Anna Cross USF MPH 632 A BRIEF SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE: EFFECTS OF ROUNDUP AND SAFER ALTERNATIVES

 1) Describe the issues at hand  2) Explore alternatives to ensure less risk/harm to not only the environment but all organisms (including humans) living within it  3) Examine and identify health risks associated with Roundup LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Is Roundup toxic to the environment?  Roundup, a product created by the Monsanto Corporation, “is a commercial herbicide containing glyphosate and surfactant, used primarily for killing weeds. Its key component, glyphosate, is a competitive inhibitor of the shikimate pathway, a metabolic pathway found only in plants” (Hour et al., 2012) WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

 Use of Roundup has also led to glyphosate-resistant crops  Also lead to the increased use of monocultures to prevent the killing of crops that are not glyphosate-resistant  Round-Up Ready Crops OTHER CONCERNS

 Glyphosate only affects plants, not humanstherefore, it is safe to use  Are genetically modified crops really harmful? CONTROVERSIES

 You can be exposed to glyphosate if you get it on your skin, in your eyes or breathe it in when you are using it. You might swallow some glyphosate if you eat or smoke after applying it without washing your hands first. You may also be exposed if you touch plants that are still wet with spray. Glyphosate isn't likely to vaporize after it is sprayed.  Water contamination (Kolpin et al (2005)  Consequences of glyphosate include:  Gastrointestinal disorders  Obesity  Diabetes  Heart disease  Depression  Autism  Infertility  Cancer  Alzheimer’s Disease WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS? HOW CAN I BE EXPOSED?

 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)  Monsanto POLICIES/PRACTICES

 Use of genetically-modified crops  Exposure to chemicals used in herbicides/pesticides, etc  On NPR 4/30/14, further information released about kidney disease killing farmworkers in Central America WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS?

 Integrated Pest Management (IPM)  Interplanting crops that repel pests or attract other insects that are predators to the pests  Permacultures RECOMMENDED "BEST PRACTICES" SAFER ALTERNATIVES/CHOICES

 Beaubien, J. (2014). Mysterious Kidney Disease Slays Farmworkers in Central America. National Public Radio (NPR). Retrieved from kidney-disease-slays-farmworkers-in-central-america  Charles, D., (2013). In Oregon, the GMO Wheat Mystery Deepens. National Public Radio (NPR). Retrieved from gmo-wheat-mystery-deepens  Environmental Protection Agency (2012). Pesticides and Food: What “Integrated Pest Management” Means. Retrieved from  Hour, B. T., Belen, C., Zar, T., & Lien, Y. H. H. (2012). Herbicide Roundup Intoxication: Successful Treatment with Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy. The American Journal of Medicine, 125(8), e1-e2.  Kolpin, D. W., Thurman, E. M., Lee, E. A., Meyer, M. T., Furlong, E. T., & Glassmeyer, S. T. (2006). Urban contributions of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA to streams in the United States. Science of the Total Environment,354(2), REFERENCES

 Monsanto (2005). History of Monsanto’s Glyphosate Herbicide. Monsanto Backgrounder. Retrieved from background-materials/back_history.pdf  National Pesticide Information Center (2010). Glyphosate General Fact Sheet. Retrieved from  Samsel, A., & Seneff, S. (2013). Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases. Entropy, 15(4),  University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UCIPM) (nd). What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? Retrieved from REFERENCES CONT’D