Glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine, is the active component of many widely used herbicides. The compound is adsorbed by plant leaves and acts by preventing the synthesis of essential amino acids. When Glyphosate comes into contact with soil it adsorbs strongly onto soil particles. Unbound Glyphosate is rapidly degraded by microbial activity whereas the adsorbed Glyphosate is inactive, but stable. The widespread use of Glyphosate, the fact that Glyphosate can be very difficult to isolate and quantify, and the potential of using Glyphosate in combination with genetically modified crops, has put much focus on the herbicide in the environmental discussions.

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