pesticides Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Study shows short pesticide exposure harms fish

By Courtney Flatt March 11, 2024

Researcher Sara Hutton, a doctoral graduate of OSU, extracts RNA for qPCR to test gene expression of genes effected by pyrethroid exposure in the different generations of inland silverside fish.… Continue Reading Study shows short pesticide exposure Read More

Spring killing: Smaller-than-a-penny Japanese beetle looms large for Northwest agriculture

By Anna King March 23, 2023

Adult Japanese beetles can take plants like roses, grapes or hops down to the nubs quickly if infested. The beetle comes from Asia, and doesn’t have many predators in Oregon… Continue Reading Spring killing: Read More

Hispanos y afroamericanos son más vulnerables a los pesticidas

By Johanna Bejarano April 28, 2022

Aspersión de pesticidas en los cultivos del estado de Washington. Foto: Cortesía de Pablo Palmández. Read Un nuevo estudio muestra que las personas de color, los indígenas y las comunidades… Continue Reading Hispanos y afroamericanos son Read More

New App Helps Farmworkers Understand The Pesticides They Work With

By NWPB News October 28, 2021

There’s a new tool to prevent pesticide exposure and illness among Latinx farmworkers. The University of Washington created the app, “Pesticide Labels, Now!’ to address language barriers on technical labels written in English. Continue Read More

Washington Lawmakers Stop Short Of Banning Pesticide Linked To Neurological Problems

By Courtney Flatt March 14, 2020

File photo. A sign at the property of Eric and Mari Perez in Qunicy, Washington, where houses are surrounded by apple orchards. Some people don't want the pesticide chlorpyrifos drifting from orchards to their property. CREDIT: Megan Farmer/KUOW

Washington regulators must soon consider rules to limit the use of a controversial pesticide that can cause neurological and health problems, especially in young children. A bill passed by state lawmakers this session didn’t outright ban the pesticide, as health and farmworker activists had proposed. Read More

New Evidence Shows Popular Pesticides Could Cause Unintended Harm To Insects

By NPR News August 7, 2019

Honeybees are seen feeding on the honeydew of whiteflies in citrus trees. Traces of neonicotinoids, a family of pesticides, have shown up in honeydew, an important food source for other insects. CREDIT: Alejandro Tena

A new study is just the latest evidence that a family of pesticides called neonicotinoids, sometimes just called "neonics," can pose risks to the insect world that are not fully understood. Continue Reading New Evidence Shows Read More

Lab Results Show Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Lake Free Of Herbicide Barrel Contaminants

By Erin Ross June 28, 2019

Wallowa Lake in eastern Oregon, supplies drinking water to the city of Joseph. CREDIT: AARON SCOTT/OPB

After almost 10 months of waiting, residents of Joseph, Oregon, can feel more confident drinking their water and swimming in nearby Wallowa Lake, according to lab test results released Thursday. Continue Reading Lab Results Read More

Willapa Bay Oyster Farmers Struggle As Shrimp Population Booms

By Molly Solomon June 18, 2019

Kathleen Nisbet Moncy is a second generation oyster farmer. Her family has been farming in Willapa Bay for the past four decades. CREDIT: KAYLEE DOMZALSKI/OPB

Of the 70,000 acres of mudflats in Willapa Bay, less than 10,000 acres are used for shellfish cultivation. Researchers estimate about a quarter of that farmable land has already been taken over by burrowing shrimp. But the battle over land between shellfish growers and the shrimp is not entirely new. Read More

This Pesticide Poisons, But It’s Still Sprayed On Washington Orchards — Including Christmas Trees

By Eilís O'Neill December 14, 2018

Cristina Campos removes damaged apples from the flume, the front end of the packing line, on Tuesday November, 20, 2018, at Gilbert Orchards in Yakima. CREDIT: KUOW PHOTO/MEGAN FARMER

The chemical’s especially dangerous for babies and small children because it can have lasting neurological effects. Chlorpyrifos can blow from orchards into nearby houses; parents who work in orchards can transport the chemical home on their clothes and in their cars; and chlorpyrifos can make its way into developing fetuses through umbilical cord blood. Read More

Oregon Finalizes Farmworker Pesticide Protection Standards

By Jes Burns July 5, 2018

Advocates at a protest in Medford say new Oregon OSHA rules won't protect farmworkers. CREDIT: JES BURNS

Oregon has adopted new rules to protect farmworkers from pesticides. The new regulations establish zones around pesticide applications that workers cannot enter. It also allows workers the choice to take shelter in housing or other structures instead of moving away. Read More

Washington Says No To Poisoning Native Shrimp To Protect Oyster Beds

By Jes Burns April 10, 2018

A parasitic isopod with white legs under the shell of a mud shrimp. CREDIT: CASSANDRA PROFITA

Washington regulators have tentatively denied a controversial request by shellfish growers to poison burrowing shrimp that damage commercial oyster beds. Growers say controlling the shrimp is vital to the shellfish industry in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor. Read More

These Citizen-Regulators In Arkansas Defied Monsanto. Now They’re Under Attack

By NPR News February 14, 2018

In Arkansas, a regulatory committee of farmers and small-business owners banned the latest weed-killing technology from the giant agrichemical company. Monsanto is taking them to court. Continue Reading These Citizen-Regulators In Arkansas Defied Read More

Weeds And Herbicides Puts An Organic Farm At Odds With Neighboring Growers In Oregon

By Courtney Flatt May 19, 2017

Azure Standard organic farm CEO David Stelzer in one of the videos the company produced in its campaign against efforts by Sherman County, Oregon, to force it to improve weed control efforts. CREDIT: VIMEO

At issue is whether a large organic farm, Azure Standard, is letting its weeds spread onto neighboring property — and whether the government should do something about it. Neighboring farmers say the weeds have crept onto their fields, costing them time and money to control the problem. Read More

If You Can’t Beat Them – Eat Them!

By Sueann Ramella June 11, 2015

Weeding. A never ending story but there are other ways to weed while getting a snack. CREDIT SUEANN RAMELLA / NORTHWEST PUBLIC RADIO It was a little too hot… Continue Reading If You Can’t Beat Them – Eat Them!Read More