Buzz
A jury recently determined that a man's use of Roundup to control weeds in his yard significantly contributed to the cancer he developed later. However, while court verdicts can be influential, they are not the same as scientific studies, and experts continue to debate whether glyphosate should be classified as a carcinogen.
As we’ve discussed previously, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer reviewed the available evidence and classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. Other items on this list include red meat, hot beverages, and the human papillomavirus.
However, other agencies, including the US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, and the European Food Safety Authority, have assessed the evidence and determined that glyphosate is unlikely to be cancer-causing. Individual studies on glyphosate have produced mixed results for various cancers, with a few suggesting that it might contribute to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The latest study found that farm workers exposed to high levels of glyphosate had a 2.8% increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, compared to 2% in the general population. While this represents a small difference, the fact that a link was observed at all raises concern. For a thorough overview of the current scientific evidence on glyphosate, I suggest checking out this detailed explanation by Tom Philpott at Mother Jones.
Bayer, the company that owns Roundup after acquiring Monsanto, released a statement affirming that ample evidence supports glyphosate’s safety and its lack of cancer-causing effects. This, in fact, holds some truth.
The reality is, legal cases are not the same as scientific studies. The jury in the recent lawsuit didn't have the luxury of waiting for further research nor the expertise to tackle a question still debated by scientists. Essentially, this lawsuit paves the way for future legal actions. Glyphosate is still likely safe at the exposure levels most people encounter... but only more research can confirm this for sure.
