Eleven Reasons To Stop Using Roundup

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Glyphosate is the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. Glyphosate is an herbicide designed for home and agricultural use; it is also the largest selling herbicide worldwide. The health risks associated with exposure to glyphosate are becoming more obvious and numerous as time goes by. Research is pointing to facts that many of us have known for years, it is a toxic chemical that should be banned.

1. Glyphosate Contamination Exposure Is Showing Up In People Who Have Never Used Round Up- A recent study by Friends of the Earth Europe on 182 urine samples from 18 different countries showed that 44% of the urine tested was contaminated with glyphosate. The samples were collected from March 22, 2013 to May 21, 2013. The results were especially concerning because the samples were collected from individuals who had never handled or used the product. (1)

2. Farmers Who Use Round Up Are Twice As Likely To Be Treated for Depression-A survey of 567 French farmers regarding their use of fungicides, herbicides and pesticides was conducted by Marc Weisskopf, associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. His findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology; state that 15% of the farmers had been treated for depression. Their conclusion, farmers with greater exposure using herbicides had a greater risk of depression, than farmers with less chemical exposures. (2)

3. Round Up Linked to Male Infertility in Animals- A 2007 study published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology found that Roundup herbicide altered the structure of the testis and epididymal region (part of the tubular spermatic duct system), as well as the serum levels of testosterone and estradiol, in male ducks, leading the researchers to conclude that Roundup “…may cause disorder in the morphophysiology of the male genital system of animals.” (3)

4. Glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup Inhibits Natural Detoxification in Human Cells- Glyphosate residue is found in many foods in a typical western diet. Glyphosate inhibits the cytochrome P450 gene pathway, which inhibits enzyme production in the body. CYP enzymes play a crucial role in detoxifying xenobiotics, which include drugs, carcinogens, and pesticides. By inhibiting the natural detoxification process, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of food borne chemicals and other environmental toxins that are absorbed by the body. (4)

5. Roundup Exposure Is A Risk Factor For Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.  A population based case control study of pesticide exposure was completed for a group of men and woman ages 18-74 in Sweden. Chemical exposures were accessed through questionnaires with study confirmation that there is an increased risk between exposures to pesticides and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (5, 6)

6. Rhinitis Associated With Pesticide Use Among Private Pesticide Applicators  A study conducted with 21,958 farmers from Iowa and North Carolina, showed that farmers commonly have rhinitis problems. A study analyzed cross sectional data of pesticide use and rhinitis in the farmers. The conclusion, specific pesticides may contribute to rhinitis in farmers. (7)

7. Glyphosate Alters Testosterone Levels and Testicular Morphology  Its reproductive toxicity is related to the inhibition of a StAR protein and an aromatase enzyme, which causes an in vitro reduction in testosterone and estradiol synthesis. Simply stated Glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor; during lab testing disruptions in reproductive development were documented. (8)

8. Glyphosate Induced Parkinsonism Documented- After accidentally spraying himself with Glyphosate, a 54 year old man developed skin lesions within 6 hours and a month later developed symmetrical parkinsonian syndrome. (9)

9. Glyphosate Show Up In Urine Testing  Glyphosate levels in urine were tested on 48 farmers, their spouses and 79 children. Urine samples were taken the day before, day of spraying and three days after. Farmers who didn’t use rubber gloves had higher levels of geometric mean (GM) concentrations than those who did (10 ppb. vs 2.0 ppb). Sixty percent of farmers had detectable levels in their urine the day of application, as did their spouses and children. (10)

10. Round Up Is Toxic To Human DNA  Back in Feb. of 2012, the journal Archives of Toxicology published an astounding study showing that Roundup is toxic to human DNA even when diluted to concentrations 450-fold lower than used in agricultural applications. (11)

11. Glyphosate Is Contaminating Groundwater, Air And Rain  In a shocking study published in the journal of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry last year, testing revealed that glyphosate is in the groundwater in areas where it has been applied. This contradicts manufacturers’ claims that their product rapidly breaks down in the environment, causing no harm to humans or the environment. (12) According to the USGS Glyphosate is commonly found in rain and rivers in the agricultural areas of the Mississippi River watershed.(13) Paul Capel, USGS chemist says, “This study is the first to document the consistent occurrence of this chemical in streams, rain and air throughout the growing season”. (ibid)

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References:
(1) http://www.foeeurope.org/sites/default/files/glyphosate_studyresults_june12.pdf

(2). http://news.msn.com/science-technology/are-weed-killers-linked-to-depression-in-farmers

(3). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17166697

(4). http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416

(5). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18623080

(6). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12148884

(7). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20818537

(8). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20012598

(9). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11391760

(10). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14998747

(11). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22331240

(12). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22101424

(13). http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2909

 

 

Additional Sources

Glyphosate in more than 80% of urine samples from U.S. kids and adults

Roundup Found in 75% of Air and Water Samples

Roundup 125 More Toxic Than Regulators Say

Glyphosate is Carcinogenic in Parts per Trillion Range

Increased Kidney Disease Linked to Roundup

Glyphosate Linked to Cancer of Lymph

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