Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/487054
Matthew Vella The confirmation by the World health Organisation that the world's most popular weed killer can "probably" cause cancer will be of shock to Maltese users, since the results provide a worrisome corol- lary to a 2014 study that found glys- ophate in urine samples. Nine out of 10 urine samples from people in Malta contained traces of the weed killer glyphosate, labora- tory tests carried out by Friends of the earth Malta had shown last year. The results in Malta were mir- rored in results across europe – with 45 per cent of samples from the 10 volunteers in each of the 18 countries found to contain traces of the chemical. All volunteers who gave samples lived in urban areas, and none had handled or used glyphosate prod- ucts in the run up to the tests. This was the first time monitoring was carried out across europe for the presence of the weed killer in hu- mans. The WhO's cancer arm, the In- ternational Agency for Research on Cancer, said glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup and other herbicides, was "classi- fied as probably carcinogenic to humans." It also said there was "limited evi- dence" that glyphosate was carcino- genic in humans for non-hodgkin lymphoma. Monsanto, the world's largest seed company and Roundup's man- ufacturer, said in a statement that scientific data do not support the agency's conclusions and called on WhO to hold an urgent meeting to explain the findings. Concerns about glyphosate on food have been a hot topic of debate in the United States recently, and contributed to the passage in Ver- mont last year of the country's first mandatory labelling law for foods that are genetically modified. Glyphosate is one of the most widely-used weed killers in the world, used by farmers, local gov- ernment and gardeners, as well as being sprayed extensively on some genetically modified crops import- ed into europe for use as animal feed. The biggest producer is Monsanto which sells it under the brand name "Roundup". Despite its widespread use, its presence in food or water is rarely monitored by governments. In 2014, Martin Galea De Giovan- ni from Friends of the earth Malta said of their study that most people would be worried that there is weed killer in their bodies. "These results suggest that we are being exposed to glyphosate in our everyday lives, yet we don't know where it is com- ing from, how widespread it is in the environment, or what it is doing to our bodies. "This is the most widely used weed killer in europe and it is sur- prising that public authorities rare- ly test our food or water for it. Now that Friends of the earth Malta has discovered that it is widespread in people's bodies, it is asking the Mal- tese Government to immediately step-up their monitoring to make sure we are not being put at risk." The National Statistics Office fig- ures for herbicide use in 2007 showed a possible increase in glyphosate us- age in Malta, as compared to 2005. Fourteen glyphosate-resistant genetically modified crops are cur- rently waiting for approval for culti- vation in the european Union. Some estimates suggest that if given the go-ahead, glyphosate use could in- crease by as much as 800 per cent. The weed killer has been detected in food, water and in the air after it has been sprayed, according to the WhO agency's report. however, glyphosate use is generally low in and near homes where the public would face the greatest risk of expo- sure, the report said. Monsanto, in a statement, said the research was not new, and that each of the studies considered by IARC had been previously reviewed and considered by regulatory agencies – most recently by the German gov- ernment on behalf of the european Union. "Relevant, scientific data was excluded from review. IARC re- ceived and purposefully disregarded dozens of scientific studies – specifi- cally genetic toxicity studies – that support the conclusion glyphosate is not a human health risk," Monsanto said. It also claimed that the conclusion is not supported by scientific data. "IARC's classification is inconsistent with the numerous multi-year, com- prehensive assessments conducted by hundreds of scientists from coun- tries worldwide who are responsible for ensuring public safety." maltatoday, Sunday, 29 March 2015 News weed killer traces in urine samples presaged whO's cancer claims Some careers shine brighter than others. 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