Occurrence and fate of the herbicide glyphosate and its degradate aminomethylphosphonic acid in the atmosphere

Abstract

Abstract-This is the first report on the ambient levels of glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the United States, and its major degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in air and rain. Concurrent, weekly integrated air particle and rain samples were collected during two growing seasons in agricultural areas in Mississippi and Iowa. Rain was also collected in Indiana in a preliminary phase of the study. The frequency of glyphosate detection ranged from 60 to 100% in both air and rain. The concentrations of glyphosate ranged from <0.01 to 9.1 ng/m 3 and from <0.1 to 2.5 mg/L in air and rain samples, respectively. The frequency of detection and median and maximum concentrations of glyphosate in air were similar or greater to those of the other high-use herbicides observed in the Mississippi River basin, whereas its concentration in rain was greater than the other herbicides. It is not known what percentage of the applied glyphosate is introduced into the air, but it was estimated that up to 0.7% of application is removed from the air in rainfall.

Re-registration Challenges of Glyphosate in the European Union

“…These residues not only became ubiquitous or "pseudo-persistent" contaminants in surface water, in periods with increasing concentrations over the years (McKnight et al, 2015;Carvalho, 2017;Primost et al, 2017), but through surface waters they were shown to be able to reach the seas as well, as documented in Germany in the estuaries of the Baltic Sea (Skeff et al, 2015). Glyphosate and AMPA were also found at up to 2.5 and 0.48 µg/l in rain and up to 9.1 and 0.97 ng/m 3 in air, respectively in the USA in Mississippi, Iowa and Indiana States in 2004(Chang et al, 2011, where both have been identified in the same period as common surface water contaminants near agricultural fields (Majewski et al, 2014). Glyphosate and AMPA were detected both in rain and air near agricultural fields in the estuarine region of the Mississippi River in 2007, while such residues were not detected (possibly due to less sensitive analytical methods available at the time) in 1995 (Maqueda et al, 2017).…”

Detection of Glyphosate in Malformed Piglets

“…Stems, leaves and beans of glyphosate resistant soy are contaminated with glyphosate. Moreover, because of the extensive use of glyphosate, it is frequently detected in water, rain and air [4,5]. Recently, glyphosate residues were tested in urine and different organs of dairy cows as well as in urine of hares, rabbits and humans in different concentrations [6].…”

Glyphosate-based phospho-organic herbicides – an outline of action, metabolism and the selected effects on humans and other organisms

“…The literature findings have confirmed possible transport of glyphosate with air movements (wind and rain) [36].…”

“…Arch Physiother Glob Res 2015 19 (2): [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] From the ecological perspective, the use of glyphosate should be regarded as another factor for plant selection. Thus, the appearance of the varieties of several wild plant species of various GP resistances was not surprising [19][20][21].…”

“…intravenously and 400 mg/kg b.w. orally -half-life from circulation 10 and 15 h, respectively; between post-administration hour 2 and 3, peak AMPA levels were observed, constituting about 10 % of maximum GP concentration [42] rat (GP) animals receiving 0.5% and 1% solution of GP in water during pregnancy showed lower weight increases (which did not concern foetal body weight); visible differences in the activity of cytoplasmic enzymes of NADPH metabolism (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malate and isocitrate dehydrogenase) of the maternal and foetal liver, myocardium, and brain [43] Arch Physiother Glob Res 2015 19 (2): [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] Daphnia magna (GP, GP+POEA) acute toxicity (EC50 48h) was found in lower ranges of GP concentrations compared to both substances present together; reduced rate of organisms growth was observed at similar exposures to given doses with the tendency for quicker action of higher GP+POEA concentrations. At GP+POEA doses exceeding 1 mg/L, the majority of animals reached the reproductive age yet produced infertile gametes or gametes unable to develop embryos [44] Tadpoles of 4 species of North American tailless amphibians (GP, POEA, GP+PO-EA)…”