May 27, 2021 | Research by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), published in Environment International, finds exposure to lindane and metalaxyl pesticides heightens thyroid cancer risk. Both incidents of nonaggressive thyroid tumors and advanced-stage thyroid cancer are on the rise. However, researchers speculate that environmental pollutants, such as pesticides, may contribute to this increase, especially considering the pervasiveness of pesticide exposure among the general population. This study is the first to show a direct association between thyroid cancer—rather than function or disease—and specific occupational pesticides. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are well-known persistent organic pollutants (POPs) banned by the Stockholm Convention treaty in 2001. [Lerro, Catherine et al. Pesticide exposure and incident thyroid cancer among male pesticide applicators in agricultural health study. Environment International. 146:106187, 2021.]
