Pesticide

San Juan Creek Canyon in Orange County, California

October 14, 2026

Orange County Pauses Herbicide Spraying in Flood-Control Channels

Orange County, California, has paused herbicide spraying in flood-control channels across the county after months of public concern about chemicals being used near creeks and neighbourhoods. The decision followed earlier action to

Syngenta Gramoxone 1-litre paraquat herbicide bottle standing between irrigated crop furrows in a farm field, representing the phase-out of paraquat sales in Australia by May 2027

Agriculture·Australia·Business·Environment·Policy

Syngenta Ends Paraquat Sales: Australian Farmers Seek Herbicide Alternatives

Syngenta stops paraquat sales in Australia by May 2027 due to regulatory costs. 1-in-5 paddocks face glyphosate resistance. Glufosinate emerges as primary alternative. GRDC funds herbicide research trials.

July 26, 2026

Federal Judge Ends APHIS ‘Spray First’ Approach: Orders 17-State Pesticide Program Overhaul

News·USA

A federal judge in Oregon has ordered the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to fundamentally change how it manages grasshoppers and Mormon

UK Exported 8,500 Tonnes of Banned Pesticides in 2023, 98% from Syngenta

Agriculture·News

When Valdemar Postanovicz finished spraying his tobacco fields in remote Paraná, Brazil, he had no idea what was about to happen. Hours later, after

Monarch butterfly on milkweed/Tierra Curry.

Conservation·Wildlife

Court Mandates Evaluation of Pesticides’ Threat to Endangered Wildlife

A federal judge has ruled against the Fish and Wildlife Service, ordering them to assess the impact of five widely-used pesticides on endangered species. This landmark decision addresses years of regulatory delays

Govind Tekale

March 15, 2025

Butterflies. Photo Source: Jack Cochran (Binghamton University).

Wildlife

US Butterfly Populations Plummet 22% Over 20 Years

America’s butterfly populations have plummeted by 22% in just two decades, according to a landmark study published in Science. This significant decline means that for every five butterflies present in 2000, only

Govind Tekale

March 9, 2025

Agriculture·News·Science·Wildlife

Pesticides in Soil Threaten Over 70% of Wild Bees, as Toxic Residues Exceed Limits and Endanger Bumblebee Queens’ Winter Survival

Pesticide residue accumulation in agricultural soils threatens 70% of wild bee species through direct exposure during nesting and hibernation, according to a study published in Science by University of Ottawa scientists. The

Karmactive Staff

November 21, 2024

The efforts of the research teams involved in the analysis revealed that the material was composed of a complex mixture of fats, oils, calcium and other metals.

News·Ocean·Pollution·World

Thousands of Black Sticky Balls Wash Ashore on Sydney Beaches, Containing Toxic Waste from Drugs and PFAS

A multidisciplinary team of scientists has made significant advances in understanding the origins of the mysterious black balls appearing on Sydney’s beaches (Australia). A few weeks ago, thousands of round and sticky

Rahul Somvanshi

November 11, 2024

Health·Science

Pesticide Exposure in San Joaquin Valley of California: Study Finds Banned and Harmful Toxins in 22% of Residents’ Breathable Air

In a startling revelation, a recent UC Davis study found that residents of California’s agricultural heartland, the San Joaquin Valley, are routinely breathing in a cocktail of pesticides, including some that are

Tejal Somvanshi

October 28, 2024