The Most Comprehensive Glyphosate Safety Study Ever Links Weedkiller to Anxiety
The study exposed rats to glyphosate or one of two commercial formulations, Roundup Bioflow and Ranger Pro, continuously across three generations — starting in the womb and continuing for a full year of life. The doses spanned the European Union’s Acceptable Daily Intake, the level regulators consider safe for lifelong human exposure, up to the EU’s No Observed Adverse Effect Level, the highest dose at which no harm was supposed to occur.
By the time the third generation of rats reached one year old, roughly analogous to middle age in a human, the exposed animals were behaving differently. In a standard test of exploratory behavior called the open field test, treated rats — especially males, and especially those exposed to the branded herbicide formulations rather than glyphosate alone — spent more time hugging the walls of the test arena, moved less freely into open space, froze more often, and groomed themselves in a disorganized, fragmented way rather than the smooth head-to-tail sequence typical of an undisturbed rat. Taken together, the researchers say, these are classic markers of heightened anxiety in rodents. Male rats exposed to the commercial formulations also showed modest reductions in hind-limb grip strength, suggesting subtle effects on neuromuscular function. Memory, general motor coordination and overt neurological signs were unaffected.
“Our toxicological findings raise important concerns on the neurobehavioral effects of glyphosate-based herbicides, including autism spectrum disorders, even at doses currently considered “safe””, Dr. Daniele Mandrioli, Principal Investigator of the Global Glyphosate Study and senior author of the manuscript, stated on Tuesday.
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