pesticides

Some books take you on epic emotional journeys, while others provide you with knowledge and insights on a new subject. To Dye For, an account of the toxic evolution of fast fashion by Alden Wicker — from its mauvine- and arsenic-tinted beginnings to the takeover of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — does both. It […]

The peels of the aloe vera plant — as aloe barbadensis is commonly called — are routinely thrown away as agricultural waste, but scientists have found that these rinds can ward off bugs, acting as a natural insecticide for crops. The aloe plant has been used for millennia in the treatment of wounds, skin problems […]

A new study led by researchers from The University of Sydney has found that agricultural pesticides leach into the world’s rivers and oceans each year at an alarming rate, damaging a variety of ecosystems. Every year, agricultural operations around the world use more than three million tons of pesticides, but not a lot is known […]

In a new study, scientists have identified high levels of chemicals in the sea off the southern coasts of England. The chemicals include drugs that could be harming marine life. The Clean Harbours Partnership, along with Portsmouth University, Brunel University and local interest groups, collected hundreds of samples along the coasts of Hampshire and West […]

Organic farming methods mean less pesticides in our soil and food. They ensure agricultural runoff won’t contain toxic chemicals that can make their way into our waterways, polluting the water supply and potentially harming wildlife and ecosystems. They also consider animal welfare. So why do farmers continue to use synthetic pesticides? The answer is simple: […]

Toxic polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals” have been found in everything from products like cleaners, cosmetics and grease-resistant food packaging to air, water and soil — even in remote locations — as well as human blood. Now, some of the most commonly used food pesticides in the U.S. have been found to be contaminated with […]

Bees need a balanced diet of nectar, which gives them carbohydrates in the form of sugars, and pollen, which provides fat and protein, from a wide variety of plant sources. Different bee species have their own nutritional needs, but no healthy bee diet includes pesticides. According to new findings by scientists from Trinity College Dublin […]

In 2020, University of California (UC), Santa Barbara, scientist David Valentine used a deep-sea robot to confirm that the largest dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) maker in the U.S. had dumped tens of thousands of barrels of the toxic pesticide off the Los Angeles coast. “Holy crap. This is real,” Valentine told the Los Angeles Times of his […]