Round Up the Fact about Glysophate

Glysophate is a chemical widely used as a herbicide according to the EPA. But, it wasn't always used as an herbicide.

The story really began in 1964 when Stauffer Chemical patented the chemical as a metal chelator, according to  GMO Free USA. With this patent, the chemical was used to clean commercial pipes and boilers. In 1974 a new patent was made and a new use was found for Glysophate. The patent was filed by Monsanto and the chemical became used for what it's known for today: a herbicide.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center (N?ic), the chemical is used to kill broadleaf plants and grasses by applying it to their leaves. It is mostly used to control weeds in industrial agriculture and forestry. Since the chemical is non-selective, it will kill the majority of plants.

A photo (by Allison Cook) of an image of a broadleaf weed. Glysophate can
be sprayed on the leaves to kill the plant. Since the chemical is non-selective,
the majority of plants will be killed by the spray. A solution to this is genetically
made crops that are resistant to the chemical, or Roundup Ready (named after
the main herbicide the chemical is used in).

Many websites stated that Glysophate is widely used particularly in the US. GMO Free USA mentions that in the USDA's report more than 2lbs/planted acre of glyphosate-based herbicide was applied to genetically modified corn in 2010.

A photo (by Allison Cook) of an image demonstrating how the chemical is
sprayed at most industrial farms. These tractors are how so much of the
chemical is sprayed over such a large amount of land.

National Geographic reported that most corn, cotton, and soy in the US are treated with the chemical. The article also pointed out that after seeds became genetically made to tolerate Glysophate the use of the chemical soared. To take a more narrowed look at just how much is used in the US, the article noted that in 2012, about 5 million acres of edible crops were treated with the chemical in just California alone.

A picture (taken by Allison Cook) of a photo of the herbicide Roundup on
shelves at a store. Roundup and Glysophate are known together by many people.
Glysophate is the leading chemical in Roundup that allows it to work so well.

The scary part about this large amount used in the US is that this only accounts for 19% of the amount used worldwide, according to EcoWatch. The article was written in 2016 and the amount of Roundup sold was 3.5 billion pounds in the US and 18.9 billion pounds worldwide.

In many of the articles, the crops genetically modified crops are called "Roundup Ready." As mentioned earlier, there seems to be a connection with the creation of these crops and the amount of chemical being sold.

These crops were built to be resistant to the Roundup herbicide and therefore when applied, the chemicals would only kill weeds, according to the EcoWatch article.

So what does all this mean for the health of us humans and the environment?

According to the National Geographic article, Glysophate is not one of the chemicals included in the US government's monitoring of pesticide residues on food or of the amount in human tissues and blood. That said we have no idea how much we are exposed to. The article also mentioned that in 38 states the majority of surface waterways contained Glysophate, but very little was found in groundwater. This later statement can be explained by the fact that the chemical binds tightly to soil. Unfortunately, if the soil particles are swept up into the air, though, the chemical will linger in the atmosphere for a pretty long time before it becomes part of the water cycle. That would be another explanation for National Geographic's statement about 70% of rainfall samples containing the chemical.

There is the question of "what about the food sprayed with the chemical?" None of the websites mentioned this directly, but N?ic did report that if you were to touch a plant or crop that was still wet with the spray you could expose yourself to it if you don't wash your hands. N?ic also mentions exposure through contact, via it be on skin or in the eyes, and inhalation, by breathing in the spray. Finally, it is noted that the chemical is not likely to evaporate after application.

If someone is exposed, the reported effects do not seem to be too bad. According to N?ic, depending on how one is exposed will cause irritation to the exposed area. For example, if one were to inhale the spray, he/she's nose and throat may become irritated. It is when the chemical is ingested that the effects become more serious: burning of the throat and mouth, vomiting and diarrhea. The chemical does not pass through the skin very easily, so if ingested the majority of the chemical will exit the body through the restroom. There have been deaths reported in the cases of ingesting the chemical being intentional.

GMO Free USA reported that in a 2014 study that a larger portion of sampled individuals had both a chronic disease and Glysophate in their urine. This study also found the chemical in dairy cows, which lead to the suggested conclusion that the chemical bioaccumulates in the body. This, GMO Free USA claims, is contradictory to what the industries say.

That seems to be a problem with this chemical: what the industries let the public know versus what outside researchers find seems to contrast. While this may not be a surprise, it makes it difficult for us to know exactly what the chemical is doing to our bodies. Many websites reported that no solid link had been found yet between the chemical and cancer, but that does not mean the link does not exist. It's just a matter of access to the chemical and the victims.

The one thing that seems to be confirmed is the increase of superweeds since the rise in the use of Glysophate. EcoWatch reported that superweeds are weeds that have built up a resistance to herbicides. Because of the increase and emergence of these superweeds, there has been an increase of using more dangerous herbicides.