Research reveals: glyphosate from detergent harms water!

Research reveals: glyphosate from detergent harms water!

A new study by the University of Tübingen, headed by Professor Stefan Haderlein, showed that glyphosate can not only get into water through use as a herbicide, but also from detergent additives. This confirms the research published in the journal Nature Communications . The previous assumptions via the glyphosate entry paths into the environment, which mainly took into account agricultural use, must now be reconsidered. Certain detergent additives, more precisely aminopolyphosphonates, can be converted into sewage treatment plants into glyphosate and related substances.

glyphosate is the most used active ingredient in herbicides and is criticized because it inhibits the formation of vital protein modules in plants and microorganisms. While glyphosate is considered to be slightly poisonous for humans, his carcinogenic properties are increasingly being discussed. Ecologists warn of possible unmanageable consequences for the environment and the organisms living in it.

new research horizon

In the study, Haderlein and his team discovered that glyphosate quantities in waters remained high even if no agricultural glyphosate was entered. This led to the presumption of a connection between wastewater predecessor substances such as aminopolyphosphonates. These are used as complex formers to harden the water in detergents.

A crucial aspect of research is the role of manganese compounds that occur in soil sediments and waste water. These are significantly involved in the conversion of aminopolyphosphonates to glyphosate. Laboratory tests showed that small quantities dissolved manganese in the presence of oxygen lead to the formation of glyphosate. Haderlein also questions earlier laboratory results that examined the microbial breakdown of aminopolyphosphonates.

political and social initiatives

The controversial discussions about glyphosate are not only limited to scientific knowledge. In the European Union, glyphosate is approved until at least 2033, which is particularly noteworthy against the background of the continuing debates about pesticides and its use in agriculture. In 2023, the EU Commission extended approval by another ten years. The traffic light coalition in Germany originally planned a ban until the end of 2023, but this was not implemented due to internal disagreements. Germany abstained when voting on admission.

Cynthia Hölzel, expert in pesticides at the BUND for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), expresses skepticism about the possibilities of implementing a national ban. Bayer boss Bill Anderson indicated that the company could possibly do without glyphosate in the United States, but is under pressure with numerous lawsuits in the EU that denounce the carcinogenic properties of glyphosate. Over 60,000 complaints are still pending that Bayer has been burdening since Monsanto took over.

The debate is also influenced by the perspectives of farmers. The farmer Stephan Obermaier sees glyphosate as necessary in order to combat old dancing and snacks, especially in the context of his direct sowing practice, which does not require plowing. He argues that the use of glyphosate is crucial to protect the ground.

Research of Haderlein and his team will now include the next steps to better understand the circumstances and influencing factors of glyphosate in waters and sewage systems. It remains to be seen how this new knowledge of knowledge will influence the political and public discussion about glyphosate.