Pesticide Action Network's blog

New research from University of Iowa has some sobering findings on the impacts of exposure to pyrethroids. The study found that people with the highest exposure to the widely used pesticides were three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease — and 56% more likely to die from any cause within the study's follow-up period — than those with low or no exposure.

In 2017 and 2018 the U.S. EPA approved more than 100 pesticide products containing ingredients widely considered to be the most dangerous still in use, including some that have been banned in multiple countries or targeted for phaseout in the U.S.

As a mom and a children’s health advocate, I have a deep personal connection to PAN’s work. We all know how important it is to create a world that’s healthy and safe for our kids, and when it comes to food and farming, PAN is getting it done. That’s why I’ve been a proud member of the Board of Directors for the past seven years, and now serve as PAN’s Board Chair.

Last month, the government of Thailand announced plans to ban the pesticides paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos by December 1. The news was not taken well by U.S. officials, who have been pressing hard to convince Thailand not to move forward with the planned bans.

Last week, California got great news from the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) — use of the brain-harming pesticide chlorpyrifos will be forbidden in California after December 31, 2020. Chlorpyrifos has been linked to severe and permanent brain damage in young children, including ADHD, IQ loss and autism. It has also been the source of several farmworker poisonings in the state.