Pesticide and herbicide contamination refers to the presence and persistence of synthetic or natural plant protection chemicals and their transformation products in environmental compartments such as soil, surface water, groundwater, sediments, air, and biota. Research on this topic examines sources (agricultural runoff, spray drift, leaching, improper disposal), transport and fate processes (sorption–desorption, volatilization, photolysis, hydrolysis, biodegradation), and bioaccumulation and biomagnification in food webs. It also encompasses mixture toxicity, sublethal and chronic effects on non-target organisms, development of resistance, and the use of monitoring, risk assessment frameworks, and remediation or mitigation strategies to manage and reduce ecological and human health risks.
When trying to make more sustainable clothing choices, many consumers follow a simple rule: Choose natural fibers over synthetic ones. Cotton instead of polyester. Wool instead of acrylic. Linen instead of nylon.
Environment
9 hours ago
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At picnics and World Cup watch parties across the United States this summer, people have been reaching for bowls of chips and guacamole. Most of that guacamole is made from avocados grown in Mexico—on orchards that, in what ...
Ecology
Jul 29, 2026
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Diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids—a type of fat that supports brain function, cell growth and heart health—may help protect honey bees against the toxic effects of pesticides, according to a study led by researchers ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 28, 2026
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The EU's food safety agency said Wednesday it has dramatically reduced the acceptable daily intake level of the so-called forever chemical TFA, following new evidence of its effect on a key hormone that regulates the body's ...
Environment
Jul 22, 2026
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France on Tuesday backed a controversial bill reintroducing two pesticides that critics say harm bees, as the environment minister said she would resign.
Ecology
Jul 21, 2026
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A couple of miles south of the main quad at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a remarkable agricultural experiment is taking shape. The so-called Alma Mater Plots are unique in their setup—with 64 plots of 1 acre ...
Agriculture
Jul 20, 2026
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A new Murdoch University study has uncovered alarming levels of pesticide contamination in the food sources of endangered Carnaby's cockatoos in the Wheatbelt—including concentrations well above regulatory limits found in ...
Ecology
Jul 19, 2026
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Ticks that survive less-than-lethal doses of pesticide are able to withstand dangerous cold, which could help them spread tick-borne diseases farther north, a UC study has found. Biologists with the University of Cincinnati ...
Ecology
Jul 17, 2026
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A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Soybean Association finds that Illinois corn and soybean farmers could lose up to $609 million per year—representing a 3.6% revenue loss—if ...
Agriculture
Jul 16, 2026
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Humans have been turning seeds and soil into food for thousands of years.
Agriculture
Jul 14, 2026
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