Lymphoma’s linked to Roundup Weed Killer
What is Roundup?
Roundup is a non-selective herbicide used to kill weeds that compete with agricultural crops. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, works by inhibiting a specific enzyme required for plant growth.
By 2001, Roundup weed killer was the most-used active ingredient in American agriculture, with an estimated 85-90 million pounds used each year. In 2007, that number reached 185 million pounds annually and today, Roundup remains the most widely used herbicide in the United States and worldwide.
Roundup and Cancer
A number of studies have found evidence linking the weed killer’s main ingredient, glyphosate, to serious side effects and certain types of cancer, including Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently found that glyphosate in Roundup is likely a cancer-causing agent. The IARC report linked the side effects of Roundup to an increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL).
Jury returns a $2 billion verdict against Monsanto for couple with cancer.
In August 2018, a jury for the Superior Court of California ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million to Dewayne Johnson, a former school district groundskeeper, because of Roundup’s likely role in contributing to his cancer. As a result, the number of glyphosate lawsuits against Monsanto has ballooned to more than 8,700 cases.