Pesticides News and Research

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Exposure to pesticides near any workplace increases risk of Parkinson's disease

In April 2009, researchers at UCLA announced they had discovered a link between Parkinson's disease and two chemicals commonly sprayed on crops to fight pests.

27 May 2011

Atmospheric chlorine-content linked to risk of childhood leukaemia

A significant positive association between the risk of childhood leukaemia and levels of chlorine-containing chemicals in the atmosphere has been found by researchers in Portugal. Details are reported in the current issue of the International Journal of Environment and Health.

25 May 2011

Serpin-2 molecule may be a perfect target for preventing mosquito's immunity

Mosquitoes are becoming more resistant to current pesticides. That's troubling to Kansas State University biologist Kristin Michel, as it means malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases will continue spreading. A recent grant from the National Institutes of Health may change all that.

18 May 2011

16-year-old uses supercomputing network to invent new drug cocktail for cystic fibrosis

While many 16-year-olds are content with PlayStation, Toronto-area student Marshall Zhang used the Canadian SCINET supercomputing network to invent a new drug cocktail which could one day help treat cystic fibrosis.

11 May 2011

Pheromone-based traps for monitoring and catching bed bugs

In the worldwide race to develop a solution, SpringStar Inc, a Seattle-area biotech company, is releasing two new advanced pheromone-based traps for monitoring and catching bed bugs.

10 May 2011

Research roundup: Racial disparities in cancer screening and VA treatment

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Colorectal Cancer Screening Persisted Despite Expansion Of Medicare's Screening Reimbursement. This study looked at the effect in minority groups of expanded reimbursements by Medicare for colorectal cancer screenings.

7 May 2011

Study finds clear link between children conceived during winter and risk of autism

An examination of the birth records of the more than 7 million children born in the state of California during the 1990s and early 2000s has found a clear link between the month in which a child is conceived and the risk of that child later receiving a diagnosis of autism.

6 May 2011

New test can diagnose deadly human fungal infections

Deadly human fungal infections caused by certain strains of Aspergillus fungi appear to be developing resistance to current drug treatments at an alarming rate, say scientists.

5 May 2011

Asthma prevalence jump alarms health experts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a report released this Tuesday, Americans are suffering from asthma in record numbers. Nearly one in 10 children and almost one in 12 Americans of all ages now has asthma, government researchers said. Tuesday was World Asthma Day.

4 May 2011

Organophosphates exposure during pregnancy may impair child cognitive development

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that exposure during pregnancy to a family of pesticides called organophosphates may impair child cognitive development. The findings are published online in Environmental Health Perspectives.

22 Apr 2011

Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides linked to lower IQ in children

In a new study suggesting pesticides may be associated with the health and development of children, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health have found that prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides - widely used on food crops - is related to lower intelligence scores at age 7.

21 Apr 2011

Researchers detect 'dechlorane plus' in peregrine falcon eggs

Flame retardants are chemical compounds added to fabrics and plastics to keep them from burning easily, but these can be toxic.

19 Apr 2011

Genetically modified bacteria filters out toxic pesticide vapors

Genetically modified bacteria could be used in air filters to extract pesticide vapors from polluted air thanks to work by researchers in China published this month in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution.

15 Apr 2011

Study examines plant-soil relationship and uptake of contaminants in ryegrass

The environmental concern is great when considering the role of toxic contaminants in the plant-soil relationship. Understanding plant's absorption and accumulation of these contaminants from the soil would be incredibly beneficial.

30 Mar 2011

Opinions: Using taxes to reduce poverty; fighting TB; meeting global food demands

To improve living standards and create jobs," African governments "need to provide their citizens with better health care, better education, more infrastructure. How to pay for this - in a way that is both fair and efficient - is a question that all governments face," Mark Plant, deputy director of the IMF's African Department, writes in a BusinessDay opinion piece where he describes how increased tax revenues in several African countries have led to "in-roads into poverty reduction."

25 Mar 2011

ASAM issues white paper to halt medical marijuana use

Citing the dangers of marijuana, the lack of clinical research on a controlled substance with a high potential for abuse, and the physician's oath to "first, do no harm," the American Society of Addiction Medicine today issued a white paper recommending a halt to using the weed as a medicine in states where it has been declared legal.

24 Mar 2011

Organochloride pesticide exposure can alter semen quality in young people

Two in 10 young people in South East Spain have poor sperm density, which involves requiring more time to accomplish fertilization. The most common means of exposure to pesticides is food and other household products.

23 Mar 2011

Bruker launches GC CARE gas chromatography columns

At Pittcon 2011, Bruker has significantly expanded its gas chromatography solutions with the release of Bruker GC CARE gas chromatography columns.

16 Mar 2011

New book on toxins

Toxins are a burning issue. A straightforward guide to a closer understanding of toxins in our daily lives is published by Wiley. The Dose Makes the Poison: A Plain-Language Guide to Toxicology, 3rd Edition cuts through the fear generated by the media, which leads to a distortion in many people's conceptions of toxins and chemicals.

14 Mar 2011

Ecological farming methods can boost food production in developing countries, U.N. report says

If developing nations shift to using ecological agriculture methods, which rely more on organic and sustainable practices rather than the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, they "can double food production within a decade," according to a study by Olivier De Schutter, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food, released on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

10 Mar 2011