The Hidden Dangers of Roundup

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The Hidden Dangers of Roundup

http://www.naturalnews.com/025534.html

 

Roundup is the world`s most popular herbicide used to control weeds all over the

planet and is omnipresent in the food chain of animals and humans. Roundup is

claimed to have an active ingredient known as glyphosate (G) and said to be safe

for humans even though plants are readily killed. In a first of its kind

published study, French researchers recently sought to examine the toxicity of

four popular G-based herbicide formulations on human placental cells, kidney

cells, embryonic cells and neonate umbilical cord cells and surprisingly found

total cell death of each of these cells within 24 hours.

 

As the percentage of genetically modified (GM) soyin the US burgeons to over 91

percent [1], researchers are beginning to publish harbingers for the potential

of a maelstrom of future healthproblems from GMOs (genetically modified

organisms) [2, 3]. One of the potential harmful triggers includes the increased

amounts of chemicals present in the environment disseminating at an alarming

rate with few researchers examining the combined effects of these xenobiotics on

plants, animals or humans. Similarly, much of the existing research on GMOshas

been undertaken on the individual organism itself and neglects to examine the

more important ecological issue of synergism. This point is very notable because

the world`s most popular herbicideknown as Monsanto`s Roundupcontains a blend of

glyphosate (G) and several unknown adjuvants. The exact ingredients in Roundup

are not disclosed to the general public and are kept confidential as they are

labeled, " trade

secrets " . Monsantoassures the public these ingredients are inert and are

therefore non-toxic. The most predominant adjuvant in Roundup seems to be

polyethoxylated tallowamine or POEA [4, 5], which has been implicated in ocular

burns, redness, swelling, blisters, nausea and diarhhea [6]. POEA is one of the

most prevalent pollutants found in rivers all over the world. Problems begin to

arise when G alone interacts with POEA and other unknown ingredients activating

and accelerating the resultant mixture known as Roundup [7].

 

Monsanto patented its G propriety blend and named it Roundup in the 1970`s to

kill broadleaf and cereal leave weeds. G is the active ingredient utilized in

nearly 75% of all edible GM plants that have been engineered to tolerate high

levels of this form of G [8]. G works by inhibiting an enzyme that synthesizes

the amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine thereby killing the weed.

Researchers examining the amounts of herbicide used on GMOsoy have concluded

that the GMO soy typically receives several more pounds of G than conventionally

grown soy per acre [9]. Furthermore, researchers have found that several types

of newly created superweeds resistant to Roundup (e.g., pigweed, ryegrass and

marestail) have been rapidly surfacing leading to increased amounts of Roundup

on such crops[10]. These farmers have been told to use increasingly potent

mixtures of herbicidesand not Roundup alone [11]. In fact, there has been a more

than 1900% increase in G

use on Roundup Ready soybeans from 1994 to 2006 [12].

 

For the first time, French researchers recently sought to examine the toxicityof

four G-based herbicide formulations on human placental cells, kidney cells,

embryonic cells and neonate umbilical cord cells [13]. The researchers used the

four most common types of Roundup utilized worldwide: Roundup Express, Roundup

Bioforce, Roundup Grand Travaux and Roundup Grand Travaux Plus at lower

concentration levels than would be normally found in plants and in animal feed.

The researchers sought to determine the levels of necrosis (death of cells due

to injury, diseaseor loss of blood supply) and apotosis (programmed cell death)

of each of these cells based on exposure to various dilutions of each of the

four Roundup products as well as G, POEA and AMPA (the main metabolite of G at

14 different concentrations of 10 ppm to 2%).

 

The researchers were surprised by the findings and reported that all four

herbicides caused cellular death for all four types of cells within 24 hours.

The researchers reported several mechanisms by which the herbicides caused the

cells to die including: cell membrane rupture and damage, mitochondrial damage

and cell asphyxia. Following these findings, the researchers tested G, AMPA and

POEA by themselves and concluded that, " It is very clear that if G, POEA, or

AMPA has a small toxic effect on embryonic cells alone at low levels, the

combination of two of them at the same final concentration is significantly

deleterious " .

 

Although Monsanto claims that G metabolizes into a harmless and inert substance

known as AMPA, the researchers found that AMPA was more toxic to human cells

than G. This finding is very noteworthy considering AMPA is more stable and

present in soil, plants, foodand wastewater (2 to 35 ppm) compared with G (.1 to

3 ppm) [14]. AMPA was also found to synergistically increase the toxicity of G

and POEA.

 

The researchers also reported that G acted very quickly at concentrations 500 to

1000 times lower than present agricultural levels to induce programmed cell

death. G alone was found to induce mitochondrial toxicity without cell membrane

damage. Furthermore, the researchers tested very weak concentrations (.005%) of

Roundup and reported cell death, lack of adhesion, shrinking and fragmentation

in the cells undergoing apoptosis. The embryonic cells were the most sensitive

indicating another major reason to eat only organic foods while pregnant.

 

Although previous researchers have proposed that the supposed " inert

ingredients " alter the role of cell membrane disruptors in fish, amphibians,

microorganisms [15] and plants [16], independent of G, this study is the first

of its kind to report similar findings in human cells and immediately calls for

strict monitoring of the agricultural usage of Roundup. The researchers

concluded that, " the proprietary mixtures available on the market could cause

cell damage and even death around residual levels to be expected, especially in

food and feed derived from R [Roundup] formulation-treated crops " .

 

References

 

1.GMO Compass. USA: Cultivations of GM plants in 2007. 2008 [cited January 15,

2009]; Available from: http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/agri....

2.Finamore, A., et al., Intestinal and peripheral immune response to MON810

maize ingestion in weaning and old mice. Journal of Agriculture and Food

Chemistry, 2008. 56: p. 11533-11539.

3.Velimirov, A., et al., Biological effects of transgenic maize NK603xMON810 fed

in long term reproduction studies in mice. Unpublished study: Institute fur

Ernahrung, Austria., November 11, 2008.

4.Acquavella, J.F., et al., Human occular effects frim self-reported exposures

to Roundup herbicides. Human & Experimental Toxicology, 1999. 18: p. 479-486.

5.Williams, G.M., Kroe, R., & Munro, I.C. Safety evaluation and risk assessment

of the herbicide Roundup and active ingredient, glyphosate, for humans

Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 200. 31: p. 117-165.

6.Tsui, M.T. & Chu, L.M. Aquatic toxicity of glyphosate based formulations:

Comparisons between different organisms and the effect of environmental factors.

Chemosphere, 2003. 52: p. 1189-1197.

7.Cox, C., Glyphosate (Roundup). Journal of Pesticide Reform, 1998. 18: p. 3-17.

8.Clive, J., The global status of the commercialized

biotechnoligical/genetically modified crop: 2006. Tsitol. Genet., 2007. 41: p.

10-12.

9.Duffy, M., Does planting GMO seed boost farmer`s profits? Leopold Letter,

1999. 11: p. 1-5.

10.Benbrook, C.M. Genetically engineered crops and pesticide use in the United

States. BioTech InfoNet Technical Paper Number 7, October 2004.

11.Nice, G., B. Johnson, and T. Bauman, A little burndown madness. Pest & Crop,

2008. 7.

12.Center for Food Safety. Agricultural pesticide use in U.S. agriculture: Why

USDA-NASS agricultural chemical reporting is important. May 2008: Washington,

DC.

13.Benachour, N. & Seralini, G.E. Glyphosate formulations induce apoptosis and

necrosis in human umbilical, embryonic, and placental cells. Chemical Research

in Toxicology, In Press.

14.Ghanem, A., et al., Glyphosate and AMPA analysis in sewage sludge by

LC-ESI-MS/MS after FMOC derivation on strong anion-exchange resin as solid

support. Annals of Chemistry, 2007. 79: p. 3794-3801.

15.Cox, C. & Surgan, M. Unidentified inert ingredients in pesticides:

Implications for human and environmental health. Environmental Health

Perspectives, 2006. 114: p. 1803-1806.

16.Haefs, R., et al., Studies on a new group of biodegradable surfactants for

glyphosate. Pesticide Management in Science, 2006. 58: p. 825-833.