Glyphosate, a herbicide chemical, carcinogenic?
Glyphosate, a herbicide chemical, carcinogenic?
The debate on the carcinogenic effects of glyphosate returns to the scene after the contradictions between the studies of the European Union and those of the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the European body, the results of the available scientific tests do not determine that glyphosate is carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic. However, the WHO has already labeled this chemical as “possibly carcinogenic”.
The world’s most widely used herbicide in agriculture may or may not be carcinogenic.
Two of the most important international organizations disagree on the possible damages of glyphosate, one of the chemical substances present in most herbicides used for the elimination of weeds and weeds.
Since 2015, the World Health Organization considers glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic”.
However, just a few weeks ago the European Union, through its Chemical Substances and Mixtures agency (ECHA), assured that it is a “non-carcinogenic” herbicide: “The ECHA Risk Assessment Committee has concluded that Available scientific evidence does not meet the criteria for classifying glyphosate as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction.
” The new ECHA opinion must be ratified by the European Commission, which will study it at the end of this year and will be in charge of authorizing glyphosate in pesticides. Currently this chemical appears in products such as cotton, gauze and tampons; in foods like wine, beer, or honey; in natural areas such as the Paraná river basin; or even in people who have been exposed to fumigation for a long period of time.
After detecting the increase in the presence of glyphosate, the Cancer Research Agency began a study that concluded that contact with this herbicide is related to the appearance of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the development of cancer cells and DNA damage.
The research of the Agency for Research on Cancer has been ratified by other organizations, such as the Network of Doctors of Fumigated Peoples, and environmental NGOs such as Ecologists in Action and Friends of the Earth.
ECHA’s decision has received several criticisms from the European states themselves. France’s ecology minister recalled that glyphosate is the “first source of contamination” for French rivers. Spain spoke out about this herbicide just a year ago with the re-approval of its use.
In our country, glyphosate is one of the most used chemicals in agricultural crops, due to its low cost, and in public spaces such as gardens, parks, lots and ditches for weed control.