The Friends of the Earth Association has just had analyzes done to detect the presence of glyphosate in the human body. The results indicate that traces of this world’s best-selling herbicide are found in the urine of 3 in 10 people. Results are consistent with tests conducted in 17 other European countries.
In Europe, farmers use glyphosate extensively to weed their fields before sowing or before emergence as well as in vineyards. They also often apply it on cereals, rapeseed, corn and sunflowers just before harvest, to dry out the crop. It is also widely used by local authorities for the treatment of municipal parks and gardens, as well as by amateur gardeners who track down “weeds”.
But although commonly used (it is the famous Round Up of Monsanto), the authorities rarely control its presence in fruits and vegetables or in water.
For this control test, the European volunteers all lived in cities and none of them had handled herbicide in the weeks preceding the test. Of the 18 countries tested, France occupies the 12e square. The 5 countries where the population is most affected are: Malta (9 out of 10 people have traces of glyphosate in their urine), Germany, Great Britain and Poland (7 out of 10) and finally the Netherlands (6.3 people out of 10).
Remember that today Inserm has released a report in which it is indicated that exposure to pesticides, even low intensity, causes an increased risk of the development of certain cancers (leukemia, Prostate cancer, lymphomas) or neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson disease, Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).