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Daily News Blog

06
Jul

Glyphosate Extended for 18 Months in Europe – With Restrictions

(Beyond Pesticides, July 6, 2016) Unable to come to a formal decision on glyphosate, the European Commission has issued a limited license extension for  glyphosate,  the pesticide in Monsanto’s flagship product Roundup. The decision also comes with some restrictions, including obligations for member states to minimize use on playgrounds, and a ban on formulations with the ingredient POEA. The  18-month interim license will allow glyphosate-containing products to remain on the market until the European Chemicals Agency rules  on glyphosate’s safety, an action  due by the end of 2017.

roundup sprayerAccording to the European Commission, “Despite repeated efforts from the Commission to address concerns expressed about the re-approval of glyphosate, Member States were not prepared to take responsibility for a decision  as no qualified majority was reached”¦” Debate has been raging in Europe about the continued use of glyphosate in light of the 2015 classification by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.” However, confusion peaked when a few short months later the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its report finding that glyphosate is  “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans.” However, EFSA’s report is  limited in that it reviewed glyphosate alone, unlike IARC which reviewed glyphosate and its formulated products (Roundup) which are more relevant for evaluating risks to human health.

Now the Commission waits on another agency, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to conduct and complete another assessment of glyphosate, due in 2017. In the meantime, the Commission did offer some restrictions to the European use of glyphosate. These include a ban of the co-formulant polyethoxylated tallow amine or POEA from glyphosate-based products, obligations to reinforce scrutiny of pre-harvest uses of glyphosate, as well as to minimize use in specific areas like public parks and playgrounds. POEA, commonly used in glyphosate products and listed as an “inert” ingredient, has been shown to be even more toxic than glyphosate itself, and responsible for the elevated toxicity of glyphosate products.

Earlier this year, a European poll reported that the majority of people across the EU’s five biggest countries, including  three-quarters of Italians, 70% of Germans, 60% of French and 56% of Britons, support a ban on glyphosate. The herbicide is the  most widely used chemical in the world, according to reports, and as a result is being detected in food and  human bodies. Tests have detected  glyphosate residues in German beer, at levels higher than allowed in drinking water. Last year,  glyphosate residues were found in  bread  being sold in the UK. The  results of the  bread study  also shows that glyphosate use in the UK increased by 400% in the last 20 years and is one of the three pesticides regularly found in routine testing of British bread -appearing in up to 30% of samples tested by the UK government. A pilot study conducted by the group Moms Across America in 2014  found that glyphosate  may also bioaccumulate in the human body, as revealed by high levels of the chemical in the breast milk of mothers tested.

Glyphosate, created by Monsanto, is touted as a “low toxicity” chemical and “safer” than other chemicals by industry. But glyphosate has been shown to have  detrimental impacts  on humans and the environment. Given its widespread use on residential and agricultural sites, its toxicity is of increasing concern. In addition to IARC’s findings, previous studies  have linked the toxicant to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma. It is also an endocrine disruptor, causes reproductive effects, kidney and liver damage, and is toxic to aquatic organisms, according to studies.  In September 2015, a study published in  Environmental Health News  found that  chronic, low-dose exposure to glyphosate  led to adverse effects on liver and kidney health. Roundup formulations can also induce a dose-dependent formation of DNA adducts (altered forms of DNA linked to chemical exposure, playing a key role in chemical carcinogenesis) in the kidneys and liver of mice. Human cell endocrine disruption on the androgen receptor, inhibition of transcriptional activities on estrogen receptors on HepG2, DNA damage and cytotoxic effects occurring at concentrations well below “acceptable” residues have all been observed.

In the U.S., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated it will release its preliminary risk assessment of glyphosate for public comment later this year. However, the agency found itself embroiled in some controversy after pulling its cancer risk assessment for glyphosate, which was noted as concluding that the chemical is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.  After  pulling the report, the agency stated that the document was not final.

EPA also indicated that federal testing will  begin for glyphosate residues in food. However, although a positive step, this move is largely seen as political —a response to growing public pressure and not focused on evaluating health concerns. A  scientific review,   released in February 2016 by a group of 14  scientists, expressed concern about the widespread use of glyphosate-based herbicides, the lack of understanding regarding human exposure, and the potential health impacts. According to the report, U.S. agencies, such as the National Toxicology Program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and EPA, have not adequately kept up with cutting-edge research. The researchers call for the global science and regulatory community to step back and take a fresh look at glyphosate due to widespread exposure patterns.

Beyond Pesticides urges individuals concerned about glyphosate exposure to support organic systems that do not rely on hazardous carcinogenic pesticides. In agriculture, concerned consumers can  buy food with the certified organic label, which not only disallows synthetic pesticides like glyphosate, but also the use of sewage sludge and genetically engineered ingredients. Beyond Pesticides also urges the adoption of organic lawn and landscape programs.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source: European Commission Press Release

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One Response to “Glyphosate Extended for 18 Months in Europe – With Restrictions”

  1. 1
    Beyond Pesticides Says:

    We received this Facebook comment from user Steven Zien, which we thought would be great to showcase:

    “One reason for EU’s not ending glyphosate’s registration is the difference of opinion between World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA only analyzed glyphosate alone, which is not how it is applied. IARC studied the actual formulation with all the ingredients in the product that is actually applied. That would be equivalent to testing Flint Michigan once using just water and another sample of the actual water that is coming out the tap with the lead contamination. The study of the water alone (without the lead) would find the water to be safe. However, the study that analyzed the actual water coming out of the water with the lead contamination would be found to be hazardous. You need to evaluate the product as it is used with all its ingredients to determine the materials safety, not just one ingredient.”

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