Glyphosate-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease

Glyphosate - beter known as RoundUp - is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops.

Monsanto, its producer, claimed that glyphosate is harmless to humans and most scientific reviews agree with that statement and think that there's no 'support for a causal relationship between glyphosate exposure and the risk of on-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or of multiple myeloma'[1].

Still, other studies and case reports say that glyphosate causes toxicity not only after (accidental) ingestion but also after dermal exposure by inhalation route and on eye exposure[2].

We know Sri Lankan Agricultural Nephropathy as Phosphate Fertiliser-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease. Several reports claim that multiple heavy metals and glyphosate may play a role in its pathogenesis. Heavy metals, excessively present in the urine samples of patients with Phosphate Fertiliser Related Chronic Kidney Disease, are capable of causing damage to kidneys. Synergistic effects of multiple heavy metals and agrochemicals may be nephrotoxic[3].

I would like to propose the term Glyphosate-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease for this specific Chronic Kidney Disease.

You could easily imagine that the positive scientific reports about glyphosate are 'paid for by Monsanto', but that didn't stop California from deciding to ban the substance: it added glyphosate to their list of chemicals known to cause cancer. See here.

[1] Acquavella et al: Glyphosate epidemiology expert panel review: a weight of evidence systematic review of the relationship between glyphosate exposure and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or multiple myeloma in Critical Reviews of Toxicology – 2016
[2] Indirakshi et al: Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis and Acute Kidney Injury due to Glyphosate Ingestion in Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine – 2017
[3] Jayasumana et al: Simultaneous exposure to multiple heavy metals and glyphosate may contribute to Sri Lankan agricultural nephropathy in BMC Nephrology - 2015