Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide weed killer, is wildly popular for effectively killing weeds while allowing genetically modified crops to flourish. 

Manufactured by Monsanto, an agricultural biotechnology corporation that was acquired by Bayer AG in 2018, Roundup is used in almost all corn, cotton and soy farming (as well as many other agricultural concerns) in the United States, covering more than 168 million acres, and on individual consumers’ personal lawns and gardens.

Roundup is a product of Monsanto, an agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and acquired by Bayer in 2018. The company was one of the first to genetically modify plants, conducting field trials of genetically modified crops as early as the late 1980s. By 2015, Monsanto was the world’s number one supplier of seeds, and controlled over one-quarter of the entire global seed market.

Glyphosate, the main ingredient used in Roundup, is an organophosphorus (OP) compound that is an extremely effective herbicide.

According to a 2015 risk assessment by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there is evidence that glyphosate may cause cancer in animals. Additionally, the IARC found that some studies indicate glyphosate may trigger chromosomal damage and cancer-causing mutations in human cells. However Monsanto, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, maintain that Roundup is safe if used as directed.

The EPA has repeatedly stated that glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans.

A significant amount of reputable research may contradict the EPA’s assessment. Additionally, EPA executives’ alleged willingness to work closely with Monsanto may suggest agency capture – where regulators may be more concerned with private interests than public health.

One Environmental Sciences Europe analysis published in January 2019 claimed that the EPA overlooked peer-reviewed independent studies in its report, opting instead to rely on research funded by Monsanto to support the company’s claim that glyphosate does not cause cancer.

The amount of glyphosate depends on which Roundup product is being used:

• Roundup Ready III contains 2 percent glyphosate
• Roundup Lawn and Garden contains 18 percent glyphosate
• Roundup Original contains 41 percent glyphosate
• Roundup Super Concentrate contains 50.2 percent glyphosate

Higher concentrations are used on harder-to-kill items in large areas of grasses and weeds. Many Roundup products, including Roundup Ready III, Roundup Lawn and Garden, and Roundup Original, also contain other ingredients that help glyphosate work faster and more effectively.

Not quite. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup products, but only makes up around 41 percent of its concentrate form and various percentages in other Roundup products (see above). The remainder of the formula includes inactive ingredients and adjuvants. Adjuvants are chemicals that are used to enhance the performance of the active ingredient – in this case, glyphosate. The main adjuvant found in Roundup is the surfactant polyethoxylated tallowamine, which helps glyphosate penetrate plant cells.

Possibly. The adjuvants, or inactive chemicals that help glyphosate penetrate and kill plant cells, may be hazardous to humans. Researchers have found that the combination of glyphosate with these chemicals may multiply the toxicity of the product. In other words, the ingredients may be even more powerful (and potentially dangerous) when combined into a single product than standing alone.

Brief exposure to glyphosate can cause the following symptoms:

• Eye or skin irritation
• Irritation in the nose and throat (if inhaled)
• Saliva, burns in mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (if swallowed). If a significant amount is swallowed (usually intentionally), it can be fatal.

Individuals who may be at the highest risk of developing NHL from glyphosate exposure are those who use it most frequently, typically as a part of their job. The frequent and long-term high level exposure experienced by agricultural workers, groundskeepers, landscapers, gardeners, farmers and pesticide/ herbicide applicators may put them most at risk.

If you were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after prolonged Roundup exposure, it is possible that this exposure may have caused or significantly contributed to the development of your cancer.

Research published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2008 found that individuals exposed to Roundup for 10 or more days in a year may have twice the risk of developing NHL than other individuals. Even more recently, in February 2019, former EPA advisors published research claiming heavy exposure to Roundup may increase a person’s risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 41 percent.

Roundup lawsuits claim that Roundup is not as safe as Monsanto claims and that the company should be held accountable for failing to warn the public about the cancer risk allegedly associated with prolonged Roundup usage.

While anyone can file a lawsuit if they have evidence supporting their claims, the strongest Roundup cases involve individuals diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or multiple myeloma after prolonged and significant exposure to Roundup.

Common plaintiffs include, but are not limited to:

• Agricultural workers
• Farmers
• Gardeners
• Government workers
• Groundskeepers
• Individuals who use Roundup on their personal or business properties
• Landscapers
• Lawn care workers
• Pesticide and herbicide applicators
• Nursery employees
• Maintenance workers
• Greenskeepers

Yes. To-date, there have been three cases heard with plaintiffs prevailing in all three. Damages awarded the victims include $289 million, $80 million, and $2 billion, respectively.

Dewayne Johnson v. Monsanto Company: In August 2018, a California federal jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million to Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, who developed NHL after regularly using Roundup as part of his job as a school groundskeeper. The jury found that Monsanto failed to warn of the carcinogenic dangers associated with Roundup. On Oct. 22, a federal judge slashed his winnings to $78 million – $39 million in compensatory and $39 million in punitive damages. Monsanto subsequently has filed an appeal in an attempt to reverse the verdict, claiming it was legally flawed, that there were judicial errors, and that the plaintiff failed to prove general causation.

Edwin Hardeman v. Monsanto Company: In March 2019, a jury in the second federal Roundup case ordered Monsanto to pay $80 million to 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman. Hardeman was diagnosed with NHL in 2015 after using Roundup on his 56-acre property for 26 years. The jury concluded that Roundup was a substantial factor in his cancer diagnosis and decided that Monsanto should be held liable for failing to include a warning label on its product. The company plans on appealing the verdict.

Pilliod v. Monsanto Company: The plaintiffs are a married couple in their 70s, Alva and Alberta Pilliod. Both were diagnosed with NHL after using Roundup from the mid-1970s until a few years ago on multiple properties they own. On May 13, 2019, a California jury ordered Monsanto to pay more than $2 billion in damages. Bayer is expected to appeal.

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Not necessarily. As of now, there have been three individual (not class action) Roundup cases won by plaintiffs with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Each of these victims received significant awards – from tens of millions to two billion dollars. A number of factors, including proof of liability, medical expenses, lost work, other financial damages, emotional pain and suffering, the application of punitive damages, and the defendant’s assets are key factors in determining the outcome of a lawsuit.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with NHL or multiple myeloma after Roundup exposure, you may lose enormous sums of money due to lost work, medical expenses and future preventative care. Filing a successful lawsuit can help mitigate some of these costs, which, if caused by Roundup exposure, should not be yours to bear. A lawsuit also provides you with a vehicle to hold Monsanto accountable for the emotional pain and suffering the company allegedly caused you and your family. To be sure, there is no shame in exercising your Seventh Amendment constitutional right to a jury trial, as guaranteed and enshrined in the Bill of Rights.