Roundup study prompts online debate about herbicide’s safety

A report from an arm of the World Health Organization has set off a wave of alarm over the safety of Roundup, a weed killer widely used on lawns, fields and vineyards in Sonoma County.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer released the report last week, labeling glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” and linking it to non-Hodgkin lymphoma in farmworkers. That’s created a stir on social media over the use of the chemical, the active ingredient in arguably the most popular herbicide on the planet.

Some residents want the herbicide banned. Petitions are circulating online, calling to ban the use of Roundup not only in vineyards and fields but on lawns and gardens.

Windsor Town Councilwoman Deb Fudge on Thursday posted on Facebook a link to an online petition to ban Roundup nationwide. As a breast cancer survivor and former hazardous materials manager, she said the report hit close to home. She also has several friends and relatives dealing with brain tumors and cancer.

“Humanity is taking too many chances with these chemicals,” she said in a phone interview on Friday.

“There are so many unknowns in chemicals deemed safe,” Fudge said, adding the issue has gained traction online because it’s a commonly used product. More than 87,000 pounds of the chemical were used in Sonoma County in 2012, the latest figures available from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Published in the Lancet Oncology journal, the study was focused on heavy, agricultural use of the chemical as opposed to lower-level uses such as gardening. It noted there was “convincing evidence” it can cause cancer in lab animals. The findings reportedly were based on an examination of government reports on herbicides and peer-reviewed research.

The report set off further criticism of Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, by consumer groups.

Monsanto disputed the findings, arguing decades of reviews by regulatory agencies show the product used in more than 160 countries is safe for humans. It also accused the international health organization of “cherry picking” data.

Monsanto officials did not return a call seeking further comment Friday.

Ed Casey, lawn and garden buyer for Friedman’s Home Improvement, said he’s not ready to remove the herbicide from their stores.

“I’m not prepared to pull it from the shelf right now based on what one agency said on it. With that said, we’re monitoring it closely,” Casey said.

“There are agencies with conflicting information,” he added.

Glyphosate is the top-selling weed controller at Friedman’s stores, he said. While the report raised concerns and created confusion, he said customers are still coming in for the product.

Local growers and government officials also urged residents not to rush to judgment. They question the science behind the controversial study and argue the chemical is a safe and effective way to deal with pesky weeds.

“Without having more science, I would reserve judgment,” Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar said.

The chemical is used to prevent weeds from stealing the water and nutrients from the grapevines and trees. It also helps keep gophers and rodents away.

“Roundup has been a very valuable tool in agriculture,” Linegar said. “In terms of acute risk for humans, it’s very low.”

The chemical tends to stick to the soil and breaks down quickly, Linegar said. Studies to determine whether the chemical seeps into wells have come back negative, he added.

“It’s an old product - it’s been around for more than 30 years. It’s widely used because it is so safe,” said Duff Bevill, vineyard manager at Bevill Vineyard Management.

Bevill said the herbicide underwent intensive review and is highly regulated by the state and federal government. None of his employees has complained about health problems from spraying the herbicide under the vineyard rows, he added.

Employees typically spray in the wintertime and take two weeks to treat 1,000 acres, Bevill added. It’s the most efficient and cost-effective method of dealing with weeds, he argued.

Apple grower Lee Walker agreed.

“It’s not labor-intensive,” he said about spraying on his 55 acres. He normally does it in January before the weeds become mature and tough to eradicate.

“It’s been one of the safest tools we have,” he said, adding that manual weeding is not an option at a time of farm labor shortage.

Bevill argued few workers would want to do the back-aching job.

“It’s awful,” he said. “There’s a reason why it is what it is.”

About 62,000 pounds were used in Sonoma County wine grape vineyards, while just 27 pounds were used in apple orchards.

The herbicide’s heavy use is troublesome for Evan Wigg, director of the Farmers Guild, which has 10 chapters around the state.

“Roundup has been one of the most controversial products in agriculture,” he said. “Its prevalence in our daily lives has been inescapable.”

It’s on house plants, golf courses and landscaping, he said.

“It’s hard to escape it,” added Wigg, a Sebastopol resident and member of the California State Grange.

There’s a major concern the agent will seep into groundwater, Wigg said. The State Grange has been lobbying state lawmakers to ban glyphosate.

A Rohnert Park resident also started an online petition on Change.org to ban the use of the weed killer by the Sonoma County Water Agency.

The agency has been using glyphosate for a few years to clear the invasive Himalayan blackberry along the 75 miles of creeks it maintains in the county, said Mike Thompson, assistant general manager of business operations. Nothing else has worked as well to get rid of the plant, he said.

“We tried mowing. We tried hand removal. In some places we used cardboard,” Thompson said.

He said the agency only does spot treatment on areas where the non-native blackberries grow and uses it only as a “last resort.” It sprays a total of 20 to 30 gallons of glyphosate a year, Thompson said.

If left untreated, he said, the plant pushes out native habitat and blocks the channels, creating flooding problems.

“The blackberries completely smother everything else that grows there,” he said, adding they’ll continue to closely monitor the latest reports on the herbicide and turn to state and federal environmental officials for direction.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is taking a “close look” at the WHO study’s conclusion, according to spokeswoman Charlotte Fadipe.

“To date, DPR, like many other scientific organizations, has not seen sufficient evidence to consider it a human carcinogen,” she said, pointing out that the chemical is not listed under California Proposition 65.

Although he’s been cautioning people about the use of glyphosate for years, Wiig said the recent report from the World Health Organization has brought the topic back to the forefront.

Discussions were abuzz on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.

Responding on Twitter, @jdprouty of Occidental wrote: “Use it. WHO’s classification is suspect.”

However, Santa Rosa resident Julie Mager urged people to try other methods, such as using white vinegar to kill weeds.

“I stopped using Roundup years ago because I have kids and pets, and thought it was too toxic to use,” she wrote in an email to The Press Democrat.

She added, “If we not only stop using Roundup, but also stop purchasing food items that have been exposed to Roundup, we can really send a bigger message.”

Healdsburg resident Ann Carranza and her husband, Leonel, have nearly eliminated the use of Roundup in their yard maintenance business.

“We will put it on poison oak, but we avoid it as much as possible,” said Carranza, a correspondent for The Press Democrat.

Wiig said several vineyards and farmers have made the move away from glyphosate in Sonoma County. They’re using other methods to clear weeds, including hand-pulling.

“There are alternatives,” he said. “There are some credible farmers and vineyards that are doing incredible things that are more sustainable and holistic.”

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.