Anna CrossUSF MPH 632

A BRIEF SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE:

EFFECTS OF ROUNDUP AND

SAFER ALTERNATIVES

1) Describe the issues at hand 2) Explore alternatives to ensure less

risk/harm to not only the environment but all organisms (including humans) living within it

3) Examine and identify health risks associated with Roundup

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Is Roundup toxic to the environment?Roundup, a product created by the Monsanto

Corporation, “is a commercial herbicide containing glyphosate and surfactant, used primarily for killing weeds. Its key component, glyphosate, is a competitive inhibitor of the shikimate pathway, a metabolic pathway found only in plants” (Hour et al., 2012)

WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

Use of Roundup has also led to glyphosate-resistant cropsAlso lead to the increased use of monocultures to prevent

the killing of crops that are not glyphosate-resistantRound-Up Ready Crops

OTHER CONCERNS

Glyphosate only aff ects plants, not humanstherefore, it is safe to use

Are genetically modified crops really harmful?

CONTROVERSIES

 You can be exposed to glyphosate if you get it on your skin, in your eyes or breathe it in when you are using it. You might swallow some glyphosate if you eat or smoke after applying it without washing your hands fi rst. You may also be exposed if you touch plants that are still wet with spray. Glyphosate isn't likely to vaporize after it is sprayed.

Water contamination (Kolpin et al (2005)

Consequences of glyphosate include: Gastrointestinal disorders Obesity Diabetes Heart disease Depression Autism Infertility Cancer Alzheimer’s Disease

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS? HOW CAN I BE EXPOSED?

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Monsanto

POLICIES/PRACTICES

Use of genetically-modified cropsExposure to chemicals used in herbicides/pesticides,

etcOn NPR 4/30/14, further information released about

kidney disease killing farmworkers in Central America

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FORPUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS?    

           

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Interplanting crops that repel pests or attract other insects

that are predators to the pestsPermacultures

RECOMMENDED "BEST PRACTICES"SAFER ALTERNATIVES/CHOICES      

   

Beaubien, J . (2014). Mysterious Kidney Disease Slays Farmworkers in Central America. National Public Radio (NPR). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/04/30/306907097/mysterious-kidney-disease-slays-farmworkers-in-central-america

Charles, D., (2013). In Oregon, the GMO Wheat Mystery Deepens. National Public Radio (NPR). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/07/17/202684064/in-oregon-the-gmo-wheat-mystery-deepens

Environmental Protection Agency (2012). Pesticides and Food: What “Integrated Pest Management” Means. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/ipm.htm

Hour, B. T., Belen, C., Zar, T., & Lien, Y. H. H. (2012). Herbicide Roundup Intoxication: Successful Treatment with Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy. The American Journal of Medicine ,  125(8), e1-e2.

Kolpin, D. W., Thurman, E. M., Lee, E. A., Meyer, M. T., Furlong, E. T., & Glassmeyer, S. T. (2006). Urban contributions of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA to streams in the United States. Science of the Total Environment ,354(2), 191-197.

REFERENCES

Monsanto (2005). History of Monsanto’s Glyphosate Herbicide. Monsanto Backgrounder. Retrieved from http://www.monsanto.com/products/documents/glyphosate-background-materials/back_history.pdf

National Pesticide Information Center (2010). Glyphosate General Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/glyphogen.html#whatis

Samsel, A., & Seneff , S. (2013). Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases. Entropy, 15(4), 1416-1463.

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UCIPM) (nd). What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? Retrieved from http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/GENERAL/whatisipm.html

REFERENCES CONT’D