Herbicide on the rise, but health effects overlooked.

An article by Carey Gillam of Reuters reports on new research that found significant levels of the herbicide glyphosate in air and water samples from two U.S. states. This chemical is the active ingredient in the Roundup brand herbicide and is widely used in agriculture, on golf courses and in residential yards. The article highlights the impact of this widely used chemical on the rise of "super weeds" – plants resistant to this herbicide – but fails to discuss the potential health effects on humans and wildlife.

A handful of studies detail potential impacts of this chemical on wildlife. For instance, exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide mixture results in altered male sexual behavior and gill structure (an effect that could limit oxygen uptake) in a tropical fish species. Exposures to glyphosate-based herbicide mixtures can also increase mortality rates in some amphibian species.

The human impact of this chemical is less clear. Glyphosate and glyphosate-based mixtures are toxic to human placental cells and can disrupt the activity of aromatase – an enzyme involved in the formation of sex steroid hormones – suggesting potential actions as an endocrine disrupter. Recent laboratory results also suggest abnormal development of frog and chicken embryos following exposure to glyphosate and glyphosate-based mixtures. These two studies suggest exposure to this chemical may pose a risk to human reproduction and to the health of the developing fetus.

Overall, this article would have benefited from a description of what is known about the human and ecological health impacts of glyphosate and why increased environmental levels are of concern.

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