Scientists discuss improved biopesticides for locust control in West Africa
Two Virginia Tech scientists contributed by invitation to an international scientific meeting called by Abdoulaye Wade, president of Senegal, to identify strategies for the control of the ongoing locust outbreak in West Africa. Last year, locusts stripped fields of crops and trees of foliage across several countries, causing severe income and food supply loss. Larry Vaughan, associate pro...Green catalyst destroys pesticides and munitions toxins, finds Carnegie Mellon University
Results reported at American Chemical Society meetingA chemical catalyst developed at Carnegie Mellon University completely destroys dangerous nitrophenols in laboratory tests, according to Arani Chanda, a doctoral student who is presenting his findings on Sunday, Aug. 28, at the 230th meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Washington, D.C. (Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemi...Pesticides in the nation's streams and ground water
Today, the U.S. Geological Survey released a report describing the occurrence of pesticides in streams and ground water during 1992-2001. The report concludes that pesticides are typically present throughout the year in most streams in urban and agricultural areas of the Nation, but are less common in ground water. The report also concludes that pesticides are seldom at concentrations likely to...Biotech cotton provides same yield with fewer pesticides
Arizona farmers receive the same yield/acre, use fewer chemical insecticides and maintain insect biodiversity when they plant the biotech cotton known as Bt cotton, according to new research. "What w...Pesticides need sunscreen to beat the heat
A pesticide with a new in-built sunscreen will help farmers beat the heat in crop protection. This means that the bug sprays last longer, as they are protected from the strong rays of sunshine, reports Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI. This is becoming increasingly important as temperatures rise, with the Met Office announcing that several heat records were broken in the UK this...Exposure to Pesticides in Schools Produces Illnesses Among Employees, Students
The number of school children getting affected by illnesses due to exposure to //pesticides have increased significantly, from the figures of 1998 to 2002, reports a research in the recent issue of JAMA. “Exposure to pesticides in the school environment is a health risk facing children and school employees,” background information in the article states. Pesticides continue to be used b...Link Between Pesticides And Cancer Minimal For Adults
Researchers from the Liverpool University have said that people should not unnecessarily panic over the frequent claims of pesticides// causing cancer. The study, which appears in the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, said that it was most probably, children and the very elderly who were at risk from pesticides. The researchers reviewed over 300 studies on the effects...Exposure to Pesticides May Raise the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease in Me
According to a new study, men who are exposed to pesticides that is used for killing bugs or weeds are at the high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease //. Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that affects the control of muscles and so may affect movement, speech and posture. Mayo Clinic researchers Roberta Frigerio and others studied 149 patients who developed...Presence of Pesticides and Metals in Fruits and Vegetable
The Registration Committee constituted under Section 5 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 registers pesticides only after satisfying itself regarding their efficacy and safety.// Toxicity and residues data generated under supervised trials is analyzed and used to fix Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and Rules f...Pesticides Linked to High Risk of Pediatric Cancers - a Study Unveils
According to a study finding of Ron Matsusaki, a doctor from Canada, rare pediatric cancers have been found in potato-farming community of 14,000 //residents on the western tip of Canada's Prince Edward Island. According to his report, cancers are usually found in patients who live near a toxic waste site. The farming community is known to be severely polluted with pesticides 80 percent of which...