This page contains automatically translated content.

11/17/2017 | Wissenschaftliche Standpunkte

Kassel-based crop protection scientist warns of risks of glyphosate

Prof. Dr. Maria Finckh, a crop protection expert at the University of Kassel, has warned of risks associated with the controversial weedkiller glyphosate. Shortly before a new EU decision on approval, the agricultural scientist said, "There are many unanswered questions that urgently need to be examined scientifically in more detail." She refers to an evaluation of studies that she carried out together with scientists from China and the USA.

According to Finckh, some of the studies examined established links between chronic botulism in animals and glyphosate in feed. The reason, he said, is that certain harmful, pathogenic microorganisms are significantly more resistant to glyphosate than many organisms that are beneficial to animals and plants. "This is all laid out very plausibly in the studies and urgently needs to be investigated more closely," Finckh said. A variety of plant diseases have also been linked to glyphosate and its effects on the composition of the microbial environment in and around roots, he said.

For the meta-study, the international group of scientists from medicine, microbiology and agricultural science evaluated some 220 scientific studies that have appeared in recent years. The publication thus summarizes findings on the effects of the herbicide glyphosate and its breakdown product AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) on the environment and on plant, animal and human health. The meta-study by Finckh and her co-authors was published online a few days ago in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

With regard to the studies examined, Finckh called for the connection between the use of the weed killer and possible cross-resistance in microorganisms to various classes of antibiotics and glyphosate  to be investigated more closely, as well as the effects of glyphosate and AMPA on neurotransmitters. These messengers are responsible for transmitting stimuli between nerve cells.

"Our meta-study indicates that the permitted residue levels need to be revised," Finckh emphasizes. "The permitted residues either don't take into account all the pathways that lead to exposure to the pesticide, or in many cases they don't adequately incorporate the risks." In addition, there are studies that show that diets without glyphosate residues lead to alleviation or even abatement of diseases, Finckh said.

Prof. Dr. Maria Finckh heads the Department of Ecological Plant Protection at the University of Kassel. She has already participated in several major German and EU-funded research projects on crop protection and soil fertility. In addition to Finckh, scientists from the University of Florida / Center of Disease Control and Hangzhou Normal University/China were involved in the meta-study.  

The license for the controversial agent glyphosate expires in mid-December 2017. A few days ago, there was again no majority for an extension in the responsible EU body. The EU Commission had announced that it wanted to convene a mediation committee, with an extension of initially five years under discussion. A possible meeting date for the mediation committee is November 22.

Link to the meta-study "Environmental and health effects of the herbicide glyphosate: http://authors.elsevier.com/c/1V-jDB8cccp5d
Link to the video presentation of the study (5 min.): http://tinyurl.com/yd672vmm

Prof. Dr. Maria Finckh is available for press inquiries. The press office of the University of Kassel will be happy to establish a direct mobile contact.
A picture of Prof. Finckh is also available through the press office.

Contact:
Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
www.uni-kassel.de

or via

Prof. Dr. Maria Finckh
University of Kassel
Department of Ecological Plant Protection
Tel.: +49 561 804-1562
E-mail: mfinckh[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
& nbsp;