Though research says a little red wine each day is healthier than none at all, I hardly touch the stuff. Alcohol’s a drug that acts powerfully on the brain, and my brain’s too important to me to risk exposing it to alcohol, despite its non-brain health effects. Talking of chemicals, one of the commonest herbicides is Roundup whose active ingredient, glyphosate, is the most widely used herbicide in the USA where about 50,000 tonnes are applied to farms and lawns each year. The label, the MSDS and thus the folklore declare Roundup to be essentially non-toxic. But even so, I’ve had a large container in my shed since 2002 and I haven’t been game to use even a drop of it. In late June Scientific American, probably the world’s most prestigious science magazine, reported on a new French study: ‘Until now, most health studies have focused on the safety of glyphosate, rather than the mixture of ingredients found in Roundup. But in the new study, scientists found that Roundup’s inert ingredients amplified the toxic effect on human cells—even at concentrations much more diluted than those used on farms and lawns’. One specific inert ingredient, polyethoxylated tallowamine, was more deadly to human cells than the herbicide itself. Of course Monsanto, which makes Roundup, has criticised the study. The study doesn’t necessarily mean Roundup is toxic. But clearly it shouldn’t be used with impunity. I reckon my container’ll sit there, as is, for a lot longer yet.
1 comment:
What I don't understand is why it has taken scientists over three decades to find out that this poison is - well what do you know - poison?
And what I'd also like to know is what the FDA is going to do about it? My guess is that because of the revolving door between Monsanto and the FDA, they are only going to concern themselves with the Monsanto sanctioned 'scientific' reports.
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