In his News Focus article "GM crops in the cross hairs" (26 Nov., p. 1662), Dan Ferber refers to the assessment by Charles Benbrook of the effect that the introduction of Roundup Ready crops has had on herbicide use, concluding that the benefits are not clear-cut. We disagree with this conclusion. Changes in herbicide use are largely meaningless unless relative environmental and health risks ar...

Our roundup of what's on.

Our roundup of what's on.

The results of nine experiments to study factors influencing the efficacy of N(phosphonomethyl) glycine (as Roundup) in killing sugarcane are reported. These factors include varying rates, methods of application, disturbance of the cane after application, the presence of dew on the foliage during application and the susceptibility of sugarcane varieties. Other factors such as season, soil type ...

Any errors or omissions from this report are the responsibility of Friends of the Earth. The introduction of genetically modified crops tolerant to glyphosate will lead to a significant increase in the use of this herbicide. Monsanto, the company producing these crops, claims that their introduction will be of benefit because of the low toxicity and environmental safety of the herbicide. Monsan...

Pesticides can affect the health of living organisms through different mechanisms such as membrane denaturation. The evaluation of the deleterious effects of chemical agents on biological membranes can be performed through the analysis of the stability of erythrocytes against a concentration gradient of certain chemical agent in physiologic saline solution. This work analyzed the effect of the ...

The effect of Roundup® on adrenal gland steroidogenesis and signaling pathway associated with steroid production was investigated. Doses of 10, 50, 100 and 250 mg/kg bw/d Roundup® were administered for two weeks to adult male rats. The 10 mg/kg bw/d dose which reduced circulatory corticosterone levels, but did not change food consumption and body weight, was selected for further study. The expr...

A long-term animal toxicity study claiming adverse effects of genetically engineered (GE) corn 1 has caused an international maelstrom. The study examined how exposure to the herbicide Roundup® and NK603 Roundup Ready® maize (GE corn engineered to withstand glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup) affected Sprague-Dawley rats over a 2-year period, roughly equivalent to 65 years in humans. ...