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®: CRE Regulatory Action of the Week
New Research Discredits Hayes’ Atrazine Test Results
The May 15, 2008 issue of Environmental Science & Technology contains a Perspective written by contributing editor Rebecca Renner. This article concludes that " the widely used herbicide [atrazine] does not appear to be an amphibian gender bender, according to new studies." By “gender bender” the article means endocrine effects, or lack thereof based on the latest studies.
The new studies include research by endocrinologist Taisen Iguchi at the Okazaki Institute for Integrative Biocscience. Dr. Iguchi replicated experiments by Tyrone B. Hayes, but was unable to repeat Dr. Hayes’ results. Dr. Hayes’ tests purporting to show endocrine effects in frogs have been heavily relied on by NGOs opposing the continued use of atrazine. Dr. Iguchi’s inability to repeat Dr. Hayes’ results discredits Dr. Hayes’ tests.
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