Herbicides have in glyphosate, which is the base element, their most unconditional ally to control the appearance of unwanted weeds in crop areas, parks, gardens, roads, etc., since the late 1980s and early 1990s. The use of these herbicides has increased dramatically, due to their comparatively low cost, easy application and high yield; this caused it to spread throughout the world without exception.
We always thought that the problem of the use of herbicides was a problem unrelated to cities and that it only concerns arable fields, that the vast majority of citizens (78% of the world population lives in urban areas) did not affect them, but several things must be taken into consideration to refute this theory.
The first and most important is that glyphosate is not biodegradable, not only does it not decrease over time, but it accumulates and its presence increases on land, in rivers, in lakes and it is already detected in the seas. The second is that in large areas such as crop fields, it is applied with aerial methods such as airplanes, which means that it is deposited not only on the fields to be acted upon, but also on the water reserves and through the wind, to reach to nearby towns and rivers. The contribution to rivers is not only due to the action of the wind, another climatic effect that helps its expansion and contamination is the rains; these in great volume drag the particles of the poison until they reach the rivers and for these to drain into the sea or lakes.
How, then, does glyphosate affect the inhabitants of cities, since it reaches them in minimal doses through the water we drink, another very low dose through rainwater, another form is in foods such as fruits and vegetables, in which The presence of glyphosate is already detected and lastly through applications in parks and gardens, both private and public, applications for road maintenance, etc.
What do you need to control herbicides (glyphosate)?
The following Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, is needed to handle any herbicide:
- Latex or similar non-absorbent gloves.
- Waterproof work overalls that cover the head or suit with a jacket and waterproof pants with a hood or hat.
- Goggles or face shields.
- Respirator with filter suitable for oil base.
- Latex or waterproof rubber boots.
Instructions for controlling herbicides (glyphosate)
If you have a garden or an orchard at home, you will surely have to combat this annoying and unsightly presence that is weeds. If you have been recommended and are using herbicides, consider the following issues:
- It can enter your body by dermal absorption through the skin and eyes, direct or indirect contact of the venom particles with the skin. The most dangerous moments for contamination to occur are during the preparation of the mixture by direct contact or splashes, the hands and forearms are the most exposed sites, on the face and eyes that have great absorption power if they are splashed or sprayed, and another form of indirect contamination is through contaminated and poorly washed clothing. Protect yourself with proper PPE.
- Another of the routes of entry is oral, it is necessary to avoid eating, drinking or smoking in environments where the herbicide is being applied and before washing your hands. Never transfer the products from their original containers to others to avoid accidents due to ingestion.
- Through the respiratory tract, inhalation could occur during the preparation of the mixture or when fumigating or spraying glyphosate without a suitable filter respirator. Protect yourself with proper PPE.
- You must always respect the manufacturer’s instructions, it is not worth it if you do more quantity, the result will be better, and that is not only wrong but also threatens the environment and your health. Do not forget that glyphosate is not biodegradable; it will always be where you apply it with the consequent risk to you and your animals.
- It is necessary that the PPE used be washed with warm water and detergent before leaving the area of use and stored in uninhabited areas, the clothing must be removed before leaving the application site, placed in a plastic bag and washed at hand or in the washing machine without the presence of other garments, at the end it will be necessary to clean the washing machine with a wash without garments.
- Store and make good use of the container, follow the regulations to treat containers of hazardous materials and deliver them to treatment plants for them, under no circumstances throw them into watercourses.
Tips for controlling herbicides (glyphosate)
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which depends on the World Health Organization (WHO), announced in 2015 that this product is probably carcinogenic, based on this statement and on studies, we can affirm that glyphosate is behind health problems such as low testosterone levels, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, hormonal imbalance in children, DNA damage, endocrine disorders, meningitis, infertility, skin cancer, liver cancer, disability kidney damage and many more disorders, the cases of leukemia and disability in towns of the Chaco region in Argentina, an area of great soybean production, only confirm these statements.
In different studies, Minneapolis; reveals high levels of glyphosate in air and water, well above what is tolerated and permitted by law, in Spain we are not oblivious to the problem, the University of Almeria and the Public Company Hospital de Pointe, are looking for a link between the use of large-scale herbicides and poor semen quality in young men from Almeria.
We insist that if herbicides (glyphosate) are to be used in an orchard or garden, the quantities recommended by the manufacturer are dosed, all PPE and personal protective equipment are used without exception, special attention is paid to pets so that they do not approach the treated areas, do not use the product in areas with water reserves and follow all the instructions for personal cleaning, equipment,
I hope that this article will help you learn a little more about this silent killer and make us aware of the importance of using it with caution and maximum security.
