Ariena H.C. van Bruggen, Max Teplitski, Volker Mai, Kwang Cheol Jeong, Joan D. Flocks, Maria R. Finckh, and J. Glenn Morris, Jr., “Environmental and health effects of the herbicide glyphosate,” 2018, Science of the Total Environment, 2018, 616-617, DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.309.
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND: The WHO reclassified the herbicide glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans, and concerns about potential side effects of the large-scale use of glyphosate have increased. We are interested in potential indirect effects of glyphosate on animal, human and plant health due to shifts in microbial community composition and antibiotic resistance in soil, plant surfaces and intestinal tracts.
OBJECTIVES: We review the scientific literature on glyphosate use, its toxicity to macro- and microorganisms, effects on microbial compositions, and potential indirect effects on plant, animal and human health. We hypothesize that glyphosate use has increased antibiotic resistance and propose study designs for testing this hypothesis.
DISCUSSION: Although the acute toxic effects of glyphosate on mammals are low, the chronic effects on human and animal health could be considerable due to accumulation in the environment. Intensive glyphosate use has led to the selection of glyphosate-resistant weeds and microorganisms. Shifts in microbial compositions due to selective pressure by glyphosate may have contributed to the proliferation of pathogens. Research on a link between glyphosate and antibiotic resistance is scarce. We hypothesize that the selection pressure for glyphosate resistance in bacteria could lead to shifts in microbiome composition and increases in antibiotic resistance.
CONCLUSION: We recommend interdisciplinary research on the associations between glyphosate use, distortions in microbial communities, expansion of antibiotic resistance and the emergence of animal, human and plant diseases. Independent research is needed to revisit the tolerance thresholds for glyphosate residues in food and animal feed taking all possible health risks into account. FULL TEXT