Growing food crops is no easy task, and thus it is often helped along by herbicides that kill weeds and speed up the growth of various crops. Roundup is a very popular herbicide for harvesting grains and cereals like rice, oats, and barely. The active ingredient in Roundup is Glyphosate.
Glyphosate is great for killing weeds and non-producing leaves, thus speeding up the time it takes to grow certain crops, but it has also been linked to cancer rates among users. Specifically, glyphosate has been linked to non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and plaintiffs who have sued Roundup have been awarded significant damages.
For example, a Nevada school groundskeeper who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after using Roundup on the job was awarded an astounding $78.5 million after claiming that the product did not issue strong enough warnings about its carcinogenic properties.
Why, then, is glyphosate still available in stores?
Unfortunately, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), so long as people use glyphosate as directed on package labels, there is no risk to their health.
Other governing agencies that have come to a similar conclusion as the EPA include:
- Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency
- Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority
- European Food Safety Authority
- German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority
- Food Safety Commission of Japan
So far, the only agency that has come out and said that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic is the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Despite these rulings on glyphosate that have come in from all over the world, it is in your best interest as a farm worker, groundskeeper, or landscaper, to strictly rely on products that contain glyphosate for their intended use and in their intended amount. Using this product more frequently than advised or in higher amounts than advised can lead to cancer.
If you rely on products that contain glyphosate at work and develop a severe illness, contact Karns & Karns for representation. We will rely on existing cases and rulings in order to create a link between glyphosate and your injuries from a harmful product, and we promise to secure the largest settlement possible.
