Wednesday, January 30, 2019

PHRAGMITES & GLYPHOSATE - OH OH



Today's Waterloo Region Record carries a story regarding the invasive plant species known as phragmites. The title of the story is "Toxic invader spreads its roots through watershed." Phragmites does not appear to have any natural checks to its' spread in ditches, along roadways and in wetlands. Among a variety of control measures attempted has been cutting, spraying and burning of the plants. Another common practice is to bend the reeds and drown them underwater when they are in wetland areas. The article suggests that they can grow up to six metres tall however normally they are closer to eight to ten feet versus eighteen to nineteen feet tall. Phragmites was actually used as an ornamental grass at one time before we realized how aggressively it grew and spread.

A Grand River Conservation Authority spokesperson has stated that phragmites is widespread throughout their watershed. Unfortunately it appears as if glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup is most effective at controlling the spread of the plant. Unfortunately glyphosate is under attack in lawsuits in the U.S. due to an association with cancer as stated by the I.A.R.C. or International Association for Research on Cancer. Here in Waterloo Region I have pointed out previously that its' use or possible overuse has resulted in it having the highest Method Detection Limit (25 parts per billion) of all the contaminants tested for in our drinking water. In other words the use of Roundup whether commercially or even simply on our lawns has resulted in it becoming ubiquitous in our groundwater. This Record article does mention that presently the use of Roundup is not approved in waterways which is a good thing. Even wetlands are basically the surface expression of the upper aquifer and thus chemicals sprayed in wetlands can quickly spread both horizantally and as well vertically into our drinking water aquifers.

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