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Thomas
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Thomas

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Join date : 2009-09-25

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PostSubject: This is a must read!   This is a must read! Icon_minitimeSat Mar 28, 2015 8:39 pm

This is a must read!

Obviously there's a worry that this chemical may cause cancer, but without it there would be mass starvation as we could not produce enough food to feed the world's population. It's a trade off. And those who are saying these chemicals are killing us off, life expectancy has increased over the past hundred years, people are living longer and living better.


Cancer alert over chemical found in everyday weedkiller used in millions of gardens

Chemical used in weedkiller is a 'probable human carcinogen', experts say
Glyphosate is most commonly used in popular weedkiller Roundup
Firm that produces the product strongly disputes scientists' findings


A weedkiller used in millions of gardens has been identified as a potential cancer risk.

The World Health Organisation’s cancer agency asked a group of 17 international scientists to decide whether glyphosate posed a risk to humans.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared that the chemical, which is the world’s most widely used weedkiller, is a ‘probable human carcinogen’.

Glyphosate is most commonly used in the popular weedkiller Roundup, which is made by the American agro-chemical giant Monsanto.

The firm – which strongly disputes the IARC’s findings – sells the herbicide to farmers in the US, where crops can be genetically modified to give them immunity to glyphosate.

American GM plants like maize and soya beans can then be blanket-sprayed with Roundup to get rid of weeds without killing the crop.

Use of the chemical has soared in the past decade, and it has been found in water and food on the shelves in the UK, including bread and cereal bars.

The IARC report points out that 750 products contain glyphosate, and its use has increased sharply with the development of GM glyphosate-resistant crop varieties.

The research looked at evidence from studies published in the US, Canada, and Sweden since 2001.

It concluded that there was evidence that glyphosate can cause tumours in mice and rats in laboratory experiments – and could cause DNA damage to human cells.

IARC panel chairman Aaron Blair, from America’s National Cancer Institute, said: ‘There was sufficient evidence in animals, limited evidence in humans and strong supporting evidence showing DNA mutations and damaged chromosomes.’

Dr Blair said concern is growing about glyphosate. But he pointed out that the IARC panel did not prove that glyphosate definitely caused cancer. He went on to say: ‘We have looked at, “Is there evidence that glyphosate causes cancer?” and the answer is “probably”. That is different to “yes”.’

Monsanto has issued a fierce defence of Roundup, accusing the IARC group of relying on ‘junk science’ and calling for the report to be retracted.

The firm’s head of global regulatory affairs Philip Miller pointed to a four-year evaluation of glyphosate which was carried out for the EU by the German government, and concluded that the chemical was ‘unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk in humans’.

He added: ‘Unfortunately this review does not meet the standards used by respected agencies around the world.’

Some academic experts were also critical of the findings. Dr Oliver Jones, from RMIT University, said: ‘This sounds scary and IARC evaluations are usually very good, but to me the evidence appears a bit thin.’

The warning has triggered calls for food watchdogs in the EU to investigate whether they will now need to impose controls on glyphosate.

Andreas Kortenkamp, a professor of human toxicology at London’s Brunel University, said: ‘EU authorities must now consider whether measures are sufficient to protect consumers and pesticide applicators from cancer risks.

‘Home gardeners especially should exercise the utmost care when they use weedkillers that contain glyphosate.’

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