milieu
samen met Milieudefensie uitvoerde in tien Nederlandse supermarkten. Jumbo en C1000 bieden
de meest vervuilde waren aan, Plus de schoonste. Door een grote versoepeling van de
Europese regels zijn alle onderzochte sla en mandarijnen wél binnen de wettelijke norm
gebleven.
Natuur en Milieu en Milieudefensie hebben
meegewerkt aan een Europese supermarktmeting naar resten van bestrijdingsmiddelen in sla
en mandarijnen. In Nederland blijken Jumbo en Lidl de meest vervuilde sla in de schappen
te hebben, terwijl C1000 en Jumbo de meest vervuilde mandarijnen verkochten. Uit de
Europese meting blijkt dat Spaanse telers duidelijk schoner produceren dan Nederlandse
telers: Nederlandse sla bevatte een gemiddeld aantal van 2,5 bestrijdingsmiddelen, de
Spaanse sla geen enkele.
Veel giftige stoffen aangetroffen
Chloorpyrifos is een van de schadelijkste
aangetroffen middelen. Deze stof werd op 95% van de mandarijnen aangetroffen en kan
bijdragen aan ernstige ontwikkelingsstoornissen bij jonge kinderen. Ook kwam de stof
iprodion veelvuldig voor, die bekend staat als hormoonverstorend en kankerverwekkend. In
totaal zijn maar liefst tien verschillende gifsoorten aangetroffen waarvan bekend is dat
zij kankerverwekkend zijn, kunnen leiden tot verstoring van de hormoonhuishouding,
voortplanting of ontwikkeling van met name jonge en ongeboren kinderen.
Schoner voor de wet, viezer voor de
consument
De milieuorganisaties roepen de
supermarkten op te streven naar groente en fruit zonder chemische bestrijdingsmiddelen.
Alleen dan wordt onze gezondheid optimaal beschermd. Een aantal supermarkten hebben al
strengere eisen gesteld om tegemoet te komen aan de slappe Europese wetgeving. Volgens de
wet lijkt ons voedsel schoner geworden, maar de normen zijn in 2008 versoepeld, tot soms
wel 100 keer hoger dan het jaar daarvoor. Alle normen in Europa zijn gelijk getrokken met
het land met de hoogste norm. Daarom mogen er nu hogere gehaltes bestrijdingsmiddelen op
producten zitten dan voorheen. Natuur en Milieu heeft een rechtszaak bij het Europees Hof
aangespannen om deze misstand in het Europese beleid recht te zetten en er voor te zorgen
dat consumenten-bescherming voorop komt te staan.
Top 3 vervuilde sla
Jumbo
Lidl en C1000
Top 3 schone sla
Plus
Aldi en Super de Boer
Top 3 vervuilde mandarijnen
C1000
Jumbo
Albert Heijn
Top 3 schone mandarijnen Hoogvliet en Coop
Aldi
Alle meetgegevens zijn gepubliceerd op www.weetwatjeeet.nl.
Veteran wins groundbreaking claim
for Agent Orange exposure at Georgia military base
A U.S. veteran living in Tennessee has won
what's thought to be the first Veterans Administration claim for exposure inside the
continental United States to Agent Orange, an herbicide that was used by the military to
clear jungles during the Vietnam War.
A Luoi, one of the poorest districts in the
central province of Thua Thien-Hue, is still dealing with the consequences of the Vietnam
War. One of the places in the district, "Hamburger Hill," was the scene of some
of the bloodiest fighting. Agent Orange was heavily sprayed to clear the supply route of
the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam. For many Vietnamese, the "ghost of
war" is still there. They believe that most disabled children born with deformities
in the region have been affected by Agent Orange. U.S. planes dumped about 18
million gallons of the chemical on Vietnamese forests during the war to destroy Vietnamese
sources of food and cover. Studies have shown that Agent Orange sprayed during the war is
still present in so-called "hot spots" at levels hundreds of times higher than
would be accepted elsewhere.
Cleanup efforts at a former U.S. military airbase in Danang City have been made by the
Vietnamese and U.S. governments and non-governmental organizations. Concerns were high
Agent Orange on the base would contaminate a nearby lake and soil. [Dr. Lai Minh Hien,
Natural Resource & Environment Ministry]: "In the first phase, we have to isolate
the affected area and closely monitor it. We also carry out a pilot program for
remediation technologies, either bio-remediation or chemical remediation or physical
remediation technology, so that we can find and apply the most appropriate technological
method." During the fourth annual meeting recently in Hanoi, Vietnam urged the
U.S. to speed up funding for Agent Orange victims while continuing efforts to clean-up the
"hot spot" areas. But the United States has maintained there is no
scientifically proven link between the wartime spraying and the claims of dioxin poisoning
of more than three million people in Vietnam. [Dr. Kevin Teichman, Joint Action Committee
Co-chairman]: "It's a very difficult no matter to disabilities in any country from
different causes, as there are so many causes for potential disabilities. Our concern at
this point is to help those populations that are in the 'hot spot' communities to learn
what we can do there to give information out to prevent future disabilities if at all
possible, and then extend those lessons elsewhere within the country." Besides the
environmental task force, the two sides also created a health task force as a joint effort
to help disabled Vietnamese whose health problems might be linked to Agent Orange.
IHPA: chemische 'tijdbom' Oekraïne
bedreigt 7 miljoen mensen
De gezondheid van zeker 7 miljoen inwoners
van Moldavië en Oekraïne wordt ernstig bedreigd door een voorraad oude pesticiden. Dat
zegt de International HCH and Pesticides Association (IHPA). Volgens de organisatie moet
de EU zo snel mogelijk in actie komen om deze 'grootste chemische tijdbom van Europa'
onschadelijk te maken. Met die oproep heeft de IHPA in Tjechië het 10th HCH &
Pesticides Forum afgesloten. In de voormalige Kalush-fabriek in het westen van Oekraïne
ligt maar liefst 10.000 ton overbodig hexachloorbenzeen (HCB) opgeslagen, zo werd tijdens
het congres bekend. Vooral de ligging aan de rivier de Dnjestr maakt de situatie zeer
gevaarlijk: één overstroming en het gif komt in hoge concentraties in het leefgebied van
zo'n 7 miljoen mensen in het westen van Oekraïne en in Moldavië terecht.
In totaal worden tientallen miljoenen
inwoners van Europa, Centraal-Azië en de voormalige Sovjet-Unie door pesticiden bedreigd.
Alleen al Oekraïne heeft 4500 opslaglocaties met ruim 30.000 ton oude pesticiden, een
erfenis uit het Sovjet-tijdperk. Sinds 2001 zijn de stoffen verboden. De verpakkingen gaan
in de regel maar vijf à tien jaar mee. Gebeurt er in die periode niets, dan kunnen de
stoffen eenvoudig in de bodem of het water terechtkomen. Vooral de plattelandsbevolking
loopt gevaar, zo stelt de IHPA. De WHO schat dat in 2050 de helft van alle mensen zal
sterven aan kanker ten gevolge van besmetting van voedsel, water en het milieu. Een
belangrijk deel daarvan komt voor rekening van pesticiden. Ook dreigt grote financiële
schade. Alleen al het relatief kleine Nitrofen-schandaal (2002) in het voormalige
Oost-Duitsland heeft in totaal 500 miljoen euro gekost. De IHPA schat dat het stabiliseren
of vernietigen van alle huidige voorraden overbodige pesticiden 1 miljard euro kost. In de
slotverklaring roept de IHPA de Europese Commissie op om daarvoor snel een concreet
actieplan te ontwikkelen, in nauwe samenwerking met de EU-lidstaten, de niet-EU-landen die
vallen onder het European Neighbourhood Policy en de betrokken landen in Centraal-Azië.
During the Vietnam war, between 1962 and
1971, the United States military sprayed 77,000,000 litres (20,340,000 US gallons) of
chemical defoliants in South Vietnam as part of a defoliant program. 20 percent of South
Vietnam's jungles were sprayed over a nine year period. The first objective was to reduce
the dense jungle foliage so that Communist forces might not use it for cover and to deny
them use of crops needed for subsistence. In 1965, 42 percent of all herbicide spraying
was dedicated to food crops. The second objective was spot clearing in sensitive areas
such as around base perimeters. It was also used to drive civilians into RVN-controlled
areas.
In 1963, the United States (suspecting the negative effects) initiated a study on the
health effects of Agent Orange that by 1967 confirmed that the chemical caused cancer,
birth defects and other serious health problems. The outcome of the study had no effect
what so ever on the use of Agent Orange. According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000
deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects. The most affected
zones are the mountainous area along Truong Son (Long Mountains) and the border between
Vietnam and Cambodia. The affected residents are living in sub-standard conditions with
many genetic diseases.
The use of Agent Orange still has an effect
on the citizens of Vietnam, poisoning their food chain and creating concern about its
effect on human beings. This chemical has been reported to cause serious skin diseases as
well as a vast variety of cancers in the lungs, larynx, and prostate. Children in the
areas where Agent Orange was used have been affected and have multiple health problems
including cleft palate, mental disabilities, hernias, and extra fingers and toes.
Until the 21st century much of the data on
the effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam, was compiled by Vietnamese scientists in Vietnam
and largely unavailable to the worldwide English reader. However, general public
perception in Vietnam is that the effects are severe and clearly visible in children of
veterans and people in affected areas. Veterans have become increasingly concerned about
the effects of Agent Orange to humans. While in Vietnam, the veterans were told not to
worry, and were persuaded that the chemical was harmless. In the last few years, this
opinion has changed, and studies show the true effects Agent Orange has on humans.
Until recently, the US government has not
addressed the effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam. In 2002, Vietnam and the US held a joint
conference on Human Health and Environmental Impacts of Agent Orange. Following the
conference the US National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences (NIEHS) began
scientific exchanges between the US and Vietnam and began discussions for a joint research
project on the human health impacts of Agent Orange.
These negotiations broke down in 2005 when
both sides could not agree on the research protocol and the research project was canceled.
However, more progress has been made on the environmental front. In 2003 the first
US-Vietnam workshop on remediation of dioxin was held.
Starting in 2005 the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency? (EPA) began to work with the Vietnamese government to measure the level
of dioxin at the Da Nang Airbase. Also in 2005 the Joint Advisory Committee on Agent
Orange made up of representatives of Vietnamese and US government agencies was
established. The committee has been meeting yearly to explore areas of scientific
cooperation, technical assistance and environmental remediation of dioxin.
One of the biggest breakthroughs on the
issue came as a result of President George W. Bush's state visit to Vietnam in November
2006. In the joint statement between President Bush and President Triet regarding the
visit further cooperation on long-term environmental and human health impacts of Vietnam
War era dioxin was raised.
In late May 2007, President Bush signed
into law a supplemental spending bill for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan that included an
earmark of $3 million specifically for funding for programs for the remediation of dioxin
'hotspots' on former US military bases and for public health programs for the surrounding
communities.
Toename van giftige pesticiden in
wiet
Het toenemende gebruik van giftige
pesticiden die gebruikt worden in de hennepteelt kan gevaarlijk zijn voor mensen die het
eindproduct oproken. Binnen tien jaar is het gebruik van illegale verdelgingsmiddelen in
de hennepteelt met 32 procent toegenomen.
A feature length documentary about the
origins of the modern environmental movement, told through the eyes of nine Americans who
were inspired to act on what they believed was the most important challenge facing
mankind. The film opens in the 1950s when a small group of scientists began to document
the impact of our technology on the Earths ecosystem
Albert
Heijn top 10 produkten met pesticides
Albert Heijn heeft, in tegenstelling tot andere supermarkten, GEEN stappen ondernomen om
de gezondheidsrisico's van bestrijdingsmiddelen op groente en fruit te voorkomen.
Vervuilingsscore: 196.3
Top 10 producten voor Albert Heijn gesorteerd op hoogste vervuilingsscore. Bij 318
metingen zijn 191 keer bestrijdingsmiddelen aangetroffen (60%). 9 keer (3%) is er een
wetsovertreding geconstateerd, 2 keer (0.6%) is er een acuut gezondheidsrisco geweest voor
jonge kinderen. Gemiddeld kwamen er 1.5 bestrijdingsmiddelen per product voor.
High pesticide levels found in
fruit-based drinks in some countries outside U. S.
In the first worldwide study of pesticides in fruit-based soft drinks, researchers in
Spain are reporting relatively high levels of pesticides in drinks in some countries,
especially the United Kingdom and Spain. Drinks sampled from the United States, however,
had relatively low levels, the researchers note. Their study is scheduled for the December
15 issue of ACS' Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal.
Examining three years of birth records and pesticide data, scientists from the Public
Health Department determined that the Central Valley women lived within 500 meters, or 547
yards, of fields sprayed with organochlorine pesticides during their first trimester of
pregnancy. Eight of them, or 28%, had children with autism. Their rate of autism was six
times greater than for mothers who did not live near the fields, the study said.
Numerous studies over the past four decades have established that pesticides, which are
typically applied at the land surface, can move downward to reach the water table at
detectable concentrations. The downward movement of pesticide degradation products can
also contribute to the contamination of ground water. This study found that the pesticides
and degradation products detected most frequently in shallow ground-water samples were
predominantly from two classes of herbicides -- triazines and chloroacetanilides.
Pesticides in schools are a pervasive, unnecessary health hazard, said Marc Lame, an
entomologist and professor in Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental
Affairs.
Corporate Interests Dominate the System “Corporate interests control much of the
science, public debate and politics over how government regulates pesticides. At the most
fundamental level, the federal regulatory system is driven by the economic imperatives of
the chemical manufacturers – to expand markets and profits – and not by its
mandate to protect public health.”
Experts warned that the excessive use of farm chemicals might cut short the fertility and
safety of the province’s agricultural lands and river systems unless stiffer measures
were imposed to curb the danger.
Increasing Coverage and Decreasing
Inequity in Insecticide-Treated Bed Net Use among Rural Kenyan Children
Noor and colleagues found low levels of use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets when nets
were mainly available through the commercial sector. Levels increased when subsidized nets
were introduced and rose further when they were made available free.
Common crop herbicide Atrazine
linked to reproductive mutations in amphibians
Pollutants such as pesticides and toxins damage the ecosystem and cause a variety of
damaging ailments in humans. One particular herbicide, Atrazine, has now been found to
turn male frogs into hermaphrodites, rendering them impotent by causing their gonads to
produce eggs.
Researchers, growers and Industry specialists from 22 countries are sharing the latest
research into the use of Brassica species, such as mustard, radish, or rapeseed, to manage
soil-borne pests and weeds -- a technique known as biofumigation.
This is the first study to tease out the different types of hematopoietic cancers as they
relate to pesticide use in the home. Other studies have found a link between parents'
occupational exposure to pesticides and childhood cancers, but few of the parents in the
French study were exposed to pesticides at work or through farming. Whether a family was
rural or urban didn't alter a child's risk of developing cancer.
Prevalence of Self-Reported
Diabetes and Exposure to Organochlorine Pesticides
This study suggests that higher serum levels of certain organochlorine pesticides may be
associated with increased prevalence of diabetes. Additional studies with more extensive
clinical assessment are needed to confirm this association.
Banned pesticides and other toxic chemicals that continue to linger in the environment
create an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in humans, according to a study funded by
the B.C. Cancer Agency.
Pesticide exposure and
self-reported gestational diabetes mellitus in the Agricultural Health Study
Women who reported mixing and applying agricultural pesticides during early pregnancy have
a two times higher risk of developing gestational diabetes during the pregnancy. The
strong association between first trimester pesticide exposure and gestational diabetes
mellitus suggests that pesticide exposures may affect glucose metabolism and insulin
resistance.
Harmful pesticides found in
everyday food products
Government promises to rid the nation's food supply of brain-damaging pesticides aren't
doing the job, according to the results of a yearlong study that carefully monitored the
diets of a group of local children. The peer-reviewed study found that the urine and
saliva of children eating a variety of conventional foods from area groceries contained
biological markers of organophosphates, the family of pesticides spawned by the creation
of nerve gas agents in World War II.
A new look at the
"biobed's" role in pesticide spills
Scientists in Sweden are cautioning about the need for further research as more countries
embrace a popular method for preventing pesticide spills. Their review of current
scientific knowledge on the so-called "biobed" is scheduled for the August 13
issue of ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.In the study, Maria Del
Pilar Castillo and colleagues point out that pesticide spills are common when farmers
transfer highly concentrated liquid preparations into spray tanks where the pesticide is
diluted with water. Even if a small, few-inch wide puddle of this concentrate spilled
under the tank, the nearby environment could be exposed to up to one hundred thousand
times the normal pesticide dose. "The risk of contamination is obvious," says
Castillo.
Research has shown that the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT could be associated
with aggressive breast cancer tumors, but there has been no explanation for this
observation to date. Now a report published in the open access journal Breast Cancer
Research shows how DDT could act to disrupt hormone-sensitive breast cancer cells.
100 percent of people carry at
least 1 type of pesticide
A study carried out by the Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine at the University
of Granada found that all subjects analyzed carried at least one kind of persistent
organic compound, substances internationally classified as potentially harmful to one's
health. More pesticides, fungicides and insecticides were detected in women than in men,
and in adults rather than younger people.
An analysis of nearly 300 umbilical cord blood samples led by researchers at the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that newborn babies are exposed to
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) while in the womb. PFOS and
PFOA are polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs)—ubiquitous man-made chemicals used in a
variety of consumer products, including as a protective coating on food-contact packaging,
textiles and carpets, and in the manufacturing of insecticides. The health impact from
exposure to these compounds is not fully known, but previous studies found these compounds
could cause tumors and developmental toxicity in laboratory animals at doses much higher
than those observed in the Hopkins study.The analysis conducted in Baltimore, Md.,
detected PFOS in 99 percent of the infant samples examined and PFOA in 100 percent of
those examined. The results are published in the April 20, 2007, online edition of the
journal Environmental Science & Technology. Some of the study’s findings were
previously reported at the Society of Toxicology workshop held in February and at the
International Conference on Environmental Epidemiology and Exposure held last September.
“When we began this research we weren’t sure what we would find, because
previously there was very little information about fetal exposure to PFOS and PFOA. Even
though these chemicals are not bioaccumulative in fat, they are very persistent, which
probably accounts for their presence in nearly every newborn,” said Benjamin
Apelberg, PhD, lead author of the study and a research associate in the Bloomberg School
of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology. Apelberg conducted this work as part
of his doctoral research.
Atrazine, a widely used chlorotriazine herbicide, inhibits a number of endocrine-dependent
processes, including gonadotrophin surges and mammary gland development in rats. Because
chlorotriazine herbicide metabolites are present both in the environment and in exposed
animals, Enoch et al. (p. 541) investigated whether a mixture of atrazine metabolites
might produce developmental effects in rats after exposure in late pregnancy. The data
suggest that acute exposure at levels as low as 0.09 mg/kg body weight during late
pregnancy causes persistent alterations in mammary gland development of female offspring,
and that these effects do not appear to be related to body weight or associated with
pubertal timing.
Atrazine and similar reproductive
cancers in people
Considering the prevalence of atrazine in the environment, the continued rise of cancer as
the leading cause of death in the US (and with breast cancer and prostate cancer being the
most common cancers in men and women, respectively), the current findings raise concern
for the impact of atrazine on environmental and public health. This is especially
troubling because African American and Hispanic Americans, more likely to be
occupationally exposed to pesticides and less likely to have proper access to healthcare,
are two to four times more likely to die from breast and prostate cancer.
Premature births may be linked to
seasonal levels of pesticides and nitrates in surface water
The growing premature birth rate in the United States appears to be strongly associated
with increased use of pesticides and nitrates, according to work conducted by Paul
Winchester, M.D., of Indiana University School of Medicine. Preterm birth rates peaked
when pesticides and nitrates measurements in surface water were highest -- April-July --
and were lowest when nitrates and pesticides were lowest -- August-September.
Early environmental exposure may
accelerate age-related neurodegeneration
Exposure to iron during the first weeks of life in combination with exposure later in life
to a common herbicide may contribute to the subsequent degeneration of brain cells
associated with the onset of Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a new study in mice.
The findings also showed that a compound that protects cells in the body from damage from
certain forms of oxygen, a kind of antioxidant, could suppress such neural degeneration.
100 percent of pregnant women have at
least one kind of pesticide in their placenta
A doctoral thesis written at the Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the
University of Granada reveals an average presence of eight organochlorine contaminants in
the organisms of pregnant women, which are usually ingested by means of food, water and
air. These chemical substances may cause some malformations in the genito-urinary system
of the foetus, such as cryptorchidism and hypospadias.
Organophosphate Pesticide Exposureand
Neurodevelopment in Young Mexican-American Children
Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are widely used in agriculture and homes. Animal studies
suggest that even moderate doses are neurodevelopmental toxicants, but there are few
studies in humans. We report adverse associations of prenatal DAPs with mental development
and pervasive developmental problems at 24 months of age.
Research Explores Link Between
Pesticides and Colony Collapse Disorder
Honey bees' colony collapse disorder might be related to pesticide exposure. For the past
decade, beekeepers have treated their hives with pesticides to combat two kinds of mites
that parasitize the bees and entomologist Walter (Steve) Sheppard said that the pesticides
can accumulate in the wax and reach a concentration that over time harms the bees.
Positive Associations of Serum
Concentration of Polychlorinated Biphenyls or Organochlorine Pesticides with Self-reported
Arthritis
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can influence the immune system, possibly increasing
the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . In addition, as metabolic change due to obesity
has been proposed as one mechanism of osteoarthritis (OA) , POPs stored in adipose tissue
may be also associated with OA.
A new study finds a correlation between high levels of pesticide in the blood and insulin
resistance, a condition which often leads to type 2 diabetes, BBC Health News reports.
This study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, also posits that exposure to
persistent organic pesticides -- POPs, for short -- may "interact with obesity to
increase the risk of type 2 diabetes."
Risk of Parkinson's disease increases
with pesticide exposure and head trauma
Exposure to pesticides and traumatic head injury may have a causative role in Parkinson's
disease, according to a study published online ahead of print in the journal Occupational
and Environmental Medicine.
