Document Type
Article
Abstract
Many people around the world have used and still currently use Roundup but are unaware of the effects it has on the environment. Roundup is a spray on application weedkiller that is widely used around the world today both residentially and commercially. It enables its user to grow a garden or a field of crops with a no-tilling approach to eliminate weeds. It is a well-known and popular choice for killing weeds that has been around since the mid 1970’s (Oca, 2017). John Franz, a Monsanto scientist discovered that glyphosate (main ingredient in Roundup) was an herbicide or weedkiller, and it began selling on the shelves to the public in 1974 (Oca, 2017). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at that time, classified glyphosate as a Group C chemical (aka a possible human carcinogen), based on the presence of kidney tumors in male mice (Staff, 2020). Glyphosate has applications in agriculture, forestry, industrial weed control, lawn, garden, and aquatic environments (Jennings & Li, 2017). It is used on corn, wheat, sorghum, citrus, stone fruits, potatoes, onions, asparagus, coffee, peanuts, and pineapple (Jennings & Li, 2017). Nonagricultural uses include ornamental plants, turf, forests, rights-of-way, and weed control in ponds, reservoirs, waterfowl sanctuaries, and waterways (Jennings & Li, 2017).
Upon spraying the weeds with Roundup, glyphosate enters the plants through their leaves and travels around the plants inner system until it reaches the crown and the roots (Roundup, n.d.). Once Roundup penetrates the leaves it prevents the plant from creating the much-needed protein for cell division. One downside to Roundup is that it is non-selective and will kill a wide range of plants that it encounters including crops in agricultural settings (RoundUp, n.d.). For this reason, a higher emphasis was placed on creating genetically modified organisms (GMO) seeds that were glyphosate resistant, also known as Roundup ready crops. The introduction of these Roundup Ready crops created easy application for the farmers in the agricultural industry, simply spray and plant. Farmers spray Roundup usually before seeding, after harvesting; and sometimes other crops require in between spraying such as canola or soybeans (Jake, 2016).
Publication Date
2025
Recommended Citation
Marcu, Sandra J., "Effects Of Round-Up On The Environment" (2025). Journal of Earth and Life Science. 78.
https://pines.bemidjistate.edu/j-earth-life-sci/78
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Agribusiness Commons, Agricultural Economics Commons, Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Law Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Biology Commons, Biosecurity Commons, Cancer Biology Commons, Disorders of Environmental Origin Commons, Environmental Health Commons, Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Environmental Law Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Food Biotechnology Commons, Horticulture Commons, Natural Resource Economics Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Other Cell and Developmental Biology Commons, Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Sustainability Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Toxicology Commons, Weed Science Commons
Comments
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Paul Kivi