Rounding Up Roundup: An Insidious and Pervasive Silent Killer

A recent study found that human exposure to glyphosate (the popular herbicide in Roundup) increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 41%.  Although the number of individuals affected will likely go undetermined for quite some time, the herbicide has been discovered in many popular American foods and beverages including oats (even in some varieties labeled “organic”), beer and wine.  In fact, a study conducted by an independent laboratory detected the poison in 43 of the 45 cereals it tested including Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Quaker Oats, and other foods that kids love.  Further, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic”.

Worse yet, oats and alcohol may only be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to human glyphosate exposure, and cancer may only be part of Roundup’s harmful legacy.  As Bloomberg reports, “studies in the previous decade found significant traces of glyphosate-based herbicides in drinking water and groundwater, probably routinely exposing millions of people across the planet to the chemical.”

Additionally, a study conducted by Michael Skinner and colleagues at Washington State University discovered that adverse effects of rats exposed to glyphosate did not exhibit in the rats that ingested the poison, but in the next two generations of offspring.  The adverse effects included a range of maladies including: prostate disease, obesity, kidney disease, ovarian disease and birth abnormalities.  While scientists have yet to link the same to humans exposed to glyphosate, such studies are foreboding.

Regardless, the word is out regarding Roundup’s toxicity and as evidenced by their verdicts, juries across America are not happy.  In 2018, a California jury found against Bayer AG (parent company of Monsanto) to the tune of $289 million, concluding that Roundup had caused Plaintiff, Dwayne Johnson’s cancer.  A federal jury subsequently rendered an $80 million dollar verdict against Monsanto for the role it played in causing Edwin Hardeman’s cancer.  Most recently, a jury in Oakland, California rendered a verdict against Monsanto for $2 billion dollars after determining that Roundup was responsible for causing cancer in an elderly couple.

While Bayer AG and Monsanto will undoubtedly continue to argue against the efficacy of studies finding a “compelling link” between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the evidence is mounting that such a link is very real and serious.  It is estimated that there are currently more than 10,000 plaintiffs suing Bayer for producing and marketing Roundup.  This number likely represents a mere fraction of those individuals harmed.

The law offices of McCoy, Hiestand & Smith, PLC, are currently investigating Roundup claims.  If you or someone you know has developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and suspect it was caused by exposure to Roundup, please give us a call at (800) 254-4444.