Researchers discovered that the herbicide caused extended paroxysms in the soil-dwelling Caenorhabditis elegans when it was exposed to severely diluted samples of Roundup - 300 times lower than the lowest dose advised for consumer usage.
Only medication intervention could stop the damaging effects of Roundup and its principal ingredient, glyphosate, in one-third of the worm models. The timing of the discoveries for Bayer and the future of Roundup is critical, according to the researchers, who describe their findings as "pretty dramatic."
"It is concerning how little we understand the impact of glyphosate on the nervous system," neuroscientist Akshay Naraine from Florida Atlantic University, said.
"More evidence is mounting for how prevalent exposure to glyphosate is, so this work hopefully pushes other researchers to expand on these findings and solidify where our concerns should be."
The pesticide that is most frequently used worldwide is glyphosate. In more than 80% of urine samples provided by adults and children, this weedkiller was detected, according to a recent federal report from the United States. However, there is a lot of disagreement over how this widespread exposure affects health.
Roundup is harmless and does not cause human cancer, according to executives at Monsanto and now Bayer. However, in recent years, researchers, decision-makers, and the general public have begun to cast doubt on these claims, many of which are based on studies conducted by the industry rather than independent scientific research.
Bayer is currently involved in a number of legal disputes with individuals who claim they contracted cancer after using Roundup. After learning of its potentially hazardous consequences, the United Kingdom recently outlawed the use of a specific component, POE-tallowamine, in the formulation of the trademarked product Roundup.
However, neither Roundup nor any of its components have been subject to any legal action in the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) again concluded in 2020 that there were no dangers to human health associated with the proper use of Roundup.
Some detractors are still unconvinced two years later. A federal judge recently concluded that this Trump-era ruling had missed significant, newly available evidence regarding the hazardous effects of Roundup.
Now, the EPA has until October to change its mind. The European Union is considering extending the use of glyphosate past 2022 at the same time.
Even if the latest worm study is based on animal models, it is still important to take into account. There has been a lot of research on the potential carcinogenic consequences of Roundup, but there may also be neurological impacts.
