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UK scientists say they have conducted an unprecedented, long-term study showing a link between Roundup - one of the most widely used herbicides in the world - and severe liver damage in test rats.
The research sparked further debate in the international scientific community over the potential health hazards to people caused by exposure to the well-known weed killer.
Scientists from King's College London, whose findings were published in the journal, Nature , earlier this month, said their tests used cutting-edge technology to demonstrate that "extremely low doses" of the herbicide administered to rats through their drinking water had caused "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)" over a two-year period.
NAFLD can lead to more serious liver disease such as cirrhosis, and increases the risk of other illnesses including diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
"The study is unique in that it is the first to show a causative link between consumption of Roundup at a real-world environmental dose and a serious disease condition," the report said.
In recent years, there have been an increasing number of studies alleging links between herbicides - used to help grow genetically modified crops - to a wide range of health issues including birth defects, reproductive and neurological problems, cancer, and even DNA damage. Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, has repeatedly denied the accusations , insisting the product is safe for humans. A number of scientists and researchers say there has been insufficient evidence to prove herbicides cause health problems for people.
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(Score: 1) by CZB on Tuesday January 24 2017, @05:19AM
Two years of water containing(50 ng/L glyphosate equivalent concentration; 4 ng/kg bw/day) resulted in elevated signs of NAFLD. Its not clear how many rats where studied, possibly ten with ten as a control group. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep39328 [nature.com]
I use a couple hundred gallons of roundup per year and get probably 12 noticeable topical or inhaled doses annually. Haven't had any problems with roundup myself or with the farmers I'm around, but its a concern worthy of further study.
Personally I'm looking forward to robotics being a technical solution to all this arguing over about herbicide risks.