Herbicides

Research is urgently needed to evaluate the risks and benefits of nano-pesticides to human and environmental health. Melanie Kah and Thilo Hofmann from the Department of Environmental Geosciences of the University of Vienna recently performed an extensive analysis of this emerging field of research. The results were published June 6th in the internationally recognised journal "Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology". The study presents the current scientific state of art on nano-pesticides and identifies direction priorities for future research.

Pesticides associated to genetically modified foods (PAGMF), are engineered to tolerate herbicides such as
glyphosate (GLYP) and gluphosinate (GLUF) or insecticides such as the bacterial toxin bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between maternal and fetal exposure, and to determine exposure levels of GLYP and its metabolite aminomethylphosphoric acid (AMPA), GLUF and its metabolite 3-methylphosphinicopropionic acid (3-MPPA) and Cry1Ab protein (a Bt toxin) in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. Blood of thirty pregnant women (PW) and thirty-nine nonpregnant women (NPW) were studied. Serum GLYP and GLUF were detected in NPW and not detected in PW. Serum 3-MPPA and CryAb1 toxin were detected in PW, their fetuses and NPW.This is the first study to reveal the presence of circulating PAGMF in women with and without pregnancy.

Assessment of whether pesticide exposure is associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children can best be addressed with a systematic review of both the human and animal peer-reviewed literature. This review analyzed epidemiologic studies testing the hypothesis that exposure to pesticides during pregnancy and/or early childhood is associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. Studies that directly queried pesticide exposure (e.g., via questionnaire or interview) or measured pesticide or metabolite levels in biological specimens from study participants (e.g., blood, urine, etc.) or their immediate environment (e.g., personal air monitoring, home dust samples, etc.) were eligible for inclusion. Consistency, strength of association, and dose response were key elements of the framework utilized for evaluating epidemiologic studies. As a whole, the epidemiologic studies did not strongly implicate any particular pesticide as being causally related to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants and children. A few associations were unique for a health outcome and specific pesticide, and alternative hypotheses could not be ruled out. Our survey of the in vivo peer-reviewed published mammalian literature focused on effects of the specific active ingredient of pesticides on functional neurodevelopmental endpoints (i.e., behavior, neuropharmacology and neuropathology). In most cases, effects were noted at dose levels within the same order of magnitude or higher compared to the point of departure used for chronic risk assessments in the United States. Thus, although the published animal studies may have characterized potential neurodevelopmental outcomes using endpoints not required by guideline studies, the effects were generally observed at or above effect levels measured in repeated-dose toxicology studies submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Suggestions for improved exposure assessment in epidemiology studies and more effective and tiered approaches in animal testing are discussed.

Two parcels of the Lavaux vineyard area, western Switzerland, were studied to assess to which extent the widely used herbicide, glyphosate, and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were retained in the soil or exported to surface waters. Our results revealed elevated glyphosate and AMPA concentrations at 60 and 80 cm depth at parcel bottoms, suggesting their infiltration in the upper parts of the parcels and the presence of preferential flows in the studied parcels. Indeed, the succession of rainy days induced the gradual saturation of the soil porosity, leading to rapid infiltration through macropores, as well as surface runoff formation. Furthermore, the presence of more impervious weathered marls at 100 cm depth induced throughflows, the importance of which in the lateral transport of the herbicide molecules was determined by the slope steepness. Mobility of glyphosate and AMPA into the unsaturated zone was thus likely driven by precipitation regime and soil characteristics, such as slope, porosity structure and layer permeability discrepancy. Important rainfall events (>10 mm/day) were clearly exporting molecules from the soil top layer, as indicated by important concentrations in runoff samples. The mass balance showed that total loss (10–20%) mainly occurred through surface runoff (96%) and, to a minor extent, by throughflows in soils (4%), with subsequent exfiltration to surface waters.

In Frankreich war die Aussaat von Genmais bislang nicht erlaubt. Allerdings hat das oberste Verwaltungsgericht dieses Anbauverbot gekippt. Nun sucht die Regierung nach juristischen Mitteln, um die Maissorte MON810 weiterhin von französischen Äckern fernzuhalten. "Diese Entscheidung schockiert uns zutiefst", sagt Olivier Belval. Er ist der Präsident der Nationalen Imker-Union in Frankreich. Zum wiederholten Mal bekam der US-Konzern Monsanto recht, diesmal vor dem obersten Verwaltungsgericht, dem französischen Staatsrat. So wankt das Verbot für den Anbau des genmanipulierten Mais MON810 erneut, das zunächst unter der konservativen Regierung 2007 und 2008 verhängt und das 2012 erneuert worden war.

Charttechnischer Ausblick 07.08.13: Das sieht nicht mehr wirklich gesund aus. Tagelang schon kämpft SYNGENTA im Tageschart um eine Bodenbildung um 370 CHF, der Kampf endet scheinbar zugunsten der Bären. Noch liegt um 366 CHF ein letzter seidener Faden, darunter muss man sich aber sofort in Richtung 350 CHF orientieren. Wohingegen ab 375 CHF die Bullen zurück im Spiel wären, mit Ziel 395 CHF dann. Letztes Update 02.07.13: Das bemerkenswerte am heutigen Kaufsignal im Tageschart von SYNGENTA ist der Umstand, dass es weit und breit das einzige seiner Sorte ist. Während sich andernorts aber nur bearische Fortsetzungsmuster zeigen, bricht diese Aktie heute über sein noch junges Zwischenhoch und peilt damit das nächste Kursziel von 390 CHF an. Enttäuschend wäre hingegen ein Rückfall unter 365, in diesem Fall rechnen wir mit einem sofortigen Rutsch in Richtung 350 CHF.

Der Agrarkonzern Monsanto hat seinen Rückzug aus Europa angekündigt, zumindest was gentechnisch veränderte Pflanzen angeht. Es ist bereits die zweite Ankündigung dieser Art innerhalb von sechs Wochen. Bei näherer Betrachtung wird jedoch schnell deutlich, dass es Monsanto wohl mehr um eine Image-Kampagne geht. Dass das US-Unternehmen seine Gentechnik-Ambitionen auf dem europäischen Markt aufgibt, davon kann nicht die Rede sein. Der angekündigte Rückzug ist allenfalls taktischer Natur. Zwar sollen einige Anträge zurückgenommen werden. Doch der Anbau der Maissorte Mon810 bleibt davon unberührt. Das gilt auch für die Importzulassung der besonders umstrittenen Genmaissorte Smartstax, die Monsanto so gut wie sicher hat.

Chemicals have become a weapon in man’s arsenal against crop-destroying insects and weeds. Fifty million tons of toxins are applied annually to soil and crops in America alone. What these poisons are doing to the entire web of life—and to personal health—began to be known some 40 to 50 years ago. We warned at that time that unless mankind drastically changed its ways, we were heading for disaster. And now, today, as you read these words, we are in the middle of that forecasted disaster—and are witnesses of an ever-expanding crisis!