Description
A broad spectrum, systemic herbicide widely used by homeowners, lawn care professionals and farmers. Glyphosate kills unwanted plants in home and public lawns and gardens, on roadsides, in forests, near waterways, and on and around crops. Some food crops, such as soy and cottonseed, have been genetically engineered to withstand Roundup®, Monsanto’s formulation of glyphosate, raising concerns that farmers will increase their usage of this chemical.
Health Effects
Immediate Health Effects
- If SWALLOWED, glyphosate is Moderately Toxic
- If ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN, glyphosate is Moderately Toxic
- If INHALED (SNIFFED OR BREATHED IN), glyphosate is Moderately Toxic
Longterm or Delayed Health Effects
- This chemical may cause cancer. It is considered a Possible Carcinogen by the World Health Organization, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or another agency.
Other
- Skin and eye irritation. Some glyphosate formulations may cause stronger irritation due to the addition of a surfactant labeled as an inert ingredient, polyethoxethyleneamine (POEA).
- If inhaled, can cause respiratory, nose and throat irritation, lung congestion and increased breathing rate.
- If swallowed, can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, low blood pressure, convulsions, irregular heartbeat, or death.
- May cause liver or kidney damage, or reproductive effects, for example, if ingested in drinking water over a lifetime at levels above those permitted by the U.S. EPA for drinking water.
How Exposures Occur
Absorption through the Skin
- Glyphosate may penetrate children’s skin after they touch residues on plants and soil that have been treated.
Inhalation
- Children may breathe in glyphosate during a spray application or when spray drifts from neighboring lawns or farms.
Drinking Water
- Glyphosate may contaminate drinking water supplies.
From Soy Products
- Increasingly soy is grown from genetically modified seed which can live through high doses of glyphosate. Late sprayings could mean some residue on soybeans, which are used in processed foods, such as infant formula.
Significant Statistics
In the U.S., glyphosate is the second most widely used pesticide by farmers, homeowners and lawn care professionals. Between 83 and 95 million pounds were applied nationwide in 1999.
1998-1999 Pesticide Market Estimates. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, August 2002. http://www.epa.gov/oppbead1/pestsales/99pestsales/table_of_contents1999.html
Between 48 and 57 million pounds of glyphosate were applied each year in the U.S. in 1996 and 1997.
Pesticide Industry Sales and Usage: 1996 and 1997 Market Estimates. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, November 1999. http://yosemite.epa.gov/ncepihom/nsCatalog.nsf/7cd1b64da384615b85256bb8006c846e/0729bd25f6aa817885256e1d005225e8?OpenDocument
Sales of glyphosate (Roundup) have steadily increased since its manufacturer, Monsanto, introduced Roundup Ready soybeans, genetically modified to resist glyphosate, in the mid-1990s. Global sales of Roundup increased by 6% in 2000 alone.
Monsanto Year 2000 Earnings Report. Monsanto Company.http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/investor/financial/archive.asp
Solutions
How to detect glyphosate
- Read labels to determine whether you have glyphosate-containing herbicides in your home or garage.
You can also find out if glyphosate is an ingredient in a pesticide product on Pesticide Action Network Pesticide Database.
- Glyphosate herbicide sprays can drift. Tell-tale signs include drooping or browning leaves along the border of a neighboring agricultural crop, garden or roadway.
- Drinking Water
a) Glyphosate is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires that community water systems monitor glyphosate levels, and inform the public when levels exceed the set Maximum Contamination Level (MCL). The MCL for glyphosate is 0.7 parts per million.
- Drinking Water
b) Community water systems are required to produce annual consumer confidence reports and mail them to every water customer. Water quality reports from your water provider online on the web site of the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water, or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 800-426-4791.
- Drinking Water
c) If your water source is a well, your water is not monitored for contaminants as is required for public water supplies by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Private testing of the water is necessary. The EPA maintains an information page for private well owners regarding the testing and maintenance of well water.
- Drinking Water
d) Even if your water comes from a community water system, contaminant levels can vary from house to house. You can have your water tested by sending samples to a certified laboratory. The U.S. EPA has a list of state certified drinking water laboratories.
- Buy certified organic foods, which are grown without synthetic pesticides. See Where to Find Organic Foods.
How to minimize exposure to glyphosate
- Avoid the use of pesticides whenever possible, especially near children.
- Contact your local sanitation department or hazardous waste disposal program to find out how to dispose of pesticides properly. Earth’s 911 lists hazardous waste disposal sites by zip code.
Alternatives
- Remove garden weeds by hand; mulch the soil around garden plants to prevent weeds from sprouting. See How to Kill Weeds Without Herbicides.
- Maintaining a healthy lawn is your best defense against weedy invaders. For more information about how to accomplish this, see Natural Lawn Care.
- Certified organic soy foods don’t contain Roundup Ready soybeans, but watch for soy-based additives such as lecithin or soybean oil that may not be organic. For information on avoiding genetically modified foods, see Mothers & Others’ Food, Farms and Genetic Engineering Consumer Action Kit.
- Use a doormat to wipe feet or take shoes off at the door to prevent pesticides from being tracked indoors. Replace carpets with washable rugs and mop floors frequently to remove any residues.
For More information
Books, articles, factsheets and reports
Cox, Carolyn. “Managing Weeds at Home and in Our Communities,” Journal of Pesticide Reform, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 1997).
http://www.pesticide.org/managing.pdf
"Alternatives: Lawn Care Without Pesticides," Journal of Pesticide Reform, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Spring 1992).
http://www.pesticide.org/lawns.pdf
Lappé, Marc. Corralling Roundup. Center for Ethics and Toxics, 1996.
http://www.cetos.org/articles/corralroundup.html
Lappé, Marc. Chemical Fact Sheet: Roundup, Active Ingredient, Glyphosate. Center for Ethics and Toxics, May 1999.
http://www.cetos.org
Other government agencies
National Pesticide Information Network
Oregon State University
333 Weniger Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331-6502
800-858-7378
http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
Nonprofit organizations
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
P.O. Box 1393
Eugene, OR 97440
541-344-5044
http://www.pesticide.org
Center for Ethics and Toxics
P.O. Box 673
39141 S. Hwy One
Gualala, CA 95445
707-884-1700
http://www.cetos.org
Californians for Alternatives to Toxics
P.O. Box 1195
Arcata, CA 95518
707-822-8497
http://www.alternatives2toxics.org
Other websites
Pesticide Action Network Pesticide Database
http://www.pesticideinfo.org
Extension Toxicology Network, Pesticide Information Profiles
http://ace.ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/
Pesticide Action Network Pesticide Advisor
http://www.panna.org/resources/advisor.dv.html
Other
In 1996, the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the Monsanto Company for engaging in “false and misleading” claims by advertising Roundup as safe and rapidly biodegradable; Monsanto negotiated a settlement, agreeing to stop making such claims about Roundup’s safety.
Cox, Caroline. “Herbicide Factsheet: Glyphosate (Roundup),” Journal of Pesticide Reform, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Fall 1998, Updated January 2002).
http://www.pesticide.org/gly.pdf
Some glyphosate-containing products contain inert ingredients that are more toxic than glyphosate alone. The surfactant in some formulations of glyphosate, polyethoxethyleneamine (POEA), increases the severity of skin irritation, Other inert ingredients in glyphosate products include ammonium sulfate, 3-iodo-2-propynyl butylcarbamate, potassium hydroxide, isopropylamine and others. These ingredients may increase the toxicity of the product or produce other harmful effects not associated with the primary ingredient, glyphosate.
Cox, Caroline. “Herbicide Factsheet: Glyphosate (Roundup),” Journal of Pesticide Reform, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Fall 1998, Updated January 2002).
http://www.pesticide.org/gly.pdf
