Potentially Cancer- Causing Herbicide, Glyphosate Sprayed on American Produce Since 1996: US Map
NBC News, 'A potentially cancer-causing chemical is sprayed on much of America’s produce. How high is exposure near you?' 10.10.22.- Ed.
- Weedkillers containing glyphosate are sprayed on nearly half of all corn and soybeans grown in the U.S. Exposure is highest in parts of Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.-
On a daily basis, many people in the U.S. could be exposed to a potentially cancer-causing chemical used in the world’s most common weedkillers. Data shows that people in the Midwest, parts of the South & Colorado have the highest exposure.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in many herbicides, has been in use for nearly 50 years. But the chemical’s health impacts have been heavily debated, with lawsuits arising over allegations that the chemical is linked to cancer. The EPA- Environ. Protection Agency has maintained that there is no risk to human health based on current uses & that there is no evidence glyphosate causes cancer.
Bayer, the pharmaceutical company that sells the most widely used glyphosate herbicide, says it stands by the safety of the chemical.
Glyphosate’s main use is in agriculture; weedkillers containing it are sprayed on nearly 1/2 of all planted acres of corn, cotton & soybeans in the U.S. They’re also used on wheat, oats, beans & fruits. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey shows several counties across the U.S. with higher than average glyphosate usage. - An NBC News analysis of 2019 USGS agricultural glyphosate usage data found:
- An average of almost 130 pounds of glyphosate herbicides were sprayed per square mile in U.S. counties.
- Lake County, Colo. had the single highest glyphosate usage rate of U.S. counties, with almost 2,000 pounds sprayed per sq. mile.
- More than 55 million people live in counties with above-average glyphosate use.
- Iowa & Illinois, where the most corn & soy crops are grown, accounted for 15% of national usage.
- Southwestern & Northeastern states used the least glyphosate per square mile.
Monsanto introduced glyphosate in its product Roundup in 1974. * Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018. “Glyphosate is the most widely used chemical weedkiller in human history because of genetic engineering,” said Dave Murphy with Food Democracy Now, an advocacy group that tests glyphosate in food. “It’s sprayed ubiquitously & Monsanto has, for decades, just maintained that it’s the safest agricultural chemical ever made.” * The EPA’s safety limits for glyphosate exposure from food are twice the levels allowed in the EU.. It is a drinking water contaminant at levels that correspond to approx.1 gallon of Roundup in an Olympic sized pool.
Much debate about glyphosate’s health implications revolves around a potential link to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A 2019 analysis by former EPA members indicated a “compelling link” to the disease. Several peer-reviewed studies have also suggested that herbicides containing glyphosate may disrupt hormones & alter the gut microbiome. In 2015, the WHO said glyphosate was probably carcinogenic to humans, kicking off a wave of lawsuits that cost Bayer more than $10 Billion..
- 2 reports by organic advocacy groups found glyphosate in food products including cereals, cookies, crackers & sandwich bread...
- Read More + U.S. Map of Exposure, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna50052
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