Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, which is the most widely distributed herbicide worldwide. It is also the subject of much litigation and contention. The Monsanto chemist, John E. Franz, made the discovery in 1970. It made it to the public marketplace only 4 years later. The chemical formula is C₃H₈NO₅P.
Roundup is a systemic, broad-spectrum herbicide that kills annual, broad-leafed weeds and grasses. Systemic means that it is mainly absorbed through foliage and minimally through roots. It is then transported to the growing points of a plant. It works by inhibiting the plant’s enzyme that is involved in the synthesis of three amino acids.
A key point to keep in mind is that Roundup works on growing plants and is not effective as a pre-emergent herbicide. If you use Roundup, read the complete instructions and follow them exactly. The effects are going to be subtle and accumulative over years of exposure.
Wear protective clothing, chemical-resistant gloves, and protective eyewear when applying Roundup or any other herbicide. Also, be careful not to apply herbicides directly to water. Glyphosate binds to soil particles in the environment, which leach into the watershed during heavy rainfalls and reach freshwater environments. Glyphosate vapors tend to drift on warm days and can cause unintended consequences in your garden or that of your neighbor. Always use extreme caution when applying herbicides.
Glyphosate and water
Water testing shows that at least 70% of American households’ drinking water is positive for above detectable levels of glyphosate. The EPA MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) for glyphosate in the U.S. is 700 ug/L. This limit was decided upon by the EPA based on the premise that glyphosate was not bioaccumulative. This was determined because glyphosate is not detectable in mother’s milk at significant levels. Urine testing also shows levels of glyphosate in U.S. citizens over 10x higher than in Europe where it is used less.
Glyphosate has been sold as the active ingredient in herbicide formulations since 1974. It is marketed as safe for animals because its design is specific for plants. That design is to inhibit an enzymatic pathway required for protein synthesis – and thereby, inhibit the growth of plants but not animals.
One of the reasons glyphosate is thought to be relatively safe for humans is that the molecule is not soluble in fat. It does not accumulate in our bodies very easily after oral exposure. Some crops have been genetically modified to be tolerant to glyphosate and therefore are sprayed to eliminate weeds growing in their midst.
Still, concerns are growing about the amount of glyphosate we ingest. Epidemiological studies in humans do show some links between glyphosate exposure and subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Those same studies also showed a weak association with acute myeloid leukemia.
Farmers worldwide have relied upon glyphosate-based herbicides to kill unwanted vegetation for more than four decades, but its use sparked hefty debate in 2015 when the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic.” For reference, red meat is also in the same category.
This contradicts previous conclusions by the European Food Safety Authority and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They both have asserted that glyphosate is not likely to cause cancer in humans. The issues have resulted in several large class-action lawsuits against Monsanto. And large protests took place in Europe when the European Commission extended the license to use glyphosate in agriculture for another 5 years.
Can roundup cause neurodegenerative disease?
Some research has been conducted, but much more is necessary to say with absolute certainty that there is a link between herbicides and an increased risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
When a person with particular genetic risk factors encounters something in their environment like an herbicide that inhibits mitochondria, those factors could start a neurodegenerative process and could be a risk factor.
Glyphosate has a density of 1.704 grams per milliliter at 20 degrees Centigrade. (This means that it is 1.7x as heavy as water.) At room temperature, it is a white crystalline powder with a melting point of 184.5 degrees Celsius (or 364.1 degrees Fahrenheit). It does not have a boiling point but rather a decomposition temperature or point of 187 degrees Celsius (369 degrees Fahrenheit).
Glyphosate is very soluble in water at 1.01 grams per 100 milliliters of water. Boiling alone does not remove glyphosate. Because the melting point and decomposition points of glyphosate are both considerably above the boiling point of water, it will be concentrated during the boiling process, making it even worse.
One way to be certain is to use a home distillation system. A quality distillation system removes virtually all glyphosate and its break-down byproducts. Distillation removes glyphosate consistently while wasting very little water. In addition, distillation also removes virtually every other water contaminant with extremely high rates of removal.