The only Europeans to ban glyphosate (the main active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide roundUp) and its dangerous additions (surfactants) thus far are the Dutch, with Brazil and France to follow. Yet Germany, keeping their evidence of these toxic chemicals secret, pressures EU regulators to allow these unhealthy compounds to be sprayed liberally over the continent.
These surfactants, apparent in formulations called Rodeo, Accord, RoundUp, and RoundUp Pro, along with other glyphosate formulations, are extremely dangerous. Rodeo/RoundUp are aqueous solutions of the isopropyl amine salt of glyphosate and other chemical adjuvants.
The manufacturer [Monsanto, et. al.] recommends use of a nonionic surfactant with all applications to improve efficacy. Surfactant formulations that are used with Rodeo, aside form Monsanto’s formulations, include:
- Agri-Dex (Setre Chemical Co.)
- LI 700 (Loveland Industries, Inc.)
- R-11 (Wilbur-Ellis Co.)
- Latron AG-98 (Rohm and Haas Co.)
- Latron AG-98 AG (Rohm and Haas Co.)
There has been a significant lack of toxicology studies on these chemical compounds, especially as a mixture, though glyphosate has likely been tested more than any other herbicide. One study; however found that:
“A major qualitative difference between the effect of glyphosate and glyphosate formulations on aquatic and terrestrial organisms concerns the surfactant used in Roundup. The surfactant is much more toxic than glyphosate to aquatic organisms. Unlike glyphosate, the surfactant is more toxic in alkaline water than in acidic water. Thus, the relative potency of the surfactant with respect to glyphosate is pH dependent. There is relatively little information regarding the toxicity of Roundup Pro to aquatic species. Nonetheless, the acute lethal potencies of Roundup and Roundup Pro are similar.”