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« Norton and Gottlieb through the revolving door for 2007 | Main | NY Times: Less is more when it comes to skin care »
Frog researcher lectures Mayo Clinic docs on widely used weed-killer
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic heard a dire warning on the possible link between a widely used weed-killer and cancer. In a forum usually reserved for medical researchers, amphibian endocrinologist Tyrone Hayes of UC Berkeley talked about frogs, but his message was one with direct implications for human medicine. Exposure to the herbicide, Atrazine, results in what amounts to chemical castration. But it's caused by the activation of an enzyme found in both frogs and humans. The EPA’s official position, as usual, follows the innocent-'til-proven-guilty model: “We are not convinced that Atrazine causes cancer in humans.” Haynes’ most recent research uses human cell lines and shows that the herbicide causes mutations in human hormones similar to those found in breast cancer.
Get the full story at Minnesota Public Radio
Note 1/4/07: This post has been featured on TreeHugger's 'Blog Love'
Along with an environmental researcher and author, I have been looking into a possible connection between the dramatic increased use of Atrapine in the U.S. and the equally dramatic rise--which I have observed in the U.S. since WW2--in male homosexuality..
This inquiry was first suggested to me by Dr. Hayes' discovery of a link between sexual anomalies of male frogs and their exposure to Atrapine--as further amplified in this report of his talk at the Mayo Clinic.
I would would welcome hearing from anyone who has thoughts or feelings to share even remotely along tnese lines.
Bob Alexander--ba@rockisland.com
My father has a small farm in southern Indiana. He used to rent a field that sits between a swamp and a creek to a neighbor who grew corn using atrazine. In 2005 my dad placed the field in the federal "filter strip" program. This program pays him to plant the field in grass and legumes without the use of chemicals. He is not allowed to harvest a crop from the field, but is required to mow the field in late summer, if needed, to control weeds. In August, I mowed the field for him and saw more frogs and more different types of frogs than I had ever seen on the farm, even in the swamp. I know this is only an anecdote and not a scientific study, but it certainly reinforced in me the belief we need to stop pouring chemicals into our lands.
Thanks for sharing, John!
Are there a lot of weed killers that have Atrazine in them?