The following information is from Children’s Health Defense.

Atrazine, a widely used herbicide banned in the European Union since 2004, has been found to accelerate brain cell aging and harm the hypothalamus, according to a new study in mice. Despite being prohibited in Europe due to groundwater contamination concerns, atrazine remains the second-most-used weedkiller globally, with over 70 million pounds applied annually in the US.

The study, published last month in Research, demonstrated significant neurotoxic effects. Researchers observed a decrease in nerve cell numbers and structural damage to neurons in the hypothalamus—a brain region critical for stress response, metabolism, and hormone regulation.

The study revealed that atrazine in mice:

• Damages nerve cells (neurons) and activates microglia, immune cells in the brain that act as its “first responders” to injury, infection, or disease.
• Sends certain brain stem cells (hypothalamic neural stem cells, or HtNSCs) to the areas of injury in the hypothalamus.
• Overly activates the body’s stress response system (integrated stress response pathway), making these HtNSCs age prematurely (stop dividing and growing) and impairing their ability to maintain and repair the hypothalamus by multiplying and turning into other types of nerve cells.

These findings highlight how atrazine prematurely ages hypothalamic stem cells, impairing their ability to repair damage and raising concerns about links to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Growing evidence suggests that persistent exposure to pesticides such as atrazine may contribute to the prevalence of these age-related conditions.

Atrazine is classified as an endocrine disruptor and has been associated with reproductive issues, birth defects, and certain cancers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also linked atrazine to liver, kidney, and heart damage in animals.

“Atrazine-induced hypothalamus damage includes the breakdown of cell nuclei and degradation of mitochondria, which produce the energy cells need to function.”
— Study Researchers

The research findings come as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers a controversial proposal to raise the acceptable level of atrazine in watersheds from an average of 3.4 micrograms per liter to nearly three times as much. Critics argue this decision ignores mounting evidence of atrazine’s risks to human and environmental health.

“Persistent exposure to pesticides like atrazine is linked to the prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases,” — Study Researchers

The study did not test lower doses of atrazine or evaluate its effects at environmentally realistic levels, focusing instead on hypothalamic stem cells. While the results are compelling, researchers acknowledge the need for further investigation to understand real-world impacts.

For more details, read the full article here.