Glyphosate is the Controversial Ingredient in Roundup Weed Killer
Glyphosate is the main active ingredient in Roundup. It is the most commonly used week killer in the country. According to an August 2019 US News and World Report article, Glyphosate is an active ingredient in more than 750 products sold in the US.
Roundup, made by Monsanto, came to the market in 1974. Decades later, Monsanto began genetically engineering crops to withstand large amounts of Glyphosate. Farmers took interest and began using Roundup with high frequency. The result? Glyphosate is appearing in our food, water, and air.
Glyphosate Linked to Cancer
Why does this all matter? Because in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) discovered that Glyphosate is a “probable carcinogen” to humans. Yet, according to this article, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regularly tests Americans to gauge their exposure more than 300 chemicals – but not glyphosate.” One environmental group has been working hard to get the CDC to change its position on this issue and add Glyphosate to its monitoring program.
California Tries to Warn Consumers About Glyphosate
California has tried to add Glyphosate to its “right to know law.” Proposition 65 requires products to be labeled with warnings when they contain cancer-causing chemicals. Monsanto has challenged this in federal court. The Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would not support a cancer warning label on products like Roundup and others that contain Glyphosate.
Three Juries Decide Roundup Causes Cancer
Despite the mixed agency positions on Glyphosate, juries issued verdicts against Monsanto in three Roundup lawsuits. The plaintiffs in these cases had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and alleged that their cancers were the direct result of exposure to Roundup. The juries ordered Monsanto to pay billions of dollars to the plaintiffs. A judge decreased the awards, but everything is on hold as Monsanto appeals the verdicts.
Roundup Litigation Continues
Thousands of lawsuits are still pending against Monsanto, containing allegations that Roundup causes cancer. The outcomes are uncertain but may include:
- The establishment of a settlement fund for people harmed by Roundup
- New warning labels on Roundup
- The recall of Roundup
While holding firm to the idea that Roundup does not cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Bayer AG (the parent of Monsanto) has committed billions of dollars to research and finding a Glyphosate alternative. This announcement, according to Reuters, came in June 2019.
Contact our Roundup Lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP, for a free case evaluation. If you developed cancer after exposure to Glyphosate-contaminated products, you might be able to file a claim against Bayer and Monsanto. Call 800-403-6191 today.
Sources:
- https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/what-to-know-about-glyphosate-the-pesticide-in-roundup-weed-killer
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bayer-glyphosate-lawsuit-explainer/explainer-what-are-the-obstacles-to-bayer-settling-roundup-lawsuits-idUSKCN1VC11E