Herbicides contain highly toxic active ingredients whose toxicity has been studied for years.

The most well-known active ingredient, almost a star, is glyphosate and its salts, which are also found in many pesticides. The most well-known of these herbicides is Roundup - a brand name of a systemic, broad-spectrum glyphosate-based herbicide originally produced by Monsanto.

 

Glyphosate

So we focus here on glyphosate, but, to the best of our knowledge, all herbicides are toxic and contain, in addition to the active ingredient, toxic surfactants and other substances.

 

The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Health Organization) officially announced “The herbicide glyphosate and the insecticides malathion and diazinon were classified as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A)."

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It turns out that glyphosate is linked to the development of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and one study even found that there was an increase in markers for DNA damage among residents of a residential neighborhood where the substance was sprayed, that is, an immediate reaction upon exposure to the substance.
 

Many other health issues have been linked to glyphosate exposure including disruption of critical enzymatic processes, harming the production of important neurotransmitters for the brain, autism, celiac disease, gluten intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome and severe damage to the intestinal flora, hormonal disruptions, and many other diseases [Read more],.

Dr. Steffanie Seneff (PHD), who has been researching for three decades the connection between the increase in the use of glyphosate and the increase in autism rates among children in the US and China has found a direct connection between the rates of autism that are rising at an alarming rate in the United States and the increase in the scope of children's exposure to glyphosate.

 

As soon as it was declared to be a carcinogenic substance, glyphosate was outlawed in leading European countries (Germany, the Netherlands) which immediately called for a blanket ban by the European Union on the use of the substance.

Glyphosate is not volatile, is very soluble in water and has an excellent ability to bind to the soil.

It can remain in the soil for a considerable period of time (half-life varies between 30 - 100 days) where it undergoes slow decomposition by microorganisms in the soil, and in water even slower due to a significantly lower concentration of microorganisms.

 

The material is stated toxic to humans, and also found to be highly toxic for aquatic plants, and for marine creatures.

Exposure to this herbicide is primarily through:

1. Direct spraying on vegetation near our home / the kindergarten / the playground / the sides of roads and sidewalks / agricultural fields

2. Respiratory exposure - during the spraying itself, a spray is carried in the air that is very easy to sense its presence due to its chemical aroma. So that immediately during the spraying and immediately after it there can be respiratory exposure to anyone passing by (and of course to the gardener spraying himself).

3. Eating genetically modified food - a much more difficult and disturbing way of exposure! It turns out that in many crops, including soybeans, soya, wheat, corn and many many more (including non-edible crops such as cotton, etc.), they found a brilliant way to get rid of unwanted vegetation without harming the crops, using seeds with injected genes resistance to glyphosate, growers can spray the crops (and the growing ground) eliminating the weeds, and getting weeds “clean” crops growth.
   By doing so the crops become saturated with glyphosate in all their tissues, also transfer it to the fruits and seeds - and from there to our plate! And so a path of exposure through ingestion opens up to us, which is probably the main factor behind the increase in the rates of serious diseases, autism, and possibly even cancer.

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Be Aware!

As spring time arrives, many plants start to wake up and grow at a fast pace in order to have time to set seeds before the arrival of the dry summer.

 

Many of these plants are medicinal or edible.

They grow in fields and open areas, but also on the sides of sidewalks and roads, and practically anywhere possible.

For the most part, these valuable plants are seen as "weeds" and almost as quickly as they grew, people wearing spray cans appear everywhere on the paths, in the gardens, even kindergartens, and in the public areas, spraying chemical substances on the plants and the soil in order to prevent the unwanted growth of the plants of the season.

There is no malice here, as this automatic act is done in order to destroy potential hiding places for dangerous snakes and insects (so it is claimed). But there is not too much thinking outside of the concept here, and certainly there is no awareness of the great risk that these substances pose - both to the sprayers and to the public exposed to these areas.

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Note! It turns out that some authorities send gardeners to urban kindergartens who arrive without prior notice or coordination, with master keys to the kindergartens. They exterminate the weeds in the garden without any hindrance, sometimes without the knowledge of the gardener and certainly without the knowledge of the parents, sometimes right during activities in the garden! ​

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Actions to Avoid Exposure to Herbicides

1. Start consuming organic crops! Look for the non GMO label confirming that this is a natural product or check with the manufacturer if this label is missing (yes, call the customer service centers!).

2. In the home garden - do not spray! 

3. In the kindergarten - talk to the gardeners, to avoid spaying! Also Make sure that kindergarteners do not arrive without the presence of the kindergarten teacher

4. If you have already sprayed - ask the gardeners what substance they used and look for details on the net about the active substance. Spread a generous layer of live compost over the sprayed area (if you don't have it at home and you buy it, make sure it's not sterilized but live) in order to enrich the poisoned soil with microorganisms that will accelerate the decomposition. Water generously to help the compost percolate and to keep the toxic material away from near the surface.