Organic News                         

Current Environmental News for the Organically Minded Consumer.

Most Popular weed killer, Atrazine, implicated in frog population problems (April 2002)

    Trace amounts of the best selling herbicide, Atrazine, in rainwater has had a negative effect on the development of frogs in their natural environment.  A new report shows that male frogs exposed to low levels of Atrazine can develop multiple male sex organs or both male and female organs.  This may be caused by Atrazine causing the male hormone testosterone to morph into the female hormone estrogen.  These levels are one thirtieth the level allowed in our drinking water.   (Proceedings of the NAS, April, 2002}

    The frog population has shown serious decline in the past couple of decades, and is seen as a leading indicator of declining environment health.

EPA bans home use of common household pesticide. (June 2000)

    Chloropyrifos, commonly known as Dursban or Lorsban has been banned for home use.  It is the most widely used household pesticide product in the U.S.    Chloropyrifos is an organophosphate used around homes to kill termites, ants and fleas, and used in the garden to kill a variety of pests.

    Dursban is a neurotoxicant which caused brain damage in fetal rats when pregnant rats are given the compound.  It also causes persistent changes in the brain chemistry of newborn rats.  The EPA concludes that exposure in the womb or at early childhood may affect brain development.  EPA also estimates that chloropyrifos accounted for about 800 unintentional poisonings in 1999.  ( News taken from Chemical and Engineering News, June 12,2000)

Check out our article on "Biodegradability" as published at Ecomall in June 2000.

Check out our Organically friendly products at Organic Solutions.