Soybean workers exposed to agrochemicals found in Monsanto biocides and herbicides experience cell damage and elevated DNA, a new study has found.
The study, published in the journal Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, examined 127 individuals, 81 of whom were exposed to biocides while out on Brazilian soybean fields. The remaining 46 were not exposed and placed in a control group.
“Our findings indicate the advisability of monitoring genetic toxicity in soybean farm workers exposed to pesticides,” researchers wrote.
Genetically modified seeds marketed by Monsanto and similar companies are designed to resist biocides, which are sprayed on plantation fields to control weed growth and repel insects, among other organisms. These products can compromise soil health and food security.
Researcher Danieli Benedetti and his team found DNA damage and higher levels of cellular apoptosis – or cell death – in the group of exposed individuals. They paid particular attention to glyphosate and 2,4-D, the two primary biocide chemicals in American biotechnology farming. The former is the main component in Monsanto’s Roundup products; the latter is an herbicide that was used in Agent Orange, a toxic mix widely used during the Vietnam War.
Benedetti and his team concluded that the common use of genetically-modified soybeans in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, particularly in the city of Espumoso, has harmful consequences for workers.
Brazil’s public prosecutor last spring sought to suspend the use of glyphosate due to its toxic effects, RT reported.
On Jan. 15, the US Department of Agriculture approved Monsanto’s new genetically modified cotton and soybean plants, granting them “non-regulated” status. The new crops are designed to resist biocides that prevent the buildup of weeds.
While the multinational corporation’s products are approved in the United States and other countries, Monsanto has received much backlash from the international community.
Last May, participants from countries across the globe protested in the “March against Monsanto,” which is also scheduled to take place again on May 23 this year. Additionally, the European Union passed a law in December 2014 that allows its member states to ban the cultivation of genetically-modified organisms even if the union approved their safety.
In 2014, Monsanto said it would cease efforts in seeking product approval in Europe due to frequent retaliation against the corporation.
In the United States, Monsanto has campaigned against food labeling that would indicate whether or not food is genetically modified.
(With reports from Reuters and RT)