Pesticides News and Research

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Mathematical models and maps to eliminate malaria

Two University of Florida researchers and their international colleagues have used mathematical models and maps to estimate the feasibility of eliminating malaria from countries that have the deadliest form of the disease.

29 Oct 2010

NCI indifferent to, or unaware, of avoidable non-smoking causes of lung cancer, says coalition

“You can't do experiments to see what causes cancer--it's not an accessible problem, and not the sort of thing scientists can afford to do--everything you do can't be risky.”

29 Oct 2010

WHO regulation on human toxicity helps in reducing acute pesticide poisoning

Current WHO pesticide classifications are based on toxicity in rats but basing regulation on human toxicity will make pesticide poisoning less hazardous and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths globally without compromising agricultural needs. These are the key findings from a study by Andrew Dawson (South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka) and colleagues published in this week's PLoS Medicine.

27 Oct 2010

European FP7 research project to develop environment-friendly pest control products

Tecnalia, through its Construction Unit, is participating in and coordinating a European FP7 research project for SMEs, called Bimosyn. The aim is to develop pest control products with lower concentrations of biocides and, thereby, be more environmentally friendly and less damaging for human health.

21 Oct 2010

Shift in agriculture techniques required to ensure future food security, U.N. special rapporteur on right to food says on World Food Day

Farming techniques must adapt to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure global food security, Olivier De Schutter, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food, said in a statement to mark Saturday's World Food Day, Agence France-Presse reports.

19 Oct 2010

Study on resistance of harmful bacteria to antibiotics

A study by two Florida State University biochemists makes an important contribution to science's understanding of a serious problem causing concern worldwide: the growing resistance of some harmful bacteria to the drugs that were intended to kill them.

6 Oct 2010

New report presents scientific data on environmental causes of breast cancer

A report released today by the Breast Cancer Fund presents a comprehensive summary of the scientific data on the environmental causes of breast cancer. The report catalogues the growing evidence linking breast cancer to synthetic hormones in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and meat; pesticides in food; solvents in household cleaning products; BPA in food containers; flame retardants in furniture; and radiation from medical treatments.

4 Oct 2010

Humans have similar immune system like plants

In addition to known antiviral agents such as antibodies and interferons, people also seem to have a similar immune system to that previously identified in plants. This is the result of research carried out by Esther Schnettler at Wageningen University.

28 Sep 2010

People with Parkinson's disease have high levels of beta-HCH pesticide

People with Parkinson's disease have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Sep 2010

ICF International awarded re-compete contract to provide IT, scientific support services to NCTR

ICF International, a leading provider of consulting services and technology solutions to government and commercial clients, has been awarded a $31.8 million re-compete contract by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to provide information technology and scientific support services to the National Center for Toxicological Research.

20 Sep 2010

FDA approves pediatric use of Protopam Chloride

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the pediatric use of Protopam Chloride (pralidoxime chloride), a drug used to treat poisoning by organophosphate pesticides and chemicals (e.g., nerve agents). The drug is approved to be administered either by intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injections.

10 Sep 2010

Threat of agricultural pesticides to vultures may also risk human health

While vultures across Asia teeter on the brink of extinction, the vultures of Cambodia are increasing in number, providing a beacon of hope for these threatened scavengers, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other members of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project.

4 Sep 2010

MIT develops safer, simpler way to attach phosphorus to organic compounds

Phosphorus, a mineral element found in rocks and bone, is a critical ingredient in fertilizers, pesticides, detergents and other industrial and household chemicals. Once phosphorus is mined from rocks, getting it into these products is hazardous and expensive, and chemists have been trying to streamline the process for decades.

4 Sep 2010

Researchers develop tiny color-changing sensor molecules

A new approach to building an "artificial nose" using fluorescent compounds and DNA could accelerate the use of sniffing sensors into the realm of mass production and widespread use, say Stanford chemists. If their method lives up to its promise, it could one day detect everything from incipiently souring milk to high explosives.

21 Aug 2010

Prenatal pesticide exposure increases susceptibility to ADHD in children

Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides before birth can increase susceptibility to attention disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The new study is part of a growing body of research indicating that exposure to OP pesticides can adversely affect brain development.

19 Aug 2010

New 'Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database' tracks published epidemiologic and real world exposure studies

Links to pesticide exposure are being found in a growing number of studies that evaluate the causes of preventable diseases -- including asthma, autism and learning disabilities, birth defects and reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and several types of cancer. A new database, released today, tracks published epidemiologic and real world exposure studies.

19 Aug 2010

Combination of fungi, insecticides can combat malaria mosquitoes: Research

A combination of fungal spores and chemical insecticides are an effective way of combating insecticide-resistant malaria mosquitoes. Researchers at Wageningen UR and from Benin, West Africa, have shown that fungi and insecticides reinforce each other´s efficacy, and that the effect of using a combination of both is greater than the sum of using the two methods separately. Their article in the August edition of PLoS One (Public Library of Science) claims that biological and chemical methods of fighting malaria can and should be used together.

13 Aug 2010

U.N. says nearly 14M Pakistanis affected by floods

On Monday the U.N. said that 13.8 million people have been affected by the floods in Pakistan as the death toll has now reached 1,600, Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Aug 2010

Study finds higher concentration of endocrine disrupting compounds in indoor air

Homes in low-income and affluent communities in California both had similarly high levels of endocrine disruptors, and the levels were higher in indoor air than outdoor air, according to a new study believed to be the first that paired indoor and outdoor air samples for such wide range (104) of these substances. The study appears in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

5 Aug 2010

Special hearing on potential environmental health factors associated with autism spectrum disorders

Autism Speaks' Chief Science Officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. emphasized the importance of research on environmental risk factors for autism spectrum disorders as the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, Subcommittee on Children's Health convened a special hearing on potential environmental health factors associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders. The hearing is examining the latest research on potential environmental factors that may increase the risk for autism spectrum disorders.

4 Aug 2010