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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Cotton Hygiene Items Contaminated with Monsanto’s Glyphosate

Health Products Contain Probable Carcinogen

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] recent study by researchers at the University of La Plata, in Argentina, has found that most of the cotton hygiene products on the market contain the chemical glyphosate, widely used in agriculture as an herbicide. According to a recent World Health Organization statement, glyphosate is a probable carcinogen to humans.

The researchers purchased samples of cotton gauze, swabs, wipes and feminine care products including tampons and sanitary pads from stores in the La Plata area. Dr. Damian Marino, the study’s lead researcher, recounts the results: “Eighty-five percent of all samples tested positive for glyphosate and 62 percent for aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), which is the environmental metabolite, but in the case of cotton and sterile cotton gauze, the figure was 100 percent.”

Marino adds, “In terms of concentrations, we saw that in raw cotton, AMPA dominates, with 39 parts per billion (PPB), followed by 13 PPB of glyphosate. While AMPA is absent in the gauze, the material contained glyphosate at 17 PPB.” The research was presented at the 2015 national Congress of Doctors of Fumigated Towns, in Buenos Aires.

Health Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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