From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, Market Farming <marketfarming@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: Fwd: [SANET-MG] alternatives to roundup
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:39:15 -0400
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] alternatives to roundup
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:57:59 -1000
From: Hector Valenzuela <hectoruh11@GMAIL.COM>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
<SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>, Hector Valenzuela
<hectoruh11@GMAIL.COM>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
Hi all-
One of the reasons given that would prevent a ban on the use of Roundup, is
that there are few or no alternatives to the use of Roundup (ag, roadways,
etc.).
Coming from the agroecological or organic perspective, in Sanet we can
provide a host of alternative weed management techniques.
However, are there any specific practices, alternative herbicides, or
scientific studies that you could cite, as an alternative to the use of
Roundup?
Below, is a link to a list of potential health side-effects from exposure to
Roundup, taken from the recent open-source EU report.
Let me know if you'd like me to send you a pdf copy of this document.
////////
Separately, Green Peace/GM Freeze has just come up with another important
report on both the health and environmental impacts from Roundup.
This new pub is available at: http://www.gmfreeze.org/publications/briefings/114/
“Neurotoxicity
The 2002 review of glyphosate claims “no relevant effects” in tests for
delayed neurotoxicity. But glyphosate is an organophosphate, a class of
chemicals known to have neurotoxic effects, so claims of “no relevant”
neurotoxic effects demand a strong and transparent evidence base to back
them up.
In fact, studies from the open literature have found neurotoxic effects
of glyphosate:
An epidemiological study carried out in Minnesota, USA found that
the children of pesticide applicators exposed to glyphosate had an
increased incidence of neurobehavioral disorders.291
In an acute poisoning incident, a man who accidentally sprayed
himself with glyphosate developed the neurological disorder Parkinsonism.292
A toxicological study on rats found that glyphosate depletes the
neurotransmitters serotonin (serotonin is associated with feelings of
well-being and is known as the “happiness hormone”) and dopamine.293
Glyphosate causes a loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential
(a hallmark of cellular injuries) in rat brain cells.294
Glyphosate and Roundup act synergistically with the organophosphate
insecticide diazinon in neuroblastoma (nerve cancer) cells. Glyphosate
and Roundup become more neurotoxic when the cells have been pre-exposed
to diazinon. Roundup is more toxic than glyphosate and produces effects
at a concentration as low as 10 ppb, which is equivalent to a glyphosate
concentration of 0.5 nM. Unusual dose-response relationships are found
with both glyphosate and Roundup, which the authors say merit further
investigation as they indicate that the relationship between
concentration and toxicity at low concentrations may not be entirely
predictable.295”
references cited:
291. Garry, V. F., Harkins, M. E. et al. 2002. Birth defects, season of
conception, and sex of children born to pesticide applicators living in
the Red River Valley of Minnesota, USA. Environ Health Perspect 110
Suppl 3: 441–449.
292. Barbosa, E. R., Leiros da Costa, M. D. et al. 2001. Parkinsonism
after glycine-derivate exposure. Movement Disorders 16(3): 565–568.
293. Anadón, A., J. d. Pino, et al. 2008. Neurotoxicological effects of
the herbicide glyphosate. Toxicology Letters 180S: S164.
294. Astiz, M., de Alaniz, M. J. et al. 2009. Effect of pesticides on
cell survival in liver and brain rat tissues. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
72(7): 2025–2032.
295. Axelrad, J. C., Howard, C. V. et al. 2003. The effects of acute
pesticide exposure on neuroblastoma cells chronically exposed to
diazinon. Toxicology 185(1–2): 67–78.
.
“Neurotoxicity
The 2002 review of glyphosate claims “no relevant effects” in tests for
delayed neurotoxicity. But glyphosate is an organophosphate, a class of
chemicals known to have neurotoxic effects, so claims of “no relevant”
neurotoxic effects demand a strong and transparent evidence base to back
them up.
In fact, studies from the open literature have found neurotoxic effects
of glyphosate:
An epidemiological study carried out in Minnesota, USA found that
the children of pesticide applicators exposed to glyphosate had an
increased incidence of neurobehavioral disorders.291
In an acute poisoning incident, a man who accidentally sprayed
himself with glyphosate developed the neurological disorder Parkinsonism.292
A toxicological study on rats found that glyphosate depletes the
neurotransmitters serotonin (serotonin is associated with feelings of
well-being and is known as the “happiness hormone”) and dopamine.293
Glyphosate causes a loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential
(a hallmark of cellular injuries) in rat brain cells.294
Glyphosate and Roundup act synergistically with the organophosphate
insecticide diazinon in neuroblastoma (nerve cancer) cells. Glyphosate
and Roundup become more neurotoxic when the cells have been pre-exposed
to diazinon. Roundup is more toxic than glyphosate and produces effects
at a concentration as low as 10 ppb, which is equivalent to a glyphosate
concentration of 0.5 nM. Unusual dose-response relationships are found
with both glyphosate and Roundup, which the authors say merit further
investigation as they indicate that the relationship between
concentration and toxicity at low concentrations may not be entirely
predictable.295”
references cited:
291. Garry, V. F., Harkins, M. E. et al. 2002. Birth defects, season of
conception, and sex of children born to pesticide applicators living in
the Red River Valley of Minnesota, USA. Environ Health Perspect 110
Suppl 3: 441–449.
292. Barbosa, E. R., Leiros da Costa, M. D. et al. 2001. Parkinsonism
after glycine-derivate exposure. Movement Disorders 16(3): 565–568.
293. Anadón, A., J. d. Pino, et al. 2008. Neurotoxicological effects of
the herbicide glyphosate. Toxicology Letters 180S: S164.
294. Astiz, M., de Alaniz, M. J. et al. 2009. Effect of pesticides on
cell survival in liver and brain rat tissues. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
72(7): 2025–2032.
295. Axelrad, J. C., Howard, C. V. et al. 2003. The effects of acute
pesticide exposure on neuroblastoma cells chronically exposed to
diazinon. Toxicology 185(1–2): 67–78.
23.0. Roundup remains biologically active in the soil
“Incorrect claim about biological availability of glyphosate
The UK Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) notes that the issue of a
waiting period between glyphosate spraying and re-entry into fields in
order to protect humans, livestock, and plants, is not properly dealt
with in Germany’s DAR. However, the PSD immediately dismisses this concern:
This should not be an issue for glyphosate as it is not usually
biologically available once it contacts soil.349
But this claim was not true even at the time of the DAR. A 1983 study
showed that glyphosate persists in sandy loam soil and is not
inactivated in the 120 days prior to planting. Plants growing in the
glyphosate-treated soil showed decreased nitrogen fixation, root nodule
numbers and root weights – indicating that glyphosate was biologically
available and toxic to plants 120 days after application.350
A new risk assessment should address the issue of the re-entry period.”
References cited:
349. EU Commission. 1999. Glyphosate: Comments from Pesticides Safety
Directorate, York, UK, on the EC Monograph – ECCO 76. March 4. In:
Glyphosate DAR, released by German government agency BVL on CD,
FullReport_Glyphosat_04.pdf: p. 39 of the pdf.
350. Eberbach, P. L., Douglas, L. A. 1983. Persistence of glyphosate in
a sandy loam. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 15(4): 485–487.
“Incorrect claim about biological activity of AMPA
Monsanto says AMPA’s long persistence in soil is of no “regulatory
concern” because “AMPA is biologically inactive”.351 But a 2004 study
showed that AMPA causes injury to glyphosate-tolerant and
non-glyphosate-tolerant soybeans. Findings are the same when the AMPA is
deliberately applied and when it forms from the breakdown of applied
glyphosate. The study concludes that soybean injury to
glyphosate-tolerant soybeans from glyphosate is due to AMPA formed from
glyphosate degradation.352 Therefore AMPA is biologically active.
It is clear that the documents on which the existing approval of
glyphosate is based are out of date and out of touch with current
scientific knowledge and farmer experience.”
References cited:
351. EU Commission. 1999. Monsanto/Cheminova comments to Monograph
(dated 11 Dec 1998). Feb 11. In: Glyphosate DAR, released by German
government agency BVL on CD, FullReport_Glyphosat_04.pdf: p. 52 of the pdf.
352. Reddy, K. N., Rimando, A. M. et al. 2004. Aminomethylphosphonic
acid, a metabolite of glyphosate, causes injury in glyphosate-treated,
glyphosate-resistant soybean. J Agric Food Chem 52(16): 5139–5143.
[permaculture] Fwd: Fwd: [SANET-MG] alternatives to roundup,
Lawrence F. London, Jr., 07/20/2011