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Herbicides may be associated with depression, according to a new study examining agricultural workers in France. While there has been a large amount of research focusing on health consequences of organophosphate exposures, few studies examine the effects of other pesticides. This research focusing on potential links between herbicide use and mental illness found that 14.6… Read More ›
Weeds are continuing to evolve to become resistant to pesticides commonly used in conventional agriculture. Scientists are searching for ways to control these “superweeds,” which are devastating conventional farms reliant on chemical weed control and invading new habitats. Barnyardgrass is one of the many weeds to recently evolve to a more invasive, problematic form. Originally… Read More ›
A recent study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with industrial livestock workers, but not antibiotic-free livestock workers. These findings confirm earlier research on the presence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains, and raise continued concerns about the use of antibiotics in livestock production. The study was… Read More ›
In a recent study researchers examined soybean workers in Brazil to determine the effects of repeated exposure to pesticides. The lead researcher, Dr. Benedetti, chose the study area of Rio Grande do Sul, because Brazillian soybean workers are increasingly exposed to pesticide combinations. The researchers found that exposure to these fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide cocktails… Read More ›
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised the permitted tolerance levels of glyphosate residue in many fruits and vegetables. The new regulation raises limits on levels of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, in oilseed crops, which include sesame, flax, and soybean, sweet potatoes, carrots, and several other agricultural products, including animal feed, root crops… Read More ›
Scientists from Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium are predicting the largestGulf of Mexico Dead Zone since 1985 this summer. Dead Zones are low-oxygen zones in the ocean which are caused primarily by nutrient pollution from synthetic fertilizers. Oxygen levels in these areas are so low that most aquatic life cannot survive, creating… Read More ›
Butterfly populations are declining across the country. Just last week, for example, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced two new butterfly subspecies have probably become extinct in South Florida. Seventeen species and subspecies of butterflies are currently listed as endangered nationwide, and two are listed as threatened. Habitat loss and pesticide use are the… Read More ›
A new report entitled “Pre-Polluted: A Report on Toxic Substances in the Umbilical Cord Blood of Canadian Newborns”, that was recently published by the organization Environmental Defense, found that babies are being exposed to chemicals while in the womb. The study tested the umbilical cord blood of newborns, and tested for 310 pollutants, including organochlorine… Read More ›
A new study has begun on agriculture runoff in water in Midwest streams. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency have partnered up to examine the effects of agricultural runoff in 100 streams from Ohio to Nebraska. They will be testing the stream water for pesticides and synthetic fertilizer nutrients, and searching for… Read More ›
The discovery of genetically modified (GM) wheat in Oregon1 is a wake-up call for those who worry about potential GM contamination of organic crops. The idea of contamination has been an area of concern since GM crops were first introduced, especially when unapproved strains are involved. The escape of unapproved GM wheat is not the… Read More ›
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