NOTE: Monsanto's Roundup has been used over thousands of acres of land in a bid to destroy coca plantations as part of the US-backed 'war on drugs'. Both the Colombian government, which has been in charge of the aerial spraying, and the US Environmental Protection Agency have maintained that the herbicide is entirely safe.
EXTRACTS: In addition to expected symptoms - including vomiting and diarrhoea, blurred vision, and difficulty in breathing - the researchers found a significantly higher degree of DNA damage - 600 to 800 per cent higher...
..None of the individuals used or had been exposed to other herbicides [other than Roundup] or pesticides when the samples were taken.
DNA damage may activate genes associated to the development of cancer, lead researcher Cesar Paz y Mino told SciDev.Net, and may also lead to miscarriage or malformations in embryos. ---
--- Aerial spraying of herbicide 'damages DNA' Aerial spraying could damage locals health Lisbeth Fog
SciDev.Net, 17 May 2007 http://www.scidev.net/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=readnews&itemid=3622&language= 1
[BOGOTA] Aerial spraying of a herbicide by the Colombian government on the border of Colombia and Ecuador has caused a high degree of DNA damage in local Ecuadorian people, according to a study.
The research will be published in the next issue of Genetics and Molecular Biology.
The scientists, from the Pontificia Catholic University in Ecuador, analysed blood samples from 24 Ecuadorians living within three kilometres of the border of the two countries. Aerial spraying of a herbicide formulation containing glyphosate - sold under the name Roundup by Monsanto - took place on the Colombian side of the border between late 2000 and early 2001.
The Colombian government sprays illegal coca plantations - used to make cocaine - as part of its 'war on drugs'.
According to the paper, the application rate of the herbicide (litres per hectare) was 20 times the maximum recommended rate for the formulated product.
Half the individuals in the group received spraying directly over their houses, and the blood samples were taken within two months of the spraying taking place.
For comparison, blood samples were taken from 21 Ecuadorian individuals living 80 kilometres away from the border, where aerial spraying of the herbicide formulation did not take place.
In addition to expected symptoms - including vomiting and diarrhoea, blurred vision, and difficulty in breathing - the researchers found a significantly higher degree of DNA damage - 600 to 800 per cent higher - in the people living near the border compared with those 80 kilometres away.
The researchers ruled out tobacco, alcohol, non-prescription drugs and asbestos as causing the DNA damage. None of the individuals used or had been exposed to other herbicides or pesticides when the samples were taken.
DNA damage may activate genes associated to the development of cancer, lead researcher Cesar Paz y Mino told SciDev.Net, and may also lead to miscarriage or malformations in embryos.
Both Colombia and Ecuador have formed national scientific and technical commissions to study the effects of aerially spraying this herbicide formulation, with the Ecuadorian commission concluding it does affect humans and the Colombian commission refuting this claim (see Pesticides used in Colombian war on drugs 'not harmful').
President of the Colombian commission, Alberto Gomez Mejia, told SciDev.Net that it is difficult to establish the real cause of the effects of agrochemicals in humans.
Reference: Genetics and Molecular Biology 30, 456 (2007)
GM WATCH daily list http://www.gmwatch.org ---
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1.Effects of the herbicide Roundup on human embryonic cells - Press release
2.Time- and Dose-Dependent Effects of Roundup on Human Embryonic and Placental Cells - Abstract
NOTE: A research group (CRIIGEN) at the University of Caen, France, has published a study on the previously unknown toxic effects of Roundup on human embryonic cells. Roundup is the Monsanto-developed herbicide in use worldwide, including on GMOs for food and feed. Item 2 is the Abstract of the new study. Item 1 is CRIIGEN's press release. Read the full report at http://www.springerlink.com/content/d13171q7k863l446/fulltext.html
EXTRACTS: The cytotoxic, and potentially endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup are thus amplified with time. Taken together, these data suggest that Roundup exposure may affect human reproduction and fetal development in case of contamination. Chemical mixtures in formulations appear to be underestimated regarding their toxic or hormonal impact. (item 2)
..the herbicide Roundup, as sold on the market, is far more toxic than the product which is known and approved to be its active ingredient: glyphosate. The gaps in European legislation to study the effects of mixtures and hormonal disruptions are underlined. (item 1) ---
--- 1.Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering www.criigen.org
Press Release CRIIGEN - May 2007
Effects of the herbicide Roundup on human embryonic cells
Professor Seralini's group (1), in the University of Caen, France, just published a study on the previously unknown toxic effects of Roundup on human embryonic cells.
Roundup is the major herbicide in use worldwide, including on GMOs for food and feed. The embryonic cells are from a line cultivated in the laboratory and their use does not necessitate embryo destruction. The group wanted to confirm and detail the understanding of the effects already observed on placental cells, as published by Seralini's group in 2005.
Following comparison, it appears that embryonic cells are far more sensitive. The deleterious results of Roundup are noticed at very week doses (the product sold in stores is diluted up to 10,000 times). Sensitivity is confirmed in particular for the disruption of sexual hormones at non toxic levels, especially on fresh placental extracts. The maximal active dilutions correspond to less than the residues in discussion to be authorized in GMO feed in the United States.
It is evidenced that the herbicide Roundup, as sold on the market, is far more toxic than the product which is known and approved to be its active ingredient: glyphosate. The gaps in European legislation to study the effects of mixtures and hormonal disruptions are underlined.
This work may be of help in better understating the problems of miscarriages, premature births or sexual malformations of babies, in particular in agricultural workers families.
The paper published on line first (1) on the website of the journal « Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology » directed by Dr. Doerge from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in USA, will appear in the July 2007 issue.
This work is funded by the Human Earth Foundation, the Denis Guichard Foundation, the CRIIGEN and the Regional Council of Basse-Normandie.
Contact : Pr Gilles-Eric Séralini, Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, University of Caen, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France. Telephone: 33(0)2-31-56-56-84. Fax: 33(0)2-31- 56-53-20. Corinne Lepage President of CRIIGEN. E-mail: criigen@unicaen.fr. (1) Time and Dose-Dependent Effects of Roundup on Human Embryonic and Placental Cells by Nora Benachour, Herbert Sipahutar, Safa Moslemi, Celine Gasnier, Carine Travert, Gilles-Eric Seralini. (http://www.springerlink.com/content/d13171q7k863l446/fulltext.html) ---
--- 2.Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology http://www.springerlink.com/content/d13171q7k863l446/fulltext.html
Time- and Dose-Dependent Effects of Roundup on Human Embryonic and Placental Cells N. Benachour1, H. Sipahutar2, S. Moslemi3, C. Gasnier1, C. Travert1 and G. E. Seralini1, 4
(1) Laboratoire Estrogenes et Reproduction, USC-INRA, IBFA, Universite de Caen, Caen, France (2) Department of Biology, State University of Medan, Medan, Indonesia (3) Laboratoire de Biochimie du Tissu Conjonctif, EA3214, CHU Cote de Nacre, Caen, France (4) Laboratoire de Biochimie, EA2608-USC INRA, IBFA, Universite de Caen, Esplanade de Paix, 14032 Caen, France
G. E. Seralini Email: criigen@unicaen.fr
Received: 25 July 2006 Accepted: 20 November 2006 Published online: 4 May 2007
Abstract Roundup® is the major herbicide used worldwide, in particular on genetically modified plants that have been designed to tolerate it. We have tested the toxicity and endocrine disruption potential of Roundup (Bioforce®) on human embryonic 293 and placental-derived JEG3 cells, but also on normal human placenta and equine testis. The cell lines have proven to be suitable to estimate hormonal activity and toxicity of pollutants. The median lethal dose (LD50) of Roundup with embryonic cells is 0.3% within 1 h in serum-free medium, and it decreases to reach 0.06% (containing among other compounds 1.27 mM glyphosate) after 72 h in the presence of serum. In these conditions, the embryonic cells appear to be 2Â4 times more sensitive than the placental ones. In all instances, Roundup (generally used in agriculture at 1Â2%, i.e., with 21Â42 mM glyphosate) is more efficient than its active ingredient, glyphosate, suggesting a synergistic effect provoked by the adjuvants present in Roundup. We demonstrated that serum-free cultures, even on a short-term basis (1 h), reveal the xenobiotic impacts that are visible 1Â2 days later in serum. We also document at lower non-overtly toxic doses, from 0.01% (with 210 μM glyphosate) in 24 h, that Roundup is an aromatase disruptor. The direct inhibition is temperature-dependent and is confirmed in different tissues and species (cell lines from placenta or embryonic kidney, equine testicular, or human fresh placental extracts). Furthermore, glyphosate acts directly as a partial inactivator on microsomal aromatase, independently of its acidity, and in a dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxic, and potentially endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup are thus amplified with time. Taken together, these data suggest that Roundup exposure may affect human reproduction and fetal development in case of contamination. Chemical mixtures in formulations appear to be underestimated regarding their toxic or hormonal impact.
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Aerial Spraying of Monsanto's Herbicide Roundup 'Damages DNA'
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GM Watch, May 21, 2007
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