What Can We Know About Roundup Weed Killer?

It is probably in your garage and in your lawn. And it is used on every acre of corn and soy. But what risks does it pose?

THE WORLD'S MOST widely-used herbicide was getting a lot of attention lately.

Last month, an international agency declared glyphosate, the Principal ingredient From the popular merchandise Roundup, a"likely human carcinogen." The weed killer additionally has made recent headlines for its widespread use on genetically modified seeds and research that connects it into antibiotics resistance and hormone disturbance . Several national governments are planning to restrict its use, and a few school districts are talking about banning it.

What exactly do we know about glyphosate? Five Key questions and answers:

How Is Glyphosate Employed?

Introduced commercially from Monsanto In 1974, glyphosate kills weeds by blocking proteins essential to plant growth. It is currently used in more than 160 nations , with more than 1.4 billion pounds applied per year.

Glyphosate sold under the brand name Roundup, is probably in your garage or drop because it's rated as the 2nd most commonly used U.S. yard and garden weed killer. These products have been promoted effective and as easy-to-use on poison ivy, kudzu, dandelions, and other germs.

But the use is by agriculture. Nearly all the corn, wheat, soy, and cotton today Grown in the USA is treated with glyphosate.

Its usage skyrocketed after seeds were The compound is tolerated by genetically engineeredto. The weed killer can be applied by farmers to fields without worrying about ruining plants because these seeds produce plants that are not killed by glyphosate. Between 1987 and 2012, annual U.S. farm usage grew from less than 11 million pounds to nearly 300 million lbs.

"By far the Huge use is on [genetically Engineered] crops -- corn, soy and cotton -- which took off at the first to mid-nineties," states Robert Gilliom, chief of surface water assessment for the US Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment Program.

In addition California were treated with glyphosate from 2012 to grow peaches, almonds, onions, cantaloupe, cherries, sweet corn, citrus, grapes, and other edible crops.