Pesticide Contamination Lingers Through Multiple Generations

A recent study done by researchers from the University of Texas believe they have found proof that damage done by pesticides can last through at least four generations. The chemical that they used was a fungicide called vinclozolin.

In the research that was done by reproductive neuroendocrinologist Andrea Gore and evolutionary biologist David Crews, sexual behavior was monitored in two sets of rats. The first set were healthy while the second set were descendants of rats that had been given hormone-disrupting chemicals. The second group of rats who were great grand-mothers of the test rats, were then injected with the fungicide vinclozolon which is favored amongst grape growers. In previous research, it had been discovered that male rats given vinclozolin developed various reproductive and other difficulties later in life, including sperm deficiencies, infertility, breast tumors and kidney disease. NaturalNews reported that in this study, the rats chosen were between 90 and 120 years old, and were evenly divided between the genders. The male and female rats were separated by a wired mesh and were timed as to how long each rat was interested in the opposite sex. This was an indication of sexual interest. Oddly, there was no difference in how the female rats were treated by the males, regardless of whether they were healthy or were descendants of injected rats. However, females were less interested in the males that were descendants of injected rats. The females interest was greater with the healthy (or 'controlled') rats. In the females, the researchers couldn't find any apparent health or fertility problems, even though the females were descendants of injected rats. They now believe that some chemicals do not damage DNA, but rather reprogram or silence genes which could lead the genes to work abnormally. Even though this change could be longer lasting, it's believe that it can be bred out by the mating with healthy animals. Because the reproductive developmental processes of mammals are all incredibly similar to each other, the researchers believe that similar effects probably occur in humans exposed to toxic chemicals as well.