High exposure to multiple pesticides may cause childhood and adolescent cancers, especially brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide best known as the active ingredient in Roundup®, has significantly harmed the health of babies in rural U.S. communities over the last two decades—especially those already at risk of poor birth outcomes, new research shows.
Long-term exposure to even small amounts of air pollution from vehicles promotes abnormal changes in the liver—potentially increasing the risk of fatty liver disease, according to new research in mice. Mice exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5, or tiny pollutant particles of 2.5 micrometers or less) for 12 weeks showed inflammation in the liver, more … Even low levels of traffic air pollution can damage the liver, new study shows
With legal and shareholder pressure mounting, Bayer AG on Thursday was preparing to launch an initiative to “regain public trust” after its acquisition last year of Monsanto Co. brought Bayer thousands of lawsuits filed by cancer victims and damning revelations of corporate deception surrounding years of health concerns about Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup herbicides. The plan … Bayer Internal Emails Says Seeks to “Regain Public Trust” Amid Monsanto Mess
A senior scientist at the former Monsanto Co. on Tuesday told jurors in a California trial that regulators around the world support the company’s position that its glyphosate-based herbicides, such as the popular Roundup brand, are safe for users. Donna Farmer, who worked as a toxicologist at Monsanto for more than two decades and now … Monsanto scientist tells jurors company’s side of Roundup cancer controversy
Drinking water contaminated by human-made “forever chemicals” appears to impair children’s immunity, potentially increasing the risk of common childhood infections, new research shows.
The risk of developing certain cancers may be higher for people exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — also known as “forever chemicals” — in U.S. drinking water, according to a first-of-its-kind ecological study led by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
USRTK Research Director Carey Gillam’s new book is out now and garnering glowing reviews. Here is a brief description of the book from publisher Island Press: Lee Johnson was a man with simple dreams. All he wanted was a steady job and a nice home for his wife and children, something better than the hard … The Monsanto Papers – Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man’s Search for Justice
(Updated June 10 with state regulatory announcement about seed company clean-up efforts.) An “environmental catastrophe” unfolding in Nebraska is drawing scrutiny from around the United States and sparking questions about why regulators were unwilling or unable to rein in years of questionable activities by the company known as AltEn LLC. AltEn has been operating an … “Environmental catastrophe” in Nebraska tied to pesticide-contaminating plant; See regulatory docs on AltEn neonicotinoid problems
(Update with EPA explanation) In an unusual move, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted the name of a high-ranking U.S. health official from a public comment that warned of cancer links to the weed killing chemical glyphosate and called for a halt to industry manipulation of research. The public comment in question was submitted … EPA removes name of U.S. official from warning of glyphosate cancer links
The mysterious delay of what was supposed to be a closely watched St. Louis showdown over claims that Monsanto’s Roundup herbicides cause cancer has stirred speculation that a settlement may be in the offing and heartened investors in Monsanto’s German owner Bayer, who feared a fourth trial loss. The trial in St. Louis, Monsanto’s former … Speculation Over Settlement as Roundup Cancer Trial Postponed
A federal judge on Monday had harsh words for Bayer AG’s plan to delay potential future Roundup cancer lawsuits and block jury trials, criticizing the highly unusual proposal crafted by Bayer and a small group of plaintiffs’ attorneys as potentially unconstitutional. The “Court is skeptical of the propriety and fairness of the proposed settlement, and … Court frowns on Bayer’s proposed Roundup class-action settlement
Insiders at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have alleged dozens of violations of the agency’s “scientific integrity ” policy over the last few years, including complaints of political interference and tampering with chemical risk assessments, but nearly all the complaints have been ignored, according to an analysis conducted by a nonprofit group representing EPA employees. … EPA’s “scientific integrity” program lacks teeth, group alleges
Increased exposure to outdoor air pollution in early life can make it harder for children to learn and process information, especially in terms of critical thinking and non-verbal tasks, a new study reports.
Ultra-processed foods can accelerate aging and the decline of your body’s health, even if you generally eat healthy foods, say Italian researchers in a new report based on the largest population study of its kind in Europe.
Monsanto and Bayer’s PR helpers are an industry unto themselves.
Exposure to dangerous chemicals disproportionately impacts the health of women and girls worldwide, creating a human rights crisis that demands government intervention, says a United Nations report.
Faster progress towards ending tobacco smoking over the next three decades could extend lives and prevent millions of premature deaths worldwide, making it one of the single most critical health interventions, a new study shows.
Two new studies underscore the urgency of research on microplastic, reporting that potential health and environmental risks from “leave-on” cosmetic and personal care products are largely ignored by researchers and regulators.
American officials worried that calling out the Wuhan Institute of Virology would “demand access that we ourselves would never provide.”
On January 10, 2021 The Guardian published this story about a small rural Nebraska community that has been struggling for at least two years with contamination tied to neonicotinoid-coated corn seed. The source is an area ethanol plant that has been marketing itself as a free “recycling” location for seed companies such as Bayer, Syngenta … Neonicotinoids: a growing concern
A plan to delay any new Roundup cancer claims for years and shift the key question of whether or not the weed killer causes cancer from a jury to a hand-picked panel of scientists faces potential opposition from some of the plaintiffs’ attorneys who initiated and led the mass tort claims against Roundup maker Monsanto, … Challenge eyed to class action plan for Bayer Roundup settlement
A trial set to start next week over claims that Monsanto’s Roundup weed killers cause cancer has been postponed until at least next year, according to a judge’s ruling on Friday. The trial would have been the first of its kind to take place in the St. Louis area, Monsanto’s hometown before the company sold … Another St. Louis Roundup Cancer Trial Officially Postponed Until 2020
As Bayer AG seeks to discount concerns that Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicides cause cancer, several new studies are raising questions about the chemical’s potential impact on reproductive health. An assortment of animal studies released this summer indicate that glyphosate exposures impact reproductive organs and could threaten fertility, adding fresh evidence that the weed killing agent might … New weed killer studies raise concern for reproductive health
A new animal study by a group of European researchers has found that low levels of the weed killing chemical glyphosate and the glyphosate-based Roundup product can alter the composition of the gut microbiome in ways that may be linked to adverse health outcomes. The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is … New study finds glyphosate-related alterations in gut microbiome
A federal judge appointed to coordinate proceedings for claims that Syngenta AG’s paraquat weed killers cause Parkinson’s disease said Wednesday she was setting a jury trial date for Nov. 15, 2022. U.S. Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of the Southern District of Illinois issued the order in an initial hearing with lawyers from multiple firms who are … U.S. judge sets trial in litigation against Syngenta alleging weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease
A federal judge has denied Swiss chemical company Syngenta’s effort to throw out one of a growing number of lawsuits alleging the company’s weed killing products cause Parkinson’s Disease. The decision offers a boost for the expanding number of law firms and plaintiffs making similar claims. In an April 12 ruling, U.S. District Judge John … Federal court rejects Syngenta’s bid to toss lawsuit over paraquat herbicide
Six more lawsuits alleging Syngenta’s weed killing pesticide paraquat causes Parkinson’s Disease were filed last week in Pennsylvania, California and Illinois, adding to more than a dozen similar lawsuits already filed in U.S. courts. The lawsuits all allege that exposure to paraquat, which is banned in more than 30 countries though not in the … Paraquat litigation grows, first trial set for May 10
(UPDATED May 18 with pretrial order) As Bayer AG works to put an end to costly litigation over alleged connections between Roundup herbicide and cancer, the company faces a critical hearing on Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco. At issue in the hearing is a proposed $2 billion class action settlement structured by Bayer … Key court hearing Wednesday in Bayer cancer liability litigation
A U.S. judicial panel has ordered the pretrial consolidation of dozens of lawsuits against Syngenta and Chevron over allegations that paraquat weed killer, which has been used widely around the world for more than 50 years, causes Parkinson’s disease. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation said that “to date, 77 actions and potential tag-along … Consolidation approved for lawsuits against Syngenta and Chevron over herbicide
See Carey Gillam’s article in The Guardian, Corporate studies asserting herbicide safety show many flaws, new analysis finds (July 2, 2021). In this post we provide links to the 53 once-secret studies and related materials. Questions about the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) have persisted for years, as scientific research has split over whether or … New analysis of glyphosate industry studies finds them outdated, flawed
Children’s health expert Ruth Etzel on Monday testified in a public hearing that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) worked to silence and harass her, removing her from a top-level position after she complained about agency delays in advancing a lead poisoning prevention program. In testimony before Merit Systems Protection Board Judge Joel Alexander, Etzel described … EPA whistleblower testifies her advocacy for stronger health protections drew agency retaliation
Syngenta AG is facing a growing number of U.S. lawsuits over allegations that its paraquat herbicide causes Parkinson’s disease, with a Fresno, California man pushing for an expedited trial that potentially would start within the next few months, and multiple plaintiffs’ lawyers jockeying for power and influence over future trial proceedings. Plaintiff George Isaak used … Litigation against Syngenta grows; lawyers fight over evidence and trial dates
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a long and well-documented history of questionable conduct when it comes to regulation of chemicals important to the profit centers for many large and powerful corporations. Numerous examples show a pattern of agency actions that allow for the use of dangerous chemicals by consumers, farmers, groundskeepers and others … EPA exposed for hiding chemical risks, favoring corporate interests
Multiple lawsuits are pending in the United States against Syngenta alleging the weedkilling chemical paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease. A notice of settlement was filed June 18, 2021 for several paraquat cases. See this document. But more than 400 lawsuits are pending. The lawsuits name Syngenta as well as Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. and Growmark Inc. … Paraquat Papers – Updates to U.S. litigation
After two costly courtroom losses, lawyers for Monsanto and its German owner Bayer AG on Wednesday were set to make closing arguments in what is the third trial brought by people who blame their cancers on use of Monsanto’s Roundup and other glyphosate-based weed killer brands. Plaintiffs Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a married couple in … Sparks to Fly in Closing Arguments at Third Roundup Cancer Trial
After three stunning courtroom losses in California, the legal battle over the safety of Monsanto’s top-selling Roundup herbicide is headed for the company’s hometown, where corporate officials can be forced to appear on the witness stand, and legal precedence shows a history of anti-corporate judgments. Sharlean Gordon, an cancer-stricken woman in her 50s, is the … Up Next – Trial In Monsanto’s Hometown Set for August After $2 Billion Roundup Cancer Verdict
ACalifornia appeals court should reject efforts by Monsanto to overturn a jury verdict awarding millions of dollars to a school groundskeeper and approve $250 million in punitive damages the jury ordered a year ago this month in the first Roundup cancer trial, according to a brief in the case filed Monday. The brief filed by … “Serious, Deadly Injury” Cited in New Appeals Court Filing Over Roundup Cancer Claims
The heaviest of Big Ag’s heavy hitters told a federal court it should not try to stop GMO cotton and soybean farmers from using illegal dicamba weed killers through the end of July, despite the court’s order earlier this month for an immediate ban. Six national trade associations, all of which have long-standing financial ties … Big Ag groups argue court cannot tell EPA when to ban dicamba
In an expensive clean-up of Monsanto litigation messes, Bayer AG said Wednesday that it will pay out more than $10 billion to settle tens of thousands of U.S. claims brought against Monsanto over its Roundup herbicide, as well as $400 million to resolve lawsuits over Monsanto’s dicamba herbicide and $650 million for PCB pollution claims. … Bayer settles U.S. Roundup, dicamba and PCB litigation for more than $10 billion
Scientists brought more bad news to light regarding the widely used herbicide glyphosate, better known as Roundup, in a new research paper published this month. Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland revealed in a paper published in the journal Science of The Total Environment that manure from poultry used as fertilizer can decrease … Glyphosate in chicken poop used as fertilizer is hurting food production, researchers say
A year ago Thailand was set to ban the widely used weed killing chemical glyphosate, a move applauded by public health advocates because of evidence the chemical causes cancer, along with other harms to people and the environment. But under heavy pressure from U.S. officials, Thailand’s government reversed the planned ban on glyphosate last November … Thailand’s reversal on glyphosate ban came after Bayer scripted U.S. intervention, documents show
By Stacy Malkan USA Today fell to a new low in science and election coverage this week with a column speculating about presidential candidate Donald Trump’s science agenda, written by two members of a corporate front group that was not identified as a corporate front group. The column, “Would President Trump Be a Science Guy?”, … USA Today Fail: Trump Science Column by Corporate Front Group
Journalists around the globe have reacted with outrage to revelations published in The Guardian this week that show Thanos Dimadis, the former executive director of the Foreign Press Foundation, offered an unusual arrangement to Bayer AG that called for using the press organization, which is dedicated to protecting a free press, in ways that would … See the Email Trail Showing Influence Peddling by Press Association to Bayer
With the turn of the calendar to June, farmers in the U.S. Midwest are wrapping up the planting of new soybean crops and tending to growing fields of young corn plants and vegetable plots. But many are also bracing to be hit by an invisible enemy that has wreaked havoc in farm country the last … Dicamba: Farmers fear another season of crop damage; court ruling awaited
For years, U.S. regulators relied on falsified data provided by Dow Chemical to allow unsafe levels of the chemical chlorpyrifos into American homes, according to a new analysis from University of Washington researchers. The analysis reexamines work from the 1970s sponsored by Dow and submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to guide the agency … U.S. regulators relied for years on flawed pesticide data provided by Dow Chemical
Last month the Food & Drug Administration published its latest annual analysis of the levels of pesticide residues that contaminate the fruits and veggies and other foods we Americans routinely put on our dinner plates. The fresh data adds to growing consumer concern and scientific debate over how pesticide residues in food may contribute – … An Unappetizing Analysis from the FDA
Bayer AG’s effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review a key trial loss in the nationwide Roundup litigation inched forward this week when the high court said it would include Bayer’s petition for a writ of certiorari in a December 10 conference where the justices will discuss which cases to accept for review. … U.S. Supreme Court sets date to consider review of Monsanto Roundup case
A California woman suing Monsanto over allegations that her use of Roundup weed killer caused her to develop cancer testified Monday that she had a hard time remembering many details about the extent of her use of the pesticide, struggling to answer several questions posed by a Monsanto attorney. In cross examination, Monsanto attorney Bart … Monsanto lawyer cross-examines cancer patient over her claims Roundup caused her disease
The former Monsanto Co., now owned by Bayer AG, notched its first win in the mass tort U.S. Roundup litigation on Tuesday, defeating at trial a mother who alleged her use of Roundup exposed her child to the pesticide and caused him to develop cancer. Ezra Clark was born in May 2011 and diagnosed in … Bayer wins Roundup trial; plaintiff fails to prove exposure caused child’s disease
