FAQs on glyphosate from US Right to Know

https://usrtk.org/pesticides/glyphosate-health-concerns/

Stacy Malkan | May 21, 2025

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide. It is linked to cancer, liver and kidney disease, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity and many other health concerns.

First patented by the Monsanto Company, glyphosate is now manufactured and sold by many companies in hundreds of products. It is best known as the active ingredient in Roundup-branded herbicides, and the herbicide used with “Roundup Ready” genetically modified organisms (GMOs). More than 90% of GMO corn and soybeans in the U.S. are genetically engineered to tolerate herbicides, according to USDA data.

A 2017 study in JAMA found that Americans’ exposure to glyphosate increased approximately 500 percent since Roundup Ready GMO crops were introduced in 1996. More than 80% of urine samples drawn from children and adults in a 2022 U.S. study contained glyphosate, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists described this finding as “disturbing” and “concerning.”

Monsanto owner Bayer AG maintains that glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides are safe when used as directed “Glyphosate-based herbicides are among the most extensively tested products, with more than 1,500 studies and 50 years of research,” Bayer states on its website. “After reviewing the volume of scientific research and evaluations by regulatory agencies over the years, experts and regulators worldwide have concluded that glyphosate-based products can be used safely as directed.”

Internal Monsanto documents, investigative journalism and independent research have established that Monsanto used many tactics over decades to manipulate the scientific record on glyphosate, and that regulatory agencies relied on poorly conducted studies and insufficient data.

What health problems are linked to glyphosate?

Cancer

A March 2025 study in Food and Chemical Toxicology found that glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide altered key breast cancer-related genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, even at low doses, and had varying toxic and proliferative effects on different breast cell types. Importantly, some of these harmful changes were reversible with epigenetic treatments. This finding highlights the need to better understand glyphosate’s impact and its potential risks for breast cancer, the researchers said.

In a July 2023 study in Chemosphere, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, conducted a systematic review of mechanistic studies on glyphosate and glyphosate-based formulations to evaluate them for the 10 key characteristics of cancer hazard identification. Their analysis revealed “strong evidence” for five of the key characteristics of carcinogenicity, and their in-depth review of evidence on genotoxicity and endocrine disruption revealed “strong and consistent positive findings.” The findings “strengthen the mechanistic evidence that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen and provide biological plausibility for previously reported cancer associations in humans, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”

A pooled study of three case-control studies published in March 2023 in Leukemia and Lymphoma journal found a statistically significant increased risk and confirmed an association between Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), including sub type hairy cell leukemia, and exposure to certain herbicides including glyphosate.

A February 2020 paper in Environmental Health presents a comprehensive review of chronic exposure animal carcinogenicity studies of glyphosate. It reports toxicologically plausible pathways for why glyphosate may cause various cancers in rodents.

In April 2019, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry issued its draft toxicological profile for glyphosate, reporting an increased cancer risk from glyphosate exposures. Emails released in court proceedings reveal that officials at EPA and Monsanto tried to hinder the ATSDR report. The agency’s final report (August 2020) concludes there is potential cancer risk associated with glyphosate exposure, particularly for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A March 2019 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology analyzed data from more than 30,000 farmers and agricultural workers from studies done in France, Norway and the U.S., and reported links between glyphosate and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

A February 2019 meta analysis in Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research reports a “compelling link” between glyphosate-based herbicides and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Three of the study authors were members of the EPA’s scientific advisory panel on glyphosate who have stated publicly that the EPA failed to follow proper scientific practices in its glyphosate assessment.

A January 2019 analysis in Environmental Sciences Europe argues that the U.S. EPA’s classification of glyphosate disregarded substantial scientific evidence of genotoxicity (the negative impact on a cell’s genetic material) associated with Roundup.

In March 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A). “This was based on ‘limited’ evidence of cancer in humans (from real-world exposures that actually occurred) and ‘sufficient’ evidence of cancer in experimental animals (from studies of ‘pure’ glyphosate). IARC also concluded that there was ‘strong’ evidence for genotoxicity, both for ‘pure’ glyphosate and for glyphosate formulations.”

In July 2021, researchers from University of Vienna analyzed 53 glyphosate studies submitted to regulators by pesticide companies and found that most of the studies do not comply with modern international standards for scientific rigor, and lacked the types of tests most able to detect cancer risks. The researchers later reported that only two of the 11 studies Monsanto submitted to EU regulators were deemed “reliable.”

In June 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected EPA’s decision that glyphosate likely poses no “unreasonable risk” to the environment and human health. In September 2022 the U.S. EPA withdrew its interim decision on glyphosate.

Liver disease

A 2025 review of more than 40 scientific studies published over the last 17 years found that glyphosate may significantly raise the risk of an increasingly common chronic liver disease, even at low exposure levels. A growing body of research links exposure to glyphosate, and products that contain it, to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Glyphosate’s harmful impacts to the liver include inflammation, oxidative stress, and scarring (fibrosis) —all markers of MASLD, according to the review. Even small increases in exposure may have significant health impacts over time, especially for people with other risk factors for liver disease, the researchers said.

• Glyphosate may be tied to liver disease epidemic, study warns, by Pamela Ferdinand, U.S. Right to Know (5.5.25)

A 2023 prospective cohort study using data from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) reports a strong association between glyphosate and AMPA levels in the urine of 4-year-old and 14-year-old Hispanic children and markers of damage in the liver indicative of future non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome.

• Childhood exposure to common herbicide may increase the risk of disease in young adulthood, by Sheila Kaplan, UC Berkeley School of Public Health (3.1.23)

A 2019 study based on urinary analysis for glyphosate reported that glyphosate excretion is significantly higher in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) who are considered to be at a higher risk of fibrosis progression and development to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 2017 study associated chronic, very low-level glyphosate exposures to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats. According to the researchers, the results “imply that chronic consumption of extremely low levels of a GBH formulation (Roundup), at admissible glyphosate-equivalent concentrations, are associated with marked alterations of the liver proteome and metabolome,” the biomarkers for NAFLD

Endocrine disruption, fertility and reproductive concerns, birth defects

A review of human and animal research published in February 2025 in Reproductive Sciences reports that glyphosate disrupts female hormones and damages the ovaries and uterus in ways that can make it more difficult for women to get pregnant. The study also tied glyphosate to polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis; both conditions are among the leading causes of infertility. “We conclude that increased research efforts are warranted regarding the safety and efficacy of [glyphosate-based herbicides] as it pertains to female reproduction, as well as investments in cost-effective alternatives…”

• Glyphosate poses widespread risks to female fertility and reproductive health, researchers say, by Pamela Ferdinand, U.S. Right to Know (3.15.25)

A January 2025 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) finds “significant adverse perinatal health effects due to increased glyphosate exposure in the rural United States.” Researchers from the University of Oregon reported, “Our results suggest the introduction of GM seeds and glyphosate significantly reduced average birthweight and gestational length. While we find effects throughout the birthweight distribution, low expected-weight births experienced the largest reductions: Glyphosate’s birthweight effect for births in the lowest decile is 12 times larger than that in the highest decile.”

• Common herbicide glyphosate significantly harms infants’ health in rural areas, new research suggests, by Pamela Ferdinand, U.S. Right to Know (1.16.25)

For a June 2024 study in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, researchers measured glyphosate and its main metabolite in the sperm and blood plasma of infertile French men: “we detected for the first time GLY in the human seminal plasma in significant proportions and we showed that its concentration was four times higher than those observed in blood plasma.” They also observed a “strong positive correlation” between glyphosate sperm levels and oxidative stress. “Taken together, our results suggest a negative impact of GLY on the human reproductive health and possibly on his progeny,” they concluded, “A precaution principle should be applied” to glyphosate and glyphosate-based formulations.

• High levels of weedkiller found in more than half of sperm samples, study finds, by Tom Perkins, The Guardian (5.17.24)

A July 2023 study in Environmental Pollution investigated the potential effects of low levels of glyphosate exposure from weaning to adult life in male Wistar rats on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis function. Various changes suggest that glyphosate “may affect several steps of HPT axis regulation at the transcriptional level in an age-dependent manner and alter the morphometric parameters of the thyroid gland and TH synthesis, with potential repercussions in the TH-target organs.”

A November 2022 paper in the Review of Economic Studies discusses glyphosate exposure and birth outcomes of populations surrounding GMO soy growing regions in Brazil. “We document a significant deterioration in birth outcomes for populations downstream from locations that are likely to have increased relatively more the use of glyphosate … average increase in glyphosate use in the sample during the 2000-2010 period led to an increase of 5% of the average in the infant mortality rate.”

An October 2022 study in Environmental Health found glyphosate in 99% of pregnant women in a Midwestern cohort. Higher maternal levels in the first trimester were associated with lower birth weight, higher NICU admission risk.

• Study: high exposure to glyphosate in pregnancy could cause lower birth weights in babies, Indiana University School of Medicine (10.12.22)

In a March 2021 paper in Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers detected glyphosate in the urine of residents of rural and urban environments, and reported a correlation between “farmers’ exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides and altered thyroid hormone levels or incidence of thyroid pathologies.”

An October 2020 paper in Chemosphere journal is the first comprehensive review consolidating the mechanistic evidence on glyphosate as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC). The paper concludes that the world’s most widely used herbicide meets at least eight of the 10 key characteristics of EDCs, as proposed in an expert consensus statement published in 2020.

• New research adds evidence that weed killer glyphosate disrupts hormones, by Carey Gillam, U.S. Right to know (11.13.20)

A July 2020 paper published in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology asks if glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides alter female fertility. The paper summarizes the endocrine-disrupting effects of exposure to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides at low or “environmentally relevant” doses in the female reproductive tissues. The paper discusses data suggesting that, at low doses, glyphosate-based herbicides may have adverse effects on the female reproductive tract fertility.

A June 2020 paper in Veterinary and Animal Science concludes that some ingredients of glyphosate-based herbicides appear to act as reproductive toxicants, having a wide range of effects on both the male and female reproductive systems, including endocrine disruption, tissue damage and dysfunction of gametogenesis.

A June 2020 paper in Environmental Pollution finds that neonatal exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides decreased cell proliferation and altered the expression of molecules that control proliferation and development in the uterus, potentially affecting the female reproductive health of sheep.

A July 2020 study in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology found indications that “chronic low-level exposure to glyphosate alters the ovarian proteome and may ultimately impact ovarian function.”

A September 2020 study in Food and Chemical Toxicology reports that perinatal exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide or glyphosate “disrupted critical hormonal and uterine molecular targets during the receptive state, possibly associated with the implantation failures.”

A 2018 ecological and population study conducted in Argentina found high concentrations of glyphosate in the soil and dust in agricultural areas that also reported higher rates of spontaneous abortion and congenital abnormalities in children, suggesting a link between environmental exposure to glyphosate and reproductive problems. No other relevant sources of pollution were identified.

A 2018 rat study by Argentinian researchers linked low-level perinatal glyphosate exposures to impaired female reproductive performance and congenital anomalies in the next generation of offspring.

A birth cohort study in Indiana published in 2017 – the first study of glyphosate exposure in U.S. pregnant women using urine specimens as a direct measure of exposure – found detectable levels of glyphosate in more than 90% of the pregnant women tested and found the levels were significantly correlated with shortened pregnancy lengths.

A 2011 study in Reproductive Toxicology reported that glyphosate impairs male offspring reproductive development by disrupting gonadotropin expression.

A 2009 study in Toxicology found that glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell lines.

Kidney disease

A June 2025 cross-sectional study in Science of the Total Environment reports that glyphosate exposure increases early kidney injury biomarker KIM-1 in the pediatric population. The researchers said, “These findings underscore the importance of monitoring glyphosate exposure and its potential renal impact in children.”

According to a 2023 study in Environment, Science and Technology Letters, “Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) has emerged as a serious public health concern in farming communities globally, especially in Sri Lanka with 5%–20% of the adult population affected by the disease in CKDu-endemic regions.” Researchers from Duke University conducted a large field study to measure and compare drinking water chemical burden in CKDu-endemic areas with CKDu-nonendemic areas in rural Sri Lanka: “our work represents the first definitive assessment of glyphosate presence in regions with geogenic high water hardness and fluoride and demonstrates a strong correlation with CKDu incidence.”

• Roundup ingredient connected to epidemic levels of chronic kidney disease, Duke University (10.11.23)

The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded two Sri Lankan scientists, Drs. Channa Jayasumana and Sarath Gunatilake, the 2019 Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility for their work to “investigate a possible connection between glyphosate and chronic kidney disease under challenging circumstances.” The scientists reported that glyphosate plays a key role in transporting heavy metals to the kidneys of those drinking contaminated water, leading to high rates of chronic kidney disease in farming communities. See papers in SpringerPlus (2015), BMC Nephrology (2015),Environmental Health (2015), International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2014).

The AAAS award to the scientists was suspended amidst a fierce opposition campaign by pesticide industry allies to undermine the work of the scientists. After a review, the AAAS reinstated the award.

Microbiome disruption / intestinal dysbiosis

A 2024 systematic review of the effects of glyphosate exposure on intestinal microbiota, metabolism and microstructure finds that “glyphosate and its formulations are able to induce intestinal dysbiosis by altering bacterial metabolism, intestinal permeability, and mucus secretion, as well as causing damage to the microvilli and the intestinal lumen. Additionally, immunological, enzymatic and genetic changes were also observed in the animal models. At the metabolic level, damage was observed in lipid and energy metabolism, the circulatory system, cofactor and vitamin metabolism, and replication, repair, and translation processes. In this context, we pointed out that the studies revealed that these alterations, caused by glyphosate-based herbicides, can lead to intestinal and systemic diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.”

A November 2020 paper in the Journal of Hazardous Materials reports that approximately 54 percent of species in the core of the human gut microbiome are “potentially sensitive” to glyphosate. With a “large proportion” of bacteria in the gut microbiome susceptible to glyphosate, the intake of glyphosate “may severely affect the composition of the human gut microbiome,” the authors said in their paper.

• New glyphosate papers point to “urgency” for more research on chemical impact to human health, by Carey Gillam, U.S. Right to Know (11.23.20)

A 2020 literature review of glyphosate’s effects on the gut microbiome concludes that, “glyphosate residues on food could cause dysbiosis, given that opportunistic pathogens are more resistant to glyphosate compared to commensal bacteria.” The paper continues, “Glyphosate may be a critical environmental trigger in the etiology of several disease states associated with dysbiosis, including celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Glyphosate exposure may also have consequences for mental health, including anxiety and depression, through alterations in the gut microbiome.”

A 2018 rat study conducted by the Ramazzini Institute reported that low-dose exposures to Roundup at levels considered safe significantly altered the gut microbiota in some of the rat pups.

Another 2018 study reported that higher levels of glyphosate administered to mice disrupted the gut microbiota and caused anxiety and depression-like behaviors.

Mortality

For a December 2023 study in Carcinogenesis, researchers assessed glyphosate levels and their association with overall mortality in a representative sample of the US adult population from the 2013–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. “These nationally representative data suggest that recent exposure to glyphosate could be associated with increased mortality. More studies are necessary to understand population level risk associated with the product, given its widespread use in agriculture.”

Neurotoxicity

A large nationwide study published in the journal NeuroToxicology in December 2021 reports that “several neurotoxic pesticide exposures estimated using residential location were associated with statistically significant increased risk of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). These include the herbicides 2, 4-D and glyphosate, and the insecticides carbaryl and chlorpyrifos.” ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.

Neurological and neurobehavioral disorders

A December 2024 study in the Journal of Neuroinflammation reports that, “mice exposed to the herbicide glyphosate develop significant brain inflammation, which is associated with neurodegenerative disease. The findings suggest the brain may be much more susceptible to the damaging effects of the herbicide than previously thought.”

• Study reveals lasting effects of common herbicide on brain health: Glyphosate exposure exacerbates Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology in mice even after a significant pause from exposure, University of Arizona (12.4.24)

An April 2024 study in Environmental Research measured gestational glyphosate exposure and early childhood neurodevelopment in a Puerto Rico birth cohort. The researchers concluded, “Our results suggest that gestational exposure to glyphosate is associated with adverse early neurodevelopment, with more pronounced delays at 24 months.”

An October 2023 study in Environmental Health Perspectives assessed pesticide levels in 519 participants (11–17 years of age) living in agricultural communities in Ecuador. Researchers found that individuals with higher levels of 2,4-D in their urine were more likely to perform poorly in their assessment for attention, memory and learning, and language, while those with higher concentrations of glyphosate were more likely to perform poorly in social-perception tests.

• Commonly used herbicide is harmful to adolescent brain function, University of California, San Diego (10.11.23)

An October 2023 study in Scientific Reports investigated whether glyphosate exposure in rats alters synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular model of learning and memory. The researchers’ observations “indicate that glyphosate can impair cognitive function through pro-inflammatory signaling in microglia.”

A September 2023 study in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology examined the correlation between urinary glyphosate levels and serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels – a reliable biomarker for various neurological disorders. The study “found a significant positive association between urinary glyphosate levels and serum NfL levels … indicating that higher levels of glyphosate exposure may be linked to higher levels of neuroaxonal damage …Notably, the association was more pronounced in certain subgroups, including those aged ≥40 years, non-Hispanic whites, and those with a BMI between 25 and 30. “This is the first research to suggest an association between glyphosate exposure and biomarkers indicative of neurological damage in general U.S. adults. If the correlation observed is causal, it raises concerns about the potential effects of glyphosate exposure on neurological health among U.S. adults.”

Depression / anxiety-like behavior

A December 2023 paper in Science of the Total Environment reports that maternal exposure of mice to glyphosate induces depression- and anxiety-like behavior in the offspring via alterations of the gut-brain axis. “Our results suggest that glyphosate might influence the gut-brain axis crosstalk following in-utero and lactational exposure. This study underlines the importance of understanding the impact of exposure to pesticides on the gut-brain axis and further emphasizes the need for microbiome analyses to be compulsorily included in health risk assessments of pesticides.”

A May 2022 study in the FASEB journal exposed rats to glyphosate-contaminated drinking water, and concludes that “glyphosate exposure increases anxiety-like behaviors as well as negative valence interpretation of different types of neutral, novel stimuli.” The effect was seen in males. “Daily consumption of glyphosate via drinking water for several months, at levels considered safe, does increase some types of anxiety-like behaviors in these animals,” said study co-author Demetrio Sierra-Mercado, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, in an article in Environmental Factor (NIEHS).

Anemia

In a July 2023 study in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Tawainese researchers analyzed data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of 1466 adults to explore the relationship between glyphosate exposure and erythrocyte profiles. The study found a “significant negative association between urinary glyphosate levels and hemoglobin and hematocrit … and provides preliminary evidence of a plausible association between glyphosate exposure and anemia in a subset of the adult population in the United States.”

Genomic damage

A September 2024 study in Chemosphere reports on in vitro genomic damage caused by glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA. Researchers used a micronucleus assay to evaluate genomic damage caused by glyphosate and AMPA. They found, “both glyphosate and AMPA showed genotoxic and cytotoxic properties. There are evidences of a possible synergistic action of these two compounds.”

Arthritis

An analysis of an US NHANES data published in March 2025 in Frontiers in Public Health associates glyphosate exposure with elevated risk of arthritis, particularly in the subgroup of osteoarthritis.

Toxicological concerns as environmental pollutants

A review of studies from 2010-2025 published in the Archives of Toxicology reports that, “As a result of heavy annual GBH use over several decades, GLY residues are ubiquitous, and sometimes adversely affect non-target terrestrial and aquatic organisms … Human exposures have been associated with numerous adverse health outcomes including carcinogenicity, metabolic syndrome, and reproductive and endocrine-system effects.” The researchers conclude: “In light of already-identified toxicological and ecosystem impacts, the intensive research focuses on GLY and GBHs should continue, coupled in the interim with commonsense, low-cost changes in use patterns and label requirements crafted to slow the spread of GLY-resistant weeds and reduce applicator and general-population exposures.”

What do scientists and health care providers say about glyphosate?

Many scientists, health care professionals and public interest groups have raised concern about the health impacts of glyphosate. Here are some key statements:

Use of GMO-Containing Food Products in Children, American Academy of Pediatrics (January 2024). Due to heavy use of glyphosate on herbicide-tolerant GMO corn and soybeans, AAP said, “glyphosate residues have been detected with increasing frequency in recent years in foods commonly consumed by children as well as in drinking water.” AAP advised that pediatricians talk with their patients about avoiding GMOs and glyphosate by choosing organic or whole, unprocessed foods.

• American Academy of Pediatrics Describes Benefits, Risks and Unknowns About GMO-Based Foods and Children’s Health, AAP Press Release (12.11.23)

Glyphosate and neurotoxicity — a call for scientific renewal, Nature Reviews Neurology (January 2024). Scientists called for new approaches to assessing the neurotoxicity of glyphosate and other pesticides. “Until we have results from new studies that meet the suggested criteria, we recommend that glyphosate use is limited as much as possible…”

The inadequacy of current pesticide regulations for protecting brain health: the case of glyphosate and Parkinson’s disease, The Lancet (December 2023). “We urgently appeal to governments and policy makers throughout the European Union to vote against extending the marketing authorisation of glyphosate by another 10 years.”

Statement by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Reproductive and Environmental Health Committee (2019). “We recommend that glyphosate exposure to populations should end with a full global phase out.”

Is it time to reassess safety standards for glyphosate based herbicides? BMJ (2017). “Considering what is now known about glyphosate from studies published over the last three decades, as well as the knowledge gaps that continue to raise concerns, we conclude that current safety standards for GBHs are outdated and may fail to protect public health and the environment.”

Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a scientific consensus statement, Environmental Health (2016).

Glyphosate and cancer: What do scientific and regulatory agencies say?

The scientific literature and regulatory conclusions regarding cancer links to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides show a mix of findings, making the safety of the herbicide a hotly debated subject.

In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” after reviewing years of peer-reviewed scientific studies. The team of international scientists found there was a particular association between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

U.S. agencies: At the time of the IARC classification, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was conducting a registration review. The EPA’s Cancer Assessment Review Committee (CARC) issued a report in 2016 concluding that glyphosate was “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans” at doses relevant to human health. In December 2016, the EPA convened a Scientific Advisory Panel to review the report; members were divided in their assessment of EPA’s work, with some finding the EPA erred in how it evaluated certain research. Additionally, the EPA’s Office of Research and Development determined that EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs had not followed proper protocols in its evaluation of glyphosate, and said the evidence could be deemed to support a “likely” carcinogenic or “suggestive” evidence of carcinogenicity classification. Nevertheless the EPA issued a draft report on glyphosate in December 2017 continuing to hold that the chemical is not likely to be carcinogenic. In April 2019, the EPA reaffirmed its position that glyphosate poses no risk to public health. But earlier that same month, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reported links between glyphosate and cancer: “numerous studies reported risk ratios greater than one for associations between glyphosate exposure and risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or multiple myeloma,” the report said.

The EPA issued an Interim Registration Review Decision in January 2020 with updated information about its position on glyphosate, continuing to hold the position that glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer. In June 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected EPA’s decision. EPA withdrew its interim decision in September 2022 and the agency will start over in its review.

European Union: The European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency have said glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. A March 2017 report by environmental and consumer groups argued that regulators relied improperly on research that was directed and manipulated by the chemical industry. A 2019 study found that Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment report on glyphosate, which found no cancer risk, included sections of text that had been plagiarized from Monsanto studies. In February 2020, reports surfaced that 24 scientific studies submitted to the German regulators to prove the safety of glyphosate came from a large German laboratory that has been accused of fraud and other wrongdoing.

In June 2021, the European Union’s (EU) Assessment Group on Glyphosate (AGG) issued an 11,000-page draft report concluding that glyphosate is safe when used as directed and does not cause cancer. The finding is based in part on a dossier of roughly 1,500 studies submitted to European regulators by the “Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG),” a collection of companies that includes Monsanto owner Bayer AG. The companies are seeking the renewal of the EU authorization of glyphosate. Current authorization in Europe expires in 2023.

WHO/FAO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues determined in 2016 that glyphosate was unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet, but this finding was tarnished by conflict of interest concerns after it came to light that the chair and co-chair of the group also held leadership positions with the International Life Sciences Institute, a group funded in part by Monsanto and one of its lobbying organizations.

California OEHHA: In March 2017, the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment confirmed it would add glyphosate to California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer. Monsanto sued to block the action but the case was dismissed. In a separate case, the court found that California could not require cancer warnings for products containing glyphosate. On June 12, 2018, a U.S. District Court denied the California Attorney General’s request for the court to reconsider the decision. The court found that California could only require commercial speech that disclosed “purely factual and uncontroversial information,” and the science surrounding glyphosate carcinogenicity was not proven.

Agricultural Health Study: A long-running U.S. government-backed prospective cohort study of farm families in Iowa and North Carolina has not found any connections between glyphosate use and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but the researchers reported that “among applicators in the highest exposure quartile, there was an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) compared with never users…” The most recent published update to the study was made public in late 2017.

How much glyphosate is used around the world?

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the U.S. and possibly the world, although there is no global scale assessment of glyphosate, according to a 2020 study from the University of Sydney. Researchers there found that glyphosate is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. “About 36 million square kilometres are treated with 600 to 750 thousand tonnes every year – and residues are found even in remote areas,” said lead author Frederico Maggi.

According to a 40-year use assessment, 3.5 billion pounds (1.6 billion kilograms) of glyphosate were sprayed across the U.S. from 1974-2014 and 18.9 billion pounds (8.6 billion kilograms) were sprayed worldwide in those years.

The study also found that glyphosate use has increased 15-fold since genetically modified crops were introduced in 1996.

Why are corporate studies a problem?

Regulators in Europe and the United States, Canada and elsewhere have repeatedly affirmed the corporate assertions of glyphosate safety. These regulators have relied in part on tests that are conducted by or for the companies that have not been published or peer reviewed.

The corporate studies have long been kept secret, even by regulators. But in Europe, litigation by a group of European Parliament lawmakers led to the release of dozens of such studies. More than 50 corporate studies were analyzed in 2021 by independent scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, Armen Nersesyan and Siegfried Knasmueller.

Their goal was to determine if the industry studies comply with current international guidelines for chemical testing. The researchers concluded that the bulk of the industry studies were outdated and did not meet current guidelines. An array of shortcomings and flaws were found in the studies, rendering most of them unreliable. Of the 53 studies submitted to regulators by the companies, only two were acceptable under current internationally recognized scientific standards, Knasmueller said.

Why is Bayer taking glyphosate off the U.S. consumer market?

Monsanto owner Bayer AG said it removed glyphosate-based herbicides from the U.S. consumer market in 2023 due to litigation. More than 100,000 people are suing Bayer alleging they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from exposure to the company’s glyphosate herbicides, such as Roundup. We are posting documents released via discovery on our Monsanto Papers page.

Glyphosate will still be used in large quantities in agriculture in the U.S. Reformulated versions of Roundup brand herbicide without glyphosate also remain on the market, but may contain other chemicals of concern.

For example, one of the active ingredients in “Roundup for Lawns” is dicamba, a chemical that can damage non-target plants and crops. A 2024 study by Friends of the Earth reports that new formulations of Roundup may be up to 45 times more toxic than glyphosate-based formulas.

Why is Bayer taking glyphosate off the U.S. consumer market?

Monsanto owner Bayer AG said it removed glyphosate-based herbicides from the U.S. consumer market in 2023 due to litigation. More than 100,000 people are suing Bayer alleging they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from exposure to the company’s glyphosate herbicides, such as Roundup. We are posting documents released via discovery on our Monsanto Papers page.

Glyphosate will still be used in large quantities in agriculture in the U.S. Reformulated versions of Roundup brand herbicide without glyphosate also remain on the market, but may contain other chemicals of concern.

For example, one of the active ingredients in “Roundup for Lawns” is dicamba, a chemical that can damage non-target plants and crops. A 2024 study by Friends of the Earth reports that new formulations of Roundup may be up to 45 times more toxic than glyphosate-based formulas.

Why are people suing Bayer over glyphosate?

More than 100,000 people have filed suit against Monsanto Company (now Bayer) alleging that exposure to Roundup herbicide caused them or their loved ones to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) — and that Monsanto covered up the risks. As part of the discovery process, Monsanto has had to turn over millions of pages of internal records. See our Monsanto Papers page for documents released during the trials.

Monsanto to influence over research

In March 2017, the federal court judge unsealed some internal Monsanto documents that raised new questions about Monsanto’s influence on the EPA process and about the research regulators rely on. The documents suggest that Monsanto’s long-standing claims about the safety of glyphosate and Roundup do not necessarily rely on sound science as the company asserts, but on efforts to manipulate the science.

More information about scientific interference

• Internal documents reveal pesticide industry science denial and manipulation: glyphosate case study, by Stacy Malkan et al. Excerpt from Merchants of Poison report (December 2022)

• Whistleblowers Expose Corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office, by Sharon Lerner (July 2021)

• The Monsanto Papers – Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption and One Man’s Search for Justice, by Carey Gillam (March 2021)

• The Monsanto Papers: Poisoning the Scientific Well, by Leemon McHenry (2018)

• Roundup litigation discovery documents: implications for public health and journal ethics, by Sheldon Krimsky and Carey Gillam (June 2018)

• Letter to Nature by Stéphane Horel and Stéphane Foucart (March 2018)

Why is desiccation of wheat and other crops a problem?

Some farmers use glyphosate on non-GMO crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and lentils to dry down the crop ahead of harvest. This practice, known as desiccation, may be a significant source of dietary exposure to glyphosate.

How much glyphosate is in our food

Despite having annual pesticide residue testing programs for more than 30 years, the USDA and U.S. FDA mostly skipped testing food for glyphosate until criticism from the Government Accountability Office in 2014. The USDA said it would start testing but then dropped the plan in 2017. Internal government documents obtained by U.S. Right to Know show USDA had planned to start testing over 300 samples of corn syrup for glyphosate in April 2017; but the agency killed the project before it started. FDA began a limited testing program in 2016, but the effort was fraught with controversy and internal difficulties and the program was suspended in September 2016. The FDA did later resume limited testing.

One FDA chemist found alarming levels of glyphosate in many samples of U.S. honey, levels that were technically illegal because there have been no allowable levels established for honey by the EPA. Here is a recap of news about glyphosate found in food:

• October 2018: FDA issued its first-ever report showing the results of its glyphosate residue in food testing. The FDA said no residues of glyphosate were found in milk or eggs, but residues were found in 63.1 percent of corn samples and 67 percent of soybean samples, according to FDA data. The agency did not disclose in that report the findings of glyphosate in oatmeal or honey products.

• April 2018: internal FDA emails indicated the agency had trouble finding food sample without traces of glyphosate.

• September 2016: FDA found high amounts of glyphosate in US honey — double the levels allowed in the EU — and FDA tests confirmed that oatmeal and baby foods contain glyphosate.

• November 2016: FDA chemist found glyphosate in honey in Iowa at 10X higher levels than allowed in the EU. Also in November, independent testing by consumer group Food Democracy Now found glyphosate in Cheerios, oatmeal cookies, Ritz crackers and other popular brands at high levels.

How does glyphosate affect plant growth?

Glyphosate is absorbed through leaves, stem, roots, or shoots. It works by inhibiting a key enzyme called 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), which is crucial for synthesizing three amino acids in plants. Without these amino acids, plants can’t survive. When treated with glyphosate, plants typically die within 1 to 3 weeks.

Is glyphosate losing effectiveness?

“Crop-killing weeds … are advancing across the U.S. northern plains and Midwest, in the latest sign that weeds are developing resistance to chemicals faster than companies including Bayer and Corteva can develop new ones to fight them,” reports Rod Nickel and Tom Polansek in a January 16, 2024 Reuters investigation. The report was based on two dozen interviews and a review of academic papers published since 2021.

The International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds, a global database maintained by a group of scientists in over 80 countries, records “reduced effectiveness for glyphosate, one of the most common herbicides, against 361 weed species, including 180 in the U.S., affecting corn, soy, sugar beets and other crops,” Nickel and Polanski wrote. “Some 21 weed species globally showed resistance to dicamba, the most recent major U.S. chemical, which launched in 2017.” See our dicamba fact sheet here.

This fact sheet was originally written by Carey Gillam and is regularly updated by USRTK staff

U.S. Right to Know