Environmental

Hazards of G.M.Os
By: Samiya Alam and Natalie Hutrus

Pollutants Released
GMO supporters and industry spokespersons often gloat about the beneficial usage of
GMOs, by claiming they allow the faster mass production of crops. But the truth of the matter
is that GMOs and the chemicals used to grow them are a major source of environmental
pollution.

According to a 2011 study, Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt), a bacteria engineered into many crops such
as corn can now be found in hundreds of streams, groundwater sources and waterways
throughout the United States. (http://naturalsociety.com) In addition to this studies have also
shown that the presence of this bacteria, have depleted soils of vital minerals and beneficial
bacteria, both of which are needed to protect crops from pests, viruses. and other threatening
elements. In keeping traits to Bt, Glyphosate, the active component also used in a variety of GMO
crops, is not biodegradable (not capable of being destroyed by natural processes). In other words
this harmful pollutant it is continually accumulating in the environment without restraint,
eventually altering soil composition, and contaminating natural resources.

In contrast to industrial claims, GMOs have not reduced the need for herbicides and pesticides, but
rather greatly expanded it. The basic idea behind how GMOs work is that GMOs are artificially
engineered crops with resistance to certain chemicals and exposures that in the long run could have
potentially harmed or killed them. This built in resistance has for a while, allowed farmers to cut
down on spray chemicals like Round up without worrying about killing them. But this system is now
failing, as the weeds and pests targeted by GMO technologies have mutated and developed
resistance to the crops chemicals, and Bt toxin. In a recent study conducted by researcher from
Washington State Universitys Center of Agriculture, the herbicide usage has has increased by an
astonishing 527 million pounds since GMOs were first introduced. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com)

Invasive Species
GMOs DNA may end up in soil, compost, animal feed and byproducts, and other living
organisms from insects to larger pests. Once a plant is introduced in an agricultural
environment, it is reasonable to assume it will become part of a larger ecosystem, through
pollinators such as bees and flies. In other words the problem of environmental damage done
by GMOs is much larger than simply potentially harming our health. Instead GMOs have been
brought to our attention as invasive species who are destroying biodiversity, that is critical for a
healthy environment.

Out-crossing: If GM plants pass their new traits on to wild relatives, those relatives could be changed in a
way that could make them play a different ecological role, potentially enabling them to out-compete
other species.

New traits conferred by genetic engineering could offer advantages that could lead to the widespread
use of only a few crop varieties in other words, a loss of cultivar biodiversity. Reducing the diversity of
cultivars found in agriculture could lead to problems such as higher susceptibility to widespread
outbreaks of plant diseases and pests.

As industries continue to use GMO plants in agriculture, the seeds of a regular plant are becoming
increasingly rare, allowing only a few non GMO plants to thrive in an area.

Impact on Organisms
As explained before, toxicity is a huge issue surrounding the usage of GMOs. However, in
addition to the the toxicity inherent to plants, it has recently discovered that GMOs may also be
toxic to non-target organisms, bees, butterflies, insects and birds being the most talked about
examples currently.

To begin with, it is without a doubt that bees have had a critical impact to food production through
pollination. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, more than a quarter of Americas diet
relies on pollination by honeybees. (www.onegreenplanet.org) However pesticides and bacteria such
as Bt, commonly found in GMO products, are becoming more recognized as a major factor in the
worldwide decline of bee, as they continue to disrupt their ability to, pollinate learn, remember, and
even find their way home. It has been estimated that nearly a third of the honeybee population have
been wiped out since 2006, this number significantly increasing with each passing day.
Bacillus Thuringiensis (bt), a common bacteria found in GMO foods, are known to have a deadly,
toxic effect on certain insects. The agent is responsible for this is called Bt toxin, a protein produced
by the toxic bacteria. When ingested by insects, the protein takes its active form, quickly destroying
the insects gut.
An increasingly popular commercial corn, genetically engineered to produce a bacterial toxin to protect
against corn pests, has an unwanted side effect: Its pollen kills monarch butterfly, according to a report
by Cornell University researchers. This Bt-modified corn produces pollen containing crystalline
endotoxin from the bacterium genes. When this corn pollen is dispersed by the wind, it lands on other
plants, including milkweed, the exclusive food of monarch caterpillars and commonly found around
cornfields. Like all grasses, corn is is wind-pollinated , and the pollen can be blown more than 60 yards
from the edge of cornfields, some scientists say. As a result the butterflies are forced to relocate,
concerning the problem of excessive migration.

Conclusion
While we do acknowledge the beneficial features of
having GMOs, such as fast mass production in
agricultural crops, we believe that the negative aspects
GMOs can have on the environment through extensive
toxicity, and destruction of biodiversity, outweigh the
positive features, making it increasingly important to put
an end to GMO usage.