University of Galway scientists test Irish families for glyphosate toxin
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Loading... - Lucia Manzo
- 01 Feb 2023
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The Galway study comes as the EU is yet to decide the outcome of its review on the use of controversial herbicide glyphosate.
A study carried out by University of Galway researchers has found low level traces of the toxic herbicide glyphosate in a quarter of the people tested.
Glyphosate is a common herbicide that is an active ingredient in many products, such as Roundup, a well-known brand of weed killer.
People can be exposed to the chemical by consuming fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with it. Inhalation exposure can also occur.
Glyphosate has been classified as carcinogenic by some and debate is ongoing as to its approval for use in the EU. While it is currently approved, the European Commission is reviewing this. A final decision is expected this July.
At the moment, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) does not classify glyphosate as a carcinogenic substance. It maintains it is unlikely to pose a significant hazard to humans.
However, amongst the global scientific community a consensus has not been reached. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “Group 2A – probably carcinogenic to humans”.
The University of Galway study was one of the first to look into glyphosate exposure among Irish households. Read More…
