Few Biologists have a Story Like Tyrone Hayes – Testing Atrazine on Frogs 1997
The largest chemical company in the world, Novartis, asked us to test their number one selling pesticide product, Atrazine. I’d never heard of it. The world’s best-selling pesticide Atrazine . Using African clawed frogs in research, a controversial conclusion. We found that the Atrazine pesticide had demasculinizing effects on exposed male frogs. So the voice box, the larynx didn’t grow properly. Testosterone levels were really low. We eventually found out that sperm production was really low. We also found out that the exposed male frogs could be feminized. They would grow ovaries or grow eggs.
What Does Atrazine do to Humans
You should be thinking about what it does to me, to humans. Atrazine is now the second most widely used pesticide in the U.S. The EPA has recently drafted a report citing Atrazine pesticide as a chronic risk, not just for frogs, but mammals, birds, and other wildlife, even when used according to labels.
Chemical Companies Reply with Lies
Chemical companies and agriculture associations refute the research, citing the Atrazine pesticide chemical‘s role in increasing agricultural output. The one that’s sort of remarkable is this pair.
Biologist Tyrone Hayes – Experiments with Frogs and Atrazine
These are both males. The one on the bottom acting as the female, we affectionately refer to as Darnell. He’s a genetic male that not only acts like a female, he lays eggs like a female. He, she has been exposed to Atrazine pesticide chemical all of his, her life, and I don’t even really know how to reference it. This is Darnell’s third clutch. So Darnell has sons and daughters that we’ve grown up. You can see eggs in the bottom. This is actually her second clutch for today. He, she has been copulating for getting close to 24 hours now. This is probably one of the most remarkable things I’ve seen in my work.
Biologist Tyrone Hayes Concerns of Atrazine Pesticide Chemical in Water
I personally have mixed emotions. I’m very excited about the science and trying to understand the mechanism, but on the other hand, I am worried. Atrazine pesticide chemical is the most common contaminant in ground and surface water and drinking water. The level of atrazine that it took to make this male turn into a female is three times less than what’s allowed in our drinking water.
Tyrone B. Hayes Attributes
Tyrone B. Hayes is an esteemed Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds the prestigious Judy Chandler Webb Distinguished Chair for Innovative Teaching and Research and also serves as the Co-Chair of the Department. In a remarkable achievement in 2023, he was appointed Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the College of Letters and Science and earned election to the National Academy of Sciences.
Frogs are Green – Ban Atrazine
