All articles tagged with #pesticides
A wave of elephant deaths in Kenya has been blamed on pesticides, but experts cited by the BBC remain doubtful about the pesticide link, leaving investigation into the cause ongoing.
Tractor Supply Co. will pay $5.1 million to settle civil consumer protection claims from five California counties (Sonoma, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Sacramento and San Bernardino) that it overcharged customers beyond the lowest advertised price, sold pesticides without current licenses, and used greenwashing in labeling biodegradables. The company must implement a California-wide pesticide-compliance program, maintain a database of licensed dealers, conduct quarterly audits of 25% of stores selling covered pesticides, and provide quarterly reports to the Department of Pesticide Regulation, plus ensure website product compliance. It will also pay $500,000 to the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association Quantity Control Trust Fund and reimburse about $73,283 in costs. Tractor Supply cooperated with the investigation and paused some pesticide sales during enforcement.
In Orange County's Ladera Ranch, a cluster of rare cancers among children has prompted Capistrano Unified School District to pause routine landscaping chemicals for 60 days while officials review the products used on campuses, following a community meeting and growing concerns about environmental health. While officials say no environmental cause has been identified, residents advocate further testing and safety reviews, and federal officials have been urged to investigate potential environmental factors.
Capistrano Unified School District halted routine pesticide and herbicide use on OC campuses for 60 days to reconsider safer weed-control methods after reports of a cluster of rare childhood cancers in the Ladera Ranch area, including Ewing sarcoma; maintenance will rely on mechanical weed removal during the pause while officials review safer alternatives and federal investigators assess potential links.
Capistrano Unified School District in Orange County suspended routine landscape chemicals for 60 days to review pesticides and herbicides after concerns about a cluster of rare cancers in Ladera Ranch; campuses will rely on preventive practices and manual methods during the pause, with plans for a district FAQ and policy updates, as federal officials consider environmental factors.
A global analysis of ALS studies over 35 years finds occupational pesticide exposure is linked to a 61%–71% higher risk of developing ALS, with higher risk tied to greater exposure and a stronger signal in men; glyphosate and other herbicides are implicated, and farmworkers face higher exposure, while pesticide use continues worldwide even as US use declines; ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease and may be part of broader health concerns linked to pesticides.
New research finds that workers exposed to pesticides have about a 60% higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), adding to growing evidence that pesticide exposure is linked to several neurodegenerative and health conditions as ALS cases have risen in the U.S. over the past decade.
Residents of Ladera Ranch, CA, are pressing officials after state data suggested a cluster of rare cancers among local kids, led by Ewing sarcoma. The California Cancer Registry reported fewer than 11 Ewing sarcoma cases there through 2021, with later diagnoses not included in that tally, prompting families to question environmental factors like pesticide use. While authorities say no link has been established, the issue has drawn federal attention and a private firm’s probe into potential exposures. Ewing sarcoma is extremely rare (about 200–240 cases nationwide each year), making the local cluster data controversial and fueling calls for more data and mapping of cases.
Six children in Ladera Ranch, California have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer, prompting residents to demand a comprehensive state review and a potential EPA investigation into environmental exposures such as pesticides, even as officials say there are no known lifestyle-related causes.
A cluster of unusually young patients in Orange County's Ladera Ranch has been diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma since 2013, with multiple deaths in 2026, prompting calls for a public-health review and possible federal environmental investigation; while residents explore environmental links, experts say no proven exposure connection yet; the disease is rare but potentially treatable when localized, with modern therapies boosting survival to about 70% in localized cases, though outcomes are poorer if cancer has spread.
Scientists tracking Carnaby’s black cockatoos in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt over three breeding seasons found pesticides in about 80% of seed samples from feeding sites near grain silos, with some samples hundreds of times above legal limits and 26 pesticides detected including neurotoxic chemicals. GPS data showed birds repeatedly visiting contaminated feeding areas, linking exposure to CHiPS (Carnaby’s Hindlimb Paralysis Syndrome). The study calls for a review of Australian pesticide regulations and suggests simple industry changes, like better grain handling and spill cleanup at silos, to reduce wildlife exposure.
Six children in a wealthy California suburb have been diagnosed with rare cancers, prompting a federal probe into a possible link with local pesticide use as families urge safer, non-toxic landscaping while officials continue to investigate causes.
A cluster of extremely rare cancers in children in Ladera Ranch, Orange County, including Haven Keetch’s synovial sarcoma and a rising number of Ewing sarcoma cases, has families demanding environmental investigations. Authorities say no proven link to pesticides exists yet and are reviewing updated cancer data, while residents press the HOA to consider safer landscaping as multiple agencies study potential causes.
Georgia Tech researchers found that exposing worker bumblebees to low doses of the insecticide sulfoxaflor caused significant changes in gene expression, especially in ovarian tissues, suggesting potential reproductive impairment and possible impacts on colony health and pollination-dependent crops; the study highlights the need for pest management that protects pollinators amid ongoing pesticide use.
Attorneys are probing a cluster of rare childhood cancers in Ladera Ranch, Orange County, gathering information from families whose children lived in or visited the community and were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or other cancers. At least six cases have emerged since 2013, and investigators are examining potential environmental exposures, including pesticides and soil or water questions, while state health officials monitor for patterns. While no direct link has been established, officials and lawmakers are advocating for transparency, with local actions such as an ad hoc landscape-practices committee and ongoing reviews of potential risks.