Sunday, July 28, 2013

Weed Killers and Depression

This was posted in the Cafe.  "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Farmers who used weedkillers were more than twice as likely to be treated for depression than farmers who didn't use the chemicals in a new study from France.

Whether the weedkillers are causing depression "is not clear," said Marc Weisskopf, the studys lead author and an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. "But (the result) suggests we should not be ignoring herbicides just because they're targeting plants."

Earlier research on depression and pesticides has focused on insecticides, particularly organophosphates, which are known to be toxic to nerve cells, said Weisskopf.

Monocrotophos, the insecticide that killed 23 school children in India this month, is an organophosphate, for example.

The use of pesticides has also been linked to Parkinson's disease among farmers.  As part of a study on Parkinson's disease, Weisskopf and his colleagues assessed the risks for depression with exposure to any kind of pesticide by surveying 567 French farmers about their use of fungicides, insecticides and herbicides."

I do have friends who don't spray their own crops because when they sprayed their own, they felt some pesticides compromised their health.  I've taught pesticide eduation since 1987 and the main thing you learn is how the label varies from product to product.  RTB as Richard Young says, or Read The Book.  The pesticide label is usually a million dollar investment or more of the company registering a pesticide with the EPA.

As a Commercial Pesticide Applicator in Ohio, I spend a lot of time reading pesticide labels.  I just put a heavy dose of Classic herbicide from DuPont on our double crop soybeans.  This was after spreading a ton and a half of Eagle high calcium lime in April.  I am more concerned about carryover of the herbicide to corn next year than I am of depression in myself.  The weeds are dying nicely this morning.

What do you think the worst health risk is on your farm?  Pesticides?  Your grain or hay storage?  Farm machinery?

We are looking at a record low of 54 degrees F. for the Cincinnati area tonight.

Have a blessed Sunday,

Ed Winkle



8 comments:

  1. It sounds like it already triggered depression if your worried about carryover to next year. lol...

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  2. Priorities of the individual farmer could be a factor, too. Maybe the organic guy is laid-back and doesn't worry so much about an occasional weed or bug.

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  3. I'm depressed because we do have weeds so non-use of weed killer has given me depression

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  4. Typical study. Are they even considering the fact that the depression might be caused by an abundance of weeds in the first place? That seems to be the case here.

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  5. There have been an awful lot of "studies" come out of France lately that condemn pesticides. I would argue that depression is a subjective state and therefore the statistics can easily be skewed.

    On a tangent, I dont think France should be looked to for leadership in governance. They are nearly to polar opposite of the ideal set forth in our constitution.

    Enjoy the unseasonable weather

    David Seck

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  6. Depression ?

    The guys posting on market talk must all apply their own chemicals.

    Talk about Depression. !

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  7. Now that's the most unusual group of comments I ever got! Some very good sarcasm that I agree with, too.

    Sriously, I am more concerned about mold spores from grain dust than anything. Many people seem immune to them but there is a large portion of the population like myself that are not.

    I figure my lungs will be part of the reason of my demise someday so lung health is important to me.

    Biochemistry is a very complicated area of study.

    Ed

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