Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog

(Beyond Pesticides, September 15, 2026) A literature review published in Farming System identifies some of the latest science, published largely between 2020 and 2026, highlighting the nontarget impacts of pesticide contamination. The authors define off-site exposure as follows: “Less than 0.1% of applied pesticides reach target pests, while the remainder contaminates soil, water, and non-target …

(Beyond Pesticides, September 14, 2026) Comments are due by 11:59 pm ET on October 1, 2026! In advance of the semi-annual meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which governs the allowed materials in certified organic food products and advises the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on organic standards, a national action is focusing attention on cleansers, sanitizers, and disinfectant…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 11, 2026) A review of environmental pollutants, published in Antioxidants, analyzes how different compounds, including pesticides, amplify oxidative stress, an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [unstable molecules that can harm cell function] and the body’s ability to detoxify them, which leads to a myriad of adverse health effects. “T…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 10, 2026) A study published in Environment International demonstrates the importance of shifting away from pesticides linked to health consequences not only for those spraying or working around pesticides, but also for residential communities exposed as a result of off-target exposure through drift. The researchers find that elevated exposure to pyrethroid and organo…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 9, 2026) What may seem to be conflicting findings on adverse effects of pesticide exposure are often a function of evaluations that test for different exposure patterns, asking different questions, using various biomarkers, and evaluating unique pathways. In science, true legitimate scientific controversy on study findings is defined by an inability to replicate a st…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 8, 2026) Because the movement of pesticides off of farms and treated landscapes is a daily occurrence without adequate protection, a national action calls on Governors “to prohibit the use of drift-prone pesticides and all pesticides that do not comply with pesticide label restrictions (designating the site, crop, or pest) because of regular nontarget drift or runoff…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 4, 2026) This Labor Day is a reminder of the failure of existing labor law for landless farmers (farmworkers) to collectively bargain for the prevention of occupational pesticide exposure and demands for basic workplace protections that extend to heat stress, language accessibility, and freedom from harassment and intimidation. Labor Day is also a reminder that milli…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 3, 2026) Across ten European countries, the health and makeup of microbial organisms (soil microbiome), which serve as critical building blocks for healthy soil ecosystems at the microscopic level, are threatened by pesticides. The study identifies measurable levels of numerous pesticides and mixtures of pesticides (including several fungicides, copper, and the glyph…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 2, 2026) In a study of the herbicide 2,4-D and thyroid cancer in the U.S., researchers find that 2,4-D exposure is significantly associated with greater thyroid cancer incidence in rural counties. Utilizing incidence rates for thyroid cancer for 2017–2021 through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) database and county-level 2,4-D use data from the U.…

(Beyond Pesticides, September 1, 2026) A study of prenatal exposure to organophosphate esters, published in Environmental Research, documents a link to behavioral problems in early childhood. Organophosphate esters (OPEs), which form the chemical backbone of organophosphate pesticides (OPs), are a broad group of synthetic chemicals used in a wide array of products. Organophosphate insecticides, s…