Glyphosate is a very common weedkiller aka herbicide. It is the most common type of broad spectrum herbicide used in agricultural, farming and groundskeeping settings. It is also the 2nd most common herbicide used in homes and home gardens. When applied to the leaves of plants, flowers, trees and crops it kills both broadleaf plants and grasses. Glyphosate in sodium/salt form is used to regulate plant growth as well as ripen specific crops. It is also a known carcinogen and exposure, even if only a few times per year can result in different cancers, lymphomas, leukemias, birth defects and other health issues. If you believe your cancer or illness is due to Roundup weedkiller use or exposure contact our serious injury lawyers handling glyphosate cancer lawsuits nationwide.
Glyphosate was first discovered by Monsanto chemical chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Four years later it was registered for use in the United States. To this day glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States. The Monsanto brand Roundup is used in agriculture, forestry, hospital grounds, public parks, college campuses, golf courses on lawns and gardens, an in industrial areas needing weed killing. All of these products containing glyphosate control aquatic plants and all variations can cause cancer, illness and death no matter how low the glyphosate concentration.
Glyphosate comes in many forms, including an acid and several salts. These can be either solids or an amber-colored liquid. There are over 750 products containing glyphosate for sale in the United States. Of these, Roundup by Monsanto has been the subject of tens of thousands of cancer and injury lawsuits as they neglected to post a warning label on Roundup containers. Call our catastrophic injury attorneys immediately for a free case review.
Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it will kill most plants. It prevents the plants from making certain proteins that are needed for plant growth. Glyphosate stops a specific enzyme pathway, the shikimic acid pathway. The shikimic acid pathway is necessary for plants and some microorganisms.
You can be exposed to glyphosate if you get it on your skin, in your eyes or breathe it in when you are using it. You might swallow some glyphosate if you eat or smoke after applying it without washing your hands first. You may also be exposed if you touch plants that are still wet with spray. Glyphosate isn’t likely to vaporize after it is sprayed.
Pure glyphosate is low in toxicity, but products usually contain other ingredients that help the glyphosate get into the plants. The other ingredients in the product can make the product more toxic. Products containing glyphosate may cause eye or skin irritation. People who breathed in spray mist from products containing glyphosate felt irritation in their nose and throat. Swallowing products with glyphosate can cause increased saliva, burns in the mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fatalities have been reported in cases of intentional ingestion.
Pets may be at risk if they touch or eat plants that are still wet with spray from products containing glyphosate. Animals exposed to products with glyphosate may drool, vomit, have diarrhea, lose their appetite, or seem sleepy.
In humans, glyphosate does not easily pass through the skin. Glyphosate that is absorbed or ingested will pass through the body relatively quickly. The vast majority of glyphosate leaves the body in urine and feces without being changed into another chemical.
Animal and human studies were evaluated by regulatory agencies in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the European Union, as well as the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues of the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO). These agencies looked at cancer rates in humans and studies where laboratory animals were fed high doses of glyphosate. Based on these studies, they determined that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic. However, a committee of scientists working for the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the WHO evaluated fewer studies and reported that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic.
Long-term feeding studies in animals were assessed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulatory authorities. Based on these evaluations, they found there is no evidence glyphosate is toxic to the nervous or immune systems. They also found it is not a developmental or reproductive toxin.
As required by the Food Quality Protection Act, the EPA has determined that children are not more sensitive to glyphosate as compared to the general population.
Glyphosate binds tightly to soil. It can persist in soil for up to 6 months depending on the climate and the type of soil it is in. Glyphosate is broken down by bacteria in the soil.
Glyphosate is not likely to get into groundwater because it binds tightly to soil. In one study, half the glyphosate in dead leaves broke down in 8 or 9 days. Another study found that some glyphosate was taken up by carrots and lettuce after the soil was treated with it.
Pure glyphosate is low in toxicity to fish and wildlife, but some products containing glyphosate may be toxic because of the other ingredients in them. Glyphosate may affect fish and wildlife indirectly because killing the plants alters the animals’ habitat.