Glyphosate linked to epidemic of chronic kidney disease

The mystery of tens of thousands of cases of kidney failure in Sri Lanka may have an answer—exposure in farming communities to the weedkiller ingredient glyphosate. A large field study from Duke University suggests a link between chronic kidney disease (CKDu) and Sri Lankan agricultural areas—where as many as 10% of children ages 5-11 years show signs of early onset kidney damage.

The study suggests that glyphosate mixes with certain trace metals that make water hard, resulting in glyphosate-metal ion complexes that can persist up to seven years in water and 22 years in soil.

“[This chemical] …seems to stick around a lot longer than we expected when it complexes in hard water,” said Nishad Jayasundara, assistant professor at Duke. “We have to consider….what happens to glyphosate when [taken into] your body as a complex.”

Sri Lanka’s high, dry climate and geology make it conducive to hard water, implicating drinking water as a source of exposure. Over 200 wells were sampled, revealing significantly high glyphosate levels found in 44% of wells in agricultural regions, but only 8% in other areas. This finding raises concern about U.S (and global) exposures and potential kidney disease.

Source: Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering

To view source article, visit:

https://pratt.duke.edu/news/roundup-ingredient-connected-epidemic-levels-chronic-kidney-disease/

Organic & Non-GMO Insights December 2023