Roundup Found in People’s Urine

By B. McPherson




Glyphosate, first developed as Roundup, weed killer has been found in the urine of city dwellers according to research done in Germany.GM Watch has translated part of the work published in the journal Ithica in German. The findings are troubling in that levels 5 to 20 times allowable limits were measured.

Glyphosate is a widely used broad leaf plant poison that sprayed onto undesirable plants killing them. The herbicide, originally developed by Monsanto has been widely used since 1974. The seed company has since developed a wide array of “Roundup Ready” crops that will not die when sprayed with the chemical. This eliminates the need for hand weeding.

As with many innovations there are unforeseen consequences. Glyphosate resistant ‘super-weeds’ are becoming an increasing problem. Canadian scientists reported that the first glyphosate resistant weed in Western Canada has been confirmed. Kochia is now a super-weed. This is now added to giant ragweed(2009) and Canada fleabane(2011). A publication released by PurdueUniversity and authored by scientists at the University of Wisconsin and Iowa State have listed rigid ryegrass, marestail, Italian ryegrass, common ragweed, palmer amaranth and waterhemp as glyphosate resistant.

This has prompted many large scale farmers to spray their genetically modified crops multiple times throughout the growing season leading to overspray. While the chemical is not very mobile once sprayed, some has leached into waterways.

The persistence of this chemical at even very low levels may cause long term sub chronic health and reproductive issues. A paper published seven years ago by Environmental Health Perspectives spoke of toxic effects of Roundup and presented evidence that the herbicide tends to accumulate in the body.

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