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Month: January 2026

Published on Leave a comment on Hair Straighteners Continue to Cause Kidney Harm
Natural hair, not straightened Credit: Wikipedia

For a few years there have been reports and research of hair straightening chemicals causing health harms, specifically kidney damage. Even kidney failure. Yet the use of these dangerous products continues in a number of countries, including the US, France, and Israel.

The problem appears to be the glyoxylic acid in some hair-straightening products. Bottom line: Read the ingredient lists on hair straightening products and avoid those with glyoxylic acid.

Excerpts from The Times of Israel: 17-year-old girl hospitalized for kidney failure after hair-straightening treatment

A 17-year-old girl who underwent a hair-straightening treatment was hospitalized with severe kidney failure at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, the hospital reports.

Another woman, 25, also suffered from kidney failure caused by hair straightening a little over a month ago. ...continue reading "Hair Straighteners Continue to Cause Kidney Harm"

Published on Leave a comment on Another Widely Used Pesticide Is Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

Yikes! While writing the last post, I came across a recent study of another pesticide linked with the development of Parkinson's disease. While the weed killer paraquat has long been linked to Parkinson's disease, certain other pesticides are also linked - such as chlorpyrifos.

Chlorpyrifos is a widely used insecticide in agriculture. While now banned for household use, homeowners used to use it (e.g., in the product Raid) for insect control for many years.

The study researchers (at the medical school at UCLA) found that long-term residential exposure to chlorpyrifos is associated with more than a 2.5 times increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. They studied humans, mice, and zebrafish to reach their conclusions. They found that chlorpyrifos damages dopamine-producing brain cells - which are the same cells damaged in Parkinson's disease.

From Medical Xpress: Widely used pesticide linked to more than doubled Parkinson's risk

A new study from UCLA Health has found that long-term residential exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos is associated with more than a 2.5-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. ...continue reading "Another Widely Used Pesticide Is Linked to Parkinson’s Disease"

Published on Leave a comment on The Link Between Parkinson’s Disease and the Pesticide Paraquat

Once again, a pesticide banned in many other countries due to its harmful effects on humans and the environment, is allowed to be used in the US. The incredibly dangerous pesticide paraquat is banned in more than 70 countries, including China (where it is made), but not the US. Paraquat (paraquat dichloride) is a highly toxic weed killer used by farmers.

Many studies and farmers themselves report that paraquat causes Parkinson's disease. Currently there are thousands of lawsuits against Syngenta, the manufacturer, and Chevron USA (the seller). [NOTE: Of course Syngenta denies any link between paraquat exposure and Parkinson's disease.] The US Geological Survey reports that between 11 million and 17 million pounds of paraquat are sprayed annually on American farms. But here's the crazy part: use of the pesticide in the US is increasing annually. WTH?

By the way, Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world, with about 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the US. A number of pesticides are linked with the increase, with the link between paraquat and Parkinson's disease known since the 1980s (by research done by independent researchers). Evidence is growing that it's not just direct exposure (contact with it), but also chronic low level exposure that is linked to Parkinson's disease (e.g., living near a farm - thus inhalation of low levels in the air).

What will it take to ban the use of paraquat in the US? (Yes, there are alternatives to paraquat.) Doesn't look likely in the near future. In fact, the chemical/pesticide industry is trying to pass state and federal laws that would protect pesticide manufacturers from liability.

Excerpts from an investigative piece. From nj.com news: Thousands of U.S. farmers have Parkinson’s. They blame a deadly pesticide.

Paul Friday remembers when his hand started flopping in the cold weather – the first sign nerve cells in his brain were dying.

He was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a brain disease that gets worse over time. His limbs got stiffer. He struggled to walk. He couldn’t keep living on his family farm. Shortly afterward, Friday came to believe that decades of spraying a pesticide called paraquat at his peach orchard in southwestern Michigan may be the culprit.

...continue reading "The Link Between Parkinson’s Disease and the Pesticide Paraquat"