EPA Bans Vegetable Pesticide That Can Harm Fetuses

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• August 7, 2024
• Full Page

In an historic move, the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday banned the use of a pesticide that can harm fetuses.

Known as dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal), the weedkiller is used on a variety of crops, including broccoli, onions, kale, Brussels...

Pesticides Can Equal Smoking in Hiking Risks for Cancer

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2024
• Full Page

Farmers and folks living in agricultural areas may be exposed to levels of pesticides that confer cancer risks that are higher than if they smoked, new research shows.

These extra risks were most pronounced for certain cancers: non-Hopkins lymphoma, leukemia and bladder ...

Genes Could Mix With Pesticide Exposure to Raise Parkinson's Risk

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• April 25, 2024
• Full Page

It's long been known that exposure to agricultural pesticides can greatly raise a person's odds for Parkinson's disease.

New genetics research now reveals those who might be...

Report Finds High Levels of Pesticides in 20% of Fruits, Veggies

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• April 18, 2024
• Full Page

Nearly 20% of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables that Americans eat contain concerning levels of pesticides, a new report finds.

Pesticides posed significant risks in popular choices such as strawberries, green beans, bell peppers, blueberries and potatoes, t...

Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's Cases in Midwest, Western U.S.

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 28, 2024
• Full Page

Pesticides and herbicides used in farming appear to increase people's risk of Parkinson's disease, a new, preliminary study finds.

People exposed to pesticides and herbicides are 25% to 36% more likely to develop Parkinson's, according to a study to be presented at the A...

Most People Have Been Exposed to Little-Known Pesticide: Study

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 16, 2024
• Full Page

A little-known pesticide is likely present in the bodies of most U.S. residents, raising concerns of potential reproductive and developmental problems, researchers report.

In the study, the pesticide chlormequat was found in four out of five people they tested.

"Th...

Review Links Pesticides to Lower Sperm Quality in Men

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• November 15, 2023
• Full Page

Pesticide exposure appears to be linked to lower sperm concentrations in men around the world, a new large-scale evidence review has concluded.

A review of 25 studies spanning nearly 50 years found consistent links between lower sperm concentrations and two widely used c...

Could the Aloe Plant Double as an Insecticide?

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 15, 2023
• Full Page

While vast quantities of peels from the aloe vera plant are thrown out every year as agricultural waste, this natural ingredient has potential to be a powerful insecticide, new research suggests.

"It's likely that millions of tons of aloe peels are disposed of globally e...

At Least 10 Pesticides Could Have Links to Parkinson's

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• May 19, 2023
• Full Page

Scientists say they've identified 10 pesticides that kill neurons involved in Parkinson's disease, marking a leap forward in their understanding of the movement disorder.

Pesticide exposure has long been associated with Parkinson's, but investigators hadn't been able to...

Loss of Bees Could Harm Health of Millions of People

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 14, 2022
• Full Page

Bees, in their role as master pollinators, increase crop yields, leading to more production of healthy fruits, vegetables and nuts.

But new research claims that the challenges these important insects face from changes in land use, harmful pesticides and climate change i...

Pollutants in Soil Can Harm Your Heart

• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 4, 2022
• Full Page

While it's more widely known that polluted air can harm human health, another danger may be lurking at your feet.

New research shows that soil, too, can contain contaminants that can impact health. These include pe...

Federal Court Orders EPA to Re-examine Whether Roundup Causes Cancer

• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 20, 2022
• Full Page

A federal appeals court has ruled that the EPA must take another look at whether the key ingredient in the weed killer Roundup poses a cancer risk, although the product will remain o...

Pregnant American Women Are Facing Higher Exposures to Chemicals

• By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
• May 10, 2022
• Full Page

Exposure to potentially harmful chemicals is on the rise among pregnant women in the United States, a new study warns.

"This is the first time we've been able ...

1 in 3 People Now Exposed to a Harmful Pesticide

• February 10, 2022
• Full Page

One in three Americans is exposed to a common and potentially harmful weed killer called 2,4-D, and children may be especially at risk, new research suggests.

Exposure to high levels of the chemical has been linked to cancer, reproductive problems and other health i...

Pesticides at Work Could Raise Odds for COPD Lung Disease

• Robert Preidt
• January 31, 2022
• Full Page

Workplace exposure to pesticides may boost a person's risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study finds.

COPD is a group of lung diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing problems. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two main types of ...

Common Pesticide to Be Banned Over Links to  Problems in Children

• Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
• August 19, 2021
• Full Page

The Biden Administration said Wednesday that a widely used pesticide will be banned because it's been linked to neurological damage in children.

The new rule to block the use of chlorpyrifos on food will take effect in six months, the Environmental Protection Agency sai...