About Glyphosate:
Glyphosate is an herbicide that is applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses. The sodium salt form of glyphosate is used to ripen fruit and regulate plant growth. Glyphosate's chemical name is N-(Phosphonomethyl)glycine and its main effect is to block an enzyme that plants need to make amino acids and proteins. When the enzyme is blocked, plants dies within a few days. It is never used on its own as an herbicide, it is always combined with other chemical ingredients. Glyphosate is the active chemical ingredient in Roundup herbicide as well as many other name brand glyphosate-based weedkillers. Roundup is the brand-name of an herbicide produced by Monsanto. Roundup is is commonly used by both people in their backyards and farmers in their fields.
http://www.hoajonline.com/journals/A-Z/J/toxicology/content/figure/volume/2/1/fig1.jpg
1) What was it patented for in 1964?
In 1964, glyphosate was patented by Stauffer Chemical as a metal chelator used to clean or descale commercial boilers and pipes. Glyphosate has the ability to bind to and remove minerals such as calcium, manganese, copper, zinc, and magnesium which are vital to our health.2) How much is used in the US/World?
Glyphosate has become the most heavily-used agricultural chemical in the world. A study published in 2016 in the journal of Environmental Sciences Europe shows that Americans have applied 1.8 million tons of glyphosate since its introduction in 1974, and worldwide, 9.4 million tons of the chemical have been sprayed onto fields.3) How is it used in the US?
In the U.S., glyphosate is used in agriculture and forestry, on gardens and lawns, and for weeds in industrial areas.
4) Is there any health/environmental harm from it's use..endocrine disrupters?
Glyphosate is an endocrine disrupter. This means that it interferes with the proper functioning and production of hormones, in human cell lines. It's not completely clear how much of an impact glyphosate has had on cancer rates, but studies where high doses were administered to laboratory animals suggest that glyphosate has carcinogenic potential.Glyphosate-containing herbicides may contaminate soils in and around treated areas. Once it is in the soil, the relationship between glyphosate and soil ecosystems is complex, and varies from soil to soil. In some cases, glyphosate can form complexes with metal ions, potentially affecting the availability of nutrients in the soil. In other cases, glyphosate may be used as a source of energy and nutrients by some soil micro-organisms, increasing their numbers. But, at the same time, it could be toxic to other species, reducing their populations. The presence of glyphosate in the soil could change the balance of bacteria and fungi in soil, in turn altering soil ecosystem functions and plant health.
Pure glyphosate is low in toxicity to fish and wildlife, but some products containing glyphosate may be toxic because of the other ingredients in them. It could affect fish and wildlife indirectly because killing the plants alters the animals' habitat.
5) What are Roundup Ready crops?
Roundup Ready crops are crops that are genetically modified to be resistant to the herbicide Roundup. Because these plants are resistant to Roundup, farmers that plant these seeds are able to use Roundup to keep other unwanted weeds from growing in their fields.
References:
http://gmofreeusa.org/research/glyphosate/glyphosate-overview/
http://web.mit.edu/demoscience/Monsanto/about.html
http://www.newsweek.com/glyphosate-now-most-used-agricultural-chemical-ever-422419
https://www.foeeurope.org/sites/default/files/press_releases/foee_5_environmental_impacts_glyphosate.pdf
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.