By Sharyl Attkisson | November 16, 2024
The following information is from Children’s Health Defense.
A new study published in journal Cancer links over 20 commonly used agricultural chemicals to increased prostate cancer risk. The research found that chemicals such as glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) and 2,4-D are linked to elevated prostate cancer rates when used on farms. The researchers examined chemical usage in US counties and compared it to prostate cancer rates 14 years later, finding strong correlations with chemicals widely applied in farming and even home gardens.
“Many pesticides have not been sufficiently studied for their potential carcinogenic effects, particularly in relation to prostate cancer,”
– Simon Soerensen, study co-author, Stanford researcher
The study identified 22 chemicals, including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, as consistently associated with prostate cancer. Notably, herbicide diuron, cloransulam-methyl, diflufenzopyr, and trifluralin were all associated with increased risks of both developing and dying from prostate cancer.
The World Health Organization has classified 2,4-D as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” while the US Environmental Protection Agency labels diuron as a “likely human carcinogen.” These findings add to growing concerns about chronic exposure to pesticides and herbicides, particularly those linked to endocrine disruption and cancer.
Another major finding was that 2,4-D, which has spiked in use as weeds become resistant to glyphosate, is now sprayed on millions of acres of genetically modified crops in the US Researchers noted that this chemical is also common in backyard weed control products, leading to broader exposure risks. One study found that nearly a third of participants had detectable levels of 2,4-D in their urine, raising alarms over potential health implications.
The study reinforces the call for further research into these chemicals’ cancer risks, particularly as prostate cancer is the second-deadliest cancer among men. Researchers emphasized that environmental exposures like these may play a crucial role in the development of aggressive cancers.
The pesticides linked to increased prostate cancer risk include:
- Propiconazole
- Trifluralin
- Cloransulam-Methyl
- Methyl Parathion
- Tribenuron Methyl
- Thifensulfuron
- Pendimethalin
- Linuron
- Acephate
- Carbaryl
- Azoxystrobin
- 2,4-D
- Glyphosate
- Sulfosate
- Cyhalothrin-Lambda
- Diuron
- Diflufenzopyr
- Trifloxystrobin
- Thiamethoxam
- Hexazinone
- Chloropicrin
- Bifenthrin
