Glyphosate, in the commercial formulation named Roundup, is a broad spectrum herbicide that is one of the most frequently applied pesticides in the world. However, there has been little evidence of Roundup toxicity or genotoxicity. Genotoxicity of glyphosate was carried out using the Escherichia coli SOS chromotest. The glyphosate-induced dose response in the SOS chromotest suggests that glyphosate possesses genotoxic properties. Glyphosate at a 0.2 g/l concentration in toxicity bioassay caused 50% mortality of Daphnia magna (LD50 after 24 h — 0.22 g/l; after 48 h — 0.19 g/l), but 0.25 — 0.5 g/l — 100% death of organisms (LD100 after 24 h — 0.5 g/l; after 48 h — 0.25 g/l). Our results (E. coli SOS chromotest and daphnia test system) together with recent animal studies and epidemiological reports suggest that glyphosate, especially, Roundup possesses both toxic and genotoxic properties.
