by guest blogger Leah Zerbe, online editor for RodaleNews.com
For years, chemical reps assured farmers that Roundup was safe and "biodegradable." Fast-forward and farmers now spray more than 185 million pounds of glyphosate--the active ingredient in Roundup--on U.S. food crops.
It's also the most popular weedkiller used in yards, gardens, parks, and playgrounds all across America. The problem with all of this? The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer just reviewed the latest non-industry-funded science and concluded that glyphosate must be labeled a "probable human carcinogen." Specifically, exposure to the chemical is linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In animal studies, it's tied to other forms of cancer, too.
Farmers use so much glyphosate that it's been detected in the air, rain, our food, and yes, even us. As weeds continue to outsmart the chemical, farmers spray more and the government raises the allowable limits in our food. Concerning!
And the new trouble with Roundup doesn't end there. In a separate study just released, New Zealand researchers found that Roundup actually has the ability to change pathogenic bacteria in a way that makes important antibiotics less likely to work when they cause infections.
The authors exposed both E. coli and Salmonella to combinations of one of five antibiotics and glyphosate.
I interviewed lead study author Jack Heinemann, PhD, professor and lecturer of genetics at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, for a story that ran on Rodale News. Here's how he broke down the science: The way Roundup causes this effect is likely by causing the bacteria to turn on a set of genes that are normally off. "These genes are for 'pumps' or 'porins,' proteins that pump out toxic compounds or reduce the rate at which they get inside of the bacteria. Once these genes are turned on by the herbicide, then the bacteria can also resist antibiotics. If bacteria were to encounter only the antibiotic, they would instead have been killed. In a sense, the herbicide is 'immunizing' the bacteria to the antibiotic."
Carmen Cordova, a microbiologist at Natural Resources Defense Council, also shares
of the breakthrough study:
- Exposing the bacteria to glyphosate and antibiotics generally made them temporarily resistant to the antibiotic.
- The authors suggest that bacteria may be reacting to the presence of the herbicide and going into overdrive to pump out or "kick out" the herbicide and anything else, including the antibiotic, out of their bodies.
- This temporary resistance could be a problem for people or animals who are exposed to higher levels of these herbicides while being treated with an antibiotic at the same time. This is especially a concern for agricultural workers and also for honeybees who are getting the double hit as they forage for nectar.
The bottom line? DDT was once thought safe, too. Are we going to keep believing chemical companies when they promise a pesticide is safe, only to find out years later it has threatened human lives? It's time for some
in the United States, reform that protects people, not the pocketbooks of chemical corporation executives. (Here are
when it comes to chemical reform.)
Leah Zerbe is online editor for Rodalenews.com. Prior to working at Rodale, she was the senior online editor at NBCPhiladelphia.com, where she headed up the station's online "Going Green" initiative, wrote about center-city crime and traffic jams, and blogged about her beloved Philadelphia Phillies. She and her husband run a sustainable organic farm in Schuylkill County, where they grow vegetables, strawberries, herbs, and flowers and raise heritage-breed chickens.
For more from Maria Rodale, visit www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.