Products
Glyphosate was developed by Monsanto in the 1970s (Roundup) and is the world’s best-selling herbicide, with production volumes in the hundreds of thousands of tons. There are also numerous products on the market in many countries.
Structure and properties
Glyphosate or -(phosphonomethyl)glycine (C3H8NO5P, Mr = 169.1 g/mol) is an -phosphonomethyl derivative of the amino acid glycine. It exists as a colorless and odorless crystalline powder. Various water-soluble salts are used, for example, the monoammonium, isopropylamine, and sodium salts.
Effects
Glyphosate has herbicidal properties with a broad spectrum of activity against weeds, shrubs, trees, and bindweed. It is absorbed into the plant primarily through the leaves. The effects are due to inhibition of the shikimic acid pathway by inhibiting the enzyme EPSP synthase. EPSP synthase plays an important role in the synthesis of aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan) and in plant growth. It is not found in humans or animals.
Fields of application
As a weedkiller with a broad spectrum of activity (total herbicide). Glyphosphate is used in agriculture, along traffic routes and in gardens. The herbicide is also used as a “chemical crop enhancer.” Monsanto has also developed genetically modified crops that are resistant to glyphosate.
Adverse effects
Whether glyphosate causes adverse effects in humans in small amounts is controversial in the literature. Some publications describe it as safe, harmless, and well tolerated by the environment. Glyphosate is approved for use in many countries and in well over a hundred others. Critics and conservationists see it differently. Glyphosate could be carcinogenic and cause various diseases. It is found in fruits, vegetables and grains and is absorbed into the human body in small amounts along the way. The WHO’s IARC panel classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015. It can leach into water and is toxic to amphibians.
