Latest news with #glyphosate
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Toxic pesticide levels in tampons 40 times higher than allowed in drinking water
A toxic pesticide linked to cancer has been found in tampons at levels 40 times higher than the legal limit for drinking water. Researchers found traces of glyphosate at high levels in menstrual products, according to a report by the Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK), the Women's Environmental Network and the Pesticide Collaboration. It is the world's most commonly used herbicide and in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it 'probably carcinogenic'. Researchers have also linked glyphosate to other serious health conditions such as Parkinson's. High levels of the pesticide in tampons is concerning because these chemicals can be absorbed through the vagina directly into the bloodstream. In 2024, Pan UK tested 15 boxes of tampons from UK shops and supermarkets across a range of different brands for traces of pesticides. Despite testing on a small scale, glyphosate was found in one of the boxes, at 0.004 mg/kg - 40 times higher than permitted levels of glyphosate in drinking water. It is thought the toxic pesticide ends up in tampons due to the weedkillers used to grow cotton. About 300 pesticides are used in cotton production globally and roughly a third of these are classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), such as glyphosate. Researchers at Pan UK say these pesticides used in cotton production pose a major risk to the environment, harming pollinators and other wildlife or contaminating water and soil. Josie Cohen, the interim director at Pan UK, told The Guardian: 'We urgently need to reduce our overall toxic load and shouldn't have to worry about glyphosate and other highly hazardous pesticides in our period products. 'This is a blatant gap in health and safety regulation that the government urgently needs to address.' Previous studies have shown period products can contain a variety of other chemicals including phthalates, dioxins, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (known as 'PFAS' or 'forever chemicals'), and heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. These chemicals have been linked to increased risks of reproductive and hormonal diseases such as endometriosis, infertility and cancer researchers warn. Currently there is no specific regulations for period products in the UK, making it the responsibility of the manufacturers to ensure the product is safe. Pan UK has suggested a regulation scheme and testing should be implemented to ensure they are free of chemical residues. It added that manufacturers should also disclose all the ingredients and additives found in period products so that customers can make informed decisions.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Toxic pesticide levels found in tampons 40 times higher than legal limit for water
Toxic pesticide levels have been found in tampons at levels 40 times higher than the legal limit for drinking water. Traces of glyphosate, a pesticide linked to cancer, has been found at very high levels in menstrual products, according to a report by the Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK), the Women's Environmental Network and the Pesticide Collaboration. This is concerning, according to the authors, because chemicals absorbed through the vagina directly enter the bloodstream, bypassing the body's detoxification systems. This means even small traces of chemicals in direct contact with the vagina could cause health risks. The researchers tested 15 boxes of tampons from UK retailers across a range of different popular brands. Glyphosate was found in tampons in one of the boxes, at 0.004 mg/kg. The UK and EU maximum residue level for drinking water is 0.0001 mg/kg, making this 40 times higher than permitted levels of glyphosate in drinking water. Glyphosate is the world's most widely used herbicide, but a review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation, classified the weedkiller as 'probably carcinogenic to humans'. It has also been linked to the development of Parkinson's, and emerging research is raising concerns about links to other serious health conditions. Amy Heley, from the Pesticide Collaboration, said: 'If this level of glyphosate is deemed to be unsafe in the water we drink, why is it allowed to appear in our period products? Our investigation reveals that women, girls and those who menstruate may not be protected from exposure to harmful chemicals. And yet, most people remain completely unaware that this is even an issue.' It is thought this pesticide could have ended up in the tampons because weedkillers are used to grow cotton, a key ingredient. The plant is one of the most chemical-dependent crops in the world, and up to 300 pesticides can be used in its global production. The UK government has no plans to tackle chemicals in period products, even though previous studies have found heavy metals such as lead and arsenic in tampons. Josie Cohen, the interim director at Pan UK, said: 'We were genuinely shocked to find glyphosate in tampons sitting on UK shelves. This harmful chemical is already impossible to avoid since it's sprayed by councils in streets and parks and contaminates much of our food and water due to its overuse in farming. 'We urgently need to reduce our overall toxic load and shouldn't have to worry about glyphosate and other highly hazardous pesticides in our period products. This is a blatant gap in health and safety regulation that the government urgently needs to address.' The report's authors have suggested a regulation scheme with a testing process in place to ensure period products are pesticide-free. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion In the UK, glyphosate is used to prepare fields for sowing crops by clearing all vegetation from the land. It kills weeds by inhibiting EPSP synthase, an enzyme involved in plant growth, while not damaging crops that have been genetically modified to be glyphosate-tolerant. Farmers argue that it is an important herbicide because it has 'high efficacy on non-resistant weeds and is a cost-effective weed control solution for farmers'. But beyond concerns about human health, red flags have also been raised over the weedkiller's impact on biodiversity: recent research has shown that it damages wild bee colonies, and this product also has adverse effects on aquatic organisms. There are calls to ban it from urban areas: at present many local councils continue to use it to kill weeds. However, 70 to 80 UK councils have turned to chemical-free options or now simply allow plants grow, from Bath & North East Somerset council, to Highland council in Scotland.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning to British women as scientists discover toxic pesticides in UK TAMPONS at 40 times the drinking water limit
They're the product that many women religiously reach for at certain times of the month. But scientists have issued an urgent warning to British women after discovering toxic pesticides in tampons at 40 times the drinking water limit. Experts have tested 15 boxes of tampons from UK retailers across a range of popular brands including Tampax, Lil Lets, Superdrug, Tesco and Boots. Analysis revealed one sample, which has not been named, contained 0.004mg/kg of glyphosate – a toxic chemical that is the world's most popular weedkiller. While it may seem a small amount, the UK and EU maximum residue level for drinking water is 0.0001 mg/kg. The WHO has previously dubbed the chemical as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' – meaning it is likely linked to cancer. It has also been linked to the development of Parkinson's and other serious health conditions. Amy Heley, Public Affairs Manager at the Pesticide Collaboration, said: 'If this level of glyphosate is deemed to be unsafe in the water we drink, why is it allowed to appear in our period products?' 'Our investigation reveals that women, girls and those who menstruate may not be protected from exposure to harmful chemicals. 'And yet, most people remain completely unaware that this is even an issue.' Pesticides end up in period products after being used to grow cotton, which is the main ingredient in tampons. Unlike when ingested through food or water, chemicals absorbed via the vagina directly enter the bloodstream, bypassing the body's detoxification systems. Helen Lynn, Environmenstrual Campaign Manager at the Women's Environmental Network, said: 'Women, girls and people who menstruate deserve full transparency about what's in their period products. 'It is scandalous that pesticides linked to cancer, as well as other toxic chemicals linked to reproductive and hormonal diseases, can show up in period products. 'Consumers deserve robust regulation that guarantees the safety of these products.' In the US, the link between glyphosate and cancer has played out publicly in the courts, with thousands of lawsuits being taken against pesticide company Monsanto. They are the manufacturers of Roundup, of which the active ingredient is glyphosate, and thousands of plaintiffs across the US have been awarded damages for their diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma - a type of cancer. In 2020, Monsanto agreed to pay almost $11 billion to settle most Roundup cancer claims, and additional trials are expected to resume this year. Previous studies have also detected traces of heavy metals such as lead and arsenic in some tampons. Josie Cohen, Interim Director at Pesticide Action Network, said: 'We were genuinely shocked to find glyphosate in tampons sitting on UK shelves. 'This harmful chemical is already impossible to avoid since it's sprayed by councils in streets and parks and contaminates much of our food and water due to its overuse in farming. 'We urgently need to reduce our overall toxic load and shouldn't have to worry about glyphosate and other Highly Hazardous Pesticides in our period products. 'This is a blatant gap in health and safety regulation that the government urgently needs to address.' The report suggests a handful of recommendations for the UK Government, including the introduction of robust regulation for period products with a testing scheme in place to ensure that they are free of pesticide residues. THE SAGA SURROUNDING THE SAFETY OF GLYPHOSATE Glyphosate is an herbicide first registered for use in the US in 1974. It is marketed either as a salt or an amber-colored liquid with no smell. Monsanto markets glyphosate as part of the pesticide Roundup. Several studies found that high doses administered to laboratory animals caused cancer, although the evidence is 'limited' when it comes to humans. In March 2015, the World Health Organization ranked glyphosate a Group 2a carcinogen, a substance that probably causes cancer in people. In 2017, California added glyphosate to its proposition 65 list, which requires Roundup to carry a warning label if sold in California. Monsanto has vehemently denied that its product causes cancer and says and more than 800 studies that have established its safety. Yet more than 4,000 plaintiffs have filed lawsuits - 800 over the past year - claiming Monsanto made them or members of their family sick.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Republican Lawmakers and Agriculture Groups Question MAHA Report
Republican lawmakers and agriculture industry officials on Friday criticized a federal health department report commissioned by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr that found two weed killers widely used by farmers could be linked to chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and asthma. The report, by the Make America Healthy Again Commission, singled out glyphosate and atrazine in particular. The commission, known by the acronym MAHA, cited mostly preliminary data as evidence that these and other pesticides were linked to an increase in chronic conditions. Representative Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania and Senator John Boozman of Arkansas, both Republicans, released a statement on Friday saying, 'We are troubled by the initial findings of the MAHA commission assessment and their impact on America's farmers and ranchers.' The two lawmakers stressed it was 'imperative' that the commission adhere to the 'risk-based and scientific processes set forth by Congress,' which include prioritizing sound science, peer-reviewed research and securing buy-in from the agriculture industry. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from the White House or the Department of Health and Human Services. The statement marked the first public sign of friction between Republican lawmakers and Mr. Kennedy. President Trump has instructed the health secretary to 'go wild on health' as he tried to overhaul the American food and health industries in alignment with his sometimes unconventional views on medicine and nutrition. Melissa Furlong, an epidemiologist who studies environmental contaminants at the University of Arizona, said the preliminary data linking the two pesticides to chronic health problems was troubling enough to justify more investigation. 'The science is not a slam dunk for either of these pesticides,' she said, 'but there is enough preliminary evidence to suggest that we should probably be putting more resources into studying them.' While the commission's report stopped short of calling the chemicals 'unsafe,' the suggestion that they were linked to adverse health outcomes was enough to infuriate industry groups representing farmers and producers. In a lengthy statement issued Thursday, the American Soybean Association criticized the report as 'brazenly unscientific,' 'misleading' and full of 'glaring misinformation and anti-farmer findings.' The group also complained it had been blindsided because Mr. Kennedy had reassured Senator Cindy Hyde Smith, Republican of Mississippi, at a hearing earlier this week that 'not a single word' in the report should 'worry the American farmer.' Alan Meadows, the soybean association's director, said in a statement that activists had already filed a number of lawsuits he considers baseless and aimed at stopping the use of pesticides. By arbitrarily singling out the two herbicides, he said, 'the administration has offered activists a gift on a silver platter.' The Corn Refiners Association, which represents manufacturers of products such as high fructose corn syrup, cornstarch and corn oil, said that the report 'sows mistrust and unfounded fear' in the country's food supply. The group said that the commission had given farmers and agricultural companies little opportunity to present their views. 'The American people were promised a process of radical transparency and stakeholder engagement,' the corn refiners said in a statement Thursday. 'In the development of this important report, transparency and stakeholder engagement did not happen at all.' Some agriculture trade groups expressed alarm that the report also targeted refined seed oils, including those made from corn and soybeans. The report called seed oils nutrient poor and suggested, without providing evidence, that they contributed to 'inflammation' in the human body. It recommended using animal-based fats like lard, tallow and butter instead. 'Significant research conducted over decades shows that plant-based oils are low in saturated fats and can improve health outcomes,' the soybean association said. The group cited a March study from the Journal of the American Medical Association that found frequent consumption of plant-based oils led to reduced rates of cancer, heart disease and other illnesses as compared to alternatives that are high in saturated fat. The agricultural groups warned that, should the administration restrict or ban the use of seed oils, it would shrink the domestic market for soybeans, corn and other oilseeds at a time when those products are being hit with retaliatory tariffs in China and other countries because of the president's trade war.
Medscape
22-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
White House Targets Food, Chemicals, Overtreatment in Childhood Disease Report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A commission led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday issued a report that said processed food, chemicals, stress and overprescription of medications and vaccines may be factors behind chronic illness in American children. Kennedy said the commission's report was a "clarion call to do something with utmost urgency to end this crisis" of increasing rates of childhood obesity, diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, allergies and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. The report did not call for specific regulatory changes or restrictions on pesticides used in farming, as some farm groups had feared, but it did highlight studies linking health disorders in humans and animals to the weed killers glyphosate and atrazine. It said the chemicals should be further researched. Bayer, which is involved in thousands of lawsuits surrounding its glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, said some details around pesticides in the report were not "fact based." "We believe a fact and data-driven approach with robust science that follows international gold standards is necessary to support these important initiatives," Bayer said. The report echoed previous Kennedy statements that highly processed foods and additives are health risks and that the food industry is too influential in the crafting of public health recommendations like the Dietary Guidelines. Speaking at a press conference, he said there was a consensus to prioritize what he called the ultra-processed food crisis. The American Soybean Association was critical of the report, which they said was "drafted entirely behind closed doors" and inaccurately suggests that pesticides and soy oils contribute to negative health outcomes. "We're discouraging people from consuming heart-healthy oils and driving them to instead use fats that will make them less healthy and cost them more in the process. This is the exact opposite of what our government should be doing," said ASA Director Alan Meadows, a soybean farmer. The report also takes aim at the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule, saying the number of vaccines American children are recommended to receive is more than in many European countries. It said the links between vaccines and chronic disease and the impacts of vaccine injury should be studied. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has for many years pushed debunked theories about the safety of vaccines contrary to scientific evidence. FARM LOBBY PRESSURE Thursday's report will be followed by policy prescriptions due in August. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission to investigate chronic illness and deliver an action plan to fight childhood diseases. The commission is jointly run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the White House, with Kennedy serving as its chair and the Domestic Policy Council chief as executive director. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and other cabinet members sit on it, as do federal health agency chiefs and senior White House officials. Before the report's publication, farm lobby groups had warned that criticizing specific farm practices could impede collaboration on the administration's health agenda and put food production at risk. According to a source familiar with the matter, the lobby groups had strongly pressured the administration to not mention pesticides in the report. Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin said on a call with reporters that farmers are key partners in enacting the MAHA agenda and that any changes to pesticide regulations would need careful consideration. "American farmers rely on these products, and actions that further regulate or restrict crop protection tools beyond risk-based and scientific processes set forth by Congress must involve thoughtful consideration of what is necessary for adequate protection alternatives and costs of production," he said. In 2018, Kennedy collaborated with a team of attorneys led by firm Wisner Baum that won a $289 million verdict in a lawsuit brought by a California man who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after he regularly used Roundup as part of his work. The verdict was later reduced to $20.5 million. Kennedy has also said he was part of at least two other cases against Roundup-maker Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer. As next steps, the report called for enhanced surveillance and safety research into drugs and childhood health outcomes and clinical studies comparing whole-food to processed-food diets in children. The report says that ultra-processed foods, which it describes as industrially-manufactured food products, are associated with poor health. It cites infant formula as an ultra-processed food that is concerning, saying that parents are increasingly buying European brands. MAHA activists have voiced worries about the use of certain oils in infant formula, but those ingredients add important fats. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein, Leah Douglas in Washington and Michael Erman in New York; Additional reporting by Renee Hickman and Diana Jones in Chicago and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)
