There’s nothing scarier than the thought of a dangerous, cancer-causing chemical lurking in the shadow of our everyday life. For many Americans, this passing fear has become all-too-real. Many of us need go no further to find this threat than our own garage or toolshed, stowed neatly with our gardening supplies. Evidence is mounting that Roundup weed killer—which we’ve brought into our food production and supply, the green spaces we inhabit, and the back yards of the homes where we live since its market debut in 1974—is connected to heightened risks for cancers attacking the lymphatic system: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, lymphocytic lymphoma, leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and multiple myeloma.
The science surrounding glyphosate is an ongoing debate, one that won’t likely be settled until the courts make their decisions. Monsanto critics allege the corporation has knowingly sponsored scientific research reflecting favorably on the chemical, downplaying its carcinogenic risk. This ensured that until 2001, there was only limited available evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. In an unsealed internal email, a Monsanto executive lamented, “Data generated by academics has always been a major concern [for Monsanto] in the defense of our products.” For context, this comment came in response to scientific research correlating cancer with Roundup, the leading glyphosate product on the market.
There is, however, ample evidence indicating a direct connection between glyphosate and cancer in lab animals. In 1985, based on a study of tumor growth in mice, the EPA’s original designation for the chemical was Group C, “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” In 1991, this study was challenged, spurred in part by Monsanto’s relationship with the EPA, and the classification was updated to Group E, “non-carcinogenic in humans.” But in revisiting the mouse/tumor study yet again for its 2015 report, the IARC upheld the 1985 study’s findings of sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in lab animals, as well as integrating new data pointing to DNA and chromosomal damage in human cells.
At first, glyphosate wasn’t really used for much. It was initially discovered in 1950 by a Swiss chemist, and it was such an insignificant finding that the chemist never bothered to publish his work. In 1970, Monsanto chemist John E. Franz independently discovered it while testing for a new water-softening agent, and realized the herbicidal qualities. Franz was tasked to create chemical analogs of greater herbicidal activity, and the chemical—a powerful herbicidal substance with no detectable smell or color—was the third analog created. The rest, as they say, is history.
Monsanto brought Roundup to the market in 1974. In over 40 years of production, Monsanto has used every shrewd marketing tactic in the book to soothe consumer concerns over product toxicity. From a corporate perspective, this is simply marketing savvy: giving consumers the safety assurance they need… without really taking the inconvenient science of safety into account.
Worldwide, we use about 250 million pounds of this chemical annually, the bulk of which comes from Roundup. It’s used in industrial agriculture, farming the crops we eat (yes, even organics and those labeled “non-GMO”.) It’s used in landscaping projects, public parks, and golf courses. Closer to home, it’s used on the sidewalks, driveways, and yards of your own neighborhood. It’s been around for so long—and used so many ways—that we’re collectively desensitized to the caustic nature of the product. And, as unsealed internal emails from Monsanto higher-ups have revealed recently, that’s exactly the way the corporation wants it.
By now, you’re probably aware that a 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) report concluded that exposure to Roundup is likely to cause cancer. You’ve also probably heard about the 2015 International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) report stating glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic” to humans, as well as California’s 2017 decision to add the chemical to the state’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer. What you may not know is that Roundup brand weed killer—the best-selling weed killer worldwide—is sold in over 160 countries. California, the lead farming state in the U.S., uses glyphosate on over 250 types of crops, producing everything from food crops to textiles.
