ROUNDUP SPRAYING/ DUMPING ON THE GRASS-VS CLEAN GRASS CUMBERNAULD, EDINBURGH (OCTOBER 2020 - MARCH 2021)  

“In March 2016, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer published a study [PDF] noting that glyphosate – along with insecticides malathion and diazinon – "probably" cause cancer (2A). There is already a vast amount   of independent science which clearly demonstrates the potential risk it poses to human health.

More, scientists are now admitting that it is impossible for them (or pesticide manufacturers) to truly predict the effects their products will have in real life. There is little to no data on what happens when pesticides interact with each other, for example — even though almost all conventionally grown crops will contain traces of more than one chemical. Across the board, safety testing on pesticides is woefully lacking.

“Dr. Anthony Samsel, a research scientistand consultant who says he has EPA documents in his possession which allegedly show that Monsanto was aware of research tying glyphosate, the primary chemical in the company's popular Roundup herbicide, to cancer since the 1970s.
 

In a recent interview, as reported by Health Impact News, Samsel – who has been studying the toxicity of glyphosate, the world's most prolific herbicide, which is used in the cultivation of GMO crops – notes that, in the past, much of his research linking glyphosate to illness have been dismissed. In conjunction with fellow researcher Dr. Stephanie Seneff, he has helped author the studies "Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases III: Manganese, neurological diseases, and associated pathologies," "Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance" and "Glyphosate's Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases."

“According to research scientist Stephanie Seneff, PhD, autism – which she calls “the most pressing disease in the world today” – could affect 50 percent of the children born in the United States by the year 2025. And, although many in the corporately-controlled scientific community roll their eyes at such a warning, Dr. Seneff believes that glyphosate has a lot to do with the problem.

To arrive at her chilling prediction, Dr. Seneff reports that she merely extended the exponential curve that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has employed in their research on rates of autism spectrum disorder over the past three decades. In 2014, the CDC released data on the prevalence of autism in the United States, reporting that the condition affects one in 68 children.

Dr. Seneff maintains that skyrocketing autism rates are linked with glyphosate, the toxic herbicide in Monsanto’s Roundup. In addition to autism, Dr. Seneff reports that glyphosate has been linked to a plethora of diseases and conditions, including ADHD, food allergies, asthma, leaky gut, IBD, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, heart disease and cancer. Glyphosate’s effect on human health, says Dr. Seneff, is nothing short of “devastating.”

“Another one of the lead scientists who helped conduct the World Health Organization (WHO) study on Monsanto's Roundup herbicide that determined the chemical to be "probably carcinogenic" has now gone on record saying that glyphosate is "definitely genotoxic."
 

Professor Christopher Portier, speaking at a recent scientific briefing on glyphosate in Westminster, London, told listeners that there's "no doubt" in his mind that glyphosate, the primary active ingredient in Roundup, causes genetic damage that can lead to cellular malfunction and cancer.
 

The event was put on by the U.K.-based Soil Association, which is pushing British authorities to implement a full ban on the use of glyphosate, which is commonly sprayed on genetically-modified (GM) crops and used as a pre-harvest ripening agent to help control weeds.”

Based on an assessment of various case-control studies of occupational exposure to glyphosate conducted in the U.S., Canada and Sweden, a research team noted increased risks for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, even after accounting for exposure to other pesticides. Mice exposed to glyphosate also showed higher incidences of renal tubule carcinoma, a rare form of kidney cancer.
 

Other types of cancer shown to develop as a result of glyphosate exposure included haemangiosarcoma (a type of cancer common in dogs), pancreatic islet-cell adenoma and skin tumors. The researchers also noted that aminomethylphosphoric acid (AMPA) -- which occurs when glyphosate is broken down by soil organisms -- is present in human blood as well, indicating absorption.
 

These and other critical observations suggest that glyphosate actively poisons the human body, a fact vehemently denied by Monsanto. Glyphosate and glyphosate formulations were also shown to induce DNA and chromosomal damage in mammals, including humans, as well as oxidative stress (which leads to chronic inflammation), and of course cell damage. The full paper can be viewed for free here: http://www.thelancet.com“

“A recent study conducted by Dr. Nancy Swanson and the President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Andre Leu, has reinforced what many have been convinced of all along: glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, is lethal. Their correlation study determined that it's lethal even in small amounts, debunking the notion in which some people suggest that its levels are so low that it can't possibly damage health.
 

The study, titled "Genetically engineered crops, glyphosate and the deterioration of health in the United States of America," was published in the Journal of Organic Systems. First, United States government databases were reviewed to find GE crop data, disease epidemiological data and glyphosate application data. Then, the team conducted correlation analyses on 22 diseases in these data sets which revealed the disturbing discovery that the ingredient is indeed wreaking havoc on people's health.
 

Their findings state that "Glyphosate disrupts the endocrine system and the balance of gut bacteria, it damages DNA and is a driver of mutations that lead to cancer." They noted that glyphosate applications are linked to a long list of ailments and chronic diseases ranging from stroke, cancers of the thyroid, bladder, pancreas, kidney and liver to autism, end stage renal disease, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.
 

The study draws eye-opening parallels to the fact that there's been "a huge increase in the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases" reported in the U.S. over the past two decades and that "During this same time period, there has been an exponential increase in the amount of glyphosate applied to food crops and in the percentage of GE food crops planted.”

A research team from King’s College London have uncovered a grim truth about the ever-popular Roundup herbicide: it causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)”

According to an alarming study, published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, glyphosate, even in ridiculously low concentrations, can accelerate the growth of human breast cancer cells.
 

The authors of the study, titled, "Glyphosate induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptor," compared the impact glyphosate had on hormone-dependent breast cancer T47D cells and hormone-independent breast cancer MDA-MB231 cells. The cells were exposed to low concentrations of glyphosate typically found in the environment.
 

Glyphosate acts like oestrogen to aid the propagation of beast cancer cells

The researchers found that glyphosate acts like oestrogen, a primary female sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system, and uses the same pathways as the hormone to enhance the proliferation of human hormone-dependent breast cancer T47D cells.”

“A team of researchers from both Germany and Egypt, publishing their findings in the Journal of Environmental & Analytical Toxicology, discovered that animals fed GM feed had much higher levels of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, in their urine and organs than animals fed non-GM or organic feed.

As explained in the same study, glyphosate directly interferes with the body's P450 enzymes, which are responsible for modulating the synthesis of sex steroid hormones in the body. It is also believed that this inhibition results in the synergistic disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids by gut bacteria, resulting in a variety of health conditions including gastrointestinal damage, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, dementia and cancer.”
 

Studies have also linked the chemical to a very long list of problems including heart disease, Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome, liver disease, kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, autism, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s. It is also harming the environment, affecting biodiversity and putting the entire ecosystem at risk.”

“Glyphosate is even more toxic in combination with the other chemicals found in Roundup

But glyphosate itself is not the only major cause for concern when it comes to the chemical's use. As it turns out, Roundup and many other commercial glyphosate formulas are also loaded with all sorts of so-called "inert" ingredients that are not indicated on the label. As highlighted in the glyphosate report, these inert ingredients typically carry with them their own toxicity, triggering many of the same harmful side effects as glyphosate in isolation.
 

5-Chloro-2-methyl 3(2H)-isothiazolone, for instance, is a chemical component used in Roundup that has been linked to causing both allergic reactions and genetic damage in laboratory tests. And 3-Iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate, a biocide often used in glyphosate formulas, has been shown to cause thyroid damage and growth abnormalities in test subjects. Other harmful glyphosate ingredients include petroleum distillates, polyoxyethylene alkylamine, and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, which are linked to fertility problems, genetic damage, and other harm.”

Be sure to read the entire report on glyphosate as published in the Journal of Pesticide Reform by visiting:
http://www.pesticide.org 

“Dr. Robin Mesnage is a scientist at the acclaimed International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO). He’s also a leading expert at King’s College of London’s Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics and recently declared glyphosate to be “definitely genotoxic,” meaning it causes cell mutations. A 2014 study in the journal Biomedical Research International found that in eight out of nine major pesticides tested, the commercial formula (to which people are actually exposed in the real world), was up to 1,000 times more toxic than the so-called active ingredient.

Concerning glyphosate’s cancer-causing potential, a panel of scientists at IARC – of which Dr. Mesnage is a member – unanimously declared glyphosate to be “probably carcinogenic” to humans back in 2015. The group’s assessment revealed multiple lines of evidence showing tumors of the kidney, pancreas, and other organs resulting from exposure to glyphosate. Epidemiological studies that were also taken into account linked glyphosate to DNA and chromosomal damage, another mechanism that leads to cancer formation.”

 - In a significant victory for consumer safety — and a devastating blow to Monsanto — California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has declared that glyphosate weed killer is a known, cancer-causing carcinogen that will be added to the scope of Proposition 65.”

- Malta  was the first European country to ban the use of this controversial weedkiller.

-  Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena announced a ban on the import and use of glyphosate due to its nephrotoxicity (the herbicide has been linked to a quintuple increase in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the nation and resulted in about 20,000 deaths in northern Sri Lanka). 

- Brazil joins a growing list of countries that have banned the toxic chemical or restricted its use. 

- In 2013, El Salvador banned the Roundup herbicide after independent studies linked the chemical to kidney disease, cancer and other illnesses.

- Belgium has banned the individual use of the chemical and voted against relicensing it in the EU last year. It was also one of six EU member countries to sign a letter asking the EU Commission to establish an exit plan for glyphosate. In addition, the city of Brussels has a “zero pesticides” policy, which means glyphosate is completely banned there.

- The Netherlands has also banned the use and sale of herbicides that contain glyphosate for noncommercial use throughout the country,  after hearing the arguments of Party for Animals, an organization that focuses on animal rights issues. 

- In Argentina, more than 400 cities and towns have passed measures that restrict the use of glyphosate. After the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded the chemical is “probably carcinogenic to humans,” about 30,000 doctors demanded the prohibition of glyphosate in their country since the chemical is associated with cancer, spontaneous abortions, birth defects, skin diseases, respiratory illness, and neurological disease.

- France and Germany are expected to join the list soon. Last November, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the country will ban glyphosate outright within the next three years. In January, the coalition government in Germany kicked off the process of banning glyphosate, and some retail stores in the country have already pulled Roundup and similar herbicides from their shelves.”

For a list of the Us cities which have banned or restricted the use of glyphosate, check  Where is Glyphosate banned? 

“B&Q dropped the sale of Roundup

“We have a record of acting ahead of legislation where appropriate. We led the way in removing three pesticides in 2013 and neonicotinoids from our flowering plants in 2018.

“We offer alternatives to glyphosates and are currently undertaking a broader review of all our garden products,” a spokesman for B&Q said.

The announcements come after an American school groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, successfully sued the agrochemical giant Monsanto in a landmark case ( Jury orders Monsanto to pay California man $289mn in ‘probably carcinogenic’ Roundup trial ). Johnson says he developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Monsanto’s RoundUp and Ranger Pro weedkillers for years.

A California state jury awarded Johnson $289 million (£226m) in compensation on Friday after finding Monsanto had not adequately warned users of the herbicide’s risks. They also found company officials to have acted with “malice and oppression” in their selling of the product despite its risks being known. )”

In another trial held in San Francisco the jury was unanimous in their verdict that Monsanto Roundup weed-killer, based on glyphosate, had been responsible for Hardeman’s cancer. His attorneys stated,

“It is clear from Monsanto’s actions that it does not care whether Roundup causes cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about Roundup.” 

 Monsanto and its German owner Bayer AG face more than 9,000 lawsuits in the US brought by people suffering from NHL who blame Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicides for their diseases.