Study: Herbicide Roundup Highly Lethal To Amphibians

[Guest guest]

Another reason to not use Roundup and to find and use alternatives,

which there are plenty of ...

 

*Smile*

Chris

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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Study: Herbicide Roundup Highly Lethal To Amphibians

 

From EurekaAlert, Science News

 

The herbicide Roundup is widely used to eradicate weeds, and

anti-pesticide groups warn users about the dangerous effects chemicals

such as roundup can have on the environment and human health. But a new

study released this week by a University of Pittsburgh researcher finds

that the chemical may also be deadly to amphibians.

 

Pittsburgh assistant professor of biology Rick Relyea found that

Roundup, the second most commonly applied herbicide in the United

States, is " extremely lethal " to amphibians, and these results may

provide a link to global amphibian population decline. According to the

University of Pittsburgh, this study is one of the most extensive

studies of the effects of pesticides on non-target organisms in a

natural setting.

 

Relyea examined how a pond's entire community -- 25 species, including

crustaceans, insects, snails, and tadpoles -- responded to the addition

of the manufacturers' recommended doses of two insecticides (Sevin and

malathion) and two herbicides (Roundup and 2,4-D).

 

Relyea found that Roundup caused a 70 percent decline in amphibian

biodiversity and an 86 percent decline in the total mass of tadpoles.

Leopard frog tadpoles and gray tree frog tadpoles were completely

eliminated and wood frog tadpoles and toad tadpoles were nearly

eliminated. One species of frog, spring peepers, was unaffected.

 

The experiment was initially conducted to see whether the Roundup would

have an indirect effect on the frogs by killing their food source, the

algae.

 

Previous research found that the lethal ingredient in Roundup was not

the herbicide itself, glyphosate, but rather the surfactant, or

detergent, that allows the herbicide to penetrate the waxy surfaces of

plants. In Roundup, that surfactant is a chemical called polyethoxylated

tallowamine. Other herbicides have less dangerous surfactants: For

example, Relyea's study found that 2,4-D had no effect on tadpoles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> Study: Herbicide Roundup Highly Lethal To Amphibians

 

I highly recommend seeing the documnetary " The

Corporation " , they get into these issues big time.

http://www.thecorporation.com/

 

-R-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

, " Christine Ziegler "

<chrisziggy@e...> wrote:

>

> Another reason to not use Roundup and to find and use alternatives,

> which there are plenty of ...

 

Including good old hoes and pulling the weeds out by the roots. White

vinegar and corn oil-derivative sprays that disrupt the cuticle layer

of the leaves come to mind.

 

I'm fascinated by word my ex-husband is doing for the govt. He is a

soil microbiologist who is selecting strains of microbes that eat the

water-borne herbicides, rendering them inert. Forgot to ask what

happens to the microbes ;-)

http://naturalperfumery.com

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