2023-10-25 04:00:01
For decades, kidney disease has ravaged thousands of lives in rural Sri Lanka. The investigation by a team of researchers from Duke University opens a worrying avenue: the presence of glyphosate, the active ingredient of the herbicide (A herbicide product is defined as an active substance or a preparation having the…) Roundup , in drinking water wells (Drinking water is water that must meet a certain number of characteristics making it…).
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Researchers identified that glyphosate, used to kill weeds, could interact with metal ions in the region’s hard waters, forming (In intonation, changes in fundamental frequency are perceived as variations in…) persistent complexes. These complexes could exist for up to seven years in water and 22 years in soil.
According to Nishad Jayasundara, professor of Global Ecology at Duke University, it was accepted that glyphosate degrades quickly. However, in the presence of hard water, the product remains in the environment for much longer. A particularly worrying situation in certain agricultural areas of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka (official name since May 22, 1972: Democratic Republic… ) where the water is naturally hard.
To validate this hypothesis, Nishad Jayasundara and Lee Ferguson, professor of civil and environmental engineering, collaborated with Mangala De Silva, professor at the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka. More than 200 wells were analyzed, revealing significantly high levels of glyphosate in 44% of wells in affected areas.
The study uses a sophisticated mass spectrometry technique to identify even minute traces of contaminants. In doing so, the researchers also detected high levels of fluoride and vanadium (Vanadium is a chemical element, symbol V and atomic number 23.), also associated with kidney damage.
Lee Ferguson highlights the importance of continuing research into other possible exposure routes, such as direct contact or food contamination. The team believes that these results should serve as a warning signal about the risks associated with glyphosate, particularly in similar contexts elsewhere in the world (The word world can refer to:).
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