#Pesticides significantly reduce biodiversity in aquatic environmentsthe pesticides many of which are used currently in Europe and Australia are responsible for reducing the regional diversity of invertebrates in streams and rivers by up to 42 percent researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
from the Institute for Environmental sciences Landau analysed the impact of pesticides such as insecticides and fungicides on the regional biodiversity of invertebrates in flowing waters using data from Germany France and Victoria in Australia.
The authors of the now-published study state that this is the first ever study which has investigated the effects of pesticides on regional biodiversity.
Pesticides for example those used in agriculture are among the most-investigated and regulated groups of pollutants.
However until now it was known not whether or to which extent and at what concentrations their use causes a reduction in biodiversity in aquatic environments.
The researchers also discovered that the overall decrease in biodiversity is primarily due to the disappearance of several groups of species that are especially susceptible to pesticides.
Protection concepts fall short of requirementsone worrying result from the study is that the impact of pesticides on these tiny creatures is already catastrophic at concentrations
The authors point out that the use of pesticides is an important driver for biodiversity loss
To date the approval of pesticides has primarily been based on experimental work carried out in laboratories and artificial ecosystems.
Pesticides will always have an impact on ecosystems no matter how rigid protection concepts are but realistic considerations regarding the level of protection required for the various ecosystems can only be made
The threat to biodiversity from pesticides has obviously been underestimated in the past. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research-UFZ.
and other pesticides that have been banned from use for more than 30 years. The study is available online in advance of publication in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
The blood samples were tested for levels of 11 pesticides and 36 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds. According to the findings all participants had detectable concentrations of at least one-quarter of the analyzed chemicals
and pesticides generally hosted more wild pollinators than conventionally farmed land. Jeroen Scheper of Alterra Research Institute and colleagues demonstrated this by analysing the results of 71 studies that had looked at the effects of implementing agri-environment schemes in various European countries.'
Bug and weed killers, solvents may increase risk of Parkinsons diseasea large analysis of more than 100 studies from around the world shows that exposure to pesticides
In controlled studies exposure to the weed killer paraquat or the fungicides maneb and mancozeb was associated with two times the risk of developing the disease.
The team recently published a study in the journal Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology comparing eight experimental compounds with commercially available insecticides that target the enzyme.
when orchardists sprayed pesticides to control codling moths. Since the phase out of organophosphate insecticides though the woolly apple aphid has been making a comeback in central Washington and elsewhere.
when orchardists sprayed pesticides to control codling moths. Since the phase out of organophosphate insecticides though the woolly apple aphid has been making a comeback in central Washington and elsewhere.
ban more pesticides? Neonicotinoids are under intense scrutiny. But a ban of a broad variety of pesticides may be required to protect bees humans and the environment.
The European commission on 29th april 2013 slapped a two-year ban on insecticides suspected of killing off bee colonies.
Pesticides not adequately testedconnolly exposed bee brains to these pesticides and organo-based pesticides andreported that the nerves spun into hyperactivity
A combination of these two pesticides types had a stronger impact suggesting the combined soup of pesticides could be causing more serious harm.
The thing that concerns me is that this throws a question mark over several hundred pesticides all tested by inadequate safety screens says Connolly.
He suggests that we should be tracking pesticides use in the environment just like we monitor drug use in patients.
and given that we don't know what pesticides are used in what combinations and when we don't know
if these pesticides may be contributing to some or even all these unknown diseases Connolly warns.
More research neededconnolly argues that we need to carry out research to find out which pesticides are the least harmful.
because it is inconvenient to find pesticides are dangerous. Dave Goulson professor of biological science at the University of Sterling UK agrees:
there haven't been nearly enough studies of all pesticides or interactions between them. He recently published a studyshowing neonicotinoids hit bumblebee colony growth and queen production.
Julian Little spokesperson for Bayer Cropscience based in Norwich UK says the evidence against these pesticides has all been based lab essentially taking a social insect
Avoidance of pesticide usea possible solution to preserve bee populations further would be to restore the principle of avoidance of pesticide use.
Whereas integrated pest management sought to use as few pesticides as possible the neonicotinoids are a preventive strike.
It is the same with these pesticides. However opponents believe that the neonicotinoids ban is unlikely to decrease pesticide use.
Quite the opposite. Little warns that farmers may now have to resort to spraying insecticides up to four times a year
There are several alternatives to using neonicotinoids and other pesticides according to Simon Potts professor of biodiversity and ecosystem services at Reading University UK.
Relyea and his Pitt collaborators exposed the tadpoles from each of the nine populations to environments containing either no pesticides chlorpyrifos or Roundup.
Wood frogs living close to agricultural land were more likely to have been exposed to pesticides for many generations compared to those living far from agriculture;
or no exposure to pesticides said Rickey Cothran the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in Relyea's lab. Although populations differed in their resistance to Roundup populations closer to fields were not more resistant to the herbicide.
Wood frogs living close to agricultural land were more likely to have been exposed to pesticides for many generations compared to those living far from agriculture.
when farmers switch pesticides from year to year but little is known about how this switching of pesticides affects amphibians.
Using three commonly applied pesticides that have similar chemical properties--chlorpyrifos carbaryl and malathion--the Pitt researchers exposed 15 populations of wood frog tadpoles to high concentrations of each insecticide.
and a graduate student in Relyea's lab. While it doesn't mean that pesticides are beneficial to amphibians our work does suggest that amphibians can evolve to resist a variety of pesticides
and determine whether increased resistance occurs in additional animal species that are not the targets of pesticides.
The article published today in Evolutionary Applications is titled Proximity to agriculture is correlated with pesticide tolerance:
Evidence for the evolution of amphibian resistance to modern pesticides. The article published Feb 21 in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is titled Cross-tolerance in amphibians:
and pesticides all play a role. New research indicates that the honey bee diet influences the bees'ability to withstand at least some of these assaults.
University of Illinois professor of entomology May Berenbaum who led the study said that many organisms use a group of enzymes called cytochrome P450 monooxygenases to break down foreign substances such as pesticides
which are used to metabolize synthetic pesticides became a tantalizing scientific question to her research team Berenbaum said.
so beekeepers can enhance their bees'ability to withstand pathogens and pesticides. Although she doesn't recommend that beekeepers rush out
which could lead to reduced use of pesticides in the field. Just as our cell phones will need more advanced technology to carry more information plants need better
Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are the current solution but we can make plants better at finding
#Agencies should use common approach to evaluate risks pesticides pose to endangered specieswhen determining the potential effects pesticides could pose to endangered
Under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act before a pesticide can be sold distributed or used in the United states EPA must ensure that it does not cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment which includes species that are listed as endangered
If EPA determines that a pesticide is not likely to adversely affect a listed species
However if EPA determines that a pesticide is likely to adversely affect a listed species a formal consultation with FWS
or methods for determining the risks pesticides pose to listed species and their habitats. EPA FWS and NMFS have developed their own approaches
Although the agencies have tried to resolve their differences in assessment approaches they have been unsuccessful at reaching a consensus. As a result the National Research Council was asked to examine the scientific and technical issues related to determining risks posed by pesticides to listed species. The committee
is anticipated reliably by all parties involved in decisions regarding pesticide use; and clearly articulates where scientific judgment is required and the bounds within
whether a pesticide is likely to adversely affect a listed species rather than conduct a completely new analysis the assessment would likely be more effective and scientifically credible the committee determined.
or desertification we can no longer rely on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers alone.''We need to conduct much more research to better understand how to utilize the potential provided by natural ecological processes'said Professor Anten.
The EU has banned also its farmers from using many pesticides and restricted them from other nonchemical methods of pest control
and pesticides used by applying inputs only where they are needed and in appropriate quantities. Precision agriculture will aid efforts to improve food security and also crop quality Professor Oliver notes in the article.
Pesticides kill protein-rich insects that bustard chicks rely on for rapid growth to be able to migrate come fall.
This new development opens the door to the potential that food could be created from any plant reducing the need for crops to be grown on valuable land that requires fertilizers pesticides and large amounts of water.
The approach taken in this new work involves adding a pesticide resistance gene to a newer strain of Wolbachia called wmelpop
and pesticides can be costly and unreliable. Many sufferers resort to ineffective potentially dangerous measures such as spraying nonapproved insecticides themselves rather than hiring a professional.
Modern scientific techniques let us fabricate materials at a microscopic level with the potential to'not let the bedbugs bite'without pesticides.
It also wastes energy fertilizers pesticides and other resources used in the food supply. Supplying more food however is only part of the challenge Floros emphasized.
or even eliminate the need for pesticides in several regions. Thrips are tiny insects that pierce
and closer to something that can be used commercially to essentially eliminate the need for pesticides in many growing regions Mutschler-Chu said.
because they don't have the resources to buy pesticides and there is often misuse of pesticides Mutschler-Chu said.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Cornell University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
and researchers nationally are reporting growing evidence that a powerful new class of pesticides may be killing off bumblebees.
#Pesticide combination affects bees ability to learntwo new studies have highlighted a negative impact on bees'ability to learn following exposure to a combination of pesticides commonly used in agriculture.
The researchers found that the pesticides used in the research at levels shown to occur in the wild could interfere with the learning circuits in the bee's brain.
They also found that bees exposed to combined pesticides were slower to learn or completely forgot important associations between floral scent and food rewards.
and his team investigated the impact on bees'brains of two common pesticides: pesticides used on crops called neonicotinoid pesticides
and another type of pesticide coumaphos that is used in honeybee hives to kill the Varroa mite a parasitic mite that attacks the honey bee.
The intact bees'brains were exposed to pesticides in the lab at levels predicted to occur following exposure in the wild
and brain activity was recorded. They found that both types of pesticide target the same area of the bee brain involved in learning causing a loss of function.
If both pesticides were used in combination the effect was greater. The study is the first to show that these pesticides have a direct impact on pollinator brain physiology.
It was prompted by the work of collaborators Dr Geraldine Wright and Dr Sally Williamson at Newcastle University who found that combinations of these same pesticides affected learning and memory in bees.
Their studies established that when bees had been exposed to combinations of these pesticides for 4 days as many as 30%of honeybees failed to learn
or performed poorly in memory tests. Again the experiments mimicked levels that could be seen in the wild this time by feeding a sugar solution mixed with appropriate levels of pesticides.
Dr Geraldine Wright said: Pollinators perform sophisticated behaviours while foraging that require them to learn
and remember floral traits associated with food. Disruption in this important function has profound implications for honeybee colony survival
Together the researchers expressed concerns about the use of pesticides that target the same area of the brain of insects and the potential risk of toxicity to non-target insects.
Moreover they said that exposure to different combinations of pesticides that act at this site may increase this risk.
However little consideration has been given to the miticidal pesticides introduced directly into honeybee hives to protect the bees from the Varroa mite.
Together these studies highlight potential dangers to pollinators of continued exposure to pesticides that target the insect nervous system and the importance of identifying combinations of pesticides that could profoundly impact pollinator survival.
and lower pesticide contamination levels in organic food a recent publication reporting a large-scale analysis of all available studies concluded no clear trend was apparent.
In recent decades peregrine and saker falcons have been listed as endangered due to rapid population declines caused by a wide range of factors including environmental change overharvesting for falconry habitat loss and bioaccumulation of pesticides (e g.
While ongoing studies explore pesticide-based approaches to control D. suzukii the new research from NC State should help scientists and farmers with other control options.
Similarly this information allows farmers to focus pesticide treatment on varieties that are most susceptible to infestation.
#New approaches for controlling pesticide exposure in childrennew research on household pesticide contamination emphasizes the need for less reliance on pesticides
Families in Boston public housing developments for instance rank pest infestation pesticide use and pest allergies second only to crime as matters of concern.
which reduces reliance on traditional pesticides Lu's team studied exposure to 19 pesticides among children in 20 families in Boston's public housing.
They found pesticides in all of the homes along with indications--such as sighting of live pests or pest debris--that traditional pesticides were not effective.
The results from the current study as well as other recent studies conducted in low-income public housing child care centers
#Pesticide application as potential source of noroviruses in fresh food supply chainscontaminated water used to dilute pesticides could be responsible for viruses entering the food chain warn scientists.
whether contaminated water used to dilute pesticides could be a source of hnov. Farmers use various water sources in the production of fresh fruits and vegetables including well water and different types of surface water such as river water or lake water--sources
To test this theory eight different pesticides were analyzed in the study; each was diluted with hnov contaminated water.
when added to the pesticide samples. In other words: pesticides did not counteract the effects of the contaminated water.
The authors conclude that the application of pesticides on fresh produce may not only be a chemical hazard
but may in fact also be a microbiological risk factor; both having consequences on public health. Story Source:
Paradoxically most common approaches to increase agricultural efficiency such as cultivation of all available land and the use of pesticides reduce the abundance
However greenhouse gases are emitted also during the manufacture of mineral nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides agricultural machines and equipment.
Some health experts regard mycotoxins as the most serious chronic dietary risk factor greater than the potential health threats from pesticides and insecticides.
and a greater reliance on pesticides and fungicides to keep pests in check. Vandermeer suspects that the shift to sun coffee may be contributing to the severity of the latest coffee rust outbreak.
Both the widespread use of pesticides and fungicides and the low level of biodiversity found at sun-coffee plantations have contributed likely to the decline of white halo fungus in recent years Vandermeer said.
It also requires less fertilizer and pesticides. Haris recommends that the authorities in Bangladesh encourage farmers to cultivate more aromatic rice.
The species also assist the release of essential minerals in some chemical fertilizers though not in pesticides
The increased use of pesticides in agriculture puts these species in danger. The author Dr. Somsak Panha from the Animal Systematics Research Unit Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok Thailand comments:
but not those using chemical pesticides. However the worms did well in areas of organic farming
#Exposure to pesticides in food, air and water increases risk of type 2 diabetes, study findsa study led by the University of Granada reveals that there is a direct relationship between the presence of Persistent Organic Pollutants
A study conducted at the University of Granada has revealed that there is a direct relationship between exposure to pesticides (Persistent Organic Pollutants CPOS) in food air and water and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in adults regardless
In a paper recently published in the journal Environmental Research researchers demonstrate that people with higher concentrations of DDE-the main metabolite in the pesticide DDT-are four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than other people.
which is present in the formula of the pesticide Lindano. A Study with 386 Subjectsto carry out this study the researchers analyzed the concentrations of a specific group of COPS in the adipose tissue of 386 adult subjects assisted at San Cecilio hospital Granada and Santa ana hospital Motril Spain.
which are present in pesticides industrial waste and building materials. These compounds penetrate the body mainly through food but also through air or the skin.
Other factors unrelated to habitat including road kill and the illegal use of rodenticides which poison the fishers must also be considered
Compared with herbicides and fungicides which have a largely preventive effect and are applied frequently insecticides are employed only in cases of acute insect infestation.
which according to previous studies of the Institute of Environmental sciences in Landau are capable of reducing pesticide exposure up to 70 per cent.
#Efficacy of natural bed bug pesticides comparedconcerns over human-insecticide exposure has stimulated the development of alternative bed bug control materials
and many essential oil-based pesticides and detergent insecticides have been developed in recent years. But how well do they work?
The nonsynthetic bed bug pesticides--which contain ingredients such as geraniol rosemary oil mint oil cinnamon oil peppermint oil eugenol clove oil lemongrass oil sodium lauryl sulfate
the researchers sprayed the 11 nonsynthetic pesticides directly on bed bug nymphs they found that only two--Ecoraider (1%geraniol 1%cedar extract
Other factors besides the active ingredients must have accounted for the high efficacy of some essential oil-based pesticides the authors wrote.
thus minimizing the use of pesticides. Neiker-Tecnalia researchers isolated autochthonous bacterial strains belonging to soil samples and plant tissue.
and pesticides that entail environmental hazards and constitute a significant economic cost for farmers. Story Source:
which is known to be polluted with pesticides and toxic metals including mercury. The team utilized this network to produce
#Fungicides: Discovery on how fungi avoid immune responses of plants leads to new generation of fungicidesplants that come under attack from pathogens have an automatic immune response.
when the fungi are most accessible to fungicide treatment. Disabling the process could result in a new generation of fungicides that are able to act before the fungus has damaged the plant.
Professor Gero Steinberg from the University of Exeter said: Pathogenic fungi are a major threat to our food security--they can devastate crops and cost billions of pounds worth of damage.
and so we need to develop new fungicides all the time. Our research has led to a better understanding of the mechanisms by
Ortho-toluidine used to make rubber chemicals pesticides and dyes has been reevaluated and is listed now as a known human carcinogen.
It is used primarily to make rubber chemicals pesticides and dyes. It is used also in some consumer and medical products.
since the 1980s as a restricted-use pesticide. It is used industrially for treating utility poles wood pilings fence posts and lumber or timber for construction.
which significantly impacts the $150 million Australian cherry industry through costs of applying fungicide yield loss
Instead of spraying fungicide we're using bees to deliver a biological control agent right to the flowers where it is needed.
Dr Hogendoorn says the use of bees has many environmental and economic benefits compared to spraying fungicide.
Slower natural wind speeds could reduce the amount of pesticide required to keep soybean aphids from wrecking harvests.
#Reducing pesticides, adding sound vibrations and boosting harvestsscientists in Italy are experimenting with sound vibrations to replace pesticides.
Adapting different eco-friendly methods they are able to boost harvests and open up a new chapter in sustainable farming.
And their studies suggest that these methods could be as efficient in protecting crops as using chemical based pesticides.
But used in a wrong way pesticides can pose a risk to humans and the surrounding environment.
At the Fondazione Edmund Mach in Italy Ilaria Pertot and her team of the EU research project PURE have found ways to reduce the high pesticide rate in the European grapevine sector by disturbing the mating processes of the pests.
and this could reduce the use of pesticides close to zero. In central Italy near Pisa scientists of the EU research project Quessa want to understand how the land next to the cultivated fields--known as semi-natural habitats--may help to maximize the harvest.
http://www. youris. com/Bioeconomy/BIOECONOMY-TV/Reducing-Pesticides-And-Boosting-Harvests. kl#ixzz3dugjrct2story Source:
and pesticide use while foregoing the cost regulatory hurdles and controversy of Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOS.
and to perform research focused on the generation of biological pesticides which is a very important issue for agriculture due to the increasing restriction on the use of chemical pesticides emphasizes the scientist at INECOL.
and pesticides in order to reduce the escalating problem of resistance evolution. Furthermore current efforts are found insufficient to reduce the accumulating costs from chronic disease
#Pesticides more toxic for soil organisms in dry soil, at enhanced temperaturessoil organisms react more sensitive to marketable pesticides
when exposed in dry soil and at enhanced temperatures. Both conditions may occur more often in the future due to climate change.
Singularly and combined these factors lower the toxicity threshold of fungicides for springtails. The study by scientists from the LOEWE Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (Bik-F) the Goethe University and the ECT Oekotoxikologie Gmbh was published in the September issue of the journal Applied Soil Ecology.
and Climate Research Centre (Bik-F). Extreme climate conditions may also alter the effect of pesticides on soil organisms.
which the fungicide pyrimethanil may be toxic. explains Cornelia Bandow. In the framework of this study the toxic threshold refers to the concentration of the fungicide at
which the population is 50%less than in an uncontaminated soil. Thus at 26 degrees and a soil moisture of 30%the threshold was up to half of the threshold that was measured at 20 degrees and 50%soil moisture.
Pyrimethanil is a broad spectrum fungicide which is used on strawberries pome fruit and vine to protect against and treat fungal infestation.
Should fungicides thus be avoided at all so as not to harm soil organisms? Not necessarily. A risk for springtails under field conditions may not be expected as the toxic threshold of pyrimethanil is far above the maximum concentrations that may occur in soil
if the fungicide is used according to existing regulations says Bandow and adds It depends on the species
Therefore the researchers also plan to test several other pesticides using a variety of soil organisms.
Farmers have doused the weed in pesticides and ripped it out with their hands but it has only spread further.
But it means that a farmer sprays less pesticide. We need an integrated strategy and biological control is the most cost-effective strategy--let's embrace it.
#Pesticide risk assessments seen as biased, experts advisein the October issue of Bioscience a group of ecotoxicologists argue that the US Environmental protection agency's (USEPA) current practices for evaluating pesticide safety are inadequate
In their article Michelle Boone of Miami University and her colleagues note that most pesticide toxicity tests used in risk assessments are conducted by pesticide manufacturers themselves
Streptomycin in addition to being used a drug to fight disease is used also as a pesticide in fruit to combat the growth of bacteria fungi and algae.
As far as we know this is the first report that links an allergic reaction to fruits treated with antibiotic pesticides said allergist Anne Des Roches MDFRCP lead study author.
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