In the Press (all articles)

"Being a parent has shaped my 25 years at PAN in fundamental ways. My first several years with the organization I was part of a job-share with another young mom, tag-teaming our organizing efforts to win a global ban of the fumigant pesticide methyl bromide. The more I learned about this dangerous chemical, the more protective I felt of our infant daughter Linnea — and the more horrified I was about the millions of children around the world who are regularly exposed to this and other pesticides. In 1999 our son Connor was born. After my maternity leave I dove into work on the Stockholm Convention, an international treaty that targets persistent organic pollutants for global phaseout. These chemicals travel the globe and biomagnify up the food chain, building up in the fatty tissues of our …

Reflections, Part Two: Kids, pesticides & scienceRead More

As I look back on two and a half decades of work with PAN, I see one very clear through-line: aggressive industry efforts, year after year, to block any and all initiatives that threaten their bottom line. These efforts look different in different arenas, but the playbook is the same: cozy up to those with decision-making power, intimidate activists pressing for change, and throw money (lots!) at controlling the story. Oh — and regularly consolidate/rebrand your way out of trouble too. When I first started with PAN in 1996, I joined our global campaign to phase out methyl bromide under the Montreal Protocol, a global treaty to control ozone-depleting chemicals. A broad-spectrum biocide, methyl bromide is also a potent ozone depleter that was being targeted for a global ban. Read entire …

Reflections, Part One: Pesticide industry’s playbookRead More

Human DNA can be extracted from the ‘cement’ head lice used to glue their eggs to hairs thousands of years ago, scientists have found, which could provide an important new window into the past. In a new study, scientists for the first time recovered DNA from cement on hairs taken from mummified remains that date back 1,500-2,000 years. This is possible because skin cells from the scalp become encased in the cement produced by female lice as they attach eggs, known as nits, to the hair.EurekAlert: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/938695 …

Nits on ancient mummies shed light on South American ancestryRead More

A past report demonstrates an association between cancer and pesticides such as 2,4-D, glyphosate, lindane, and DDT.A study published in Environment International finds higher rates of various cancers among agricultural workers, with multiple myeloma (blood cancer) and melanoma (skin cancer) disproportionately impacting female farmers. Although research studies link cancer risk to genetic and external factors (e.g., cigarette smoke), there is increasing evidence that pesticide exposure augments the risk of developing common cancers like melanoma and less common cancers like multiple myeloma. This study highlights the importance of understanding how pesticide use can increase the risk of latent diseases, which do not immediately develop upon initial exposure. From: Beyond Pesticides, …

Women in Agricultural Work at Increased Risk for Skin and Blood Cancers from Pesticide ExposureRead More

Here’s an eyebrow-raising sight. This month, doctors in China reported on a rare case of phthiriasis palpebrarum, or an infestation of pubic lice on the eyelashes, complete with clear images of the itchy offenders. Though it’s not clear how the lice ended up on the young patient, doctors were able to treat her infestation with no issues.The case report was published July 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine by doctors Xue Feng and Hong Qi from the Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing, China. According to the report, a 8-year-old girl visited the hospital after experiencing three weeks of itchy eyelids. Upon examination, the eyelids were reddened. And when the doctors looked closer, they spotted the clear presence of adult lice and nits on the girl’s eyelashes. The lice were then …

Here’s What Lice Infesting Your Eyelashes Looks LikeRead More

The present research was carried out to investigate the prevalence of head lice and related effective features among students in primary schools of Ahvaz County; Iran; to suitable training programs via improve the health promotion of the students in this county during winter 2016 and spring 2017. The sample size was 5930 students that was determined by using a single population proportion formula. In this analytical-descriptive study, samples were selected by a multistep, classification random sampling strategy. The data was collected in two parts, a carefully visual examination of the hair and scalp with head lice comb, and an interview to complete a questionnaire about epidemiologic factors. The collected data was evaluated using SPSS software, version 22. These data were compared using …

Assessment of the prevalence of pediculosis capitis and related effective features among primary schoolchildren in Ahvaz County, Southwest of IranRead More

"According to an investigation done on male pesticide applicators, exposure to pesticides such as metalaxyl and lindane was associated with an increased risk for thyroid cancer... 'Many pesticides are known to have thyroid-disrupting properties. However, few studies have evaluated the association between specific pesticide ingredients and risk of thyroid cancer. We investigated self-reported pesticide use and incident thyroid cancer in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), a large cohort of occupationally-exposed male pesticide applicators,' explained Catherine C. Lerro, PhD, MPH, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues. The AHS prospective cohort consists of licensed pesticide applicators from Iowa and North …

Pesticide Exposure Linked to Increased Risk for Thyroid CancerRead More