OSU finds key to removing Roundup from groundwater

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – An international team of scientists, led by an Oregon State University researcher, made a key step towards removing harmful pesticides from groundwater.

The researchers identified a material called metal-organic framework, that can completely remove and break down glyphosate — which is found in herbicides such as Roundup, according to the study published in Nature Communications.

The research comes amid health concerns associated with the pesticide, which can increase the risk of respiratory issues and may pose risks for cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The researchers tested four metal-organic frameworks, including one scientists call Sc-TBAPy.

“When exposed to light for just five minutes, Sc-TBAPy eliminated 100% of glyphosate in water,” said OSU researcher Kyriakos Stylianou. “In addition to its quicker adsorption and more efficient photodegradation of glyphosate compared to the other three TBAPy MOFs we looked at, it also degraded the glyphosate without producing a toxic acid, unlike the other three.”

Herbicides — including Roundup, which use glyphosate, or PMG — have been widely used on agricultural fields in the last 50 years and can seep into groundwater, the researchers explained.

“Glyphosate and other herbicides are commonly used to safeguard farms from weed infestations, but the persistence of glyphosate in the environment has been associated with potential health effects on various living organisms including humans,” Stylianou said. “Only a small percentage of the total amount of PMG applied is taken up by crops, and herbicides leaching into water channels are a primary cause of water pollution. That means it’s crucial to come up with innovative technologies and materials to combat this problem.”

According to the CDC, small amounts glyphosate can be found in food, and agricultural workers who use the pesticide for long periods of time may be more likely to develop respiratory issues.

Additionally, the pesticide’s cancer-causing potential is not fully understood, the CDC says.

The Environmental Protection Agency previously classified glyphosate as “not likely” to be cancer causing, while the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the pesticide as “probably” carcinogenic.

OSU researchers collaborated with scientists from Tiangong University in China, with funding from the National Science Foundation and OSU.