Recently, scientists have discovered that glyphosate, the active chemical in RoundUp, can cause multi-generational harmful effects including an increased risk of kidney disease and birth anomalies. The study, published in April of this year, found that glyphosate modifies a person’s genes after direct exposure and that the modification can be passed down to future generations. Thus, a grandparent’s exposure to Roundup could eventually cause a grandchild to suffer from prostate cancer, early puberty, or obesity, as found in the study when performed on rats. The study concluded that while the toxic risk for direct exposure is low, the risk for future generations is much higher.
The awareness of the toxic impact of glyphosate is expected to increase after the influx of jury verdicts that have found that glyphosate in RoundUp is responsible for plaintiffs’ cancer. With juries awarding plaintiffs up to $2 billion in damages, more studies may be conducted to understand the indirect and direct consequences of RoundUp exposure.
RoundUp was created by Monsanto Company, who merged with Bayer last year, in order to control weeds in residential and public areas. However, glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, has been classified as carcinogenic. While Bayer and Monsanto dispute that the chemical is linked to cancer, there are reports that the companies have a mission to discredit any journalists or scientists who point to a connection between glyphosate and cancer.
For example, journalist Carey Gillam was targeted by the investigative branch of Monsanto in order to minimize the impact of his book titled “Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science.” Further, juries were convinced of a connection when they were shown documents that revealed that Monsanto has campaigned to quash any studies that have found glyphosate exposure to lead to cancer. As the recent study shows, future generations may be impacted by Monsanto and Bayer’s decision to keep this product on the market.
If you have been in direct contact with RoundUp, please reach out to the experienced attorneys at Forester Haynie.
