2024-09-25 12:24:36
Although glyphosate, a very famous herbicide, has been described as a risk to human health and ecosystems, in countries such as Colombia it is used to eradicate illicit crops of coca, poppy and marijuana.
Following its implementation, various regions of the country are contaminated with these toxic residues, and so far there are no remediation plans, so, as evidenced by the results of a chemical research, macromycete fungi may be the answer, due to their high capacity for resistance and shielding against these substances.
It is estimated that between 1992 and 2020, nearly 1.8 million hectares have been sprayed with glyphosate in Colombia. The measure began when the country decided to spray with glyphosate to eradicate illicit crops in rural areas, through the National Narcotics Council.
According to studies by the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institutes of Health of the United States, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the same country, exposure to this herbicide has potentially carcinogenic effects on both humans and animals.
In fact, in recent years the Colombian State has lost at least 230 lawsuits worth approximately 2.11 billion pesos. In view of this problem, and the need to find a solution to the harmful effects of glyphosate in the country, researcher María Paula Arévalo Gómez, from the Colombian Macromycete Fungi Chemistry research group at the National University of Colombia (UNAL) –led by Professor Carolina Chegwin, from the Department of Chemistry–, set out to study how 12 strains of these fungi can survive or not in the presence of the herbicide.
The study is based on past research suggesting that bacteria and micromycete fungi have been able to feed on glyphosate or use its components as nutrients, as this substance contains nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon that allows them to grow.
Fuente: Science News