Roundup (herbicide)

Glyphosate-based formulations may contain a number of adjuvants, the identities of which may be proprietary.{{cite web |url=http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/pesticide-registration-manual |title=Pesticide Registration Manual | Pesticide Registration | US EPA |date=March 4, 2013 |access-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-date=April 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414065403/https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/pesticide-registration-manual |url-status=dead }} Surfactants are used in herbicide formulations as wetting agents, to maximize coverage and aid penetration of the herbicide(s) through plant leaves. As agricultural spray adjuvants, surfactants may be pre-mixed into commercial formulations or they may be purchased separately and mixed on-site.{{cite web |title=Adjuvants for Enhancing Herbicide Performance |url=https://extension.psu.edu/adjuvants-for-enhancing-herbicide-performance |website=extension.psu.edu |publisher=Penn State Extension |access-date=15 August 2018 |language=en}}

Polyethoxylated tallow amine (POEA) is a surfactant used in the original Roundup formulation and was commonly used in 2015.{{cite web|title=Measuring POEA, a Surfactant Mixture in Herbicide Formulations|url=http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/glyphosate_poea.html|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|access-date=August 19, 2022|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007051906/http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/glyphosate_poea.html|url-status=dead}} Different versions of Roundup have included different percentages of POEA. A 1997 US government report said that Roundup is 15% POEA while Roundup Pro is 14.5%. Since POEA is more toxic to fish and amphibians than glyphosate alone, POEA is not allowed in aquatic formulations.Gary L. Diamond and Patrick R. Durkin February 6, 1997, under contract from the United States Department of Agriculture. [http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/pesticide/pdfs/Surfactants.pdf Effects of Surfactants on the Toxicity of Glyphosate, with Specific Reference to RODEO]

Non-glyphosate formulations of Roundup are typically used for lawns that glyphosate would otherwise kill. Both type of products being sold under the Roundup brand name can be a source of confusion for consumers. Active ingredients for non-glyphosate formulations of Roundup can include MCPA, quinclorac, dicamba, and sulfentrazone, penoxsulam, and 2,4-D

The lethal dose of different glyphosate-based formulations varies, especially with respect to the surfactants used. Formulations intended for terrestrial use that include the surfactant POEA can be more toxic than other formulations for aquatic species.{{Cite journal |doi= 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.309 |pmid= 29117584 |issn= 0048-9697 |volume= 616-617 |pages=255–268 |last1=Van Bruggen |first1= A.H.C. |last2= He |first2= M.M. |last3= Shin |first3= K. |last4= Mai |first4= V. |last5= Jeong |first5= K.C. |last6= Finckh |first6= M. R. |last7= Morris |first7= J.G. |title= Environmental and health effects of the herbicide glyphosate |journal= Science of the Total Environment |date= 2018-03-01 |bibcode= 2018ScTEn.616..255V }}{{Citation |title= Effects of Surfactants on the Toxicity of Glyphosate, with Specific Reference to Rodeo |publisher= Syracuse Environmental Research Associates, Inc. (SERA) |access-date= 2018-08-20 |url= https://www.fs.fed.us/r5/hfqlg/publications/herbicide_info/2003_glyphosate.pdf}} Due to the variety in available formulations, including five different glyphosate salts and different combinations of inert ingredients, it is difficult to determine how much surfactants contribute to the overall toxicity of each formulation.{{Citation| title = Glyphosate: Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment | publisher= Syracuse Environmental Research Associates, Inc.(SERA) |access-date = 2018-08-20| url = https://www.fs.fed.us/r5/hfqlg/publications/herbicide_info/2003_glyphosate.pdf}} Independent scientific reviews and regulatory agencies have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate-based herbicides do not lead to a significant risk for human or environmental health when the product label is properly followed.

The acute oral toxicity for mammals is low, but death has been reported after deliberate overdose of concentrated Roundup.{{cite journal |vauthors= Sribanditmongkol P, Jutavijittum P, Pongraveevongsa P, Wunnapuk K, Durongkadech P |title= Pathological and toxicological findings in glyphosate-surfactant herbicide fatality: a case report |journal= The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology |volume= 33 |issue=3 |pages= 234–7 |date= Sep 2012 |doi= 10.1097/PAF.0b013e31824b936c |pmid= 22835958 |s2cid= 3457850 }} The surfactants in glyphosate formulations can increase the relative acute toxicity of the formulation.{{cite journal |vauthors= Bradberry SM, Proudfoot AT, Vale JA |title= Glyphosate poisoning |journal = Toxicological Reviews |volume= 23 |issue=3 |pages= 159–67 |year= 2004 |pmid= 15862083 |doi= 10.2165/00139709-200423030-00003 |s2cid= 5636017 }} Surfactants generally do not, however, cause synergistic effects (as opposed to additive effects) that increase the acute toxicity of glyphosate within a formulation. The surfactant POEA is not considered an acute toxicity hazard, and has an oral toxicity similar to vitamin A and less toxic than aspirin.{{cite journal |last1= Williams |first1=Gary M. |last2=Kroes |first2= Robert |last3=Munro |first3=Ian C. |title= Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans |journal=Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology |date=April 2000 |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=117–165 |doi= 10.1006/rtph.1999.1371 |pmid=10854122 |s2cid=19831028 }} Deliberate ingestion of Roundup ranging from 85 to 200 ml (of 41% solution) has resulted in death within hours of ingestion, although it has also been ingested in quantities as large as 500 ml with only mild or moderate symptoms.{{cite journal |vauthors=Talbot AR, Shiaw MH, Huang JS, Yang SF, Goo TS, Wang SH, Chen CL, Sanford TR |title=Acute poisoning with a glyphosate-surfactant herbicide ('Roundup'): a review of 93 cases |journal=Human & Experimental Toxicology |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=1–8 |date=Jan 1991 |pmid=1673618 |doi= 10.1177/096032719101000101|s2cid=8028945 }} Consumption of over 85 ml of concentrated product is likely to cause serious symptoms in adults, including burns due to corrosive effects as well as kidney and liver damage. More severe cases lead to "respiratory distress, impaired consciousness, pulmonary edema, infiltration on chest X-ray, shock, arrhythmias, kidney failure requiring haemodialysis, metabolic acidosis, and hyperkalaemia" and death is often preceded by bradycardia and ventricular arrhythmias.

Skin exposure can cause irritation, and photocontact dermatitis has been occasionally reported. Severe skin burns are very rare. In a 2017 risk assessment, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) wrote: "There is very limited information on skin irritation in humans. Where skin irritation has been reported, it is unclear whether it is related to glyphosate or co-formulants in glyphosate-containing herbicide formulations." The ECHA concluded that available human data was insufficient to support classification for skin corrosion or irritation.[https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/2f8b5c7f-030f-5d3a-e87e-0262fb392f38 Committee of Risk Assessment Opinion proposing harmonised classification and labelling at EU level of glyphosate (ISO); N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine]

Inhalation is a minor route of exposure, but spray mist may cause oral or nasal discomfort, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, or tingling and irritation in the throat. Eye exposure may lead to mild conjunctivitis. Superficial corneal injury is possible if irrigation is delayed or inadequate.

Glyphosate formulations with POEA, such as Roundup, are not approved for aquatic use due to aquatic organism toxicity.{{cite web |title=SS-AGR-104 Safe Use of Glyphosate-Containing Products in Aquatic and Upland Natural Areas |url= https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/AG/AG24800.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203235802/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/AG/AG24800.pdf |archive-date=2007-02-03 |url-status=live |publisher= University of Florida |access-date=13 August 2018}} Due to the presence of POEA, glyphosate formulations only allowed for terrestrial use are more toxic for amphibians and fish than glyphosate alone.{{cite journal |vauthors=Mann RM, Hyne RV, Choung CB, Wilson SP |title= Amphibians and agricultural chemicals: Review of the risks in a complex environment|journal=Environmental Pollution |year=2009 |volume=157 |issue=11 |pages= 2903–2927 |doi= 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.05.015|pmid= 19500891|url= http://hdl.cqu.edu.au/10018/35613}} Terrestrial glyphosate formulations that include the surfactants POEA and MON 0818 (75% POEA) may have negative impacts on various aquatic organisms like protozoa, mussels, crustaceans, frogs and fish. Aquatic organism exposure risk to terrestrial formulations with POEA is limited to drift or temporary water pockets. While laboratory studies can show effects of glyphosate formulations on aquatic organisms, similar observations rarely occur in the field when instructions on the herbicide label are followed.{{cite journal |last1=Rolando |first1=Carol |last2=Baillie |first2=Brenda |last3=Thompson |first3=Dean |last4=Little |first4=Keith |title=The Risks Associated with Glyphosate-Based Herbicide Use in Planted Forests |journal=Forests |date=12 June 2017 |volume=8 |issue=6 |pages=208 |doi= 10.3390/f8060208 |doi-access=free }}

Studies in a variety of amphibians have shown the toxicity of products containing POEA to amphibian larvae. These effects include interference with gill morphology and mortality from either the loss of osmotic stability or asphyxiation. At sub-lethal concentrations, exposure to POEA or glyphosate/POEA formulations have been associated with delayed development, accelerated development, reduced size at metamorphosis, developmental malformations of the tail, mouth, eye and head, histological indications of intersex and symptoms of oxidative stress. Glyphosate-based formulations can cause oxidative stress in bullfrog tadpoles.{{cite journal | url= https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mono112-10.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712091323/https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mono112-10.pdf |archive-date=2018-07-12 |url-status=live |title= Glyphosate | journal = IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans | volume = 112 | date = 11 August 2016 | publisher=International Agency for Research on Cancer | access-date= July 31, 2019}} The use of glyphosate-based pesticides are not considered the major cause of amphibian decline, the bulk of which occurred prior to widespread use of glyphosate or in pristine tropical areas with minimal glyphosate exposure.{{cite journal |vauthors= Wagner N, Reichenbecher W, Teichmann H, Tappeser B, Lötters S |title= Questions concerning the potential impact of glyphosate-based herbicides on amphibians |journal= Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry |volume= 32 |issue=8 |pages= 1688–700 |date= Aug 2013 |pmid= 23637092 |doi= 10.1002/etc.2268 |s2cid= 36417341 }}

A 2000 review of the toxicological data on Roundup concluded that "for terrestrial uses of Roundup minimal acute and chronic risk was predicted for potentially exposed nontarget organisms". It also concluded that there were some risks to aquatic organisms exposed to Roundup in shallow water.JP Giesy, KR Solomon, S Dobson (2000). "Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment for Roundup Herbicide". Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 167: 35-120

Roundup Ready‐To‐Use, Roundup No Glyphosate, and Roundup ProActive have all been found to cause significant mortality in bumblebees when sprayed directly on them. It has been hypothesized that this is due to surfactants in the formulations blocking the tracheal system of the bees.{{cite journal |last1=Straw |first1=Edward A. |last2=Carpentier |first2=Edward N. |last3=Brown |first3=Mark J. F. |title=Roundup causes high levels of mortality following contact exposure in bumble bees |journal=Journal of Applied Ecology |date=6 April 2021 |volume=58 |issue=6 |pages=1167–1176 |doi=10.1111/1365-2664.13867|doi-access=free }}

There is limited evidence that human cancer risk might increase as a result of occupational exposure to large amounts of glyphosate, such as agricultural work, but no good evidence of such a risk from home use, such as in domestic gardening.{{cite web |publisher=Cancer Research UK |title=Food Controversies—Pesticides and organic foods |url=https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/food-controversies#food_controversies4 |date=2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206193833/https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/food-controversies#food_controversies4 |access-date=2017-11-28 |archive-date=2017-02-06 }} The consensus among national pesticide regulatory agencies and scientific organizations is that labeled uses of glyphosate have demonstrated no evidence of human carcinogenicity.{{cite journal

|last1=Tarazona |first1=Jose V. |last2=Court-Marques |first2=Daniele |last3=Tiramani |first3=Manuela |last4=Reich |first4=Hermine

|last5=Pfeil |first5=Rudolf |last6=Istace |first6=Frederique |last7=Crivellente |first7=Federica

|title=Glyphosate toxicity and carcinogenicity: a review of the scientific basis of the European Union assessment and its differences with IARC

|journal=Archives of Toxicology

|date=2017-04-03 |volume=91 |issue=8 |pages=2723–2743 |doi=10.1007/s00204-017-1962-5 |pmid=28374158 |pmc=5515989 }} Organizations such as the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues and the European Commission, Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment{{Cite web |title = The BfR has finalised its draft report for the re-evaluation of glyphosate - BfR |access-date = 2018-08-18 |url = https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/the_bfr_has_finalised_its_draft_report_for_the_re_evaluation_of_glyphosate-188632.html}} have concluded that there is no evidence that glyphosate poses a carcinogenic or genotoxic risk to humans. The final assessment of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority in 2017 was that "glyphosate does not pose a carcinogenic risk to humans".{{Cite book |publisher=SAGE Publishing |isbn=978-1-4129-6987-1 |last1=Guston |first1=David |last2=Ludlow |first2=Karinne |title=Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Society |chapter=Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority |location=Thousand Oaks, Calif. |date=2010 |chapter-url=http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/nanoscience/n22.xml}} The EPA has evaluated the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate multiple times since 1986. In 1986, glyphosate was initially classified as Group C: "Possible Human Carcinogen", but later recommended as Group D: "Not Classifiable as to Human Carcinogenicity" due to lack of statistical significance in previously examined rat tumor studies. In 1991, it was classified as Group E: "Evidence of Non-Carcinogenicity for Humans", and in 2015 and 2017, "Not Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans".{{Cite web

|author=OCSPP |title=EPA Releases Draft Risk Assessments for Glyphosate

|work=US EPA

|format=Announcements and Schedules |access-date=August 18, 2018 |date=December 18, 2017

|url=https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-releases-draft-risk-assessments-glyphosate}}{{cite web

|title=Revised Glyphosate Issue Paper: Evaluation of Carcinogenic Potential

|url=https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0361-0073

|publisher=EPA |pages= 12–13 |access-date=September 24, 2019}}

One international scientific organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), classified glyphosate in Group 2A, "probably carcinogenic to humans" in 2015. The variation in classification between this agency and others has been attributed to "use of different data sets" and "methodological differences in the evaluation of the available evidence". In 2017, California environmental regulators listed glyphosate as “known to the state to cause cancer.” The state's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment made the decision based in part on the report from the IARC. State Proposition 65 requires the state office to add substances the international agency deems carcinogenic in humans or laboratory animals to a state list of cancer-causing items.{{Cite web |title=How chemicals are added to the Proposition 65 list |url=https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/how-chemicals-are-added-proposition-65-list |access-date=2024-01-21 |website=oehha.ca.gov}}

{{Primary sources section|date=December 2023}}

In the ten months following Bayer's June 2018 acquisition of Monsanto, its stock lost 46% of its value because of investor apprehension concerning the 11,200 lawsuits filed against its subsidiary.{{cite news|url=https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/industrie-lourde/0600982774167-glyphosate-monsanto-condamne-pour-la-deuxieme-fois-aux-etats-unis-2255984.php|title=Glyphosate: nouveau revers judiciare pour Bayer|author=Anaïs Moutot|newspaper=Les Echos|date=28 March 2019|access-date=30 March 2019|language=fr}} As of 2023, around 165,000 claims have been made against Bayer, mostly alleging that Roundup had caused cancer. Bayer has settled tens of thousands of those claims and has agreed to pay billions in damages, but, as of 2023, more than 50,000 similar claims were still pending. In December 2023, Bayer won a case against a claim that Roundup had caused a man's cancer. In a statement they said the outcome was "consistent with the evidence in this case that Roundup does not cause cancer and is not responsible for the plaintiff's illness". At that time, Bayer had previously won 10 of 15 such cases.

Most cases claiming injury from Roundup are based on a failure-to-warn theory of liability, meaning Monsanto is liable for a plaintiff's injury because it failed to warn the plaintiff that Roundup can cause cancer. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2021, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in early 2024, held that such state-law failure to warn claims were not preempted by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act ("FIFRA"). In August 2024, however, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that FIFRA does preempt state-law failure to warn claims involving Roundup, expressly recognizing that its holding conflicts with that of the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits.{{Cite web |date=15 August 2024 |title=Schaffner v. Monsanto Corporation |url=https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/223075p.pdf |access-date=17 August 2024 |website=Third Circuit United States Court of Appeals}}{{Cite web |last=Stempel |date=16 August 2024 |title=Bayer wins US legal victory against Roundup cancer claims; shares surge |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/bayer-wins-big-us-legal-victory-against-roundup-cancer-claims-shares-surge-2024-08-16/ |access-date=17 August 2024 |website=Reuters}} This conflict among the Third, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuit creates a heightened potential that the United States Supreme Court will review the Third Circuit's decision so that the Supreme Court can resolve the conflict among the Courts of Appeals.{{Cite web |last=Feeley |date=16 August 2024 |title=Bayer surges after Roundup appeal wins in Philadelphia court |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/bayer-wins-roundup-appeal-that-could-help-corral-cancer-suits |access-date=17 August 2024 |website=Blomberg Law}}Lieb, David A., [https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-cancer-lawsuits-supreme-court-dc9baf29612963856829564e8ee77195 Weedkiller maker asks US Supreme Court to block lawsuits claiming it failed to warn about cancer], Associated Press, April 7, 2025

As of October 30, 2019, there were more than 42,000 plaintiffs who said that glyphosate herbicides caused their cancer.{{cite news

|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-30/bayer-is-now-facing-42-700-plaintiffs-in-roundup-litigation

|title=Bayer's Roundup Headache Grows as Plaintiffs Pile Into Court

|date=October 30, 2019 |publisher=Bloomberg News |access-date=October 31, 2019

|language=en}} After the IARC classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in March 2015,{{Cite web |title=IARC Monograph on Glyphosate |url=https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/media-centre-iarc-news-glyphosate/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220712185952/https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/media-centre-iarc-news-glyphosate/ |archive-date=2022-07-12 |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=International Agency for Research on Cancer}} many state and federal lawsuits were filed in the United States. Early on, over 300 of them were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation called In re: RoundUp Products Liability.{{Cite news

|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-14/monsanto-judge-pictures-weed-killer-showers-amid-cancer-debate

|title=Monsanto's Cancer Fight Judge Pictures Weed Killer Showers

|date=March 14, 2018 |access-date=August 17, 2018 |publisher=Bloomberg News}}

On August 10, 2018, Dewayne Johnson, who has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, was awarded $289 million in damages (later cut to $78 million on appeal{{cite news

|title=Groundskeeper Accepts Reduced $78 Million Award In Monsanto Cancer Suit

|first=Emily |last=Sullivan |publisher=National Public Radio

|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/01/662812333/groundskeeper-accepts-reduced-78-million-in-monsanto-cancer-suit

|access-date=July 29, 2019}} then reduced to $21 million after another appeal{{cite news

|last1=Egelko |first1=Bob |title=Award to Vallejo groundskeeper in Monsanto cancer case slashed again - verdict upheld

|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Award-to-Vallejo-groundskeeper-in-Monsanto-cancer-15421705.php

|access-date=March 3, 2021 |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle

|date=July 21, 2020}}) after a jury in San Francisco found that Monsanto had failed to adequately warn consumers of cancer risks posed by the herbicide.{{cite news

|title=Monsanto ordered to pay $289 million in world's first Roundup...

|work=Reuters |access-date=August 17, 2018 |date=August 11, 2018

|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-monsanto-cancer-lawsuit/jury-orders-monsanto-to-pay-290-million-in-california-roundup-cancer-trial-idUSKBN1KV2HB}}{{cite news

|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45154362

|title=Weedkiller 'doesn't cause cancer' - Bayer

|date=August 11, 2018 |work=BBC News |access-date=August 11, 2018

|language=en-GB}} Johnson had routinely used two different glyphosate formulations in his work as a groundskeeper, RoundUp and another Monsanto product called Ranger Pro.{{Cite news

|last=Johnston |first=Gretel |title=Dying cancer patient awarded $395m in Monsanto Roundup case

|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=August 18, 2018 |date=August 11, 2018

|url= https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/dying-cancer-patient-awarded-a395m-in-monsanto-roundup-case-20180811-p4zwww.html}}{{Citation |last1=Judkins |first1=Donna R |title=Draft Ecological Risk Assessment for the Registration Review of Dichlorvos, Naled, and Trichlorfon |date=June 17, 2020 |page=33 |publisher=UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY |last2=Wente |first2=Stephen P}} The jury's verdict addressed the question of whether Monsanto knowingly failed to warn consumers that RoundUp could be harmful, but not whether RoundUp causes cancer.{{Cite news |issn=0027-8378 |last=Ebersole |first=Rene |title=Monsanto Just Lost a Case Linking Its Weed Killer to Cancer |magazine=The Nation |access-date=August 18, 2018 |date=August 17, 2018 |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/monsanto-just-lost-a-case-linking-its-weedkiller-to-cancer/ |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817153043/https://www.thenation.com/article/monsanto-just-lost-a-case-linking-its-weedkiller-to-cancer/ |url-status=dead }} Court documents from the case alleged the company's efforts to influence scientific research via ghostwriting.{{Cite news |work=The New York Times

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/business/monsantos-sway-over-research-is-seen-in-disclosed-emails.html

|title=Monsanto Emails Raise Issue of Influencing Research on Roundup Weed Killer

|first=Danny |last=Hakim |date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=October 13, 2018 |language=en}}

In January 2019, Costco decided to stop carrying Roundup or other glyphosate-based herbicides. The decision was reportedly influenced in part by the public court cases.{{Cite web

|url=https://people.com/home/costco-removes-roundup-after-2-billion-lawsuit

|title=Costco Will Reportedly Remove Roundup from Stores After $2 Billion Awarded to Couple Who Claimed Weed Killer Caused Their Cancer

|magazine=People magazine |language=en |access-date=December 8, 2019}}

In March 2019, a man was awarded $80 million (later cut to $26 million on appeal{{cite news|url=https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/07/15/80-million-award-reduced-monsanto-roundup-cancer-patient/|title=Judge Reduces $80M Award In Roundup Case; Cancer Patient, Monsanto Both Consider Appeal|date=2019-07-15|access-date=2019-07-27|publisher=KPIX-TV|agency=Associated Press|location=San Francisco}}) in a lawsuit claiming Roundup was a substantial factor in his cancer.{{cite news | title = Jury Awards $80 Million In Damages In Roundup Weed Killer Cancer Trial |first=Richard |last=Gonzales |date=March 29, 2019 |publisher=NPR

|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/03/27/707439575/jury-awards-80-million-in-damages-in-roundup-weed-killer-cancer-trial | access-date=2019-07-29}}{{cite news | title = Louisville lawyer wins $80M verdict against Monsanto over weedkiller Roundup | first = Andrew | last = Wolfson | work = The Courier-Journal | location = Louisville, Kentucky | date = 2019-03-28 | url = https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2019/03/28/monsanto-roundup-cancer-lawsuit-louisville-lawyer-wins-huge-verdict-80-million/3295421002/ | access-date = 2019-07-29}} U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria stated that a punitive award was appropriate because the evidence "easily supported a conclusion that Monsanto was more concerned with tamping down safety inquiries and manipulating public opinion than it was with ensuring its product is safe." Chhabria stated that there was evidence on both sides as to whether glyphosate causes cancer, and that the behavior of Monsanto showed "a lack of concern about the risk that its product might be carcinogenic."

On May 13, 2019, a jury in California ordered Bayer to pay a couple $2 billion in damages (later cut to $87 million on appeal{{cite news

|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/judge-cuts-billion-award-couple-with-cancer-million-roundup-lawsuit

|title=Judge cuts $2 billion award for couple with cancer to $86.7 million in Roundup lawsuit |last=Telford |first=Taylor

|date=July 26, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post

|access-date=July 27, 2019}}) after finding that the company had failed to adequately inform consumers of the possible carcinogenicity of Roundup.{{Cite news

|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-13/bayer-loses-its-third-trial-over-claims-roundup-causes-cancer

|title=Bayer's $2 Billion Roundup Damages Boost Pressure to Settle

|newspaper=Bloomberg.com |date=May 13, 2019 |publisher=Bloomberg News |access-date=May 14, 2019}} On December 19, 2019, it was announced that Timothy Litzenburg, the lawyer for the RoundUp Virginia plaintiffs had been charged with extortion after offering to stop searching for more plaintiffs if he was paid a $200 million consulting fee by a manufacturer of glyphosate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/timothy-litzenburg-former-monsanto-roundup-lawyer-charged-with-extortion/|title=Roundup suit lawyer accused of $200 million extortion plot|website=CBS News |date=December 18, 2019 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/12976-lawyer-for-roundup-plaintiffs-charged-with-extortion|title = Lawyer for Roundup plaintiffs charged with extortion}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-otc-masstorts/doj-charges-roundup-plaintiffs-lawyer-in-200-million-alleged-extortion-scheme-idUSKBN1YM2L9|title = DOJ charges Roundup plaintiffs' lawyer in $200 million alleged extortion scheme|newspaper = Reuters|date = 19 December 2019}} Litzenburg and his partner Daniel Kincheloe pleaded guilty to the charges and they were sentenced to two and one years in prison respectively.{{cite news

|title=Virginia lawyers get prison terms for $200M Roundup extortion scheme

|url=https://today.westlaw.com/Document/I50a628d0f9f211eaadd8fa89d4036ae0/View/FullText.html

|access-date=December 1, 2021 |website=Westlaw Today |agency=Reuters Legal |date=September 18, 2020}}

In June 2020, Bayer agreed to settle more than a hundred thousand Roundup lawsuits, agreeing to pay $8.8 to $9.6 billion to settle those claims, and $1.5 billion for any future claims. The settlement does not include three cases that have already gone to jury trials and are being appealed.[https://www.npr.org/2020/06/24/882949098/bayer-to-pay-more-than-10-billion-to-resolve-roundup-cancer-lawsuits Bayer To Pay More Than $10 Billion To Resolve Cancer Lawsuits Over Weedkiller Roundup] However the settlement was not allowed to cover future cases.

In the 2020s, facing billions of dollars in more claims, Bayer lobbied the U.S. Congress and state legislatures to change legal standards for pesticide labeling in an attempt to reduce its liability.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/06/20/bayer-roundup-farm-bill-lobbying/ |title=Bayer lobbies Congress to help fight lawsuits tying Roundup to cancer |date=June 20, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |author=Tony Romm}} {{As of|2024}}, the US EPA planned to reevaluate regulations in 2026.

In 1996, Monsanto was accused of false and misleading advertising of glyphosate products, prompting a lawsuit by the New York State attorney general.{{Cite web |author=mindfully.org |url=http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Monsanto-v-AGNYnov96.htm |title=Attorney General of the State of New York. Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. Environmental Protection Bureau. 1996. In the matter of Monsanto Company, respondent. Assurance of discontinuance pursuant to executive law § 63(15). New York, NY, Nov |publisher=Mindfully.org |access-date=2010-08-22 |archive-date=July 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706091235/http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Monsanto-v-AGNYnov96.htm |url-status=dead }} Monsanto had made claims that its spray-on glyphosate based herbicides, including Roundup, were safer than table salt and "practically non-toxic" to mammals, birds, and fish, "environmentally friendly", and "biodegradable".{{cite news |title=Monsanto Agrees to Modify Roundup Ads in New York State

|author=Talbot, AR |author2=Shiaw, MH |author3=Huang, JS |author4=Yang, SF

|url=https://www.apnews.com/d196b9a5bb54637a7b281760b0f7a966 |access-date=14 October 2018 | publisher =Associated Press |date=25 November 1996}} Citing avoidance of costly litigation, Monsanto settled the case, admitting no wrongdoing, and agreeing to remove the offending advertising claims in New York State.

Environmental and consumer rights campaigners brought a case in France in 2001 accusing Monsanto of presenting Roundup as "biodegradable" and claiming that it "left the soil clean" after use; glyphosate, Roundup's main ingredient, was classed by the European Union as "dangerous for the environment" and "toxic for aquatic organisms". In January 2007, Monsanto was convicted of false advertising and fined 15,000 euros. The result was confirmed in 2009.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8308903.stm|title=Monsanto guilty in 'false ad' row |date=2009-10-15 |work=BBC News |access-date=2009-10-16}}{{cite news |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2009/10/15/monsanto-definitivement-condamne-pour-publicite-mensongere-a-propos-du-round-up_1254230_3244.html |title=Monsanto définitivement condamné pour "publicité mensongère" à propos du Round Up |language=fr |trans-title=Monsanto finally convicted for 'false advertising' about the Round Up |date=2009-10-15 |newspaper=Le Monde |location=Paris}}

On 27 March 2020 Bayer settled claims in a proposed class action alleging that it falsely advertised that the active ingredient in Roundup Weed & Grass Killer only affects plants with a $39.5 million deal that included changing the labels on its products.{{Cite web|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1257915/monsanto-to-pay-39m-in-roundup-false-ad-class-settlement|title=Monsanto To Pay $39M In Roundup False Ad Class Settlement - Law360|website=www.law360.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-30}}

In June 2023, Bayer reached a $6.9 million settlement agreement with the New York attorney general, settling false advertising allegations concerning the safety of Roundup.{{cite news |last1=Stempel |first1=Jonathan |title=Bayer reaches $6.9 million settlement with New York over Roundup safety claims |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/bayer-reaches-69-mln-settlement-with-new-york-over-roundup-safety-claims-2023-06-15/ |access-date=21 June 2023 |publisher=Reuters |date=15 June 2023}}

Some tests originally conducted on glyphosate by contractors were later found to have been fraudulent, along with tests conducted on other pesticides. Concerns were raised about toxicology tests conducted by Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories in the 1970s{{cite web |publisher=U.S. EPA Office of pesticides and Toxic Substances |date=July 1983 |title=Summary of the IBT review program |url=https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=91014ULV.TXT}} and Craven Laboratories was found to have fraudulently analysed samples for residues of glyphosate in 1991.{{cite news |author=Keith Schneider |work=New York Times |title=U.S. Seeks to Learn if Tests On Pesticides Were Falsified |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/02/us/us-seeks-to-learn-if-tests-on-pesticides-were-falsified.html |access-date=20 September 2018 |date=1991-03-02 |language=en}} Monsanto has stated that the studies have since been repeated.{{cite web |work=Backgrounder |title=Testing Fraud: IBT and Craven Labs |date=June 2005 |publisher=Monsanto |url=http://www.monsanto.com/products/Documents/glyphosate-background-materials/ibt_craven_bkg.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208233014/http://www.monsanto.com/products/Documents/glyphosate-background-materials/ibt_craven_bkg.pdf |archive-date=2010-12-08 |url-status=live}}

In January 2019, Roundup Pro 360 was banned in France following a Lyon court ruling that regulator ANSES had not given due weight to safety concerns when they approved the product in March 2017. The ban went into effect immediately. The court's decision cited research by the IARC, based in Lyon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190116-weedkiller-roundup-banned-france-after-court-ruling|title=Weedkiller Roundup banned in France after court ruling|date=2019-01-16|website=France 24|language=en|access-date=2019-01-16}}{{cite news

|newspaper=Reuters |title=French court cancels Monsanto weedkiller permit on safety grounds

|date=January 15, 2019 |access-date=January 16, 2019

|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bayer-monsanto-france/french-court-cancels-monsanto-weedkiller-permit-on-safety-grounds-idUSKCN1P91F6}}

{{main|Roundup Ready}}

Monsanto first developed Roundup in the 1970s. End-users initially used it in a similar way to paraquat and diquat – as a non-selective herbicide. Application of glyphosate-based herbicides to row crops resulted in problems with crop damage and kept them from being widely used for this purpose. In the United States, use of Roundup experienced rapid growth following the commercial introduction of a glyphosate-resistant soybean in 1996.{{cite journal |last1= Duke |first1= Stephen O. |title= The history and current status of glyphosate |journal= Pest Management Science |volume= 74 |issue= 5 |pages= 1027–1034 |doi= 10.1002/ps.4652 |pmid= 28643882 |url= http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdaarsfacpub/1766/ |access-date= 20 August 2018|year= 2018 |s2cid= 4408706 |doi-access= free }} "Roundup Ready" became Monsanto's trademark for its patented line of crop seeds that are resistant to Roundup. Between 1990 and 1996 sales of Roundup increased around 20% per year.{{Cite news | title = Top-selling herbicide not close to withering | work = Wall Street Journal | access-date = 2018-08-12 | date = 1996-01-08 | url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22746669/topselling_herbicide_not_close_to/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180813111128/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22746669/topselling_herbicide_not_close_to/ | archive-date = 2018-08-13 | url-status = live}} {{As of| 2015}} the product was used in over 160 countries.

{{Cite web

| title = What Do We Really Know About Roundup Weed Killer?

| work = National Geographic News

| access-date = 2018-08-13

| date = 2015-04-23

| url = https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150422-glyphosate-roundup-herbicide-weeds/

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180813111122/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150422-glyphosate-roundup-herbicide-weeds/

| archive-date = 2018-08-13 | url-status = dead

}}

Roundup is used most heavily on corn, soy, and cotton crops that have been genetically modified to withstand the chemical, but {{as of | 2012 | lc = on}} glyphosate treated approximately 5 million acres in California for crops like almond, peach, cantaloupe, onion, cherry, sweet corn, and citrus,

{{Cite web

| title = What Do We Really Know About Roundup Weed Killer?

| work = National Geographic News

| date = 2015-04-23

| url = https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150422-glyphosate-roundup-herbicide-weeds/

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180813111122/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150422-glyphosate-roundup-herbicide-weeds/

| archive-date = 2018-08-13

| url-status = dead

| access-date = 13 July 2020

| quote = [...] some five million acres in California were treated with glyphosate in 2012 to grow almonds, peaches, onions, cantaloupe, cherries, sweet corn, citrus, grapes, and other edible crops.

}}

although the product is only applied directly to certain varieties of sweet corn.

• 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
• Environmental impact of pesticides
• Health effects of pesticides
• Integrated pest management
• Pesticide regulation in the United States
• Pesticides in the United States

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• Baccara, Mariagiovanna, et al. [http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~lcabral/teaching/monsanto.pdf ”Monsanto's Roundup”], NYU Stern School of Business: August 2001, Revised July 14, 2003.
• Pease W S et al. (1993) ”Preventing pesticide-related illness in California agriculture: Strategies and priorities”. Environmental Health Policy Program Report. Berkeley, CA: University of California. School of Public Health. California Policy Seminar.
• Wang Y, Jaw C and Chen Y (1994) “Accumulation of 2,4-D and glyphosate in fish and water hyaacinth”. Water Air Soil Pollute. 74:397–403

• {{Official website|https://roundup.com/en-us/home}}
• [http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0057.htm EPA's Integrated Risk Information System entry for glyphosate]—The main ingredient in Roundup
• [http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/c-soc/glyphosa.html EPA's ground & drinking water consumer factsheet for glyphosate]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020919180630/http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/c-soc/glyphosa.html |date=2002-09-19 }}

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Category:1976 introductions

Category:Endocrine disruptors

Category:Herbicides

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tr:Roundup