Persistent global pesticides threatens biodiversity. Really!

Maybe persistent demagoguery about pesticides since the 1960s! We have been having this discussion about the use of pesticides for several decades! It seems the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages or dangers!

More alarmism and hysteria about pesticides! What are the alternatives (less toxic pesticides, organic agriculture etc.)! Are these alternatives realistic at large scale!

If pesticides were so dangerous, we would be all dead now!

I also have a strong hunch that the metric used in this study, i.e. "total applied toxicity (TAT)" is possibly seriously flawed!

"...  a new analysis published last week in Science. Researchers combined safety thresholds from seven international regulatory agencies to follow a single toxicity metric created by the United Nations (UN) called “total applied toxicity” (TAT). They then applied TAT to 625 pesticides, 65 countries, and eight ecological groups including fish, pollinators, terrestrial vertebrates, and even aquatic and terrestrial plants.

The metric revealed that global ecological toxicity increased during the study period of 2013 to 2019. Not all creatures suffered equally; toxicity rose 27% for fish and 43% for terrestrial arthropods, for example. Unsurprisingly, big agricultural powerhouses were big polluters: Brazil, India, Russia, and the United States contributed as much as two-thirds of the toxicity. Crops like fruits, vegetables, maize, soybean, rice, and cereals contributed up to 83% of global TAT. ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

During the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference, countries committed to reducing pesticide risk by 50% by 2030. To determine whether the world is on track to do so, Wolfram et al. looked at trends in usage and total applied toxicity (TAT) across more than 600 pesticides and eight species groups globally. They found that TAT has increased for most of these groups, but also that the majority of this impact comes from the 20 or so pesticides most commonly used in agriculture and from the largest crop-producing countries. Increased adoption of organic agriculture and shifts to less toxic pesticides are required to meet global commitments. ...

Abstract

The 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) obligates all countries to reduce pesticide risks by 50% by 2030. In this study, we derived the trends of total applied toxicity (TAT) globally between 2013 and 2019, weighting applied masses by ecotoxicity, of 625 pesticides for eight species groups to assess pathways toward this reduction goal.

We found that the TAT of most species groups has increased; that only 20 ± 14 pesticides per group define >90% of the TAT nationally;

that fruits, vegetables, maize, soybean, rice, and other cereals contribute 76 to 83% of the global TAT; and that 

China, Brazil, the United States, and India contribute 53 to 68% of the global TAT.

Our target achievement categorization shows that substantial actions, combining shifts to less-toxic pesticides, increased adoption of organic agriculture, and also provision of national pesticide use data, will be required globally to approach the United Nations’ target."

ScienceAdviser

Increasing applied pesticide toxicity trends counteract the global reduction target to safeguard biodiversity (open access)

Fig. 1. Global trends of the total applied toxicity of pesticides used in agriculture.

In fish, chronic low dose exposure of common pesticide speed aging and death. Really!

Is this research part of the usual, frequently repeated propaganda and demagoguery regarding pesticides?

The featured research is about a single fish species and it is a predator fish!

Apparently, the researchers did not rule out any other factors that could have caused the shorter lifespans of this fish species in some of the lakes. How amateurish!

This research was done in China. How much does the Communist Party of China care for the environment and health? In general communist countries have a very bad historical record when it comes to protecting the environment.

"In fish, low doses of common pesticide speed aging and death

Chronic exposure to pesticides and other pollutants can devastate wildlife populations—sometimes in dramatically obvious ways. But more often, the exact cause of harm remains a mystery. Now, a study published this week in Science finds that the widely used insecticide chlorpyrifos speeds up aging in a common lake fish by shortening the protective caps on its chromosomes, leading to premature death. ..."

"... The research began with field studies in China where collaborators examined thousands of fish collected over several years from lakes with differing levels of pesticide contamination. Rohr and colleagues observed that fish living in contaminated lakes lacked older individuals, while populations in relatively uncontaminated lakes included many older fish. This pattern suggested that fish were not failing to add to their populations, but rather were dying earlier in life. ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Most studies of the negative effects of pesticides focus on acute lethality, but we are increasingly recognizing that chronic, low-dose exposure has pernicious effects. Huang et al. studied the effects of low but chronic exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos on the lake skygazer, a predatory fish common in lake ecosystems in China. They found that in lakes with persistent low-dose exposure, these fish had shorter telomeres, and the population was made up of mostly younger fish. Experiments in the lab confirmed that exposing fish to low doses of the pesticide shortened telomeres. ...

Abstract

Low concentrations of chemicals are widespread in the environment, but exploration of the effects of their chronic exposures on animal life span in the wild is limited.

Field investigations showed that fish populations of lake skygazer (Culter dabryi) with chronic low-dose chlorpyrifos loads had shortened telomeres and truncated age structures.

Laboratory experiments confirmed that chronic low-dose chlorpyrifos exposure induced telomere degradation and reduced survival in a dose- and physiological age–dependent manner, whereas acute high-dose exposure did not.

Together, these studies provide evidence that chronic low-level chlorpyrifos exposure reduces life span and population viability in a wild fish by accelerating physiological aging.

Given the pervasive presence of low pesticide concentrations in the environment and the conserved mechanisms of aging across vertebrates, these findings raise concerns that even low doses of pesticides may pose long-term risks to longevity."

ScienceAdviser

Long-term pesticide exposure accelerates aging and shortens lifespan in fish (original news release)

Chronic low-dose exposure to chlorpyrifos reduces life span in a wild fish by accelerating aging (no public access)

Blaming pesticides and other chemicals for parkinson disease. Really!

It is so easy and convenient to blame some chemicals for all kinds of diseases/disorders! Alarmism and hysteria again! Of course the article is laced with several tragic reports of individuals (the old trick: emotions trump facts)!

How many demagogues have tried this kind of propaganda over the past 50 or more years? Too many! Here is another one! Yawn, yawn!

However, we have lived with those chemicals for a long time!

As the chart below indicates (see age >=70), the recent increase in Parkinson's cases has more to do with aging/longevity/longer life spans than to be caused by chemicals.

P.S. I am not saying that these chemicals are harmless!

"Once rare, Parkinson's disease is now the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease, with a new case diagnosed every 6 minutes in the US. Why? I argue that it's lax regulation of toxic chemicals, from pesticides to those used in dry cleaning [???]" (The author's X post)

Global Health NOW: Women Denied Aid in Afghanistan; Contraceptive Gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa; and Mass-Producing Mosquitoes in Brazil

The Clue to Unlocking Parkinson’s May Be All Around Us

Figure 1. Secular Trends in Incidence Rates (Period Effects). (Source)

Suicide by pesticide: One of the globally leading causes of suicide in agricultural areas

Bad news! Why are not more countries banning or restricting the use of  dangerous pesticides?

"Curbing Pesticides to Save Lives

Suriname has one of the world's highest suicide rates, largely due to the pesticide paraquat—which is lethal even in tiny doses and is widely available in homes across the country. 

Global perspective: Pesticides are one of the leading means of suicide in agricultural areas of developing nations, leading to 100,000+ suicides annually. 

Banning paraquat and other pesticides has led to dramatic drops in suicide rates in other countries including Sri Lanka (70%+), South Korea (~50%), and China (60%). 

Ongoing efforts: The charity Open Philanthropy funded the launch in 2017 of the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, and the [UNEP] Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides was formed in 2023 to phase out use of the deadliest pesticides in agricultural areas where risks have not been managed."

"... Developed by the chemical company Syngenta, paraquat is now banned in the European Union and China, as well as scattered other countries around the world, but it is still in widespread use elsewhere. The United States permits its use in nonresidential settings, requiring that buyers be trained and certified. ..."

UN Aid Cuts Force ‘Hyper-prioritizedʼ Plan; Deaths on the Street in Portland; and Memory Cafes Bridge a Gap

A Killer Within Easy Reach "Pesticides are a leading means of suicide. The tiny nation of Suriname is working to restrict access to one of the most common and dangerous ones."

Guardian Ag’s crop-spraying drone is replacing dangerous pilot missions

Good news!

"Every year during the growing season, thousands of pilots across the country climb into small planes loaded with hundreds of pounds of pesticides and fly extremely close to the ground at upward of 140 miles an hour, unloading their cargo onto rows of corn, cotton, and soybeans.

The world of agricultural aviation is as dangerous as it is vital to America’s farms. Unfortunately, fatal crashes are common.

Now Guardian Ag ... is offering an alternative in the form of a large, purpose-built drone that can autonomously deliver 200-pound payloads across farms. The company’s drones feature an 18-foot spray radius, 80-inch rotors, a custom battery pack, and aerospace-grade materials designed to make crop spraying more safe, efficient, and inexpensive for farmers. ..."

Guardian Ag’s crop-spraying drone is replacing dangerous pilot missions | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology "Founded by two former regulars at the MITERS makerspace, the company has built huge, rugged drones to more safely and sustainably apply fertilizers and pesticides on farms."

They even sprinkle the lawn in front of the US Capitol!

Scientists develop supplement to protect bees from pesticides

Good news! Human ingenuity at its best!

The weeds are winning against pesticides. Really!

It is only a matter of time that human ingenuity will tackle this issue! 

No reason for alarmism and hysteria!

But it also tells us that nature is much more able to adopt than we acknowledge!

"Since the 1980s, more and more plants have evolved to become immune to the biochemical mechanisms that herbicides leverage to kill them. This herbicidal resistance threatens to decrease yields—out-of-control weeds can reduce them by 50% or more, and extreme cases can wipe out whole fields.

At worst, it can even drive farmers out of business. It’s the agricultural equivalent of antibiotic resistance, and it keeps getting worse. Weeds have evolved resistance to 168 different herbicides and 21 of the 31 known “modes of action,” which means the specific biochemical target or pathway a chemical is designed to disrupt.

Agriculture needs to embrace a diversity of weed control practices. But that’s much easier said than done. ..."

The weeds are winning

EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce: The Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables

The website is extremely professional and annoying, almost commercial in appearance! They claim, they represent 30 million people???? "The Environmental Working Group is a community 30 million strong, working to protect our environmental health by changing industry standards."

This alarmism and hysteria about pesticide in our diet goes back at least till the 1960s. So tiresome! We should be all dead now! In the meantime, pesticides have also advanced a lot to be safer and are used less and less. What is the alternative to pesticides?

Notice: Besides nice pictures, they don't tell you how much and what kind of pesticides these fruits and vegetables contain. 

EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce | Dirty Dozen

Credits: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Global Health NOW

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