/oss/taxonomy/term/505/all en /oss/article/nutrition/apples-getting-core <p>I’m fond of apples. Maybe it has to do with some youthful memories of an upset tummy being soothed with a grated apple sprinkled with lemon juice. Or perhaps biting into one rekindles thoughts of the great times we had with my kids going apple picking. Then there is the notion that apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away. That is in spite of the toxins it contains! No, I’m not talking about traces of pesticide residues, I’m speaking of natural toxins. And the apple has plenty of those!</p> Wed, 16 Jun 2021 17:58:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8763 at /oss /oss/article/i-am-looking-buying-product-kill-dandelions-wilson-weedout-safe <p><a href="https://www.wilsoncontrol.com/en/products/weed-control/wilson-lawn-weedout-ultra?gclid=CjwKCAjwmZbpBRAGEiwADrmVXiUboTLlyBYQzRH4GfiNq9s15PoZAWj6sUcWVAoTqlhJCll_qLQW2xoCAHQQAvD_BwE">Wilson Weedout</a> contains 4-chloro indole acetic acid as an active ingredient which really is quite effective against broad-leaved weeds. It is a naturally occurring plant hormone that triggers the release of ethylene, a compound involved in plant growth. When applied to a weed it causes it to grow very rapidly.</p> Wed, 10 Jul 2019 20:21:58 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7824 at /oss /oss/article/environment/glyphosate-trial <p>First of all, let’s point out that this trial dealt with occupational exposure to glyphosate and had nothing to do with trace amounts of the chemical in our food supply. Nevertheless, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in Washington, an advocacy organization that is a long-standing critic of the use of glyphosate, took the opportunity to ride on the coat tails of the publicity garnered by the California lawsuit to publish a report about traces of glyphosate in oat products and suggested that these were a threat to health.</p> Thu, 16 Aug 2018 17:38:12 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7310 at /oss /oss/article/reviews/book-review-pandoras-lab <p>An idiot is dumber than an imbecile, who is dumber than a moron. The word “moron” was first derived from the Greek in 1910 to identify individuals with an IQ score between 51 and 70. It may sound funny today, but it heralded the eugenics movement, which was anything but hilarious.</p> Thu, 05 Oct 2017 03:16:03 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 3200 at /oss /oss/article/environment/chlorpyrifos-controversy <p>“Science not silence,” screamed the signs carried by many of the marchers in a number of American cities last Earth Day.</p> Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:35:54 +0000 Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 2536 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-food-health-news/apple-day-dont-let-environmental-working-group-scare-you <p>There are many environmental groups that raise legitimate and thoughtful questions about chemical issue. The Environmental Working Group is not one of them. This organization is dedicated to raising money through fear-mongering. Every year they come out with their nonsensical Dirty Dozen, usually with apples somewhere near the top as a fruit that should only be consumed if it is organic. They actually scare people away from eating fruits and vegetables. They mindlessly over hype chemical risks.</p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 12:55:46 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2134 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-health-news/bee-buzz <p style="text-align:justify">Bees are critical to agriculture, there is no doubt about that. They fertilize various crops by spreading the pollen that they collect to meet their protein and fat needs. Recently there has been much concern about declining bee populations in some areas and speculation has focused on insecticides known as “neonicotinoids.” Many media reports have tried and convicted the “neonics” and urged that they be banned. But as is so often the case, media reports only scratch the scientific surface and deeper digging produces a different buzz. Neonics at a certain level of exposure can disorient or even kill bees, which comes as no surprise since they are insecticides, and bees are insects. The question is whether these chemicals can be used in a way that protects plants without harming bees.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Neonicotinoids, first introduced in 2004, are modeled on nicotine, the natural insecticide produced by the tobacco plant. One advantage is that instead of spraying, these chemicals can be applied to the seeds of crops such as corn, soybeans and canola. They then end up distributed throughout the plant as it grows and are ready to dispatch any insect that dares to dine on the foliage. Bees don’t do that, they go for the nectar in the flowers which has only traces of neonics. Yet bee deaths have been linked with neonic-coated corn and soy seeds, mostly in Ontario. But curiously, not with canola seeds in western Canada which are also treated with the same pesticides. So what is going on?</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Mechanical planters use a jet of air to blow seeds into the soil. Commonly talc or graphite are added as lubricants to reduce friction between the seeds but these can rub off and can carry insecticide contaminated dust into the air, exposing flying insects such as bees to the neonics. The concern is that the tainted bees return to the hive where they can expose fellow bees to the neonics and wreak havoc. A novel polyethylene wax lubricant that can replace talc and graphite has shown a significant reduction in airborne insecticide during planting. There are also polymers being developed to help the insecticide stick to the seeds.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">The planting of canola uses different technology and doesn’t produce comparable amounts of dust. Some 20 million acres of canola are planted in Canada with neonicotinoid treated seed and there has been no impact on bee health at all. So it seems the problem may not be the neonics as much as the seeding methodology. Neonics are also commonly used on cut flowers and on plants purchased from nurseries but whether these affect pollinators is an open question.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">In any case, the neonics are only part of the picture when it comes to bee health. There are mites, parasites and viruses that can infect bees, and transporting hives, which is commonly done, also stresses them, as do harsh winters and long springs. Specifically, the Varroa mite can affect bee health significantly, and it is interesting to note that in Australia, which is free of these mites, no problems have been seen with bee populations in spite of extensive use of neonicotinoid coated seeds.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">So while the neonicotinoids may be a factor in the decline of bee populations in some areas, they are not the only factor. Furthermore, loss of bee colonies has been observed in places where neonicotinoids are not used at all, and history records many cases of unusual deaths of honey bee colonies long before neonics were introduced.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Still, there are some troubling developments. A recent British study showed that bees are more attracted to a sugar solution laced with neonics than to one without, implying the bees may be getting some sort of a buzz from the chemicals and may be more likely to visit plants containing them and end up contaminating hives. And a study in Sweden showed a reduced density of wild bees, but not honey bees, in a field planted with neonic-coated seeds.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Because of the cloud hanging over neonics, Europe and Ontario have decided to greatly restrict their use. It will take a while to see the effect, not only on the bees, but also on crop yields which have steadily increased since the introduction of the neonicotinoids. If yields are to be maintained, it may be back to the insecticidal sprays which come with problems of their own, not only for pollinators, but for people as well. Of course in the western world we can forego insecticides and just pay more for our locally-grown food.</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2015/06/30/bee-buzz">Read more</a></p> Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:24:27 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2271 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health-news-toxicity/are-chemists-suffering-chemophobiaphobia <p>Most chemistry conferences these days feature a session on the “public understanding of chemistry.” Usually speakers express frustration about equating the term “chemical” with “toxin” or “poison,” about consumers looking for “chemical-free” products, and about the extent of scientific illiteracy. There tends to be a collective bemoaning of the lack of appreciation of the contributions that chemistry has made to life and of the eyebrows raised when a chemist reveals his profession in some social setting.</p> Sun, 27 Dec 2015 21:23:59 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2300 at /oss /oss/article/toxicity-you-asked/why-are-bees-vanishing Maybe it’s a virus. Maybe a fungus. Maybe parasitic mites. Maybe pesticides. Maybe electromagnetic radiation from cellular phones. Nobody seems to know what is causing bees to just vanish. Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:33:41 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1735 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/methyl-iodide <p>Now it’s toxic strawberries from California! “Will strawberry shortcake be known for causing cancer, birth defects and miscarriages,” asks a widely circulating article on the web. Well, no. Not unless you make a habit of eating that shortcake in a strawberry field that is being fumigated with methyl iodide. What we are being subjected to here is yet another case of some chemically ignorant person taking a legitimate concern and twisting it into an unrealistic and naive warning.</p> Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:39:45 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1679 at /oss