Roundup still has glyphosate in it, despite a history of clashing opinions and reported findings from the product’s chemical makeup. The Associated Press published a recent article about the product, citing that it still contains glyphosate as an active ingredient. Whether you use Roundup at work or home, it is almost guaranteed to contain the active ingredient glyphosate.
The public opinion on glyphosate is far from uniform, but recent findings from cancer researchers have helped cancer patients with a history of glyphosate use pursue lawsuits against Roundup’s current leadership, Bayer. If you or a loved one have cancer and a history of glyphosate use, it is important to understand the significance of glyphosate in Roundup and similar herbicide products.
About Monsanto and Roundup
According to Reuters, the agricultural company Monsanto, originally responsible for creating Roundup, first operated as a chemical manufacturer. While glyphosate was first registered as a pesticide in the United States in 1974, initial reports of skepticism did not arise until 1981, when the Environmental Protection Agency reported the potential for cancer-causing properties in glyphosate pesticides like Roundup. This opinion was later redacted by 1991, and Monsanto’s profit boom began shortly after.
Roundup Gave Farmers New Hope
Monsanto introduced Roundup to farmers around the world in 1996, along with seeds chemically engineered to be glyphosate-resistant. This effectively seemed to solve problems for agriculturalists working in mass production of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other field crops, such as corn and soybean. With Roundup, plus glyphosate-resistant crops, farmers could save loads of time, money, and other crucial resources otherwise spent on controlling weeds in food crops.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently lists Roundup as safe. The clash of public opinion becomes more concerning when you consider its use in both agricultural and non-agricultural products.
Evidently, whether Americans would like it or not, the use of Roundup extends to nearly every imaginable corner of life.
Roundup Controversy Amid Contemporary Cancer Research
When the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published studies about the results of glyphosate testing on animals, public opinion began to sway. The IARC reported that animals tested with glyphosate had a pattern of internal tumor development, and that farmers who used glyphosate were far more likely to get cancer than those who did not.
Following these reports, classes of farmers and other agricultural workers who regularly used Roundup and suffered from cancer began to initiate legal claims. By 2020, three of these lawsuits have already made it to trial, resulting in settlements from Monsanto, or its current parent company, Bayer.
Some farmers still prefer to work with Roundup, as it is less problematic than DDT, and less cumbersome than other chemicals that build up in groundwater. In addition, IARC researchers face criticisms from the EPA for the supposed exaggeration of testing results.
The EPA intends for some people to use some chemicals according to safety procedures and only up to a certain limit. The effects of millions of gallons of Roundup currently sprayed on industrial crops each year cannot fully be accounted for, as some cancer-causing agents take decades to show substantial harm.
Glyphosate Lawsuits
Thousands of plaintiffs were involved in glyphosate lawsuits as of October 2019, but not all of the cases have been formally acknowledged by Bayer. Bloomberg recently reported that Bayer has a $10 billion-dollar budget for settling at least 125,000 current lawsuits, plus any that may arise in the near future. Regardless, Roundup still has glyphosate in it.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm
If you or a loved one were personally affected by the use of roundup, a lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm wants to determine if they can help you seek fair compensation for your cancer diagnosis.
If you suffered exposure to glyphosate due to someone else’s negligence, you may qualify for compensation through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Call our offices today at (800) 794-0444.