Chemical Controversies
Pesticides are substances that prevent, destroy, repel, or reduce the severity of pests. Pests are living things that occur where they are not wanted or that cause damage to humans, crops, or animals. Pests can be insects, rodents, unwanted plants, bacteria, viruses, or different types of fungus. Pesticides can vary in how toxic they are to humans and the environment. Some are persistent in the environment, animals, and birds, lasting for years; others break down soon after they are released. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants licenses, or registrations, to pesticides that it has found do not pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment; it has registered at least 865 pesticides, which are used in thousands of pesticide products.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
Pesticide makers want EU chlorpyrifos insecticide ban halted for lack of ‘sound evidence’
Agri-chemical manufacturers are putting pressure on the EU to prevent a ban of two disputed pesticides that damage the brain ...
Thailand reverses glyphosate weed killer ban following push back from nation’s farmers
Thailand reversed a decision [Nov. 27] to ban a controversial weedkiller and extended the permitted use of two other pesticides ...
Neonic pesticide thiacloprid has no detectable negative impact on bumblebees, field study shows
In a field study, the researchers Maj Rundlöf, Lund University, and Ola Lundin, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, have ...
Has modern agriculture ‘tainted’ your Thanksgiving dinner?
The Environmental Working Group knows how to grab headlines with ominous claims about America's food supply. In 2018, the Washington, ...
Viewpoint: Federal government doles out millions of dollars to ‘children’s health centers’ that promote junk science
For more than two decades, the federal government has doled out millions of dollars to fund university-based “children’s environmental health ...
Bayer’s Monsanto division pleads guilty to misdemeanor for spraying banned pesticide and storing hazardous waste in Hawaii in 2014, will pay $10.2 million fine
Monsanto pleaded guilty to spraying a banned pesticide on the Hawaiian island of Maui, and agreed to pay $10.2 million ...
Does glyphosate or other common herbicides endanger beneficial earthworms? New study finds ‘low risk’, with Roundup among the safest
Agrochemicals are an important component of agricultural production systems. There are increasing concerns about the effect of agrochemicals on soil ...
Thailand glyphosate ban could boost weed-control costs by $268 million, pesticide trade group says
A trade group representing pesticide firms urged Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha to delay a ban due Dec. 1 on ...
Bill reinstating neonicotinoid pesticide ban on wildlife refuges gains traction in Congress
A bill that would reinstate a regulation banning certain pesticides from wildlife refuges was approved by the House Committee on ...
Bayer faces $500 million Monsanto glyphosate-cancer class action suit in Canada
Toronto-based law firm Diamond & Diamond is spearheading a $500 million class action lawsuit against various Roundup makers, including pharmaceutical ...
Nanotechnology helps farmers battle increasingly pesticide-resistant weeds, insects with fewer chemicals
A University of Toronto graduate school project is now extending the life of widely used crop protection products. Vive Crop ...
Pesticide importers threaten lawsuit to block Thailand’s glyphosate ban, warning of serious economic impacts
Importers of three toxic farm chemicals, which are set to be officially banned from Dec 1, have vowed they will ...
Challenging media narrative about the ‘birds and the bees’—neither faces serious threats from neonicotinoids or other crop chemicals
Discarding this valuable crop protection tool is a questionable strategy ...
Podcast: Epidemiologist Geoffrey Kabat explains how junk science gets published—and how to spot it in the headlines
Bad research can put people's lives at risk, so addressing problems with peer review is essential ...
Nanosensor detects trace amounts of chemicals, helping farmers cut pesticide, fertilizer use
Good things come in small packages. Sadly, so do bad things. That’s where Iowa State University’s (ISU) Department of Mechanical ...
French Parliament: 2022 glyphosate ban falls off track as widespread weed killer use continues
IS FRANCE’S GLYPHOSATE EXIT PLAN ON TRACK? A French parliament report, published on [Nov. 13], suggests not. President Emmanuel Macron ...
EPA wants scientists to share their data: Will it promote government transparency or threaten public health?
"The Trump administration is preparing to significantly limit the scientific and medical research that the government can use to determine ...
Winter honeybee losses cut in half since 2012 as beekeepers battle deadly varroa mite
It looks as though the period of alarmingly high winter mortality in honeybees is over. And a long-term study by ...
Commonly used pesticide 1,3-D has smaller impact on soil microbes than tillage, cover crops or irrigation, study shows
It started with curiosity. How does a fumigant, commonly used for nematode management in potato cropping systems, influence soil microbial ...
Video: ‘What will I eat today’ vs. ‘will I eat today?’ – It’s time to trust African scientists (on access to GMO and gene edited crops)
It is time African governments take action ...
Eat your veggies! California testing confirms organic and conventional produce well below EPA pesticide limits
Once again, evidence that our food supply is safe and incredibly diverse ...
Neonic pesticides offer negligible benefits to farmers? ‘Nonsense,’ says Iowa soybean grower
Most people would say that life is unpredictable. We have our plans and routines, but there’s no way to tell ...
Viewpoint: Common pesticides unsafe at any dose? Here’s what’s wrong with Brazilian researcher’s ‘unsupported’ claims
Going to national media with unpublished sensationalist claims is not without consequences ...
Microbes living in plant roots fight off fungal infection, cutting need for pesticides, study shows
Micro-organisms living inside plant roots team up to boost the plant's growth and tolerance to stress. An international research team ...
Vancouver, Toronto continue to battle invasive weeds with Roundup after Health Canada rejects glyphosate-cancer link
The City of Vancouver uses the controversial Roundup herbicide. More than 42,700 Americans sued its maker, Monsanto-Bayer. They say that ...
Fifth US retailer announces plan to ‘phase out’ neonic pesticides from supply chain
Another food retailer has announced a plan to minimize its use of pesticides in a bid to help protect pollinators, ...
Study claiming neonic pesticides harm wild birds has no relevance to real-world conditions, plant geneticist argues
Capturing wild birds and force-feeding 3-10% of a lethal dose (of anything) is cruel. It’s not surprising birds would become ...
