New tests conducted by British scientists have found that many
agricultural pesticides – including some commonly found in food
– disrupt male hormones, Marla Cone of Environmental Health News
reports today. The University of London researchers tested 37
pesticides—most of them fungicides that are applied to fruit and
vegetable crops—and found that 30 of them blocked or mimicked
male hormones. Sixteen of the 30 pesticides had no known
hormonal activity until now, according to the study, published
online last Thursday in the scientific journal Environmental
Health Perspectives. The organophosphate insecticide
fenitrothion—used on orchard fruits, grains, rice, vegetables
and other crops—was the most potent androgen blocker. Others
with hormonal activity include fludioxonil, fenhexamid,
dimethomorph and imazalil, which are all fungicides. (Because
fungicides are often applied close to harvest, they’re most
likely to show up in our food.) EHN reports that the findings
come as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agen