Herbiciden

Zwei Studien zeigen erneut, dass Gewässer in landwirtschaftlich genutzten Einzugsgebieten stark mit Pflanzenschutzmitteln belastet sind. Die Konzentrationen einzelner Stoffe stellen über Monate hinweg ein Risiko für chronische Schäden der Pflanzen und Tiere im Wasser dar. Vom März bis im Oktober 2017 haben die Eawag und das Oekotoxzentrum Proben aus fünf kleineren Bächen genommen. Wie die Eawag berichtet, wurden die Einzugsgebiete der Bäche dabei jeweils unterschiedlich landwirtschaftlich genutzt. Untersucht wurden die Proben auf Pflanzenschutzmittel. Die Resultate sind besorgniserregend.

Researchers in California just demonstrated that a mere six days of eating all organic is enough to significantly reduce levels of harmful pesticides in your body. In the study, four families (with completely different backgrounds) consumed conventional products for six days and had their urine tested. Then, they ate a 100 percent organic diet for six days and had their urine tested again. The drop in pesticide levels present in their urine between tests was massive.

A new peer-reviewed study shows that eating a completely organic diet—even for just one week—can dramatically reduce the presence of pesticide levels in people, a finding that was characterized as “groundbreaking” by critics of an industrial food system that relies heavily on synthetic toxins and chemicals to grow crops and raise livestock. Published in the Environmental Research, the study—titled Organic Diet Intervention Significantly Reduces Urinary Pesticide Levels in U.S.

Today, 2,000 pesticides with 500 chemical substances are being used in Europe. However, data on how such substances affect soil quality is incomplete and fragmented, and fails to clearly reflect their overall impact on soil systems and human health. First-time research conducted in the course of two EU-funded projects, iSQAPER and RECARE, is shedding light on the state of European soils. The results are far from reassuring.

Chemical agriculture is destroying the ecosystems that sustain all life. Pesticides are a key culprit in the decline of bees, butterflies and other pollinators — leading some scientists to warn of a “second silent spring.” , Pesticides wreak havoc on the soil by killing the organisms that are the basis of soil life. And they pollute rivers, lakes and oceans, leading to fish die-offs.

To reduce your risk of cancer, you know you should quit smoking, exercise regularly, wear sunscreen, and take advantage of screening tests. New research suggests another item might be added to this list: Choose organic foods over conventional ones. A study of nearly 70,000 French adults who were tracked for an average of 4.5 years found that those who ate the most organic foods were less likely to develop certain kinds of cancer than the people who ate the least.