Glyphosate
More commonly referred to as Roundup, glyphosate was first patented in 1974 as an industrial pipe cleaner. It is now the most widely used herbicide in the world: It is used to kill weeds in fields growing genetically engineered crops like soy, corn, and canola and is often applied to non-GMO grain and other crops just prior to harvest, also as a desiccant.
It is also widely used for weed control in landscapes, lawns, golf courses, and schools.
Numerous studies show that even small doses of glyphosate are responsible for alarming health and environmental impacts. It even disrupts soil microbes critical for pulling carbon out of the atmosphere.
PFAS
The chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used since the 1950’s in products ranging from food packaging to fire fighting foam. PFAS have recently been recognized as contaminants in agriculture and are believed to largely be entering soil through the application of biosolids, industrial sludges and ashes, which may contain these compounds that are difficult to break down.