Tuesday 21 February 2012

Roundup kills weeds, but does it harm us?

Roundup kills weeds, but does it harm us?

This article tells us that a research has been conducted to track the presence of a widely used herbicide. This research focused on tracking glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, in Mississippi and Iowa. The herbicide is used for weed-control on farm fields, golf courses and in residential yards.

This herbicide is used on crops from spring to fall in year-round warm areas like Mississippi. The studies showed that glyphosate is present most of the time in the air and rain, as it is found in every stream sample examined in Mississippi in a two-year period and in most of the air samples taken.

The toxicity of glyphosate to human beings and to animals is low, hence the direct effect is not significant. Further research has to be conducted to determine if glyphosate might be harmful to people and the ecosystem over a longer period of time, depending on the level of exposure.

The concentrations of glyphosate in the water bodies are relatively high as compared to most other conventional herbicides (ten to one ratio). However, the concentration of glyphosate is still about a thousand times lower than the concentration of nitrate or sediments.

Fast-growing weeds that are resistant to this synthetic compound are choking out crops in some areas and some scientists say research shows harmful effects of glyphosate products on soil organisms and plants.

This article was shared on the noon of 1st September, 2011, and spokespersons claim that reviews were being studied.

- Catherine Lim

1 comment:

  1. This article mentions that a widely-used herbicide that has the potential to be dangerous to humans if it were inhaled due to it being made up of many different chemicals was found in the air and water during the times of the year when it had not been used in agriculture. This is dangerous to the people living nearby that are concerned as their health might be affected if they were to inhale the chemicals over a prolonged period.

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