Neonicotinoids

Has the potential for a silent spring passed? Have scientists successfully recognized and handled all possible chemical contaminants in the environment? No! Neonicotinoids, once referred to as the "new DDT", have only recently begun to make headlines since their origin in the 1990s, and are posing new and relevant threats to global ecosystems.

Emerging as a modification of nicotine, neonicotinoids, or "neonics", are a class of pesticide often used in corn, maize, soya, and canola farming, as well as in protective seed coats. Imidacloprid is the most commonly used neonic of the seven types available: imidacloprid, acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, dinotefuran, nitenpyram and thiamethoxam. Farmers spend over $2.6 billion on neonicotinoids, as they comprise 25% of the global pesticide market and 80% of seed treatments, though users are often not aware of their potential risks. 

Neonicotinoids were created as a safer alternative to other, more notoriously dangerous chemicals, pegged as more selective and not harmful to humans or mammals. Like most pesticides, though, the effects go far beyond the target species. Chemical secretions in the leaves, flowers, tissues, and pollen of plants can appear up to six months after exposure, and ground water contamination can reach such high levels that the fluid could be used as a pesticide itself. Insects, the initial victims, are affected negatively by this. The aquatic invertebrate population, for instance, has decreased in variety and abundance by 70%. Birds and amphibians are consequently influenced by the decline in insect numbers, lacking safe food sources and dying as well. There is a correlation between water contamination and insect-eating bird population, demonstrating the close link among ecological entities and the tendency for toxins to run up the food chain. 

The figure above (Alternatives Journal) illustrates the interconnectivity of organisms in the spread of chemical toxins.

One of the most well-known and imminently threatening effects of neonicotinoid poisoning is in the honeybee population. Colony Collapse Disorder is an increasing problem as bee-keepers continue to lose colonies. During the winter of 2012-2013, Ontario lost 70% of its bee colonies, alongside an overall 30% loss, or 200,000 colonies, in Canada as a whole. Pollinators contribute $200 billion in ecological services and are essential to food production and agricultural success, so a lack of bees would be catastrophic. Though clearly there are other factors at play as well, pesticide use cannot be ignored as both one of the most prominent and preventable. 

Specifically, neonicotinoids increase acetylcholinesterase action in the nervous system of the bees, overstimulating synaptic activity. The chemical binds to post-synaptic nicotinic receptors and causes continuous, nonstop signaling that leads to death. This phenomenon can be used as an indicator of neonicotinoid poisoning.

Despite experimental evidence of neonicotinoids' detriments, few regulations have been put into place. The EPA is currently reviewing all aspects of the chemical, which is great, but in the meantime the government has failed to pass legislation to suspend its usage, with the exception of President Obama's Pollinator Task Force to promote protective strategies. There is activity overseas as well. Though the UK initially voted against it and received a lot of criticism, the European Union finally approved a two year ban on specific neonicotinoids until further research has been done. Unfortunately, pesticide companies are providing a lot of the research, which will most likely detract from its objectivity. 

Companies like Syngenta and Bayer, which distribute neonicotinoids, deny harmful effects on humans and animals, rejecting the idea that the chemicals are unsafe and filing legally against any bans. They also often ignore evidence from bee-keepers, claiming that it is not grounded enough or too subjective. As usual, the issue comes down to a power dichotomy and hesitation to make dramatic changes to the industry. 

(Alternatives Journal)

Products containing neonicotinoids are still on the market, including in Home Depot and Lowes. Application recommendations on these items often exceed that which would be used in agriculture by 100 times, though the consumer probably would not know the difference. 

At this point, little is known about the adverse effects of neonicotinoids on humans. Since nicotine has negative bodily repercussions, neonicotinoids probably do, too, especially in children, and poisoning reports are becoming more frequent. But we must think past our own health. Decreases in insect populations, especially in pollinators, will soon haunt the globe as food production grows problematic and endangering of bird and amphibian species takes place. The EPA should definitely continue its research, and hopefully other organizations will catch on soon.

Sources:

Boily, Monique, et al. "Acetylcholinesterase in Honey Bees ( Apis Mellifera) Exposed to Neonicotinoids, Atrazine and Glyphosate: Laboratory and Field Experiments." Environmental Science & Pollution Research20.8 (2013): 5603-14. Web.

Dolesh, Richard J. "What's Killing our Birds and Bees?" Parks & Recreation 49.7 : 30. Web.

Forrester, M. B. "Neonicotinoid Insecticide Exposures Reported to Six Poison Centers in Texas." Human & experimental toxicology 33.6 (2014): 568-73. Web.

"Honeybees in Denial." Alternatives Journal 40 (2014): 10. Academic OneFile; Gale. Web.

"In the News." TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 61.0 (2014): iv-x. Web.

Koo, Hyun-Na, et al. "Regional Susceptibilities to 12 Insecticides of Melon and Cotton Aphid, Aphis Gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and a Point Mutation Associated with Imidacloprid Resistance." Crop Protection 55.0 (2014): 91-7. Web.

Lin, Pei-Chen, et al. "Acute Poisoning with Neonicotinoid Insecticides: A Case Report and Literature Review." Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology 112.4 (2013): 282-6. Web.

Long, Cheryl. "Nursery Plants Contain Bee-Killing Chemicals." Mother Earth News.262 (2014): 21. Web.

McCoy, Terrence. "A Possible Reason Millions of Bees are Dying." The Washington Post07/10; 2014/11 2014. Science in Context; Gale. Web. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SCIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=News&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SCIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA374576821&source=Bookmark&u=connc_main&jsid=5a37c273bc081dafa933e9ed03aa423f>.

"Neonicotinoids." Alternatives Journal 39 (2013): 11. Academic OneFile; Gale. Web.

"Risking another Silent Spring." The New York Times: NA(L). 07/01; 2014/11 2014. Science in Context; Gale. Web. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SCIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=News&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SCIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA373311322&source=Bookmark&u=connc_main&jsid=8be7a9c7533d64f2e0c19a66eccf3e84>.

"UK Bee Plea." New Scientist 223.2980 (2014): 7. Web.

"United States : EPA Finds Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments of Little Or no Benefit to U.S. Soybean Production." Mena Report10/17; 2014/11 2014. Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources; Gale. Web. <http://find.galegroup.com/grnr/infomark.do?&source=gale&idigest=f2601c723b20175def579f6e35edf1e2&prodId=GRNR&userGroupName=connc_main&tabID=T004&docId=A386358319&type=retrieve&PDFRange=%5B%5D&contentSet=IAC-Documents&version=1.0>.

Fluoride Contamination

The research behind fluoride began in 1901 when Frederick McKay opened up a dental practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Many of the Colorado Springs natives had brown stains on their teeth. The meaning behind these mysterious stains were discovered by McKay and Dr. G.V. Black.

They discovered that the stains were from developmental imperfections in children’s teeth. However, the people with these brown stains were resistant to tooth decay also. McKay developed a theory that the water the residents were drinking could have something to do with blackening of the teeth.

So McKay ordered the town to drink from another water supply and within a few years, the black stains disappeared. After running many tests on the water, the end found out that it had high levels of fluoride.

Further studies show that even though high levels of fluorosis mottles tooth enamel, it lower levels prevented tooth decay without the staining. Consequently, in 1999, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named water fluoridation as one of the top ten greatest public health achievements.

Fluoride is most commonly known to be found in drinking water to promote dental health but is also found in toothpaste and tooth products. It mixes with tooth enamel when teeth are growing, decreasing the chance for tooth decay. Exposure to excessive consumption of it  can lead to a likelihood of bone fractures. Only 50-60% of fluoride is excreted by the kidneys. The rest accumulates in the body, where is calcifies in tissues and bones. There are villages in India where people are crippled by fluorosis of the bone due to small amounts of fluoride. It just accumulated.  This amount of fluoride increases steadily over a lifetime. It can be turned into fluoride toxicity which causes early symptoms of gastrointestinal pain, nausea, vomiting, and headaches. Even a small dose of 01. To 0.3 mg/kg of fluoride can produce these symptoms. 1-3mg of fluoride is found in 1-3g of toothpaste, which is less than 3% of the tube

Fluoride can have a negative effect on the human brain. As of May 16, 2013, there were 37 cases associated with the decrease of IQs in children and the increase of fluoride exposure. A Harvard team of scientists found that high fluoride exposure reduced the “standardized mean difference” by 0.45 reduction which is equivalent to seven IQ points. Of course this is with high levels of fluoride, but 1.4 million Americans drink this amount every day. Many people are intoxicated through toothpastes and high fluoride concentration in drinking water.

The reason that there is a warning sign on toothpastes saying “WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately,” is due to the levels of fluoride contained inside the paste. The environmental protection agency has even stated that fluoride has “substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity”. There have been over 100 animal experiments that show a negative impact on the fluoride on the brain.    This chart shows the amount that children consume in toothpaste.

Amount of Bubblegum-flavored “Colgate for Kids” Toothpaste Capable of Causing Acute Toxicity
Age of Child	Average Weight*	Milligrams of Fluoride Capable of Producing Symptoms	Grams of Ingested Toothpaste	Percent of Toothpaste Volume
2 years	~12 kg	1.2 – 3.6 mg	1.1 – 3.3 g	0.8 – 2.5%
3 years	~15 kg	1.5 – 4.5 mg	1.4 – 4.1 g	1.0 – 3.1%
4 years	~16 kg	1.6 – 4.8 mg	1.5 – 4.4 g	1.1 – 3.4%
5 years	~ 18 kg	1.8 – 5.4 mg	1.6 – 4.9 g	1.3 – 3.8%
6 years	~20 kg	2.0 – 6.0 mg	1.8 – 5.5 g	1.4 – 4.2%
7 years	~22 kg	2.2 – 6.6 mg	2.0 – 6.0 g	1.5 – 4.6%
8 years	~25 kg	2.5 – 7.5 mg	2.3 – 6.8 g	1.7 – 5.2%
9 years	~28 kg	2.8 – 8.4 mg	2.5 – 7.6 g	2.0 – 5.9%
*Average weight data obtained here ** The fluoride concentration in Colgate for Kids toothpaste is 1,100 ppm. At 130 grams of paste

What is scary is that most children consumed the near amount of toxic fluoride from their toothpaste.  This chart shows the number of reports to poison control centers in the US due to the intoxication of fluoride through toothpaste.

Reports to Poison Control Centers in U.S. Due to Excessive Ingestion of Fluoride Toothpastes Data from: Bronstein (2009, 2010) & Watson (2003)
			# Treated in Emergency Room	Medical Outcome*
Year	Product	# Reports		None	Minor	Moderate	Major	Death
2009	F Toothpaste	24,547	378	4,781	1,146	42	2	0
2008	F Toothpaste	23,468	383	4,395	1,119	43	1	0
2002	F Toothpaste	24,087	411	4,852	1,218	40	1	1

As you can see, the impact of fluoride toxicity exists.

Fluoride does not only effect humans. The fluoride compound placed in drinking water dissolves easily into the ground and into bodies of water where the water is purified for human consumption. But not all the water is used, of course, for human consumption. A lot of it enters many ecosystems.

We have to keep our environment in mind when treating our water systems. Fluoride toxicity to aquatic invertebrate and fish increase with the concentration and exposure time. It has been over 45 years since we have been treating our water systems and the exposure time has exponentially increased. A fluoride concentration as low as 0.5 mg can affect invertebrates and fish in a negative way. Why should we care? By impacting our fish, we impact our ecosystem and indirectly, impact our lives. An ecosystem is very frail and we must not destroy it with our added chemicals.

The safe drinking water act was passed in 1975 through congress. This is a law that requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the levels of water contaminants. The maximum contaminant level for fluoride is 4.0mg/L or 4.0 ppm. If the contamination of fluoride increases past this limit, the EPA must reduce its concentration.

However, we live in a capitalistic environment and sometimes the regulation of a chemical can take longer than ideal to promote. It can take up to 3 months to a year to have the EPA make its final decision to reduce a certain amount of fluoride in water. This is especially because it is expensive to remove fluoride from drinking water. The water must undergoes reverse osmosis or distillation.

So why does the government not shut down the usage of fluoride? The mindset is that all substances are poisonous at a certain level, thus not using them would really make no difference. The positive impacts of fluoride does out way the negative, but we must understand that the usage of fluoride is still new. We still do not know what the long term effects are and only are starting to realize them through the brain, case studies, ecological factors, etc… The regulation of fluoride through EPA is important but it needs to be better regulated so that the reduction in high concentrations can be reduced before people are intoxicated.

Works cited:

http://charles_w.tripod.com/fluoride.html

http://fluoridealert.org/studies/acute03/

http://fluoridealert.org/articles/iq-facts/

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653502004988

http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/pdf/pollick.pdf

http://fluoridealert.org/articles/50-reasons/

http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/fluoride.html

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm#one

Lead Poisoning and Chelation

Laura Lundegard

Are you feeling tired? Does your stomach hurt or your joints? Do you have tingly hands or feet? Do you have headaches and difficulty remembering things? Is your blood pressure higher than normal?

If any of these seem familiar, you could have lead poisoning. Lead poisoning and other heavy metal poisoning is identified through a hair test or a blood test. Lead poisoning occurs over a long period of time. Lead is a heavy metal that bioaccumulates in the body, and is stored in the bones. Even small amount of lead can have a serious impact. Lead poisoning is caused by an exposure to lead, such as living in an old home with lead paint, or working with lead in an industrial factory setting. Lead cannot be excreted naturally, which is why a chelator is applied to remove the heavy metals from the body as waste.

Chelation Therapy is a procedure that removes heavy metals from the body, such as lead. The word chelate is defined as, to combine reversibly, usually with high affinity, with a metal ion such as iron, calcium, or magnesium. Chelation was first used to remove calcium from hard water in Germany and then in the US. NTA was the first compound to be used as a chelator, then EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, a more commonly known chelator agent. In 1941, EDTA was used as a chelator for the removal of lead in the body. At Georgetown University, an EDTA study was conducted to check for any beneficial results, there were no conclusive results found. In the early 1950s EDTA was used as a lead poisoning treatment in humans with dramatically effective results. The FDA approved EDTA for lead poisoning treatment, soon after it was proven to be an effective treatment option.

Chelation therapy can be extremely dangerous if not performed correctly or under the right care. Chelation should only be used for the purpose of removal of heavy metals, many try to use “natural” methods of chelation to relieve symptoms of chronic illnesses, everything from autism to Parkinson’s. While heavy metals may have a link to some symptoms of these chronic illnesses, if a high concentration of heavy metals is not present, chelation should not be used. So how does chelation therapy work? Chelation allows lead to be removed through the urine. Chelators bind to the heavy metal to pull them out of the body through the blood stream, which is then cycled through the kidneys and excreted through the urea. If the heavy metal is not removed at the half-life of the chelator the blood levels of the chelator drop. This means chelators degrade quickly and need to be consistently replaced. If not the chelator could drop the toxin. Then the toxin is redistributed mostly to the brain. Hence why the process can be so dangerous, and some cases can result in permanent brain damage and death.

There are multiple types of drugs used for chelation and a variety of methods, there is EDTA or ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, DMSA or dimercaptosuccinic acid, DMPS or dimercaptopropane sulfonic acid, and ALA or alpha lipoic acid. There are also natural methods of chelation within the holistic medicine community, such as chlorella or cilantro/coriander but none of them are proven to be as effective or safe. The chlorella and coriander can do sometimes more harm than good; they are able to move around the heavy metal, but they are not able to pull it out. Chelators need to have two dithiol groups in order to be effective, this is what allows the heavy metal to be pulled from the body. DSMA is a chelator that specifically removes lead from the body. Each drug can be taken intravenously (IV) or in capsule form. Some of the drugs like DMSA are only available through capsule form. During chelation therapy, patients can switch between any of the chelating agents, it is common to used DMSA and DMPS chelation agents together. EDTA is normally distributed intravenously, and is thought to be the most effective and dangerous, but fastest chelator agent. The reason EDTA is the most dangerous is because it crosses the Blood Brain Barrier. ALA also crosses the blood brain barrier but is not used a frequently. This is the barrier in the brain that prevents harmful substances from entering the brain. DMSA and DMPS both do not cross the blood brain barrier of the brain. However DMSA must be taken every 3-4 hours in cycles because the half-life of the chelator is so short, the chelator needs to be constantly reintroduced in the body in order to effectively pull out the heavy metals. DMPS must be administered every 8 hours, and ALA is taken every 3 hours for 3 days. The full process of chelation therapy takes between 100 to 300 rounds; it is an extremely long process that on average takes about two to three years to effectively remove all the heavy metals from the body.

There are a variety of ways to chelate, with various chelators and different dosages. The Andy Cutler method is one of the safest ways to chelate. Dr. Cutler has a PhD in biochemistry and is a well-known authority on heavy metal toxicity. His method consists of administering low doses of chelators frequently over an average of three days to help the body safely excrete heavy metals. Every 4 hours DMSA, every 3 hours ALA and every 8 hours DMPS is administered. This cycle continues for three days, followed by three days of rest, to allow the body to recover from the strong substances. One chelation round is 3 days on and 3 days off. The process starts slowly and then builds up over time. His protocol allows blood levels of a chelator to maintain a low and stable level, which allows for movement of metals out of the body. In the protocol Dr. Cutler stresses the importance of having all mercury amalgams removed before starting chelation, this means have any metal dental fillings removed prior to chelation. This is because when the chelator will not be effective with chronic heavy metal exposure. You cannot chelate heavy metals out when you are still exposed to heavy metals. Once all the fillings are removed, the DSMA round is started at least four days after the last filling is removed, after 3 months ALA is added, and DMPS can be used immediately. The reason ALA must be used later is because it crosses the blood brain barrier, and it is necessary to make sure all of mercury is gone so that it will not cross the blood brain barrier with the ALA. 

Chelation is a risky process in any form, it is important to follow the protocol closely and start slowly. The chelation process encourages yeast, which can trigger a candida infection in some. The candid infection is a fungual yeast infection, caused by yeasts that belong to the candida genus. The chelation still needs to continue if the infection occurs, but the infection still needs to be treated. Cutler recommends taking supplements such as, Vitamin A, B, C, E, magnesium, zinc, fish oil, flax oil, borage oil during the process.

It is comforting to know that there is a treatment option for lead poisoning and other heavy metals. Today there are at least four million households with high levels of lead, and the numbers who use chelation therapy as treatment continue to grow as more doctors become informed on the chelation therapy protocols.

                                                            Works Cited

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/8495

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20035487

http://www.poison.org/current/chelationtherapy.htm

http://salernocenter.com/treatments/chelation-therapy/

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/

http://www.mercurylife.com/mercurylife/chelating_out_of_the_darkness/

http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=19990303155958

http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/The_History_of_EDTA/1815/4

http://www.dmsachelation.com/lead-poisoning/

http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Inorganic_Chemistry/Coordination_Chemistry/Complex_Ion_Equilibria/Chelation

http://www.livingnetwork.co.za/chelationnetwork/chelation-the-andy-cutler-protocol/