Tag: glyphosate

Widely used herbicide linked to persistent damaging effects on brain

A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Neuroinflammation found that glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, may have persistent, damaging effects on brain health. Laboratory mice exposed to glyphosate exhibited significant brain inflammation, a condition tied to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. The symptoms persisted even months after the exposure ended.

The research team at Arizona State University (ASU) noted the study’s particular relevance to rural communities, where glyphosate is heavily used in farming. Lead researcher Ramon Velazquez, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of examining the effects of such a widely used chemical on brain health.

“This work is yet another step forward in understanding the impact of this widely used herbicide on the brain. But more research is needed to determine the impact that glyphosate has on the brain since most Americans are exposed to this herbicide on a daily basis.”
Ramon Velazquez, Ph.D., Arizona State University

The study revealed that even low doses—near the levels considered acceptable for human exposure—caused significant harm in the mice. Researchers observed premature death, neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer’s-like pathology in genetically predisposed mice. They also detected the accumulation of aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), a byproduct of glyphosate, in brain tissue, raising serious safety concerns about the chemical’s long-term effects on humans.

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GMO Corn, Glyphosate Pose Unacceptable Health Risks, New Scientific Analysis Shows

A new scientific analysis prepared by CONAHCYT, Mexico’s National Council for Humanities, Science and Technology, argues there are unacceptable health risks for Mexican people who consume genetically modified (GM) corn and glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide.

The 200-page document with 1,200 references — posted here for the first time in English — underpins Mexico’s 2023 decree to restrict the use of GM corn in tortillas and other minimally processed corn products, and to phase out the use of glyphosate.

The U.S. challenged those policies as unfair trade practices under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). A decision in that case is expected imminently.

Whatever the ruling, Mexico’s new President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has said her government will not allow the cultivation of GM corn.

Sheinbaum Pardo also recently announced plans to try to place GM corn restrictions in Mexico’s Constitution; “This is the best defense we have for biodiversity as well as for our health,” she said.

Mexico’s stand for food sovereignty and the scientific evidence they gathered to support their case have worldwide relevance, as nations across the Global South grapple with seed laws that would open the doors to GM foods.

It also comes at a time when U.S. consumers are losing faith in the safety of our food supply, according to a recent Gallup poll.

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Vaccines Contain Glyphosate, One of the Most Toxic Chemicals on the Planet

Childhood vaccines were originally developed to protect young children from virulent, sometimes lethal, diseases.

According to mainstream medicine, “Vaccines have played a crucial role in reducing the burden of infectious diseases.”

“A May study in the Lancet estimated that vaccines against 14 common pathogens have saved 154 million lives over the past five decades—at a rate of six lives every minute,” asserts Tara Haelle in a Scientific American article published this week called “The Staggering Success of Vaccines.”

At the same time, even the most diehard vaccine supporters found themselves ill at ease during COVID when they learned that unvaccinated children were being barred from public life and vaccine-hesitant people had to be bribed to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

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High Levels of Glyphosate Linked to Cluster of Young People With Brain Disease, Dementia

A piercing investigative article on Aug. 14 in The New York Times by journalist Greg Donahue reveals the abandonment of a group of brain disease patients in an area of Canada with forestry management for paper products, agriculture and large amounts of pesticide use, including glyphosate.

It illustrates the tension in the relationship between government authorities, regulated industries and neurologists (physicians) on the front lines.

The article details the manner in which health officials appeared to manipulate their own investigation of a disease cluster to make it less disruptive to the economy of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. (This Beyond Pesticides analysis, where not otherwise indicated, draws on Donahue’s article.)

New Brunswick has one major town, Moncton, and a large rural area characterized by agriculture and forestry. The province’s agriculture industry is dominated by blueberry production, which occupies the fourth-largest amount of agricultural land in New Brunswick.

About half the province is forested, with increasing amounts of land devoted to tree plantations intended for paper production.

Glyphosate is hands-down the most heavily used pesticide in New Brunswick forestry, and New Brunswick is second only to Ontario in Canada’s total area of glyphosate-treated forest. The herbicide is especially heavily used in clearcuts and tree plantations.

Glyphosate’s innocence, assumed for decades since it entered the market in 1974, has been thoroughly disproved.

According to a comprehensive 2020 review, it is toxic to cells; disrupts hormones and gut microbe balance; contributes to non-alcoholic liver disease; may trigger heart arrhythmias; has been strongly correlated with multiple myeloma and large B-cell lymphoma; and less strongly correlated with melanoma, leukemia and colon, rectal, bladder and kidney cancers.

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Rising cancer rates in Iowa linked to agricultural chemicals like glyphosate, atrazine and chlorpyrifos

Iowa is grappling with a stark and troubling reality: the state has recently been identified as having the fastest-growing cancer rates in the nation. This alarming increase in cancer rates has prompted a closer examination of environmental factors contributing to this troubling trend. A 2024 report by the Iowa Department of Public Health reveals that cancer rates in rural areas of the state, where pesticide use is more intensive, are significantly higher compared to urban regions. The study highlights that communities with heavy agricultural activity have seen a rise in cases of leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer.

Iowa’s cancerous frontier dominated by glyphosate, atrazine, nitrates, chlorpyrifos

Iowa has seen a dramatic rise in cancer diagnoses, with 486 new cases per 100,000 people in 2024, surpassing the national average of 444 cases per 100,000. The estimated number of new cancer cases this year stands at 21,000, with approximately 6,100 deaths expected. This surge in cancer rates is particularly concerning given that Iowa’s cancer incidence now outpaces other states facing their own unique health challenges, such as industrial pollution, smoking and high obesity rates.

The state, known for its expansive agricultural landscape, relies heavily on pesticides to protect crops and maximize yields. The state’s agriculture sector uses a variety of chemical treatments, including herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. The most commonly used pesticides in Iowa include glyphosate, atrazine and chlorpyrifos.

Glyphosate, a broad-spectrum herbicide, is used extensively in the cultivation of corn and soybeans. Glyphosate disrupts the shikimate pathway of gut microbes and has been linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

Atrazine, another herbicide, is frequently applied to control weeds in cornfields. Atrazine has been associated with endocrine disruption, which may increase the risk of certain cancers. Studies have found atrazine is responsible for alterations in the HPG axis, damaging reproductive function. It also has estrogenic effects, leading to  aromatase activation, including inhibition of PDE4 and altered hormone secretion — precursors to breast cancer.

Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide, is employed to combat pests in a variety of crops. Chlorpyrifos, although banned for residential use, is still permitted in agriculture and has been linked to developmental and cancer risks.

Nitrates, which are key ingredient in fertilizers used across Iowa, are linked to colorectal cancer.

In addition to herbicides, insecticides and fertilizer, radon — a naturally occurring radioactive gas — also poses a significant risk. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is particularly problematic in Iowa, where levels are six times higher than the national average. Radon can seep into homes undetected, further exacerbating health risks for residents.

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Glyphosate Present in 57% of Sperm Samples From Infertile Men

Infertility is now a worldwide crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 6 people today are having difficulty conceiving. Although female infertility is usually given more attention, infertility among men is also being more closely scrutinized.

Research notes that male infertility accounts for 30% of infertility cases, and while the root causes of this condition could be multifaceted, there’s no doubt that environmental factors, particularly the chemicals you’re exposed to every day, play a crucial role.

A recent study confirms this, putting into the spotlight one of the most ubiquitous and devastating manmade chemicals today — glyphosate.

A group of French researchers sought to determine the link between glyphosate and male infertility.

After analyzing samples from males who visited a local infertility clinic, they found that 73 out of 128 (around 57%) participants had detectable levels of glyphosate in their blood and semen.

Published in the June issue of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety journal, the study noted that although glyphosate levels are higher in semen samples, there’s a positive correlation between plasma blood and seminal glyphosate content.

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Congress Must Reject Monsanto-Bayer Plan to Avoid Liability for Poisoning Humans, Environment

Millions of American users of glyphosate-based Roundup have likely assumed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would never have approved the pesticide unless it was safe.

But the science-based truth has never been as cut and dried as the EPA and Bayer, which bought Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018, have made it sound.

In a series of trials across the country, juries — and the public –— have learned that despite the safety claims by Bayer and the EPA, hundreds of studies by independent scientists link glyphosate herbicides to serious health harms, including cancer.

Even though Bayer maintains that its glyphosate products are safe and not carcinogenic, the company has thus far agreed to pay out more than $10 billion in settlement costs to tens of thousands of glyphosate users suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and thousands of lawsuits remain.

In an effort to block further litigation, the chemical giant has turned its focus to getting federal and state legislation passed to block Roundup users from suing the company for damages.

According to a recent Washington Post article, Bayer helped draft language for a legislative measure that would limit the types of lawsuits brought by Roundup users.

That measure is included in the U.S. House of Representatives version of the 2024 Farm Bill, which is slated to be finalized later this year. The company has also been pushing lawmakers in several states to pass similar measures.

Key to Bayer’s messaging to legislators is that, because glyphosate is EPA-approved, research showing its harms should be rejected. But the process by which the EPA approved glyphosate decades ago has never been reassuring to independent scientists such as myself.

EPA scientists conducting initial assessments of glyphosate in the 1980s discovered several mice dosed with the pesticide developed rare kidney tumors, prompting the scientists to confirm the pesticide’s link to cancer.

Then the EPA’s pesticides office did what it often does: It ignored the troubling research and the recommendation of its own scientists and approved the pesticide without acknowledging its documented link to cancer.

Even the EPA’s subsequent assessments and reapprovals of the pesticide, required every 15 years, have been plagued by questionable science. In 2022 a federal appeals court ruled that the agency’s finding that glyphosate has no link to cancer violated its own cancer guidelines and “was not supported by substantial evidence.”

Now it’s these problematic EPA endorsements that Bayer insists should be the basis for putting limits on the lawsuits glyphosate users can file.

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Sperm Samples in French Infertility Clinic Have High Levels of Glyphosate

A recent study published in The Journal of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety last month revealed that more than half of the sperm samples collected from the Pole Santé Leonard de Vinci infertility clinic near Tours, France contained high levels of glyphosate—the primary ingredient in Bayer AG’s Roundup weed killer, which was developed and formerly marketed by Monsanto starting in the 1970s. This discovery raises concerns about the potential negative health impact of glyphosate in reproduction, particularly in light of a growing body of research indicating historically low birth rates globally. Glyphosate is commonly used on various food crops and in residential settings across the United States.1 2

The study established a significant correlation between glyphosate exposure and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause DNA damage and diminished cellular performance, as well as   compromise sperm vitality and function, which contributes to significant fertility impairment. Additionally, the research suggests that agricultural workers, smokers, and consumers of conventionally grown (non-organic) produce may be particularly vulnerable to these damaging effects. The authors wrote:

Taken together, our results suggest a negative impact of glyphosate on human reproductive health and possibly on progeny.3

Glyphosate’s Toxic Past Highlights Increased Need for Awareness and Regulation

In addition to potentially detrimental impacts on reproductive health, the manufacturers of the widely used glyphosate-based product Roundup has faced numerous lawsuits alleging that glyphosate also causes cancer, specifically non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, it inherited these legal battles. In 2020, Bayer agreed to a $10 billion settlement to resolve approximately 100,000 lawsuits, marking a significant milestone in product liability and environmental health litigation. Despite this substantial settlement, Monsanto has continued to deny that Roundup causes cancer.4

Prior to Bayer’s $10 billion settlement, a California jury concluded that glyphosate-based Roundup developed and marketed by Monsanto caused former groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, in 2019, awarded him $289 million in damages. This was the first prominent case to draw widespread attention to the health risks associated with glyphosate. The award amount was later reduced to $78 million following an appeal5

In 2023, U.S. government research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives revealed genotoxicity in farmers with elevated glyphosate levels in their bloodstreams, suggesting a potential link between the herbicide and cancer. Shortly after the study’s publication, a coalition of farmworker, public health, and environmental advocates petitioned U.S. regulators to immediately suspend the use of the hazardous weed killer. The petition, filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), argued that the toxic chemical fails to meet federal safety standard laws, and the EPA lacks valid assessments demonstrating otherwise.6

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New U.S. Government Research is Finally Admitting that Glyphosate Weed Killer Causes Cancer

If you have already had something to eat today prior to reading this article, chances are very high that you have already ingested glyphosate, the active ingredient in herbicides such as RoundUp, the most widely used agrochemical in the world.

Since I have earned my living for the past two decades by selling clean food, I have been warning the public now for many years about the dangers of these agrochemicals and the contamination of our nation’s commercial food supply.

If you do a search on “glyphosate” at Health Impact News, you will get search result list of over 380 articles that we have published during the past decade.

The advent of genetically modified (GMO) seeds in the late 1990s, particularly corn and soybeans, has allowed the agricultural chemical giants, such as Monsanto, to spray greater quantities of herbicides and pesticides onto the nation’s crops.

In 2014 we began testing commercial grain products to verify that North America’s wheat and grain supply was contaminated by the herbicide glyphosate, even though there are currently no GMO varieties of wheat or other grains.

We found it to be true, due to the practice of “desiccating” crops in the fall with glyphosate in the northern states and Canada to allow the farmers to harvest their wheat before the first snowfall.

Next, we tested our own USDA certified organic grains that we sold in our online store, and were shocked to find out that they were just as contaminated with glyphosate as non-organic grains. 

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Popular weed killer impairs insect immune systems, raising malaria risk

Unexpected new findings from researchers at Johns Hopkins University are indicating the world’s most commonly used herbicide appears to weaken the immune systems of insects. One experiment with mosquitos known to spread malaria suggests the chemical can increase the insect’s susceptibility to parasitic infection, possibly increasing risk of human disease transmission.

Glyphosate is a weed-killer that has been in wide agricultural use since the 1970s. It kills plants by disrupting a crucial metabolic process called the shikimate pathway. The pathway is only present in plants, so for many years glyphosate was thought to be an ideal herbicide – harmless to everything but plants.

Over recent years, however, concerns have been raised over the chemical’s effect on the surrounding environment and humans. Austria and Vietnam were two of the first countries to outright ban the herbicide, while several others are undergoing a staged phase-out of its use over the coming years.

The effects of glyphosate on insects is still a source of much debate. Studies have found the herbicide can disrupt gut bacteria in insects, and this can lead to behavioral or physiological changes. A new study is suggesting glyphosate could impair immunity in insects, and this may lead to damaging consequences for human health.

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