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SW: →Herbicide in Your Food: edit
A recent study testing the effects of glyphosate on human cells which "corresponds to low levels of residues in food or feed" has found that "the proprietary mixtures available on the market could cause cell damage and even death around residual levels to be expected, especially in food and feed derived from R[oundup] formulation-treated crops" [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx800218n?cookieSet=1&journalCode=crtoec Glyphosate Formulations Induce Apoptosis and Necrosis in Human Umbilical, Embryonic, and Placental Cells].
And though disputed by Monsanto, studies have also indicated that exposure to glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) increases the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other serious health concerns. [http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoma-Pesticides.htm][http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/7728/7728.html][http://www.ehponline.org/members/2001/109p851-857arbuckle/arbuckle-full.html][http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1764160][http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/33/9950]. See also [http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/amjepid;157/9/800][http://ipmworld.umn.edu/chapters/pimentel.htm][http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12594778][http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2377/8/6/abstract].
This exposure to herbicides will likely increase if Monsanto/Dow's new SmartStax™ technology gains approval which they predict by the end of the decade. In addition to applications of glyphosate corn can also be doused with Dow's LibertyLink glufosinate herbicide [http://news.dow.com/dow_news/corporate/2007/20070914a.htm]. SmartStax will combine ("stack") eight different genes for insect control and herbicide tolerance. The benefit for Monsanto will be increasing control of the market and greater profit, "Stacking traits not only provides farmers with one-stop
shopping, ''it represents incremental margin on a bag of seed corn for Monsanto''" says Monsanto's Robert Fraley [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-08-2003/0001942873&EDATE=]. Further, tolerance of other herbicides, such as [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=BEEC59D8-E7F2-99DF-399F4FBCDAD2FC74&sc=I100322 dicamba] will likely be added in time. Though applications of dicamba is meant to alternate with glyphosate as a response to resistance.
In another report by the Center ''[http://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/Pesticide_SSR_2008.pdf Simplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Option]'', which quantifies and compares the exposures to hazardous pesticide residues on conventional vs organic produce, Dr. Charles Benbrook states that "recent USDA pesticide residue and food consumption surveys show that most people consume three to four residues daily just through [conventionally grown] fruits and vegetables. 'Accounting for residues in conventional milk, tap water and other foods, the average American exposes him or herself to ten to 13 pesticide residues daily'" [http://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/Pesticide_SSR_Press_Release_FINAL.pdf]. Agricultural chemicals have been linked to cancers, spontaneous abortions and other serious health problems [http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/amjepid;157/9/800][http://ipmworld.umn.edu/chapters/pimentel.htm][http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12594778][http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2377/8/6/abstract].
Pesticide Action Network has created a searchable database, [http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/index.jsp What's on my food], that one can use to easily find out which pesticides and pesticide residues are used on and remain on everyday fruits, vegetables, milk and meat.
