The pesticides are at the heart of the news and a recent American study adds to them. Researchers have revealed that their effects span three generations.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Washington (United States) and the results were published this Friday in the journal Plos One. The research was carried out on rats and is based on Methoxychlor (MXC), a type of pesticide banned in the United States since 2003 for its very toxic nature, but still used in several countries around the world.
The next three generations more exposed
Several scientific studies have already proven that pesticides disrupt the development and functioning of the reproductive system. The conclusions of the American study are not more reassuring. Researchers have found an increased risk of developing ovarian and kidney disease.
But above all, the three next generations are also more exposed to obesity: “this pesticide can affect the mode of activation of the genes transmitted, without undergoing genetic mutation. Thus if the great-grandmother is obese or suffers from an ovarian disease, the great-granddaughter could have the same problems,” said Michael Skinner, the study’s lead author.
Information that only confirms the harmfulness of pesticides. Last June, a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that autism could be caused by agricultural chemicals. Inserm meanwhile, highlighted the risk of prostate cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease.
