It turns out, the pesticides aren’t just dangerous for bees. New research
suggests they “may adversely affect the development of neurons and brain
structures associated with functions such as learning and
memory,” the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced
Tuesday<http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/12/17/eu-health-insecticides-idINL6N0JW3FH20131217>.
In response, the EFSA is recommending that maximum exposure levels be
lowered until further research can be done.
The move stems from research on
rats<http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032432>
which
concluded “neonicotinoids may adversely affect human health, especially the
developing brain”. The newborn rats studied in the experiments found those
exposed to one of the pesticides, called imidacloprid, suffered brain
shrinkage, reduced activity of the nerve signals controlling movement, and
weight loss. Another rat study found that exposure to the other pesticide,
acetamiprid, led to reduced weight, survival and response to startling
sounds.
EFSA said that for acetamiprid, the acceptable daily intake – the amount in
food or drinks that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without an
appreciable health risk – and the acceptable operator exposure level – the
maximum exposure for workers – should be cut by two-thirds. The acute
reference dose – the amount of a substance that can be ingested over a day
without an appreciable health risk – should be cut by three-quarters, EFSA
said.
For imidacloprid, the current acceptable daily intake was judged adequate,
but the other two limits should be cut by a quarter, EFSA said.
“EFSA’s concern over the neurotoxicity of neonics is a reminder that
there’s a great deal we don’t know about these systemic chemicals,” said
Lex Horan, the Midwest Organizer of the Pesticide Action
Network<http://www.panna.org/about>(PAN), in a statement. “They were
hurried through EPA’s regulatory process
with ‘conditional registrations,’ and scientific research continues to
reveal more about their harmful effects — on pollinators and beyond. These
important, common-sense moves in Europe should prompt EPA to do more to
protect bees and kids from pesticides.”
[permaculture] Bee-killing pesticides may also harm human brain development,
Lawrence London, 12/19/2013