submitted 7 April, 2018
published 14 April 18
"Whitewash:
The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science", by
Carey Gilliam, published in 2017, is a book about glyphosate, the active
ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup.
Glyphosate
is a chelating agent, a chemical that bonds to minerals. It was originally manufactured to remove
mineral deposits in water boilers. Monsanto
researchers discovered it would bond to, and disrupt, a phosphate bearing
enzyme necessary for plants and bacteria, but not mammals. The weed-killer, Roundup, went to market in
1970 as a wide spectrum herbicide, and was an immediate commercial
success. It was advertised as less harmful
than other herbicides, safer than aspirin, and almost safe enough to drink.
By 1995, annual
US application of glyphosate was 40 million pounds, the seventh most widely
used herbicide at the time, with 147 million pounds used globally. It was applied for weed control before
planting and after harvest, limiting the overall use. At this point Monsanto introduced genetically
modified (GMO) crops which were glyphosate resistant, so Roundup could be
applied during the entire growing season.
Sales soared and by 2014, annual US application was 275 million pounds
and 1.8 billion pounds globally, the most widely used herbicide on the planet.
Problems soon
appeared as weeds became resistant to glyphosate. Totally resistant super weeds now infest more
than 70 million acres in the US, increasing each season. They are so tall and strong they can damage farm
equipment. They must be removed by hand,
erasing the original advantage of the product.
More Roundup has to be applied every year to get the same results, but
increased application contaminates waterways, damages the soil by removing key
nutrients, and kills soil micro-fauna necessary for healthy plants.
Research by
independent labs indicated that glyphosate wasn't as safe as advertised. Lab animal tests suggested links to
non-Hodgkin lymphoma, tumors, and blood, pancreas, kidney, and liver diseases. Other studies showed cell death in testes, hormone
disruptions, and increased birth defects. Roundup contains chemicals which help
glyphosate absorb into the plant, creating more toxic synergistic effects. There are no precautionary suggestions for the
handling of Roundup, so farmers rarely use protective gear, and over the years
there has been an increase in health issues within the farming community.
The World
Health Organization designated glyphosate as a possible carcinogen in 2015. Forty-eight members of the EU Parliament had
their urine tested, and they all had glyphosate in their body. Food testing by independent labs have shown
glyphosate residue in most food. 80% of
rainwater shows residues, due to contaminated dust that nucleates the rain
drops. The state of California is
currently considering regulating the product.
Over 24 nations ban import of GMO crops, due to glyphosate contamination.
As a mineral
chelating agent, glyphosate residues in the body may disrupt the system in many
ways. It can introduce heavy metals picked
up from the environment. It can remove minerals
and harm beneficial bacteria, both essential for good health. There is also evidence that glyphosate is an
endocrine disrupter, upsetting complex hormone systems, producing a wide array
of diseases, at very low concentration levels.
Monsanto has
protected its billions in profit by attacking adverse studies and the
scientists doing the research. They donate
to legislators and maintain a revolving door between government and Monsanto by
hiring former regulator. Researchers are
funded to present favorable findings to confuse the issue. As a result, the US Food and Drug
Administration, which for decades has tested foods for contamination by
hundreds of chemicals, has never tested for glyphosate.
These are
actions typical of a corporation trying to avoid responsibility for the adverse
consequences of their product, and Monsanto has a long history of this
behavior. The chemical company produced
DDT, PCB's, and the infamous Agent Orange from the Vietnam era. In every case they fought evidence of harmful
health effects for decades, delaying effective regulation and financial
restitution for harm. At one time, they
moved their production facility across a state line to avoid environmental
regulations. In corporate ethics, nothing
is important except the bottom line.
This is dualistic economics at its most lethal.
