Water: vital to the existence of life on Earth, is now
killing all life on Earth. The culprit of course being: humans, that are
poisoning their own water supplies.
E
assim, o ciclo vicioso continua, com os mesmos culpados de sempre: Empresas
de produção de herbicidas --- distribuição para agricultores, na
maioria das vezes apoiados pelo governo.
Abaixo,
alguns dos factos:
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“What
is it?
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Under normal conditions, Linuron is found as white crystals,
flakes or powder, which have no smell. It melts at 93 degrees celsius.
Linuron is only very slightly soluble in water and has variable solubility in
different types of organic (carbon-containing) solvents.
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What is it used for?
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Linuron is used as a herbicide, applied to soils
before plants emerge and also to soils around growing crops. It is used
mainly to control grasses and other weeds amongst cereal crops and
vegetables.
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Where does it come from?
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Linuron is released to the environment mainly during
its application as a herbicide. It may also be released during its
manufacture, transport and storage. There are not thought to be any natural
sources of Linuron to the environment.
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How might it affect the
environment?
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Linuron is
known to be very toxic to aquatic organisms and exposure to high levels is
thought likely to harm other wildlife as well. There is concern that Linuron
may mimic the behaviour of animals hormones, that it is an "endocrine
disruptor". Linuron binds strongly to soils and is naturally broken down
within 3-4 months. A relatively small amount enters water bodies as a result
of run-off or accidental spills. This binds strongly to sediments, where it
is broken down in a similar manner to its degradation in soils. Linuron can
enter the atmosphere by evaporation or when it is sprayed onto crops. It is broken down in air within a matter of days.
It is not considered likely that Linuron pollution has any effects on the
global environment.
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How might exposure to it affect
human health?
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Linuron can enter the body either by ingestion of
contaminated food or water, or by dermal contact with linuron. Ingestion of linuron may cause
nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Dermal contact with linuron can cause skin
irritation. Eye contact can cause irritation. There is little evidence
available as to the effects of exposure to linuron on human health. The
International Agency for Research on Cancer has not designated linuron in
terms of its carcinogenicity. However, exposure to linuron at normal
background levels is unlikely to have any adverse effect on human health”
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“In a subchronic toxicity study using rats, terbuthylazine caused
decreased body weight gain as well as decreased thymic, kidney and liver
weights. A study using rabbits resulted in decreased body weight gain
and
food consumption, and mortality in one female. In another rabbit study, all
the animals developed difficulty
in breathing, piloerection, sedation, curved
body posture, dermal irritation,
and decreased body weight gain and food
consumption.
In chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies using mice and rats,
decreases in body weight gain and food consumption were observed. Two
studies using mice and rats caused no increase in tumors. However, a
third
study using rats caused an
increased incidence of testicular tumors in males
and mammary gland carcinomas in
females, but only at a dose at which
excessive systemic toxicity also was observed. Based on this study,
EPA's
Carcinogenicity Peer Review Committee has classified terbuthylazine as a
Group D carcinogen--one for which there is inadequate evidence to
determine carcinogenicity in humans.”
How can we allow this to be happening right under our
noses?
Já
não sei o que beber!
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