GLYPHOSATE IN DRINKING WATER

 
 
 
 

GLYPHOSATE IN DRINKING WATER

Glyphosate is one of the best-selling pesticides in the world and is highly controversial. In Germany, it is used on about 40 percent of fields to destroy weeds or to accelerate the ripening of grain. Unfortunately, pesticides containing glyphosate destroy almost all wild plants growing on fields. This deprives insects and vertebrates of their livelihood, which poses a threat to species diversity.
 

Glyphosate is highly toxic to water

The rain carries it into streams, rivers and groundwater, where it becomes a problem for aquatic life. According to the approval report of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, glyphosate must not be allowed to enter water at all. Unfortunately, it is not used properly and too frequently in Germany and can now even be detected in municipal sewage treatment plants.
 

Glyphosate in groundwater

It then comes into contact with us humans via the food chain and groundwater. The German Environmental Protection Agency (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V.) is concerned about the presence of glyphosate in urine samples from people living in large cities and suspects that glyphosate may damage embryos.
 

Glyphosate classified as carcinogenic

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), already classified glyphosate in Group 2A in its March 2015 assessment. This category includes substances that definitely cause cancer in animals and most likely in humans. Strangely enough, WHO experts have recently classified glyphosate as probably not carcinogenic. In the recently published study, which the WHO refers to, the Reuters agency found 10 significant changes to the original draft. Links between glyphosate and tumours were either removed or replaced with neutral or positive assessments.

Can I filter glyphosate from my drinking water with a Leogant filter

Probably yes. Glyphosate (C2H8NO5P) is a chemical compound and belongs to the group of phosphonates. Phosphonates are salts and organic compounds of phosphonic acid. The starting point for assessing whether activated carbon can filter this substance is that glyphosate is partly an organic substance. The adsorption capacity of activated carbon with regard to dissolved substances is mainly focused on organic substances (C-H compounds). For organic substances, removal can therefore be regarded as assured, provided that the surface area and contact time are sufficiently large. The special activated carbon filters we use at Leogant are characterized by a constant pore fineness and high adsorption surface. This is ensured by the special manufacturing process. Although there is no single glyphosate retention study on our cartridges, reference studies can be used. Both the study on the adsorption performance of hydrocarbons and chlorine by the Magdeburg University of Applied Sciences and the study on the adsorption performance of hydrocarbons and pesticides by the Magdeburg University of Applied Sciences confirm a constant retention of over 99% over the entire filter capacity.

We perform our own water analyses annually to check the effectiveness of the filter cartridges. So far, we have not been able to find any residues of glyphosate in the water by means of commercially available water analyses at accredited laboratories, so it has not been possible for us to independently test the effectiveness of our filter cartridges for this. Unfortunately, laboratory analyses of glyphosate by the manufacturers have not been available to date. We will continue to perform analyses and share the results on our website.
 

Avoid glyphosate

We recommend a consistent switch to food from organic farming. When you buy and eat organic, you not only protect the environment, but also your own health. Of course we also advise you not to use herbicides or pesticides in your own garden.

 
 

About the author:
Thomas Hartwig is a certified medical nutritionist and founder of the company Leogant. For many years he has been intensively involved with the element of water. He is a valued keynote speaker and guest on podcasts, where he shares his knowledge and experience. In his work he combines findings from natural science and medicine with philosophical approaches to contribute to a holistic water awareness.

 
 
 
 
Thomas Hartwig