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OSR Journal of Student Research

Article Title

Localization of Accumulation of Glyphosate herbicide within the body of Drosophila melanogaster, a non-target animal

Authors

Karina Herrera

Abstract

The widespread use of glyphosate-containing herbicides like Roundup in food and crop production has raised questions about whether their presence in foods and the environment can negatively impact public health. Glyphosate-containing herbicides, designed to destroy agricultural weeds, are extremely toxic to living organisms at high concentrations. Although Roundup manufacturers claim the herbicide formulations are non-toxic to animals, growing evidence indicates that animals and humans exposed to high concentrations suffer a variety of health consequences, including development issues, reduced fertility, and disease. Our preliminary data suggest that Roundup increases mortality, affects ovary size, and can accumulate to high concentrations in Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we are exposing Drosophila melanogaster to medium containing Roundup Super Concentrate with a glyphosate concentration of 10g/L to localize glyphosate accumulation within the organism. A total of 20 flies chronically exposed to the treatment for 7 days as adults will be dissected to isolate their heads, thoraxes and abdomens. These samples will be analyzed by HRI Labs to determine their glyphosate concentration. Separately, ovaries and testes will be removed from 5 females and 5 males to test them for glyphosate accumulation. This study aims to determine where glyphosate is accumulated within Drosophila to begin to explore its mechanism of action in the physiological systems of non-target organisms. This evidence will help us understand how glyphosate-containing herbicides affect the health of those exposed to these herbicides throughout their lifetime.

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