[MassChestnutOrchards] the Roundup question

Fri Jan 8 19:18:01 EST 2010

Hello All,
I have the feeling that discussing views on the dangers or advantages of roundup is like discussing politics or religion.  You are not likely to change opinion of the other side.
People and organizations who are comfortable with its use should continue and our chapter should be sensitive to those who are not and look for alternatives at those sites.

Brad

Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 14:29:40 -0500
From: Yvonne_Federowicz at brown.edu
To: masschestnutorchards at masschestnut.org
Subject: Re: [MassChestnutOrchards] Recent Roundup research

Re: [MassChestnutOrchards] Recent Roundup research

Endocrine disruption is not generally fatal to the individual exposed, so the LD50 test is inappropriate. It’s more a problem with reproduction.  

This is the study – it mentions “cytotoxicity” and “endocrine disruption”.   While I’m not an endocrinologist or toxologist, I am glad that foreign countries & the EPA are going to study these chemicals more – there are a lot of negative things happening to wildlife (and human) endocrine systems right now that no one can explain adequately, and relying upon company-sponsored studies strikes me as highly dubious.  

A number of plastic-related compounds took years to be banned for endocrine disruption but finally were, so at the least, caution is indicated.

------------------

Glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell lines 

 Céline Gasniera,  Coralie Dumontb  , Nora Benachoura , Emilie Claira  , Marie-Christine Chagnonb  and Gilles-Eric Séralinia 

aUniversity of Caen, Institute of Biology, Lab. Biochemistry EA2608, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen cedex, France

bUniversity of Burgundy, Lab. Food Toxicology UMR1129, 1 Esplanade Erasme, 21000 Dijon, France

Received 10 April 2009;  

revised 4 June 2009;  

accepted 8 June 2009.  

Available online 17 June 2009.  

Abstract

Glyphosate-based herbicides are the most widely used across the world; they are commercialized in different formulations. Their residues are frequent pollutants in the environment. In addition, these herbicides are spread on most eaten transgenic plants, modified to tolerate high levels of these compounds in their cells. Up to 400 ppm of their residues are accepted in some feed. We exposed human liver HepG2 cells, a well-known model to study xenobiotic toxicity, to four different formulations and to glyphosate, which is usually tested alone in chronic in vivo regulatory studies. We measured cytotoxicity with three assays (Alamar Blue®, MTT, ToxiLight®), plus genotoxicity (comet assay), anti-estrogenic (on ER?, ER?) and anti-androgenic effects (on AR) using gene reporter tests. We also checked androgen to estrogen conversion by aromatase activity and mRNA. All parameters were disrupted at sub-agricultural doses with all formulations within 24 h. These effects were more dependent on the formulation than on the glyphosate concentration. First, we observed a human cell endocrine disruption from 0.5 ppm on the androgen receptor in MDA-MB453-kb2 cells for the most active formulation (R400), then from 2 ppm the transcriptional activities on both estrogen receptors were also inhibited on HepG2. Aromatase transcription and activity were disrupted from 10 ppm. Cytotoxic effects started at 10 ppm with Alamar Blue assay (the most sensitive), and DNA damages at 5 ppm. A real cell impact of glyphosate-based herbicides residues in food, feed or in the environment has thus to be considered, and their classifications as carcinogens/mutagens/reprotoxics is discussed.

On 1/8/10 1:55 PM, "Guy Shepard" <tsuga35 at aol.com> wrote:

The LD50  is about 27000 compare that to asprin .

Guy 

-----Original Message-----

From: Yvonne Federowicz <Yvonne_Federowicz at brown.edu>

To: masschestnutorchards at masschestnut.org

Sent: Fri, Jan 8, 2010 1:12 pm

Subject: Re: [MassChestnutOrchards] Recent Roundup research

I found blog pages saying that Australia has banned Glyphosphate "near"

water.  Denmark seems to have banned it completely, and there is discussion

that the EU and Argentina might ban it.  It's hard to evaluate the truth of

some of the blog sources I found online though.

The EPA is apparently starting screening of Glyphosphate for endocrine

disruption:

http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo/pubs/final_list_frn_041509.pdf

(discussed at: 

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address

=115x193628)

On 1/8/10 1:03 PM, "Fred Hebard" <Fred at acf.org> wrote:

> This site appears to be selling it at present:

> 

> http://www.scottsaustralia.com.au/Roundup

> 

> Fred

> 

> Frederick V. Hebard, PhD

> Staff Pathologist, Meadowview Research Farms

> American Chestnut Foundation

> 14005 Glenbrook Ave.

> Meadowview, VA 24361

> 

> Email: Fred at acf.org

> Web: http://www.acffarms.org <http://www.acffarms.org/> 

> Phone: (276) 944-4631

> Fax: (276) 944-0934

> 

> 

> On Jan 8, 2010, at 12:50 PM, Brian A Pistolese wrote:

> 

>> 

>> I'm fairly certain that the use of 'Roundup' has been banned in

>> Australia.

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