The Effect of Roundup on Humans

Although useful in weed control, Roundup can cause health problems.

The Monsanto Company, which manufactures the big-selling herbicide Roundup, claims on its label that its product is safe for humans when used as directed. However, the active chemical in Roundup, glyphosate, has been implicated in health problems by various studies and reports.

Miscarriage

In 2005, the Environmental Health Perspectives Journal presented information that glyphosate can cause miscarriage. The Biosafety Information Center reported that Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen, France, believes glyphosate might harm human placental cells, leading to miscarriages in women who have high exposure to the chemical.

Fatal If Consumed

Although the Roundup label states clearly that the product is poisonous if humans swallow it, the organization Beyond Pesticides reported in its Chemical Watch Factsheet that nine people died in Japan between 1984 and 1986 after drinking Roundup. The chemical polyoxyethyleneamine (POEA) is added as a surfactant, and it was this ingredient that was implicated in the poisoning deaths. In 2009, "The New York Times" reported that glyphosate can cause several serious health effects, including coma.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

The American Cancer Society determined in 1999 that people having repeated, frequent exposure to Roundup are 2.7 times more likely to develop this serious disease than those who do not. In 2000, a study in Finland concluded that glyphosate can cause damage to the liver.

References

• New York Times: Grass and Weed Killer Poisoning
• Beyond Pesticides: Glyphosate
• Biosafety Info: New Evidence of Dangers of Roundup Weedkiller
• PesticideInfo: PAN Pesticides Database
• Beyond Pesticides: Glyphosate