Human health is a matter of highest priority, so new regulations are needed for herbicides in order make certain of its integrity, according to two distinguished researchers who published their findings in the highly-credited New England Journal of Medicine.
It is sometimes difficult to keep up with every piece of published study and separate one from the other when it concerns matters of safety, and that is reportedly what happened when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the continued usage of glyphosate, one of the most commonly known ingredient in herbicides.
It’s the key ingredient in Roundup, developed by Monsanto Co and popularly used worldwide for genetically modified (GMO) crops, such as corn, or even non-GMO crops like wheat before it’s harvested. However, it’s not the only one.
In fact, 700 other varieties of herbicide also make use of glyphosate, which has recently been deemed as “geno-toxic” and likely has the ability of causing cancer.
The article was published by Dr. Philip Landrigan, Harvard graduate that is now a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and Dean for Global Health at Mount Sinai Medical Centre, along with his co-author, Chuck Benbrook, an adjunct professor in the department of crops and soil at the Washington State University.
The two have made observations and statements on how the currently used herbicides have been approved by outdated regulations and allowed to be sprayed on food-producing crops only due to the studies being conducted by manufacturers, who placed the health of children and people on a less important level.
The column then claims that there is a need for change as there is growing evidence that glyphosate is geno-toxic, which can affect cells in multiple different ways. It could be a potential health hazard and lead to a growth in cancer cases worldwide.
The two researchers state that the unfortunate circumstance has been created by two causes. One being that the use of herbicide has drastically increased on GMO crops that are commonly used for food. And second, the World Health Organization (WHO) have determined that glyphosate, the key ingredient in most herbicides, is likely a human carcinogen.
The mounting evidence that the substances used on our crops can be damaging to our health have led the researchers to call for better regulations when using such potentially perilous treatments.
While they might be beneficial for crops and are still considered one of the most environmental options, they hold the possibility of causing irreparable damage to human health across the world.
Image source: 7-themes.com
RobertWager says
I know its the way main stream media works but when the story is so wrong how about for once a second story that actually looks at the whole story. Start here:
https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/glp-facts/charles-benbrook-organic-researcher-key-anti-gmo-critic-separated-washington-state/
}https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/the_bfr_has_finalised_its_draft_report_for_the_re_evaluation_of_glyphosate-188632.html
https://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2015/08/gmos-herbicides-and-the-new-england-journal-of-medicine/
First Officer says
The reason why herbicide use on GMO crops have increased is because gmo crops have increased. This also caused a corresponding decrease in herbicide use on non-gmo crops, again, because there are less of them to treat with herbicide. The use per acre has remained the same. What you also leave out is that the toxicity released (toxicity per pound)*(pounds per acre) has gone way down as glyphosate replaced huge amounts of Atrazine.
In spite of the WHO’s findings, in stark contrast with major health and science organizations, including the herbicide phobic Germans, very few cancer cases can be attributed to its use (non-H Lymphoma), and only with those personally using them professionally. This same group of people, however, also exhibited a lower frequency of other cancers, to the extent that it may actually be a wash.
As far as the consumer is concerned, little if any actually survives by the time any food hits their plates. Believe me, the anti-gmo machine would’ve cranked loud and clear if even a smidgeon was found in Aunt B’s pie.