Run for Cover, Monsanto's Roundup found in raindrops

New discoveries, published by the U.s. Geological Survey show the presence of pesticides — particularly pervasive in Monsanto's glyphosate-based Roundup — as well as its degradation by-products and small traces of antibiotics routinely fed to livestock in the catchment areas and rainwater samples throughout the Mississippi basin.

Research groups with the USGS suspect water supplies near where they grow large amounts of cotton, corn and soybeans genetically modified. The results revealed that the use of Roundup, or similar glyphosate based pesticides, was grown in the area more than eightfold to nearly 90,000 tons from 1992 to 2007, despite claims of biotech industry that use of pest-resistant genetically modified seeds would decrease the need for external application of pesticides. Additionally, Monsanto, the dominant producer of genetically modified seeds and pesticides, Roundup, has long insisted that glyphosate does not leach into waterways for its ability to bind to soil particles.

Three tested for glyphosate in air and rain in Mississippi, Iowa and Indiana showed remarkable tracks in more than half of all samples, as well as surface waters with concentrations to levels that would not have been allowed to enter the public water supply, according to a statement from GMFreeze.org. The EPA's drinking water, the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for glyphosate is 700 micrograms per liter.

Glyphosate (Roundup include trademarks over touchdowns and Rodeo) is an odorless white solid organic Crystal used on food crops and non-food.  Is the world's best-selling insecticide, used in more than 90 countries, tripling in use since 1997 with increasing genetically modified crops.

This year, the SEC has started an investigation of Monsanto, specifically its Roundup program incentive to ensure that sales had slipped to less expensive competing products. The pesticide also recently has been linked to soil damage, resilient "superweeds", " in Butterfly populations decline and rootworms that have become resistant to glyphosate.

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Image: Dave's Rat

Tags: genetically modified foods genetically modified seeds, glyphosate, Monsanto, Roundup, roundup ready, superweeds

This entry was published on Friday September 9, 2011 to 12:00 am and is filed under green living, health, , organic, organic food, Live organic, the environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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