Monsanto's Roundup Research Paper

Pesticides are widely used in modern agriculture in order to increase crop yields by inhibiting predation and competition (Berkley). Large corporations have flourished under the demand for more affective pesticides and have in result developed stronger and more effective pesticides. In their race for wealth and influence is it possible that the greater good of man and an outlook for a sustainable future was overlooked? Could these companies have developed products that, used abusively will wreak havoc on natural ecosystems? Through this paper different aspects of pesticides, with a focus on Monsanto’s Roundup® will be assessed on their effects on the environment. Impact will be weighed and a conclusion will be drawn on the use of pesticides such as Monsanto’s Roundup’s overall negative effect in
According to Crystal Gammon of Scientific American, quoting the non-profit Environmental Health Services hosting this French based study: inert additives in Monsanto’s roundup such as polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA are lethal to human cells. Especially sensitive cells such as embryotic and other cells related to early stage life. Though many studies have been conducted on Roundups active ingredient glyphosate. Having been reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as low in toxicity at safe levels, few studies have looked at the effect of these many inert ingredients in roundup. Inert ingredient does not mean non-harmful, an ingredient is considered inert if it does not perform the function of the product, so in the case of roundup the inert ingredients don’t directly kill the weeds. Roundup contains one inert ingredient in particular polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA) which according to Scientific American is shown to be able to cause hormone alteration, underweight births, birth defects, and even prenatal infant death even at dilutions much lower than that which would be found in roundup. Alone POEA is