Banishing Glyphosate

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Banishing Glyphosate
plants and animals, which has already been shown to cause health problems in both. In the case of this kidney disease epidemic,
its chelation of metals such as arsenic in the water supplies is now thought to lead to their bioaccumulation in the body, resulting
in kidney failure and even death, as proposed in a new study [8] by Channa Jayasumana (Rajarata University, Sri Lanka), Sarath
Gunatilake (California State University, USA) and Priyantha Senanayake (Hela Suwaya Organization, Sri Lanka) published in the
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The theory has been validated by the researchers’ follow-up
publications finding CDKu to be positively associated with spraying glyphosate (5.12 fold increased risk), drinking from wells
(2.52 fold increased risk) and even worse, from abandoned wells (4.69 fold increased risk); being male (4.69 fold increase risk
versus women) [9], and a significantly higher level of glyphosate and heavy metals in CKDu patients compared to controls [10].
Glyphosate has also been linked to many other health problems including cancers (see Chapter 5), infertility (see Chapter 4),
along with neurotoxicity, reproductive problems, birth defects, and other problems (see Chapter 1).
Starting in the mid-1990s, this Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) was discovered among the rice paddy
farmers in the North Central Province (NCP) of Sri Lanka. Over the next two decades, the disease spread rapidly to the other
farming areas. The prevalence of the disease is estimated at 15 % [11] affecting a total of 400 000 patients with an estimated death
toll of around 20 000 [12]. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Health have since defined CKDu with the following criteria:
(1) No past history of, or current treatment for diabetes mellitus or chronic and/or severe hypertension, snake bites, urological
disease of known aetiology or glomerulonephritis.
(2) Normal glycosylated haemoglobin levels (HbA1C < 6.5%).
(3) Blood pressure