permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>]

It is common knowledge that Chlorpyrifos has been found in municipal compost or uncomposted mulch made from yard waste 
collected from yards where this pesticide has been used by the homeowner or business but this news adds incentive to
efforts to identify and avoid such material destined for clean 
organic/sustainable sites. - LL

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] Chlorpyrifos impacts brain, throid, learning ability of 
female offspring at ultra-low dose
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:07:47 -0500
From: Bowman, Greg <greg.bowman@RODALEINST.ORG>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Tiny pesticide exposure during pregnancy can have long-term impact on
female offspring



University of Wisconsin researchers' study confirms chlorpyrifos levels
far below "toxic" threshold can impair learning, change brain function
and alter thyroid levels into adulthood for tested mice.



http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/20091110/porter_chlorpyrifos_tiny_dose_pr
egnancy_impact_daughters



Excerpts from Rodale Institute story:



A new animal study accentuates the risk of ultra-low levels of the
common pesticide chlorpyrifos to cause long-lasting birth defects in
female offspring of exposed mothers. The daughters exhibited learning
delays, disturbed brain function and altered thyroid levels.
Significantly, these symptoms resulted from low toxicity exposure during
late gestation-an impact route not even part of current regulatory
pesticide testing.

Damage at these doses highlights vulnerability during gestation from
toxins even at the parts per billion level.



In a paper published October 29 by the Reproductive Toxicology (1), a
peer-reviewed academic journal, a team of researchers from the
University of Wisconsin, Department of Zoology, detail their findings
from research on pregnant female mice exposed to minute levels of
chlorpyrifos late in gestation.



The results are dramatic because of the tiny doses involved, and because
of the near ubiquity of chlorpyrifos present in humans. The pesticide is
highly regulated because of its known hazards to human health, but is
still used widely in food production, ornamental horticulture and
treating buildings for insects.



Haviland JA, et al. Long-term sex selective hormonal and behavior
alterations in mice exposed to low doses of chlorpyrifos in utero.

Reproductive Toxicology (2009), doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2009.10.008



The Haviland, et al, paper in Reproductive Toxicology will be accessible
at

http://www.citeulike.org/article/6050702. (access fee)





Greg Bowman

Communications Manager

Rodale Institute

611 Siegfriedale Road

Kutztown PA 19530

O - 610.683.1470

BB - 610.741.7989

Greg.bowman@rodaleinst.org

www.rodaleinstitute.org <http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/>