#glyphosate — Public Fediverse posts

This is potentially a game-changer when it comes to dealing with #Knotweed (which just laughs at #Glyphosate)!

#MeshTech: A New Strategy for Managing Knotweed

February 24, 2026

"Knotweed (#Reynoutria spp.) is a severely invasive plant originating from Eastern Asia. Introduced to the East Coast in the late 1800s as an ornamental, knotweed has since become ubiquitous across North America, reaching over 40 US states and 8 Canadian provinces. Knotweed has proven extremely detrimental to a wide variety of ecosystems in which it has established. Forming tall, dense thickets, knotweed shades out native plants, preventing them from growing. Additionally, knotweed is #allelopathic, meaning it releases organic compounds into the soil that inhibits the growth of native plant species.

Knotweed also increases erosion along streams and riverbanks. By shading out native groundcover species and reducing the diverse root reinforcement provided by native species in riparian zones, riverbanks lose considerably more soil when infested with stands of knotweed (Hammer 2019, Matte et al. 2021). This erosion can increase turbidity of waterways, potentially affecting fish and other aquatic species (Henley et al. 2000). The reduction of native plants in riparian zones paired with winter dieback of knotweed stems also leaves riverbanks extremely vulnerable to winter and early spring flooding. This degradation of the riparian area creates a feedback loop in which floods carry knotweed propagules downstream, where they can colonize and increase erosion in new areas (Colleran et al. 2020).

Historically, management of knotweed has been extremely time-and-resource intensive. Large populations require years of consistent treatment, often combining mechanical and chemical approaches to be effective. This commitment to diligent, multi-year mechanical treatment can be discouraging and can lead many to abandon treatment plans before completion. However, a new knotweed management technique could reduce labor inputs.

Developed by Dr. Eric Donnelly, the MeshTech management technique has produced promising results at managing the growth and spread of knotweed while dramatically reducing labor inputs. This method involves cutting knotweed stems down to the soil level and laying -inch galvanized steel hardware fencing over the cut stems. When knotweed resprouts, it grows through the openings in the fencing. As stems mature and thicken, the metal fencing will begin to cut into the stems.

The knotweed will continue to grow through the fencing, effectively girdling itself at its base. This method aims to impact knotweed's nutrient pathways while also damaging the structural integrity of the plant. Alone, this method cannot eradicate knotweed populations. However, the MeshTech method can potentially reduce the health and vigor of knotweed, thus reducing the amount of cutting required in a growing season and the rate of spread in an area.

At the #PleasantHillPreserve in #ScarboroughME, the #ScarboroughLandTrust (#SLT) has begun implementing the MeshTech method to manage a portion of their knotweed infestation. An effort led by SLTs #Stewardship Director Sami Wolf and Nathan Hjort, owner of Absolutely Complete Property Services, initial results indicate that the hardware fencing is proving successful. The knotweed forced to grow through the hardware fencing at Pleasant Hill Preserve showed clear signs of strain. Stems demonstrated significantly stunted growth and had even begun flowering early, an indication that a plant is under stress. While knotweed struggled to grow through the -inch holes, #NativeFlora had begun to sprout up through the hardware fencing. Other knotweed management practices, such as #tarping or mowing, often discourage the growth of native species in a management area. Over time, the presence of native flora could provide an extra level of #BioticResistance that could help slow the growth of knotweed and help kickstart #NativeRevegetation efforts. Eventually, supplemental plantings of native woody species can take place by cutting openings in the fence to allow for these larger species to grow. The fence can also be easily staked down, preventing knotweed or moving water from moving it out of place.

It is important to note that knotweed is a resilient plant and there is no single management action alone that will completely eliminate a population. The most effective knotweed management strategies use creative combinations of multiple approaches. Knotweed is a rhizomatous species, meaning it has an extensive, underground nutrient storage system made up of horizontal rhizomes that store nutrients. Draining this underground nutrient storage is the key to effectively managing an infestation. Consistent cutting of knotweed forces the plant to exhaust its below ground resources. By combining a cutting regimen with the MeshTech method, land managers could potentially see a significant reduction in their management timeline.

The effectiveness of this method provides promising implications for the future of knotweed management in Maine. Paired with consistent management, the MeshTech method could provide Maine with another tool to mitigate the spread of knotweed and reduce our reliance on chemical treatments."

Source:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news.shtml?id=13343931

#SolarPunkSunday #NaturalSolutions #NoHerbicides #HerbicideAlternatives #JapaneseKnotweed #LandTrusts #Rewilding #NativePlantSpecies #RestoringNativePlantSpecies #InvasiveSpecies #InvasiveSpeciesWeek
#MaineDepartmentOfAgricultureConservationAndForestry

Environmental #pesticide exposure and the risk of irritable bowel syndrome: A case-control study

Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Volume 98, March 2023, 104076
Lola Rueda-Ruzafa, Pablo Roman, Diana Cardona, Mar Requena, Carmen Ropero-Padilla, Raquel Alarcón

Highlights

• The risk of irritable bowel syndrome is higher in areas of high pesticide exposure.
• Agronomic criteria were used to categorize pesticide exposure in the study population.
• A total of 18,807 cases of irritable bowel syndrome were studied.
• Environmental pesticide exposure is linked to irritable bowel syndrome.

Abstract
The agricultural model in southern #Spain is highly productive, mainly due to the intensive cultivation under plastic. Despite strict pesticide regulation, human exposure to pesticides in the environment has been connected to an increase in diseases such as #CeliacDisease. Certain pesticides have also been associated to the disruption of the intestinal #microbiota, which has been xtied to the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A case-control study was conducted in Andalusia, south #Spain, to assess the prevalence and risk of IBS related to pesticide exposure. This research found a high prevalence of IBS in #Andalusia between 2000 and 2021 in areas with high pesticide exposure using agronomic criteria. Furthermore, the odds ratio for IBS was significantly higher in the population with high pesticide exposure. This study suggests that pesticides may be involved in IBS, whereas more research is needed to determine the role of pesticides in IBS symptomatology.

Excerpts: "[In the locations of the study], the most commonly used insecticides are #organophosphates (primarily chlorpyrifos), N-methylcarbamates, macrocyclic lactones, #neonicotinoids, and pyrethroids. #Fungicides frequently used in plastic greenhouses include (di) thiocarbamates, conazoles, dicarboximide), anilino-pyrimidines, and copper salts. Bipyridyl (paraquat, diquat), organophosphonates (#glyphosate), chlorotriazine, and phenylurea are the herbicides most popularly used in the study areas (García-García et al., 2016)."

[...]

Studies on Rats

"A wide range of environmental pollutants, including heavy metals, insecticides, herbicides, and pesticides, can cause gut dysbiosis (Jin et al., 2015, Lin et al., 2020, Reygner et al., 2016). As suggested in our findings, there is also an increased risk of IBS precisely in pesticide-heavy areas and particularly in women. Previous research have found sexually dimorphic metabolic effect after pesticides exposures (Lukowicz et al., 2018). In this regard, #Roundup®, a glyphosate-based herbicide (#GBH) widely used in Andalusian crops, can increase the #Bacteroidetes group while decreasing the #Lactobacillaceae family in fecal samples of female rats (Lozano et al., 2018). Similarly, chronic glyphosate exposure reduces Corynebacterium, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Lactobacillus in mice following GBH administration (Aitbali et al., 2018). Exposure to fungicides such as imazalil can also alter the composition of the GM after acute and chronic administration. Specifically, in mice, imazalil increases the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria while decreasing the abundance of Bacteroidetes (Jin et al., 2016). Insecticides such as chlorpyrifos, diazinon and aldicarb also disrupt the GM of rats and mice (Aitbali et al., 2018, Gao et al., 2019, Gao et al., 2017, Joly et al., 2013). This modification has been associated with increased intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation in the case of chlorpyrifos (Condette et al., 2014). Diazinon inhibits several SCFA-producing genera in the Lachnospiraceae family, which operate as an energy substrate for colonic epithelial cells, altering energy harvesting in the intestinal epithelium (Gao et al., 2017)."

Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1382668923000170

#IBS #Bayer #ToxicPesticides
#Monocrops #Monocrap #BigAg
#BigChem #Poison #RoundUpKills #USPol #WorldPol #Roundup #Glyphosate #Herbicides

Chemical in #Roundup that causes brain damage found in common #cereals, new study finds

December 5, 2024 | Vivek Saxena

"Brief exposure to a weed killer found in breakfast cereals, oats, and orange juice has been shown to cause damage to the human body and brain.

"The weed killer, glyphosate (also known as Roundup), 'is the most widely used herbicide in the US,' according to the Center for Environmental Health.

" 'It is the most commonly used pesticide [#herbicide] in parks and is even found in foods that adults and kids love,' the center notes.

"Yet a new study conducted by Arizona State University researcher Ramon Velazquez and his team has found that active exposure to glyphosate 'can result in significant #BrainInflammation, and increase the risk of #neurodegenerative disease and #Alzheimer’s-like effects,' as reported by Arizona State University (#ASU).

" 'Our work contributes to the growing literature highlighting the brain’s vulnerability to glyphosate,' Velazquez said in a statement. 'Given the increasing incidence of #CognitiveDecline in the aging population, particularly in rural communities where exposure to glyphosate is more common due to large-scale #farming, there is an urgent need for more basic research on the effects of this herbicide.'

" 'My hope is that our work drives further investigation into the effects of glyphosate exposure, which may lead to a reexamination of its long-term safety and perhaps spark discussion about other prevalent toxins in our environment that may affect the brain,' additional study author Samantha Bartholomew added.

"The study involved testing both a high dose and low dose of glyphosate exposure on mice, with the lower dose being around the level that’s found in common foods like cereal and orange juice. While the high dosage dose caused issues, so did the lower dose.

" '[The] lower dose still led to harmful effects in the brains of mice, even after exposure ceased for months,' according to ASU. 'While reports show that most Americans are exposed to glyphosate daily, these results show that even a short period could potentially cause neurological damage.'

"A previous study commissioned by #MomsAcrossAmerica in 2017 found that one of the most popular #OrangeJuices in America, #Tropicana, also contains glyphosate.

" 'The discovery of glyphosate residue in orange juice is unacceptable, especially since a branch of the World Health Organization designated glyphosate a probable #carcinogen two years ago, back in the spring of 2015,' Moms Across America founder Zen Honeycutt said in a statement at the time.

" 'The EPA has had ample time to revoke the license of this chemical and restrict its use in our food and beverage crops. As confirmed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, our children (who frequently drink orange juice for breakfast) are especially vulnerable to pesticides and measures should be taken immediately to protect them,' she added.

"What remains to be seen is how the upcoming Trump Environmental Protection Agency will deal with this." [We know how that went!!! More #EPAFails!]

Read more:
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2024/12/05/chemical-in-roundup-that-causes-brain-damage-found-in-common-cereals-new-study-finds-1507592/

#EPAFail #Bayer #ToxicPesticides
#Monocrops #Monocrap #BigAg
#BigChem #Corruption #Poison #Crapitalism #CapitalismKills #RoundUpKills #USPol #WorldPol #Roundup #Glyphosate #BreakfastCereals #OrangeJuice

From 2016 - #Glyphosate pesticide found in popular #Cereals

#CEH’s independent testing of a variety of American #cereals found many common brands of conventional products contained residue levels of the weed killer glyphosate. This toxic chemical has been shown to cause birth defects in laboratory animals and disrupt hormone function. Recently, the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.”

What is glyphosate?
Glyphosate, also known as Roundup, is the most widely used herbicide in the US. It is the most commonly used pesticide in parks and is even found in foods that adults and kids love.

Is glyphosate hazardous for kids?
Absolutely. The Guardian said it best: “Because a child’s developing body is more sensitive to exposure than adults and takes in more of everything – relative to their size, children eat, breathe, and drink much more than adults – they are particularly vulnerable to these toxic chemicals.” (Source: The EU and Glyphosate: It’s Time to Put Children’s Health Before Pesticides)

What foods are grown using glyphosate?
Corn and soybeans are commonly grown using Roundup, but is also used on hundreds of other crops. Glyphosate is sometimes used to dry out oats just prior to harvest.

What foods are contaminated with glyphosate?
The best way to avoid glyphosate is by knowing which foods contain it. Since oats can be prepared for harvest using the pesticide Roundup, oat cereals were the likely culprit.

CEH recently tested a variety of cereals and found glyphosate contamination in the following products:

Cereal Results:*

Beech-Nut Oatmeal (baby) 735 ppb
Beech-Nut Organic Oatmeal (baby) none detected
Cascadian Farms Organic Honey Nut O’s none detected
Comforts Apple & Oatmeal with Cinnamon Baby Food Puree none detected
Gerber Single Grain Oatmeal (baby) 545 ppb
Great Value O’s Oat Cereal 1220 ppb
Post Honey Bunches of Oats-Crunchy Honey Roasted none detected
Honey Nut Cheerios 557 ppb
Trader Joe’s Joe’s O’s Toasted Whole Grain Oats Cereal 672 ppb
Kroger Toasted Oats Cereal 346 ppb
Market Pantry Toasted Oats Whole Grain Oat Cereal 826 ppb
Malt O Meal Marshmallow Mateys (cereal) 303 ppb
Quaker Life Original Multigrain Cereal (cereal) 1254 ppb
Quaker Oatmeal Squares with a hint of Brown Sugar (cereal) 2015 ppb
Signature Kitchens Honey Nut Toasted Oats 762 ppb

*These results are consistent with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration study of oatmeal (300 – 1670 ppb of glyphosate).

Other Results:

Enfamil Prosobee Soy For Sensitive Tummy Formula none detected
Gerber Graduate Cereal Bars Strawberry Banana 142 ppb
Nature Valley Soft Baked Oatmeal Squares Cinnamon Brown Sugar (bars) 39 ppb
Similac Soy Isomil For Fussiness & Gas Formula none detected
Up&Up Soy Infant Formula with Iron none detected

How concerned should I be about CEH’s test results?
Very concerned. The research into glyphosate exposure shows that these substances can alter and damage the delicate functions of our bodies’ natural hormones, making them part of a group of chemicals known as endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs.

Is it difficult to avoid glyphosate-contaminated food?
You can avoid this toxic chemical by buying organic cereals! Glyphosate is not used in the production of organic food. CEH recently tested two organic cereal products and neither were contaminated with glyphosate.

A more permanent solution is to get dangerous chemicals like glyphosate and other hormone disruptors banned. Add your name now.

What is the takeaway here?
Toxic glyphosate is avoidable in most cases. Whenever possible, buy organic cereals."

Source:
https://ceh.org/glyphosate-herbicide-found-popular-cereals/

#EPAFail #Bayer #ToxicPesticides
#Monocrops #Monocrap #BigAg
#BigChem #Corruption #Poison #Crapitalism #CapitalismKills #RoundUpKills #USPol #WorldPol #Roundup #Glyphosate #Herbicides #CenterForEnvironmentalHealth #SoyProducts #BabyFood #InfantCereals

HT @ai6yr

#California farms applied millions of pounds of #PFAS to key crops, study finds

‘#ForeverChemicals’ sprayed on #almonds, #grapes, #tomatoes and other crops as activists warn of ‘obvious problem’

by Tom Perkins
Tue 18 Nov 2025 07.00 EST

Excerpt: "California farms applied an average of 2.5m lbs of PFAS “forever chemicals” per year on cropland from 2018 to 2023, or a total of about 15m lbs, a new review of state records shows.

The chemicals are added to pesticides that are sprayed on crops such as almonds, pistachios, #wine grapes, #alfalfa and tomatoes, the review of California Department of Pesticide Regulation data found. The Environmental Working Group nonprofit put together the report.

The risk for uptake of PFAS is likely higher in water-rich fruits and vegetables, because water attracts the chemicals, and research has shown PFAS may concentrate at dangerous levels in some produce. The chemicals also pollute water supplies and present a higher risk to the often low income and Latino #farmworkers."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/18/california-pfas-forever-chemicals

#ForeverChemicals #DowChemicalKnew
#3MKnew #BigAg #RoundupReady #Glyphosate #Bees #Extinction #Hubris #WaterIsLife #PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage #EPACuts #Pollution #PFOS #PFASPollution #PFASContamnation #ManMadeDisasters #3M #3MLied #GenXChemicals
#PFNA #PFHxS

The Impact of a Ghostwritten Paper on the Fate of #Glyphosate - A downsized #EPA faces a deadline to review the #herbicide #safety without much of its in-house expertise. In Oct 2026 EPA must release decision on use of America’s most widely used herbicide. It will mark milestone in the 15-year registration review cycle for #pesticides (the umbrella legal term in the U.S. which includes #herbicides, #insecticides #fungicides #rodenticides) mandated under federal #law https://undark.org/2025/08/15/opinion-ghostwritten-paper-glyphosate/

‘Parkinson’s is a man-made disease’.

Europe’s flawed oversight of pesticides may be fuelling a silent epidemic, warns Dutch neurologist Bas Bloem.

His fight for reform pits him against industry, regulators — and time.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20250414-parkinsons-is-a-man-made-disease?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Parkinson #Health #BasBloem #Neurology #Science #Pesticides #Fungicides #MPTP #Paraquat #Glyphosate #EFSA #Healthcare #Europe #EU #Longread

‘Parkinson’s is a man-made disease’.

Europe’s flawed oversight of pesticides may be fuelling a silent epidemic, warns Dutch neurologist Bas Bloem.

His fight for reform pits him against industry, regulators — and time.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20250414-parkinsons-is-a-man-made-disease?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Parkinson #Health #BasBloem #Neurology #Science #Pesticides #Fungicides #MPTP #Paraquat #Glyphosate #EFSA #Healthcare #Europe #EU #Longread

FNSEA - Syndicat de l'agriculture intensive. (2025)
https://www.informassue.tuxfamily.org/pages/elevage_viande.php?art=l214_fnsea_syndicat_agriculture_intensive
#L214 a enquêté sur le plus grand #syndicat agricole #français, la #FNSEA (Fédération nationale des syndicats d’exploitants agricoles), qui prône une #agriculture productiviste et intensive...

#FDSEA #glyphosate #profit #politique #FNPL #FNPF #FNB #AVRIL #AgroAlimentaire #Bétail #Viande #SANDERS #Éleveurs #AGPB #UNIGRAINS #CréditAgricole #Multinationales #Entreprises #Semences #Souffrance #animaux #Paysans #Informassue

I wonder if it's the increased use of #glyphosate, or perhaps other pollutants (#microplastics? #pfas). Other theories include #VitaminD deficiency (not enough outdoor time?), and lack of exposure to common microbes (again, not enough outdoor time).

Why the World Is Becoming More Allergic to Food

The frequency of food allergy has increased over the past 30 years, particularly in industrialised societies.

Dr. Alexandra Santos
September 2019
"The increase in allergies is not simply the effect of society becoming more aware of them and better at diagnosing them.

"It is thought that allergies and increased sensitivity to foods are probably environmental, and related to Western lifestyles.

"We know there are lower rates of allergies in developing countries. They are also more likely to occur in urban rather than rural areas.

"Factors may include #pollution, dietary changes and less exposure to #microbes, which change how our #ImmuneSystems respond."

Read more:
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-the-world-is-becoming-more-allergic-to-food?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

#FoodAllergies

Striving for transparency: Why Canada’s pesticide regulations need an overhaul
#Canada #Agriculture #Pesticides #PestManagement #Glyphosate #PesticideRegulations #TransparencyInScience #EnvironmentalHealth #AgricultureChallenges #CanadaPesticides
https://the-14.com/striving-for-transparency-why-canadas-pesticide-regulations-need-an-overhaul/