1. http://www.albionmonitor.com/free3/alligatorsex.html
Reproductive  and hormonal problems documented in alligators living in a polluted Florida lake have turned up in alligators living in other Florida lakes thought to be more insulated from pollutants, say researchers at the University of Florida. "These long-term studies are the answer to finding out how environments change over time, naturally and under man's hand. This should be a wake-up call. We have to make sure that similar problems are not occurring in ourselves," said UF Professor of Zoology Lou Guillette. A research team led by Guillette made headlines in 1993 when they said pesticides could be responsible for sexual deformities and a previous population decline of alligators in Lake Apopka near Orlando. That lake suffered from a severe pesticide spill in 1980 and commercial development on its shores.
"Everyone accepted the fact that Lake Apopka had a problem," Guillette said. "We now have the same problems on another lake." [read more by going to their web site]
2.  http://www.halat.pl/article.php?fs=disrupters.html
Alligator eggs exposed to DDT or a related pesticide, dicophol, produce male alligators with abnormal sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) in their blood, leading to growth of penises one-third to one-half normal size, and subsequent reproductive failure.
The Florida panther, an endangered species, is also failing to reproduce itself.  There are only 30 to 50 panthers remaining, and the reason for the decline has been a mystery.  Now researchers have reported that between 1985 and 1990, 67 percent  of male panthers were born with one or more undescended testicles, a condition known as cryptorchidism.  In England and the U.S., cryptorchidism has more than doubled in men during the last four decades.  Furthermore, some Florida panthers are sterile and others produce abnormal or deformed sperm.  It was reported last year that sperm count in men in industrialized countries has dropped 50% during the past 50 years.  [read more by going to their web site]

Breast Cancer
1.  http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Bibliography/Pesticide/bib.chlordane.cfm

Cancer
1.  http://www.health-report.co.uk/cancer-pesticides-245T-24D.html
No one knows what causes lymphoma, but we know that all cancers are caused by multiple gene mutations (requiring probably 5 to 10 separate injuries) and/or by damage to the parts of the immune system that normally destroy cancer cells. (See REHN #693.) In the past two decades medical researchers have come to suspect that various combinations of factors give rise to lymphoma -- a weakened immune system, exposure to certain kinds of chemicals, and perhaps exposure to one or more viruses. Studies seem to implicate one particular class of chemicals -- chlorophenols. Chlorophenols are chlorine-containing chemicals that include dioxins, PCBs, DDT, and the so-called "phenoxy herbicides," including the weed killers 2,4,5-T, and 2,4-D. This last one is the most popular crabgrass and dandelion killer in America, sold as Weed-B-Gone, Weedone, Miracle, Demise, Lawn-Keep, Raid Weed Killer, Plantgard, Hormotox, and Ded-Weed, among other trademarked names.
Now the Lymphoma Foundation of America has pulled together and summarized in a 49-page booklet all the available studies of the relationship between lymphoma and pesticides.[2] It is an impressive piece of work by Susan Osburn, who directed the project, and a scientific review panel of 12 physicians and lymphoma researchers. The booklet summarizes 99 studies of humans and one study of pet dogs (see REHN #250) in relation to pesticide exposures. Of the 99 human studies, 75 indicate a connection between exposure to pesticides and lymphomas. Twenty-four show no relationship.[3] The one study of pet dogs indicates that the popular crabgrass killer, 2,4-D, doubles a pet dog's chances of getting cancer. (See REHN #250.)  [read more by going to their web site]
2. http://chem-tox.com/cancerchildren/#residues
Cancer Patients found to have Higher Pesticide Residues in fat tissue of Body
Twenty-seven patients who died from cancer were found to have significantly higher levels of pesticides in their fat tissues in comparison to forty-four people who died from other illnesses.
Researchers at the School of Medicine, Odense University, Denmark, surveyed a total of 71 people who died either from cancer or from another illness.  Samples of fat tissue were removed from the abdomen of each deceased individual.  Investigators then analyzed the fat tissue to determine the levels of chlorinated chemicals DDE and PCB's. DDE is the break-down product of the pesticide DDT which is still used today on foreign grown produce and in orange and grapefruit production as a by-product in the pesticide "KELTHANE."  PCB's are still found in older fluorescent light fixtures and as a coolant in common power transformers seen on telephone poles.  Significant releases of PCB exposure can occur in older schools and offices which still have their power transformers inside the building (a common practice at one time) and can occur after lightning strikes on outdoor power transformers or as leaks occur on older transformers.
After comparing both individuals who died of cancer and those who died of other illnesses, it was found that cancer patients had approximately twice the levels of these chemicals in their bodies.  The table below details specific findings:

Chemical Pesticides Health Research
1. http://www.chem-tox.com/pesticides
Quote from the page: Important health effects research regarding common pesticides are reported in the medical journal summaries on this web site. The majority of the information was acquired by extensive research from the University of Florida and University of South Florida Medical Libraries. [read more by going to their web site]

Child Cancer
1.  http://www.chem-tox.com/cancerchildren
Evidence linking the increased use of petroleum based chemicals in the home and the workplace with increases the adult and child cancers. There are several articles on this web site. [read more by going to their web site]
2.  http://chem-tox.com/cancerchildren/#agriculture
Living Near Agriculture Increases Brain Cancer Risk
High brain cancer rates were found for people living near a cranberry agricultural growing area in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  Researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health compared the home locations of approximately 1000 cancer patients to the home locations of 1000 patients dying of illnesses not related to cancer. Results showed that living within 2600 feet of the cranberry growing area resulted in twice the risk for all brain cancers and nearly a 7-fold increased risk for a type of brain cancer known as astrocytoma. (Astrocytomas are in the family of "glioma" cancers which begin in the glial tissue (glial tissue are the cells which hold the other brain cells together). [read more by going to their web site]

Discussions
1. http://www.healthsearches.org/Categories_of_Q&A/Integrative_&_Alternative_Medicine/1285.php
Quote from the page: Are pesticides dangerous? Can they damage my body? Since 1962, when Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, first exposed the hazards of DDT to the public, scientists have uncovered more and more information about the dangers pesticides pose to animals and humans. Unfortunately, people are trusting. We assume that pesticides have undergone lengthy testing by the government before being cleared for use. But this is not the case. Instead, the government accepts the minimal testing done by the manufacturers themselves. Thousands of people have to become sick before the government will even begin to rethink its approval of chemicals used in pesticides (chemicals used to kill insects and other pests) and herbicides (weed killers). Contrary to what manufacturers of lawn and garden products tell their customers, herbicides and pesticides are not “perfectly safe.” These chemicals are broad-spectrum biocides (chemicals that can kill living things). Therefore, it is the chemical nature of these chemicals to harm organisms other than the targeted insects, other pests, and weeds. Unfortunately, the other organisms include homeowners, their families, neighbors, and pets. [read more by going to their web site]
2. http://www.panna.org/legacy/panups/panup_20051221.dv.html
Quote from the page: PANNA: California Finds Lawn Chemical Dangerous to Health. Concerned that certain widely used lawn chemicals can cause birth defects, the state of California is taking steps to require that consumers are informed about these risks. On November 18th California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) announced its intention to list the herbicide 2,4-D and related compounds as developmental toxicants under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, more commonly known as Proposition 65. "People assume that if a product is on the shelves of their local store, it's safe," noted Dr. Susan Kegley, Senior Scientist at the Pesticide Action Network. "But 2,4-D is far from safe. When this herbicide is finally listed under Prop 65, the public will be notified that chemicals they are using on their lawn can affect women's ability to bear healthy children." [read more by going to their web site]
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/956151.stm
Quote from the page: Pesticides "promote dangerous bacteria": Pesticides encourage potentially dangerous bacteria to thrive on some crops, say scientists. They warn that people who eat raw fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, raspberries and lettuce could be at risk. New Scientist magazine reports that the researchers, from University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, carried out research after a rise in reported cases of food poisoning caused by fresh produce. [read more by going to their web site]
4. http://www.whale.to/a/pesticides1.html
Tvedten explained how he first became aware of the way this works when he was still in his twenties, starting to spray the six acre pond on his farm with DDT. That was the 60s and the awareness that would be spawned by the environmental movement was still in the future. Each year the mosquitoes that assailed his guests when he entertained in the evening got worse. He found himself spraying massive amounts of DDT several times a night....Tvedten realized that there were no longer any dragonflies darting over the pond. DDT hit them also, destroying the natural predators that had kept the pesky mosquitoes at bay. So he bought some dragonflies and released them into the area around the water. It worked.
Every year, as soon as the dragonflies hatch, the mosquitoes disappear. That was the beginning of many changes on his farm and in his work as a pest control professional.
“There was a time when I loved to go out and smell the earth; you could smell the life it it. That has changed. Today food is really grown hydroponically. The soil holds it up but no longer nourishes it. That means that we are also dying, slowly, of malnutrition. The people who would do this to children, to all of us, have no souls. I have looked into their eyes and seen that.” Poisoning The Earth For Profit - DDT, A Vaccine For Mosquitoes? - by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster

Found in our food
1. Over 50 of them found in our food in Britain
Quote from the page: More than 50 dangerous pesticides contaminate Britain's food, official tests reveal. All have been found to be poisonous or are suspected of causing cancer or having "gender bender" effects by international regulatory bodies.The revelation - in a survey of official testing results - will heighten concern about food contamination, after the withdrawal of more than 400 products contaminated with the prohibited dye Sudan 1 from shops and supermarkets. [read more by going to their web site]
2. http://www.naturalnews.com/023030.html
Quote from the page: (NaturalNews) Lawsuit Filed to Halt Use of Dangerous Pesticides.  A 1996 federal law required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study the safety of all pesticides and to rule by 2006 whether they could be used on foods safely. The EPA found four pesticides posed risks to human health but decided they saved growers so much money their use outweighed the dangers of the chemicals.
Now a group of farm worker advocates and environmentalists, including the United Farm Workers, the Teamsters, Pesticide Action Network North America, Beyond Pesticides and the Natural Resources Defense Council, has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against the Bush administration saying the EPA should not have turned its back on its own findings and allowed pesticides that pose a danger to animals, children and adults to be sprayed on vegetable and fruit crops. [read more by going to their web site]

General Information
1. http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Pesticides__how_dangerous_is_our_nutrition__a99_f0.html
Pesticides are substances which are made to kill pests. A pest can be insect, weed, bacteria, fungus, rodent, fish or any other troublesome organism. Many pesticides can also pose risks to people. This has been a subject of many debates these last couple of years! However, in many cases the amount of pesticide people are likely to be exposed to is too small to pose a risk. To determine risk, person must consider both, the toxicity or hazard of the pesticide and the likelihood of exposure. Many scientists believe that the rise in hormonally driven cancers, such as cancer of the breast and prostate, may be due to the ability of many synthetic chemicals to act as endocrine disrupters, and particularly to the ability of synthetic chemicals to imitate estrogen. Alarmed by the potential of these chemicals to harm the developing nervous systems of infants and children, environmental groups have called for a ban on many of them. What of this is really true?
Incidence Globally, some 2.5 million tons of pesticides are applied every year and most of it is targeted at agricultural cultures. Approximately 250 basic chemicals made by more than 50 companies are registered for use as pesticides in food and feed production in the United States. More than a quarter of a million U.S. children aged 1–5 ingest a combination of 20 different pesticides every day. More than 1 million preschoolers eat at least 15 pesticides on a given day. Overall, 20 million children aged 5 and under eat an average of 8 pesticides every day. Pesticide use has increased 50-fold since 1950, and 2.5 million tons of industrial pesticides are now used each year. Some 610,000 children aged 1–5 consume a dose of neurotoxic organophosphate insecticides that the government deems unsafe. More than half of these unsafe exposures are from one pesticide—methyl parathion.
What are pesticides exactly? Pesticide is a broad term, covering a range of products that are used to control pests. A pesticide may be a chemical substance or biological agent, such as a virus or bacteria. The most common pesticides that you may use in your everyday life are

Lawns, Health and Pesticides
1. http://www.cqs.com/elawn.htm
Quote from the page: Poison In The Grass: The Hazards And Consequences Of Lawn Pesticides. Contrary to what lawn "care" companies would like people to believe, herbicides (weed killers) and other pesticides are not "magic bullets". They are broad spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets, and all other forms of life. The pesticide industry downplays this by claiming their chemicals are heavily diluted, but doesn't mention the toxins are still extremely dangerous in small amounts. They also are unwilling to mention all of what is in their mixtures. Many components are classified as "inert", which allows them to be kept hidden from the public and not listed on product labels. These are more than just fillers or solvents. "Inert" does not mean "inactive" - some, such as benzene and xylene, are more toxic than listed chemicals. [read more by going to their web site]

Other poisons
1. Carbofuran
Signs of carbofuran poisoning are all too obvious in their wildlife victims: legs cocked back against bodies, talons or paws knotted into fists. Affected animals die a lingering, convulsive death. Not a nice way to go.
According to Sgt Rob Taylor, cases of carbofuran poisoning are on the rise in North Wales. Pets, wildlife and even children are said to be at risk from the reckless use of this deadly agricultural pesticide.
It’s been known for some time that farmers and gamekeepers illegally bait rabbit and pigeon carcasses with poisons to rid themselves of crows and birds of prey. Wildlife crime is now punishable under the terms of the Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition code. [read more by going to their web site]

Parkinson's
1.  http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BJI/is_16_30/ai_65349481
Pesticide use was linked with Parkinson's disease in a case-control study conducted in Northern California. People who recalled using in-home pesticides on at least 160 days of their lives were 70% more likely to develop the neurologic disorder than those who never used pesticides in their homes, Lorene M. Nelson, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Using garden pesticides for the same number of days conferred a 50% increased risk of Parkinson's disease, said Dr. Nelson, a neuroepidemiologist at Stanford (Calif.) University. [read more by going to their web site]
2.  http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2572
The National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (NRA) is to conduct a detailed study into the pesticide rotenone following recent research findings linking the pesticide with Parkinson’s disease. The study will determine what implications the research by Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, might have, if any, for chemical products containing rotenone registered for sale in Australia.
The NRA decision follows research to be published in the December issue of Nature Neuroscience, which showed that long-term exposure to rotenone induced many of the major symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in rats. Researchers from Emory University found that intravenous administration of rotenone in rats produced effects that closely resembled human Parkinson’s disease, including slowing and abnormal movements, unstable posture, unsteady gait and some evidence of tremor. The latest issue of New Scientist has quoted Abraham Lieberman, medical director of the US National Parkinson Foundation, as saying that it’s the first solid proof that long-term exposure to a toxin can cause this disease. [read more by going to their web site]

Progress to reduce pesticides
1. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hCkq1vSa-TzIjBy4fDAg0GlAqJEw
Quote from the page: EU agrees to ban 22 dangerous substances from pesticides. The EU states and parliament agreed a compromise deal on Thursday under which 22 toxic substances will be banned from use in pesticides, negotiators announced. The deal must be formally endorsed by the parliament in Strasbourg and the 27 member states.
"We have made a great step forward for the protection of consumers' health and of the environment," said German Green MEP Hiltrud Breyer, on the margins of a parliamentary session. The chemical blacklist includes eight substances used in the manufacture of herbicides, 11 used in fungicides and three in insecticides, many of them produced by German chemical giants Bayer and BASF -- including Ioxynil, Amitrol and Iprodion. The substances will be banned due to their toxic or carcinogenic effects. [read more by going to their web site]
2. http://www.caledonenterprise.com/news/article/62746
Quote from the page: Pesticide use in Caledon could be about to change. Thanks to the Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act, proposed in June of 2008, which will come into effect after an approval process, including public and government consultation, the content of many common-use weed killers could be drastically different. When it does come into effect the Act is going to increase the scope of substances banned, and how they are banned. And making one particular substance unavailable is ‘a good thing,’ according to the Town By-law department. In April of 2003, the Town of Caledon passed the Healthy Horticultural Landscapes By-law in an attempt to address the concerns of the public on the non-essential use of pesticides in Caledon. In other words, cosmetically used pesticides for personal, and professional landscaping.
The Town approached the Ministry of Environment, and Health Canada, prior to passing the By-law to convince these levels of government to take a more active role in regulating the cosmetic use of pesticides.
While Caledon cannot take credit for the new pesticide act, it is a small victory in something the Town cares deeply about. [read more by going to their web site]
3. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/massive-crackdown-on-the-use-of-scores-of-toxic-pesticides-1206399.html
Quote from the page: Massive crackdown on the use of scores of toxic pesticides
Britain is to get its toughest crackdown on toxic substances in food and the environment, despite determined resistance to the safety measures from Gordon Brown. Scores of pesticides suspected of causing cancer, DNA damage and "gender-bender" effects are to be phased out under new EU rules, which are being hailed as a revolution in the way the public is protected against poisonous chemicals.
The use of all pesticides in public places is to be dramatically reduced, with aerial spraying banned anywhere in the country. Yesterday environmentalists hailed the measures – to be adopted following long negotiations between the European Parliament and individual governments – as a "landmark", while the National Farmers' Union called them "devastating". The agrochemical industry has bitterly resisted them, backed by the Prime Minister, who has voiced his concern that they would damage agriculture and food production without significantly benefiting health or the environment. [read more by going to their web site]

Prostate Cancer
1.  http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/AgricultureHealthStudy
Agricultural Pesticide Use May Be Associated With Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer. Exposure to certain agricultural pesticides may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer among pesticide applicators, according to a large study looking at the causes of cancer and other diseases in the farming community. The study, part of a long-term study of pesticide applicators and their spouses known as the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), appears in the May 1, 2003, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology*. The AHS is a collaborative effort involving the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The latest report from the AHS evaluated the role of 45 pesticides and found that only a few of them showed evidence of a possible association with prostate cancer among pesticide applicators. Methyl bromide was linked to the risk of prostate cancer in the entire group, while exposure to six other pesticides was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer only among men with a family history of the disease. "Associations between pesticide use and prostate cancer risk among the farm population have been seen in previous studies; farming is the most consistent occupational risk factor for prostate cancer," said Michael Alavanja, Dr.P.H., from NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics in Bethesda, Md., and principal investigator of the AHS.

Suzuki
1 . http://www.davidsuzuki.org/About_us/Dr_David_Suzuki/Article_Archives/weekly04260201.asp
Tiny portions of pesticide can cause big problems. April 26, 2002 - Two years ago this spring I wrote a column about the cosmetic use of pesticides on our lawns and gardens. Since then, many communities in Canada have adopted strict guidelines on the use of these poisons and the Supreme Court of Canada has even upheld their right to do so. But the vast majority of pesticides are used in agriculture, and new studies are showing that they can have startling effects. The latest issue was raised by a recent article published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.. It reported that one of the most heavily used pesticides in the United States (and Canada, Australia and other nations), atrazine, turns male frogs into hermaphrodites - creatures with both male and female sex organs.
Atrazine is an "endocrine disrupter" which means it can inhibit the production and function of hormones. To test how it affects amphibians, researchers at Berkeley, California, raised tadpoles of the African clawed frog (a common research amphibian) in several tanks with water containing from 0.01 parts per billion (ppb) to 200 ppb of atrazine. Tadpoles developed normally in the control tank without atrazine, but researchers found that tadpoles exposed to 0.1 ppb or more of the pesticide developed abnormal sex organs up to 20 per cent of the time (it was repeated 51 times). Some animals grew up to six sex organs. And male frogs exposed to 25 ppb experienced a 10-fold drop in testosterone - to levels below those of normal female frrogs. [read more by going to their web site]
2.  http://www.davidsuzuki.org/health/food/poisoning.asp
Northern Exposure: Acute pesticide poisonings in Canada. Over 6,000 Canadians suffer from acute pesticide poisonings every year. That is one of the findings from research conducted by David Boyd for the David Suzuki Foundation report, Northern Exposure: Acute pesticide poisonings in Canada. Nearly half of those poisoned by pesticides are children under the age of six—imagine 100 kindergarten classes, or 50 school buses full of young children. This is only the tip of the iceberg: many poisonings are misdiagnosed or completely unreported. Currently, the federal government does not systematically monitor exposure to pesticides. Furthermore, Northern Exposure looks only at acute poisonings—those that occur immediately following exposure. It does not account for chronic poisonings where the impacts are felt over the long-term. [read more by going to their web site]

Whales and Pesticides
1.  http://whale.wheelock.edu/bwcontaminants/welcome.html
In this web-site, you will find information pertaining to our study of the buildup of such pollutants in Blue Whales of the St. Lawrence seaway. We present here new data from our study of organochlorine contaminants in blubber samples, obtained through a harmless biopsy technique, collected by the staff of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) research station.
You will also find here an overview of some relevant information regarding contaminant dynamics in the environment--their fate and accumulation, the toxic effects of organochlorines on marine mammals, and in particular a discussion of common analytical techniques for quanitifying their presence in tissue samples.

My Favourite Links: