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WHO Report Links Weed Killer Ingredient To Cancer Risk
An anonymous reader sends word that a common weed killer may cause cancer according to the World Health Organization. "The world's most widely used weed killer can 'probably' cause cancer, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The WHO's cancer arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, said glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and other herbicides, was 'classified as probably carcinogenic to humans.' It also said there was 'limited evidence' that glyphosate was carcinogenic in humans for non-Hodgkin lymphoma." Unsurprisingly, Monsanto, Roundup's manufacturer disagrees saying there is no evidence to support the findings and calls on WHO to hold a meeting to explain their conclusions.
I can't be the only person who's sick and tired of celebrities pretending they know the first thing about science. Musicians should stick to playing music. Stop trying to save the world! Why does a band even have a "cancer arm"?
The report does note that the public at large is unlikely to receive any particularly dangerous exposure... this is more just for the workers, which to be fair, should be limiting their exposure to it in the first place. It's well known that it can cause health effects if mixed without any respirator coveralls etc..
Just because it requires a respirator and "clean suit" to spray it and mix it, doesn't mean that it's dangerous to the consumer... it just means that those people are the most likely to experience chronic meaningful exposure.
WARNING! This girl exceeds the MAXIMUM SAFE standards established by the FDA for BRATTINESS
I had an Australian Shepherd that had to be put down due to getting eaten by lymph cancer at a relatively young age. After doing some research I'm fairly certain that it was due to my ex spraying copious amounts of Roundup over pavers on which the dog liked to lay/sun on to keep grass from growing from the spaces in between the pavers.
After talking to a couple of vets and researching on the intertubez there appears to be more than a casual connection between canine cancers and liberal use of the product in areas in which they live and play.
If you have pets or children DO NOT spray this poison in their play areas!
If you're that OCD about a few weeds, pluck them rather than turning your yard into a toxic dump...
The chances are very good that the last piece of bread, pastry, gravy or soup thickened with flour you have had, would have roundup on it. Thanks to the crops being treated right before harvest.
Many farmers will use roundup a few days before harvest because it dries the wheat out. http://www.washingtonsblog.com...
vi +
Monsanto supplies crops that are engineered to be immune to glyphosate
Those crops are corn, soybeans, canola, cotton, sugarbeets, and alfalfa. None of these are vegetables or fruits that are eaten directly by consumers.
which would imply the use is more prolific than you know.
Glyphosate is a weed killer, and a slow one at that. When weeds are sprayed, it can take a week or two before they are fully dead. The reason to kill weeds is because they compete with the crop for water, nutrients, and sunlight. It makes no sense to spray glyphosate at the end of growing season, when the crops are nearing harvest. It is usually applied in the spring, when weeds are a few inches tall. By harvest time, only traces will remain.
Btw, Monsanto's Roundup Ready gene patents started to expire this year. Soybeans have already gone off patent, and other crops will follow in the next few years.
glyphosate breaks down into what ?
It is basically an amino acid (glycine) with a phosphate group attached. It can be fully metabolized by soil bacteria into phosphorus, nitrogen, CO2 and water. It has a half-life in soil of about 50 days. It has a half-life in surface water of about 90 days. It can be toxic to fish, and runoff is a problem. It should not be applied if rain is expected.
Monsanto has been selling Roundup Ready sweet corn since 2011 through their Seminis subsidiary.
Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas