01
Nov
Amount of Monsanto’s Glyphosate/Roundup in Human Body Skyrockets
(Beyond Pesticides, November 1, 2017) The explosion of genetic engineering (GE) in agriculture over the past three decades has led to significant increases in the amount of the 
weedkiller glyphosate being found in the human body, according to new research from University of California, San Diego. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, is the most widely used herbicide in the world, owing that title to its use in “Roundup Ready” GE cropping systems and residential yards. “Our exposure to these chemicals has increased significantly over the years but most people are unaware that they are consuming them through their diet,” said study coauthor and director of Family Medicine and Public Health at UC San Diego, Paul J Mills, PhD.
Scientists conducted their study based on participants in the Rancho Bernardo Study on Aging, a prospective study of over 6,000 adults over 50 years old living in Southern California. Of the 1,000 active participants, 100 had urinary glyphosate residues tested in between 1993 to 1996, and 2014 to 2016.
Glyphosate residues in these individuals increased significantly from the mid-1990s to today. Between 1993 and 1996 average glyphosate residues in urine was recorded to be 0.024 micrograms per liter. By time participants were tested between 2014-2016, average urinary glyphosate levels rose to 0.314 micrograms per liter, an increase of over 1,200%. In the 1990s, 12% of individuals tested contained glyphosate in their bodies above the level of detection. By now, 70% of individuals contain glyphosate levels above detection rates.
Levels of glyphosate’s primary metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), increased at similar rates to its parent compound. Researchers indicate that changes in farming practices are very likely the reason for the dramatic increases. Dr. Mills notes, “What we saw was that prior to the introduction of genetically modified foods, very few people had detectable levels of glyphosate.”
Since its initial registration in 1974, glyphosate use in agriculture has risen 300-fold, and 43-fold in nonagricultural uses, with 2014 recording 276 million lbs of glyphosate applied. Beginning in the mid-1990s, glyphosate was touted as a silver bullet in farming because, when coupled with corn, soy, or cotton seeds genetically engineered to tolerate the chemical, it can kill weeds without risk of failure to the main crop. However, this new form of agriculture, pushed and promoted by agrichemical companies like Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, DuPont, BASF, and Syngenta, fails to take into account important secondary effects from its use. Increased levels of glyphosate on our food and in our bodies is only the beginning. Rampant herbicide use in GE agriculture has been linked to the decline of monarch butterflies, damage to soil health, and widespread weed resistance. Subsequent increases in weed resistance to glyphosate has led to the use of even more toxic and harmful chemicals in GE agriculture, such as 2,4-D and Dicamba.
Earlier this year, California declared glyphosate a carcinogen under Prop 65, following a determination from the World Health Organization that the chemical was carcinogenic based on laboratory studies.
“The public needs to be better informed of the potential risks of the numerous herbicides sprayed onto our food supply so that we can make educated decisions on when we need to reduce or eliminate exposure to potentially harmful compounds,” said Dr. Mills.
In 2013, Beyond Pesticides joined together with 22 other health and environmental groups to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reject increased levels of glyphosate in the food supply. The organization has met with the agency on the adequacy of current protocols for glyphosate testing in food, and continues to advocate measures that would reduce and eliminate consumer exposure to Roundup and other toxic pesticide products.
Consumers wishing to eliminate their exposure to glyphosate can switch to organic products. Not only will you eliminate the chance that you are eating carcinogenic glyphosate, you will also be voting with your food dollars for safer agriculture, and a healthier future. For more information on the connection between increased glyphosate in our bodies and GE agriculture, see our program page on herbicide-tolerant crops.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Source: UC San Diego News Center
