forbes.com Updated: Aug 18, 2022, 1:26pm
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Roundup weed killer is used for both commercial and personal use. You’ve probably used a Roundup product at least once to kill pesky weeds in your yard or garden.
While it’s effective, some studies have shown chemicals within the product may cause cancer. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer because of or related to Roundup use, you may be able to file a lawsuit against Bayer, Roundup’s current owner, for compensation. What follows is an update on where cases stand today and what you can do to protect yourself.
Roundup History
Roundup, the most popular and profitable weed killer ever sold, uses glyphosate as its most active ingredient. Glyphosate is toxic to most broadleaf plants and grasses. It kills most plants it comes into contact with, instead of targeting certain weeds or plants.
Monsanto, a now defunct company, developed the product. Because glyphosate kills anything it touches, Monsanto developed plant seeds that were genetically modified to resist the damage of Roundup. This is when residential Roundup sales skyrocketed.
However, as the years went on, science questioned the safety of glyphosate. Studies have shown that the chemical might cause illness to humans and cause damage to the environment. The International Agency for Research on Cancer categorizes glyphosate as possibly carcinogenic to humans—essentially, the IARC is saying this toxin may cause cancer.
In 2018, Roundup was purchased by Bayer. By then, consumers had filed thousands of lawsuits linking Roundup to cancer. The most common cancer associated with Roundup is non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Bayer committed to begin in 2023 replacing “its glyphosate-based products in the U.S. residential Lawn & Garden market with new formulations that rely on alternative active ingredients.”
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