Theres still so much to learn about the common herbicide, best known as Roundup.
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Is my morning oatmeal milk killing me?
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What Is Glyphosate and How Is It Used?
(In 1995, global agricultural use was 112.6 million pounds.
By 2014, it was 1.65 billion pounds.)
Today, glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. Rest assured that folks are monitoring the situation.
But what about runoff from the treated fields?
Dig Deeper
How Much Glyphosate Is Too Much?
Many things can be toxic at extreme levels, even water.
So lets put glyphosate exposure into perspective.
Glyphosate is water-soluble, excreted primarily in the urine, and is quickly cleared from the body.
She notes that it can be cleared as quickly as 48 hours after ingestion.
But detecting glyphosate in urine does not mean its harmful, Steier chimes in.
It simply shows exposure, not toxicity.
Pesticide residues on food are minimal, but advancements in testing technology allow even trace amounts to be detected.
Knowledge is power, but detection alone does not mean food is unsafe, Sims notes.
The potential harm of any substance depends on the amount consumed.
Glyphosate is so ubiquitous that worrying about it wont really change anything.
Wear gloves, goggles and a mask if you do choose to apply glyphosate to your lawn.
The Bottom Line
Glyphosate is essentially inescapable in modern society, true.
For the general public consuming trace amounts in food, the risk is negligible.
Steier warns that misinformation can quickly and easily distort public perception of food safety.
Yet, a healthy lifestyle is built upon a foundation of overall habits, not avoiding one particular thing.
Oregon State Universitys National Pesticide Information Center.Glyphosate General Fact Sheet.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Questions and Answers on Glyphosate.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diet Is a Factor in Contact with Glyphosate.
Novotny E.Glyphosate, Roundup and the Failures of Regulatory Assessment.Toxics.
corn and soybean farmers use a wide variety of glyphosate resistance management practices.
Organic Voices.Why Glyphosate Is Used on Non-GMO Crops.
American Cancer Society.Known and Probable Human Carcinogens.
International Agency for Research on Cancer.IARC Monograph on Glyphosate.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.EPA Finalizes Glyphosate Mitigation.
Health Canada.Statement from Health Canada on Glyphosate.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.ToxGuide for Glyphosate.
U.S. Geological Survey.GlyphosateWidely Used, Widely Detected.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Glyphosate Removal from Drinking Water.
Minnesota Department of Health.Glyphosate and Drinking Water.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Girl Scouts of America.An Important Update for Our Members and Supporters.
Oregon State Universitys National Pesticide Information Center.How can I wash pesticides from fruit and veggies?.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.Addressing the Science Surrounding Glyphosate.
