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Editorial

PAN Europe
Arguments for reducing pesticide dependency 3
In November 2003, PAN Europe organised a conference in Copenhagen called Reducing Pesticide Dependency to Protect Health, Environment and Biodiversity. John Harvey introduces the main themes.

Glyphosate disruption of human hormones 4 
Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini is working on the evaluation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the toxicity of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup; and the comparison between the Roundup formulation product and glyphosate alone. He addressed the PAN Europe Pesticide Use Reduction in Europe (PURE) conference in Copenhagen, and afterwards spoke to John Harvey.

Research finds pesticides toxic at low doses 5
Dr Vyvyan Howard is head of the Developmental Toxico-Pathology Research Group in the Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology at Liverpool University. At the Pesticide Use Reduction in Europe (PURE) conference, he spoke about measuring how toxic pesticides can be for human cells. John Harvey interviewed Dr Howard. 

Rise in cancers from environmental chemicals 6  
Professor Dominique Belpomme, a medical oncologist from the University of Paris, has new research showing that environmental exposures to pesticides and other contaminants are now more significant as a cause of cancer than tobacco. He summarised his findings during the PAN Europe network members’ conference in Copenhagen.

Progressive retailer reduces pesticide use 7
Co-operative Retail are considering extending their policies which prohibit the use of certain pesticides to arable crops grown for food sold in stores. These and other ideas were set out during the Pesticide Use Reduction in Europe (PURE) conference organised by PAN Europe in Copenhagen. John Harvey takes the story further.

Pesticides pollute drinking water wells in rural Romania 8
Seven million people in rural areas of Romania take most of their drinking water from wells, many of which are private. These wells are often polluted with nitrates, bacteria, and pesticides. Romania is not an exception in Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. In the Ukraine 11 million people take drinking water from – often shallow – private wells. For other countries in the region the same seems to apply. Margriet Samwel reports on how a project in one village is improving drinking water quality.

Danish farmers in plan to cut pesticide use 10
Farmers in Denmark are working with their national advisory service to reduce pesticide use. John Harvey spoke to Poul Henning Petersen, a senior adviser with the service, who was the guest speaker during the November 2003 PAN Europe network members’ conference.

Health
Scheme for reporting OP illness doesn’t work 11
A seminar for journalists was organised by DEFRA (the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to explain the latest research on organophosphorous chemicals used to dip sheep against scab. John Harvey was present.

Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture
Contaminated without Consent: Why our exposure to chemicals in air, food and water violates human rights  12
For its first Rachel Carson memorial lecture, Pesticide Action Network UK invited the renowned American campaigner Sandra Steingraber to talk about her experiences with pesticides and other toxic pollutants. This is an edited version of her speech in London.

News
Dow to pay $2 million fine for illegal safety claim 17
A subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co. will pay a $2 million fine for making illegal safety claims in advertising of its pesticides, according to New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

Chemical news
Large exemptions hinder methyl bromide phase-out 18
Under pressure from manufacturers of methyl bromide and fumigation companies, some governments have requested excessively large exemptions from the Montreal Protocol’s phase-out schedule for this ozone depleting fumigant. David Buffin summarises the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) report.

Coalition attacks EU decision on paraquat 19
A lawsuit argues that the European Commission ignored scientific evidence when granting approval for the herbicide paraquat. Now lawyers at the European Court of First Instance will examine the evidence and decide whether the Commission was right or whether it bowed to lobbying by the manufacturer Syngenta and other pesticide interests across the European Union.

News 20-22
Deadline for companies to hand over data
After some hard questions from Pesticide Action Network UK, the UK government’s Pesticide Safety Directorate has launched a survey to find out how much information on health ill-effects is held by agrochemical companies. So far, the companies’ response has been poor.

African organic cotton to Europe
A gathering of 100 fashion designers, clothing retailers and representatives of African organic cotton farmers met at the 04 Cotton Conference in Hamburg to discuss how to develop the organic cotton market in Europe. The conference exceeded expectations, as sales deals were struck between participants.

Dangerous herbicide in water at illegal levels 
Pesticide Action Network UK has written urgently to health chiefs in the Newcastle region to demand action over a ‘tumour-promoting’ chemical polluting the water of 600,000 people.

EPA sued on worker protection
Companies must change wording
Workers blame Agent Orange
Workers poisoned in Colombia
Scottish salmon tops contaminated pollutants list
Garden pesticides in UK sewage works

Book reviews and resources 23

Toxics and the law
IPM global perspective  
Investigation of mental illness
Pesticide manual
UK pesticide guide
NGO resource publications