Study Finds Pesticide Use Linked to Parkinson’s in Rocky Mountain, Great Plains Region

Pesticides and herbicides used in farming have been linked to Parkinson’s disease in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains region of the country, according to a preliminary study released today, February 27, 2024, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online.

An Environmental Wake-Up Call for Neurology

The Presidential Symposium at the American Neurological Association’s 2022 Annual Meeting (ANA2022) in Chicago will shine a spotlight on the role of environmental exposures — air pollution, pesticides, microplastics, and more — in diseases like dementias and developmental disorders.

A midge fly can be a source of currently used pesticides for birds, bats

Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have observed that non-biting midge larvae accumulate contemporary pesticides from polluted water and retain the substances into adulthood. As a result, animals that eat the adult flies could consume small amounts of pesticides daily.

Americans should see improved water quality after federal judge strikes down water pollution rule, WVU scientist says

Nicolas Zegre, a hydrology researcher at West Virginia University, is available to discuss the recent ruling tossing Trump-era regulations allowing pollution — including industrial waste, pesticides and other chemicals — to be discharged into small streams and other waterways.

Protecting gardens and crops from insects using the ‘smell of fear’

Herbivorous insects are a threat to gardeners’ hard work, and are increasingly resistant to pesticides. Today, scientists report they have bottled the “smell of fear” from predators to repel destructive insects without the need for harsh substances. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2021.

Experimental Biology 2021 Press Materials Available Now

Embargoed press materials are now available for the virtual Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, featuring cutting-edge multidisciplinary research from across the life sciences. EB 2021, to be held April 27–30, is the annual meeting of five scientific societies bringing together thousands of scientists and 25 guest societies in one interdisciplinary community.

Bacteria Can Defuse Dangerous Chemical In Passaic River

Bacteria that can help defuse highly toxic dioxin in sediments in the Passaic River – a Superfund hazardous waste site – could eventually aid cleanup efforts at other dioxin-contaminated sites around the world, according to Rutgers scientists. Their research, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, needs further work to realize the full potential of the beneficial bottom-dwelling microbes.

Poison control: Chasing the antidote

A fast-acting antidote to mitigate the effects of organophosphate poisoning requires a reactivator that can effectively and efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier, bind loosely to the enzyme, chemically snatch the poison and then leave quickly. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is using neutron diffraction data towards improving a novel reactivator design.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Earthwise Lawn and Landscape Care, Farming

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William T. Hlubik is available for interviews on environmentally friendly lawn and landscape care, sustainable gardening and agriculture, home and commercial vegetable and small fruit production, and how to…

Lights out? Fireflies face extinction threats of habitat loss, light pollution, pesticides

Habitat loss, pesticide use and, artificial light are the three most serious threats endangering fireflies across the globe, raising the spectre of extinction for certain species whose features render them more vulnerable to specific threats. Impacts range from loss of biodiversity to ecotourism.