Toxic Alert: Herbicide Now Detected in Human Urine
October 23 2012
Story at-a-glance
Last year, Bt toxin originating from genetically engineered
Bt crops were found in 93 percent of pregnant women tested
and 80 percent of umbilical blood in their babies. Now,
results from a German study shows that people who have no
direct contact with agriculture have significant
concentrations of glyphosate in their urine. Glyphosate is
the active ingredient in many broad-spectrum herbicides,
including Roundup
Urine samples collected from city dwellers in Berlin all
tested positive for glyphosate, with values ranging from 0.5
to 2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), which is five to 20
times the permissible upper limit for glyphosate in German
drinking water
Research published in 2010 showed that the chemical causes
birth defects in frogs and chicken embryos at far lower
levels than used in agricultural and garden applications
Glyphosate has also been linked to decimation of intestinal
probiotics, endocrine disruption, DNA damage, developmental
and reproductive toxicity, and more
Last year, doctors at Sherbrooke University Hospital in
Quebec made the disturbing discovery that
Bt-toxin from genetically engineered Bt corn in fact
accumulates in the human body – contrary to industry assurances.
The toxin was identified in 93 percent of pregnant women tested;
80 percent of umbilical blood in their babies; and 67 percent of
non-pregnant women.
The study blew a giant hole in safety claims over genetically
engineered Bt crops.
Now, results from a German study shows that people who have
no direct contact with agriculture have significant
concentrations of glyphosate in their urine. It's becoming quite
apparent that genetically engineered crops are a source of
multiple toxins, in addition to having been found to contain far
lower levels of nutrients. So much for saving the world from
starvation.
Glyphosate Found in City Dwellers' Urine
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide
Roundup, which is sprayed in large quantities on genetically
engineered, so-called "Roundup Ready," crops. Such crops are
genetically engineered to withstand otherwise lethal
applications of the herbicide.
According to the German journal Ithaka,1
every single urine sample collected from city dwellers around
Berlin tested positive for glyphosate, with values ranging from
0.5 to 2 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) – that's between five
and 20 times the permissible upper limit for glyphosate in
German drinking water, which is set at 0.1 ng/ml. According to
the featured article:2
"Glyphosate probably entered human populations over
the past 10 years through its increasing presence in daily
foods such as meat and dairy products, vegetable and fruit
produce and grains products. Glyphosate-laced genetically
modified Roundup soya which enters the animal food chain, is
only one of the risk factors.
Even more dangerous now is the increasing use of
herbicides in the EU over the past several years for the
desiccation of entire stocks of harvestable crop.
'Spraying crops to death,' as desiccation should be
more aptly called, means that herbicides are being sprayed
directly on the crops shortly before they are to be
harvested to facilitate the harvest by uniformly killing off
all living plants (including the crops) on the field.
If crops cannot fully mature due to excessive rain,
as was the case in the summer of 2011, herbicides are used
to bring the crops to maturity by means of a 'death-spray.'
The method facilitates the drying of the crops as well as
removing all weeds for the next sowing period, and has
become common for the harvest of potatoes, cereals, canola
and pulses.
For potatoes, spraying herbicides on the field
immediately before harvest (2.5 l / ha), hardens the skin
and reduces its susceptibility to late blight and
germination, which improved the potatoes shelf life. Active
compounds of the herbicide directly enter the potato through
the leaves; however, decomposition of the poison takes place
in the body of the consumer."
"Desiccation" – Spraying the Crop to Death Before Harvesting
If you've never heard of this practice, you're probably not
alone. Few besides those directly involved with large scale
agriculture are likely to be aware of this practice. According
to the featured article,3
Syngenta advertises desiccation among "the standard measures to
assure high quality production." The end result is extensive
contamination of the crop in question, much of which ends up on
your plate.
The chemical works primarily by affecting plant metabolism,
effectively killing virtually all green plants within a few
days. Genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops are
specifically designed to be able to withstand the assault of
this broad-spectrum weed killer. However, this certainly does
not make such crops glyphosate-free.
On the contrary, Roundup Ready crops are far more
contaminated with glyphosate than other crops, due to the
excessive spraying required as
glyphosate-resistant super-weeds are becoming increasingly
common. Add the practice of desiccation to the mix, and it's no
wonder consumers are expelling significant concentrations of
toxins in their urine...
"Desiccation is one of the most egregious scandals of
modern agricultural history; as such, it is worth taking a
minute to consider what is actually happening in the
process," the article states.4
"Just before crops are harvested, threshed, and sold to
bakeries, farmers soak them in broad-spectrum systemic
herbicides to kill them off and give them the appearance of
uniform maturity. One could just as well stir the glyphosate
right into the bread dough. With protein-rich feed it is the
same – the herbicide is spayed directly on the grain several
days before it is sold as concentrated feed.
...There is an urgent need for action. Regardless of
all the other risks associated with glyphosate, an immediate
ban of desiccation must be enforced. Desiccation can be
considered nothing less than negligent physical injury and
is irreconcilable with current animal welfare laws."
Health Risks of Glyphosate
According to the featured article, authorities in the EU have
raised the legal limit for glyphosate in wheat and bread, now
allowing such contamination to be 100 times the legal limit for
vegetables, and the limit for feed grains has been raised
200-fold. This is quite disturbing when you consider the
significant health hazards associated with this chemical.
Research published in 2010 showed that the chemical, which
works by inhibiting an enzyme called EPSP synthase that is
necessary for plants to grow, causes birth defects in frogs and
chicken embryos at far lower levels than used in agricultural
and garden applications.5
The malformations primarily affected the:
Skull
Face
Midline and developing brain
Spinal cord
The amount of glyphosate residue you can be exposed to
through food is remarkably high, in terms of being close to the
maximum residue limit (MRL) allowed. According to a report in
the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, the
highest MRL for glyphosate in food and feed products in the EU
is 20 mg/kg. Genetically engineered soybeans have been found to
contain residue levels as high as 17 mg/kg, and malformations in
frog and chicken embryos occurred at 2.03 mg/kg6
– that's 10 times lower than the MRL!
Other independent scientific research has also found that
glyphosate has the potential to cause grave health damage,
including a 2009 study that tested formulations of Roundup that
were highly diluted (up to 100,000 times or more) on human
cells, and even then the cells died within 24 hours.7
The researchers hailed a warning cry that still has not been
heard by regulators around the world, who continue to allow
massive amounts of Roundup to be sprayed into the environment:
"...the proprietary mixtures available on the market
could cause cell damage and even death around residual
levels to be expected, especially in food and feed derived
from [Roundup] formulation-treated crops."
What's worse, when applied to crops, the glyphosate becomes
systemic throughout the plant, so it cannot be washed
off. And once you eat this crop, the glyphosate ends up in your
gut where it can
decimate your beneficial bacteria. This can wreak havoc with
your health as 80 percent of your immune system resides in your
gut. Separate research has also uncovered the following effects
from glyphosate:
Endocrine disruption
DNA damage
Developmental toxicity
Neurotoxicity
Reproductive toxicity
Cancer
Leading Scientists Take on Monsanto's Spin Machine
Meanwhile, Monsanto Company recently reported third quarter
profits of $937 million.8
That's right, nearly a billion dollars-worth of profits in a
mere three months – up 35 percent from the same quarter last
year. As expressed by Karen Stillerman, a senior analyst with
the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS):9
"That raging river of cash flowing in must make it
easy for the company to finance a flurry of advertising and
lobbying extolling the virtues its products. According to
Monsanto's PR, the company is feeding a growing population,
protecting natural resources, and promoting biodiversity.
But the truth is decidedly less impressive, and now UCS is
setting the record straight with an ad campaign of our own."
The USC has created a series of ads that address Monsanto's
false claims head on. The ads will be featured on city buses and
transit stations across Washington, including areas near the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's headquarters, the U.S. EPA, and
Capitol Hill. Here's the text of one of the three ads. For the
remaining two, and links to help spread the word, please see the
UCS ad campaign page:10
More Herbicide + Fewer Butterflies = Better
Seeds?
Monsanto Says: "In the hands of farmers, better seeds
can help meet the needs of our rapidly growing population,
while protecting the earth's natural resources." In Fact:
Monsanto's Roundup Ready crops, genetically engineered to
tolerate the company's Roundup herbicide, increased
herbicide use by an estimated 383 million pounds between
1996 and 2008. And Monarch butterflies have laid 81 percent
fewer eggs thanks to habitat loss since Roundup Ready was
introduced.
Congress's Big Gift to Monsanto
With profits like that, it's also no wonder that Monsanto can
afford to influence virtually any legislation it wants, to
increase its profits. After all, over the past few years it's
become abundantly clear that our political process is run by
bribes. The idea that politicians are looking out for the
welfare of the public has been exposed for the pipedream that it
is, and we're now faced with the truth that unbridled
corruption has seeped into every last nook and cranny of our
government.
One of the latest incidents in a long row of blatant industry
coddling was reported in Mother Jones on July 2:11
"...while the House agriculture-appropriations
subcommittee mulled a bill on ag spending for 2013,
subcommittee chair Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) inserted a
pro-industry provision that that has nothing to do with
agriculture appropriations.The provision Kingston
added – a single paragraph buried in a 90-page bill... would
allow farmers to plant GM crops even during legal appeals of
the USDA's approval process, and even if a federal court
orders that the crops not be planted.
It addresses one of the ag-biotech industry's most
persistent complaints: the USDA approval process keeps
rubber-stamping its products, but an anti-GMO group called
the Center for Food Safety keeps launching, and winning,
lawsuits charging that the USDA didn't properly assess the
environmental impact of the novel crops, thus delaying their
release into farm fields... The bill, complete with its gift
to the industry, sailed through the ag appropriations
subcommittee and will likely be taken up by the full House
soon after the July 4 recess...
Meanwhile, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has signaled
he will sponsor an amendment to the ag appropriations bill
that would nullify Kingston's Monsanto-friendly provision."
This legislative boon is exactly what you'd expect from a
politician bought and paid for by the industry. The provision,
dubbed "The Monsanto Protection Act" by Food Democracy Now,
effectively strips judges of their constitutional mandate to
protect consumer rights and the environment. It's a perfect
example of how insidious the collusion between the biotech
industry and Washington really is, and how easily and
nonchalantly they undermine our most basic rights.
Winning California GE Labeling Battle Now More Important than
Ever
Organic foods specifically prohibit genetically engineered
ingredients along with synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as
Roundup, and eating organic is essentially the only way
to ensure you're not accidentally consuming GE foods, since the
US still does not require such ingredients to be labeled.
We have no real champions for food safety and labeling of
genetically engineered foods within the federal government. But
right now we do have a great opportunity to change this
situation by circumventing Monsanto's posse entirely.
Twenty-four U.S. states have, as part of their state
governance, something called the Initiative Process, where
residents can bring to ballot any law they want enacted, as long
as it has sufficient support. California has organized such a
ballot initiative, known as Proposition 37, to get labeling for
genetically engineered foods sold in their state.
Although many organic consumers and natural health activists
already understand the importance of
Proposition 37, it cannot be overemphasized that winning the
battle over Prop 37 is perhaps the most important food
fight Americans – not just Californians – have faced so far. But
in order to win this fight for the right to know what's in our
food, we need your help. The biotech industry has raised 40
million dollars for their propaganda.
Please remember, the failure or success of this ballot
initiative is wholly dependent on your support and funding!
There are no major industry pockets funding this endeavor. In
order to have a chance against the deep pockets of Big Biotech
and transnational food corporations, it needs donations from
average citizens.
So please, I strongly encourage you to make a donation to
this cause. You can also contact EVERY person you know that
lives in California and encourage them to view some of these
videos and get educated on the issues so they can avoid
succumbing to the propaganda. We need EVERY vote we can to win
on November 6.
It's important to realize that getting this law passed in
California would have the same overall effect as a national law,
as large companies are not likely going to label their products
as genetically engineered when sold in California (the 8th
largest economy in the world), but not when sold in other
states. Doing so would be a costly PR disaster. So please, I
urge you to get involved and help in any way you can, regardless
of what state you live in.
Whether you live in California or not, please donate
money to this historic effort, through the
Organic Consumers Fund.
If you live in California and want to get involved,
please contact
CARightToKnow.org. They will go through all volunteer
requests to put you into a position that is suitable for
you, based on your stated interests and location.
No matter where you live, please help spread the word in
your personal networks, on Facebook, and Twitter. For help
with the messaging, please see
CARightToKnow.org.
Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to
actively support the California Ballot. It may be the only
chance we have to label genetically engineered foods.
For timely updates, please join the Organic Consumers
Association on
Facebook, or follow them on
Twitter.
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