What else weed killers kill?
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The debate around Glyphosate and it’s effects to human health has been raging for years, but a recent US court case has begun to shed some more light on the issues at hand.
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It was developed by chemist John E Franz in 1970 for Montsanto a multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation and released as their flagship weed killer Roundup.
Back in 2015 there was a big uproar when it was suggested that glyphosate was carcinogenic and since that time there have been several in-depth case to determine if this is true.
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On March 15th, 2017 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) chose to maintain the current harmonised classification of glyphosate as a substance causing serious eye damage and being toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects. RAC concluded that the available scientific evidence did not meet the critria to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen, as a mutagen or as toxic for reproduction. In other words, although it is harmful to the environment, and particularly aquatic life, there wasn’t enough proof to show that it could cause cancer.
It turns out there is more information however that is being kept secret. This year a large number of lawsuits have been started against Monsanto in California bought from people who claim they, or their loved ones, have contracted Non Hodgkin Lymphoma. The cases are being ruled over by Judge Vince Chhabria who has recently challenged that Monsanto has hidden several documents
“I have a problem with Monsanto […] It is insisting that stuff be filed under seal that should not be filed under seal relevant to the litigation, they shouldn’t be under seal, even if they are not – are embarrassing to Monsanto, you know, even if Monsanto doesn’t like what they say.”
These documents have revealed damning evidence against Monsanto. First of all they show that key sections of reports were in fact Ghost Written by Monsanto employees before being accredited to academics and then used in the classification decision for glyphosates. Furthermore, the previously sealed documents showed that senior officials for the Environmental Protection Agency had deliberately squashed some of the glyphosate investigation.
The close of Expert Discovery on the case is scheduled to be completed by September 22nd, when further information will be revealed, however there are already signs that there is more to the case than was first revealed.
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