FOR RELEASE: December 16, 2004

CONTACT: Caroline Cox, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, 541-344-5044 x24

Common Garden Herbicide Linked to Health and Environmental Hazards

Eugene, OR -- A new review by the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) finds that use of the common herbicide glyphosate is linked to a variety of health and environmental problems. Glyphosate, often sold as Roundup, is the most commonly used pesticide in the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 5 million pounds of glyphosate in American yards and gardens every year.

"Glyphosate is not a nontoxic chemical. Recent research shows that use of this heavily marketed pesticide is linked with cancer, miscarriages, and genetic damage in people," said Caroline Cox, NCAP's staff scientist and author of the new report. "Glyphosate herbicides can also damage the immune system of fish and disrupt the sexual development of tadpoles."

The research reviewed by NCAP comes from university scientists and government agencies, including the National Cancer Institute and Health Canada.

"If all of the problems that have been linked with use of glyphosate were more widely known, gardeners wouldn't use so much of this chemical," said Cox. "There are effective pesticide-free solutions to the weed problems in our yards and gardens."

Many gardeners ask NCAP how they can reduce the use of Roundup and other pesticides around their homes. "We want to make it easy for gardeners to get convenient answers to their questions," said Cox. "So our free Healthier Homes and Gardens program sends out monthly e-mail tips with pesticide-free solutions to common pest and weed problems. We invite all interested gardeners to sign up for the Healthier Homes and Gardens program at http://www.pesticide.org/HHG.html."

NCAP's new report about glyphosate is available at http://www.pesticide.org/glyphosate.pdf.