IMPACTS OF GLYPHOSATE (ROUNDUP®) ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ON HUMAN HEALTH

Abstract

The use of agrochemical products for the control of pests has been widely extended on a global scale in commercial agriculture, despite its impacts on human health and on biodiversity. Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide, with adverse effects on human health and the environment that have led to controversy in the technical-scientific arena. The aim of this essay was to identify the main researches/studies related to the herbicide glyphosate and record its impact on the biota, the environment and public health. In order to do this, a bibliographic search was carried out, limited to scientific articles in Scopus between 1980 and May, 2022. The search criteria were: glyphosate, Roundup®, toxicity, environmental impact, human health, water pollution, underground and surface water and nonpoint sources. A total of 1607 articles was found, with an increase of 178 % in scientific production in the last 10 years. The countries with the highest number of publications related to the topic of glyphosate were developed nations with intensive agriculture. Mexico is in sixteenth place, with 29 (1.8 %) scientific articles for the period studied, out of which only 17 % are studies in bodies of water. Based on the literature consulted and the co-occurrence map, the elements that are related to the impact on the bodies of water by glyphosate are the type of agriculture, location of the fields, rainfalls and the characteristics of the catchment area.