Herbicides News and Research

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Occupational pesticide exposure may significantly increase ALS risk

Workplace exposure to pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) is linked to a 60-70% heightened risk of the most common form of motor neuron disease-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short, finds a synthesis of the available evidence, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

4 Aug 2026

Midpregnancy herbicide exposure linked to increased preterm birth risk

Exposure to a widely used herbicide during the middle months of pregnancy may increase the chance of giving birth too early, before 37 weeks, a new study shows.

31 Jul 2026

Midpregnancy herbicide exposure linked to increased risk of preterm birth

Exposure to a widely used herbicide during the middle months of pregnancy may increase the chance of giving birth too early, before 37 weeks, a new study shows.

22 Jul 2026

Study maps biological pathways of weed killer during pregnancy

Exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weed killers, was linked to changes in several hormones that support pregnancy and fetal development-in one of the few studies to examine how a widely used herbicide may affect the body during pregnancy. The results come from a new study led by University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers.

16 Jun 2026

Pennsylvania town faces fallout from Trump's environmental rule rollback

North America's largest coke plant hugs the west bank of Pennsylvania's Monongahela River, belching out emissions from turning superheated coal into a carbon-rich fuel.

13 Apr 2026

Breathing in common disinfectant chemicals may be more harmful than oral ingestion

Breathing in common disinfectant chemicals known as quaternary ammonium compounds, or QACs, may be far more harmful than swallowing them, according to a mouse study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis.

30 Mar 2026

Republicans fret over RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine policies while MAHA moms stew

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fielding pressure from the White House to relax his controversial approach to vaccine policies as the midterms near, but his most steadfast supporters are pressing for more aggressive action — like restricting covid-19 vaccines and pesticide use — to carry out the Make America Healthy Again agenda.

12 Mar 2026

Researchers propose that Parkinson’s disease may start in the gut, not the brain

A perspective in The Journal of Clinical Investigation argues that environmental exposures may interact with the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier to trigger biological processes linked to Parkinson’s disease. The authors propose that cumulative environmental stressors can erode host resilience, promoting α-synuclein pathology, immune activation, and neurodegeneration.

5 Mar 2026

Gut bacteria threatened by pesticides and other common chemical pollutants

A large-scale laboratory screening of human-made chemicals has identified 168 chemicals that are toxic to bacteria found in the healthy human gut.

26 Nov 2025

Higher melanoma rates linked to agricultural areas in Pennsylvania

Counties in Pennsylvania that contained or were near cultivated cropland had significantly higher melanoma rates compared to other regions, according to a new study led by scientists at Penn State.

14 Nov 2025

Experts warn tiny plastics in arteries may raise heart attack risk

Experts caution that nanoplastics and microplastics may constitute an emerging cardiovascular risk factor, with particles identified in arterial plaques associated with a 4.5-fold increase in major adverse cardiovascular events. Experimental evidence points to inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular injury as key mechanisms.

10 Sep 2025

Insecticide exposure could impair mental function in older adults

The study investigates the link between pesticide exposure and cognitive impairment in older adults, suggesting a need for improved prevention strategies.

11 Jul 2025

‘MAHA Report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

‘MAHA report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

2 Jul 2025

Eating only wild foods reshapes your gut microbiome in just weeks, study shows

A new study shows that an eight-week wild-food-only diet in a modern adult leads to dramatic, partially lasting changes in the gut microbiome’s composition and function. While no “ancestral” microbes reappeared, the shift increased fiber-degrading species and reduced dairy-associated bacteria, highlighting the powerful role of diet.

14 May 2025

Ibuprofen suppresses sweet taste perception

Researchers explore how taste receptors react to sweet stimuli following exposure to ibuprofen.

31 Mar 2025

Study links increased glyphosate exposure to harmful effects on infant health

Increased exposure to glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States and much of the world, harms infant health in U.S. agricultural counties, according to a new study by two University of Oregon economists.

21 Jan 2025

Glyphosate exposure linked to lasting brain inflammation

The human brain is an incredibly adaptable organ, often able to heal itself even from significant trauma.

4 Dec 2024

Common farming pesticides linked to rheumatoid arthritis

Exposure to specific pesticides is linked to increased rheumatoid arthritis risk, with notable dose-response trends for malathion and carbofuran among older licensed applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.

4 Dec 2024

Pesticide exposure linked to prostate cancer incidence and mortality

Researchers have identified 22 pesticides consistently associated with the incidence of prostate cancer in the United States, with four of the pesticides also linked with prostate cancer mortality. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

9 Nov 2024

22 pesticides found to be associated with prostate cancer incidence in the United States

Researchers have identified 22 pesticides consistently associated with the incidence of prostate cancer in the United States, with four of the pesticides also linked with prostate cancer mortality.

4 Nov 2024