Latest important information related to Roundup can be found here:
Independent science - GMO and Roundup can cause cancer and problems with liver and kidney
GM Soy linked to health damage in pigs - a Danish Dossier
Dr. Huber on how Glyphosate and GMO destroy soil quality - affecting health of plants, animals and humans
ROUNDUP AND BIRTH DEFECTS - Are the public being kept in the dark?
Roundup Diluted by 450-Fold is Still Toxic to DNA
Now glyphosate found in people's urine
According to Marie-Monique Robin, the author of the book "The World According To Monsanto", Monsanto's advertising once claimed: "Glyphosate is less toxic to rats than table salt following acute oral ingestion" (more examples of Monsanto's advertising practices can be found here and here: Attorney General of the State of New York. Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau). Some people living close to genetically modified crops in Argentina and some brave scientists do not agree to Monsanto's allegation. New scientific findings indicate that Roundup, one of the world's most used herbicide, may cause severe damage to embryos.
Dr. Andres Carrasco, a lead embryologist at the University of Bueno Aires Medical School and the Argentinean national research council, discovered that glyphosate-based herbicides like Monsanto's Roundup formula caused deformations in chicken embryos that resembled the kind of birth defects which where reported in areas like La Leonesa, where big agribusinesses depend on glyphosate to treat genetically engineered crops.
Full story here: War over Monsanto gets ugly
The study by Dr. Andres Carrasco can be found here:
Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Produce Teratogenic Effects on Vertebrates by Impairing Retinoic Acid Signalling
The poison of the pampas
Video in two parts (spanish with english subtitles):
It should be noted that Dr. Andres Carrasco is not the only scientist which have found Roundup to cause severe damage in animal and/or human cells.
In 2009, Gilles-Eric Séralini and Nora Benachour published a scientific study titled: "Glyphosate Formulations Induce Apoptosis and Necrosis in Human Umbilical, Embryonic, and Placental Cells". They evaluated the toxicity of four Glyphosate-based herbicides in Roundup formulations, far more dilluted when these Roundup formulations are used in e.g. Agriculture. They tested against 3 different human cell types. All Roundup formulations caused total cell death within 24 hours. The abstract ends with these words: "This work clearly confirms that the adjuvants in Roundup forumulations are not inert. Moreover, the proprietary mixtures available on the market could cause cell damage and even death around residual levels to be expected, especially in food and feed derived from Roundup formulation-treated crops." The abstract from that study can be found here: "Glyphosate Formulations Induce Apoptosis and Necrosis in Human Umbilical, Embryonic, and Placental Cells".
Another scientific study also find serious health problems with glyphosate-based herbicides. In the book "The World According To Monsanto" we can read: "In France, a team under professor Robert Bellé of the Station Biologique de Roscoff, which is under the authority of the CNRS (Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique) and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, studied the impact of glyphosate formulations on sea urchin cells.". One of the scientific studies under supervision by Robert Bellé can be found here: "Glyphosate-based pesticides affect cell cycle regulation".This study shows that all the tested products: Amega, Cargly, Cosmic and Roundup Biovert induced cell cycle dysfunction. It also indicate high risk by inhalation when people in the vicinity of the pesticide handling sprayed at 500 to 4000 times higher doses than the cell-cycle adverse concentration.
And there is more:
A newly published article titled: "Monsanto's Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health" are to be found over at Institute For Responsible Technology. It starts with the following words "The following article reveals the devastating and unprecedented impact that Monsanto's Roundup herbicides is having on the health of our soil, plants, animals and human population. On top of this perfect storm, the USDA now wants to approve Roundup Ready alfalfa, which will exacerbate this calamity". Read the full article over at Institute For Responsible Technology: Monsanto's Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health
A valid question to ask now is: Why is Roundup still on the market? What is most important: To approve toxic chemicals from multinational giants or to protect human and animal health and biodiversity on this planet?
Illustrations:
Color of soy: © George Burba | Dreamstime.com