Lab Notes | BAEHS

                                                       Figure 1. Man spraying crops with                                                                pesticides. Source: Freepik.com Introduction Pesticides are chemicals or other substances used to control organisms considered pests (Khan et al., 2023). They can help control insects, weeds, fungi, rodents, and other unwanted organisms around homes, gardens, and farms (Daraban et al., 2023). Pesticides can be useful, but unnecessary use can increase opportunities for exposure and toxicity (Tudi et al., 2022). So, one may ask, “Are there any alternatives I can consider to lessen my exposure?” Glad...

Written by: Tayren N. Ben-Abraham, MPH, MSc., M.A., M.A.   Introduction Figure 1. Cyclospora cayetanensis, the causative agent of cyclosporiasis.  Source: Foodpoisonjournal.com Have you ever wondered how a microscopic parasite can travel from one person to another without spreading directly between people? Cyclospora cayetanensis is a tiny parasite that causes an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. The illness commonly causes long-lasting, watery diarrhea and can also cause other digestive symptoms (Bailey et al., 2026; Almeria et al., 2023). Figure 2. A species of Apicomplexa. This is the general shape. Apicomplexa is important at the bottom where it forms a point is where the organism attaches to a cell and reproduces. Source: Microbiologyforum.org Cyclospora belongs to a group of parasites called Apicomplexa . Other members of this group include the parasites that cause malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis (Augendre et al., 2025). Although Cycl...

 Hello, World!   Here at BAEHS, we appreciate your readership and just wanted to give a heads up that we will change the publication date of our blogs to Wednesday at 9 am Pacific time. This scheduling change comes after a lot of consideration. We hope this change will not inconvenience you. The next blog will be published on August 19, 2026. 

by: Tayren N. Ben-Abraham, MPH, MSc., M.A., M.A. Q: If electromagnetic fields are non-ionizing, how could they possibly affect our cells? A: This is one of the important questions researchers are investigating. Radiofrequency radiation (RFR) and extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) are forms of non-ionizing radiation which is radiation that does not have enough energy to directly break chemical bonds or remove electrons from atoms. (Hossain & Haider, 2023) . Examples of devices that give off this type of radiation are wifi routers, laptops, Bluetooth devices, microwaves, anything that conducts electricity such as power lines, and cellphones (Cirino & Lamoreux, 2018). Because they are non-ionizing does not mean that they do not have an effect on the human body. Scientists have investigated whether electromagnetic fields might affect cells indirectly by changing cell signaling and processes involved in energy production (Averill-Bates, 2024; Belenichev et a...