How Much Exposure to Roundup Is Dangerous?

You may be wondering: how much Roundup exposure is dangerous? The answer is that any amount of Roundup can be dangerous since glyphosate is a potential carcinogen. The severity of danger that Roundup poses depends upon the extent and duration of exposure to it.

Glyphosate is the herbicide which is the most commonly used in the United States: about 280 million pounds worth of glyphosate is sprayed in the United States every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, glyphosate exposure has been linked with multiple cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as liver damage and kidney damage.

Exposure to Roundup can also lead to Roundup poisoning.

So, how dangerous is Roundup? This article will answer that question in detail.

Research Suggests Roundup Can Cause Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

The health issue which is of the most concern when it comes to Roundup is non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Numerous scientific studies, reviews and meta-analyses have concluded that glyphosate exposure is associated with an increased risk of developing NHL.

A 2014 review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found a positive association between glyphosate exposure and B-cell lymphoma, a type of NHL. The study estimated the associations of NHL with 21 different groups of chemicals and 80 different active ingredients, covering 44 different papers.

A 2019 meta-analysis published in Mutation Research concluded that Roundup exposure “is associated with increased risk of NHL in humans,” noting that the researchers’ findings were “consistent with results reported from prior meta-analyses but show higher risk of NHL.” The researchers conducted their meta-analysis by analyzing the Agricultural Health Study published in 2018 as well as five case-control studies. The researchers found that glyphosate exposure was associated with a 41 percent increase in NHL risk.

A 2021 review published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia concluded that “the epidemiologic, animal and mechanistic studies together provide a coherent and compelling pattern of evidence” that glyphosate can cause NHL in humans. The researchers reviewed multiple pieces of scientific literature cited by a 2015 IARC report and other reports from regulatory agencies, industry-sponsored publications, and literature found by searching PubMed for the terms “glyphosate,” “lymphoma” and “Roundup.”

While the EPA and FDA have ruled that glyphosate isn’t a carcinogen, lawsuits claiming a link between NHL and Roundup have often ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. While the EPA doesn’t consider glyphosate to be a carcinogen, Environmental Sciences Europe research indicates that the scientists who claim glyphosate is safe base their conclusions on different data and studies than scientists who believe glyphosate to be carcinogenic.

Other Dangers Caused By Roundup Exposure

Other health issues have been associated with exposure to Roundup. Lung cancer is one of those health issues.

Does Roundup cause lung cancer? Some evidence suggests it may. The World Health Organization, in 2015, stated that “limited evidence” suggests glyphosate can cause lung cancer in humans.

So, can Roundup cause lung cancer? There is other evidence which suggests it may be able to. A study published in January 2024 suggested that exposure to glyphosate is a potential risk factor for lung cancer.

Roundup has also been linked with multiple myeloma. A 2019 study produced data which supported the ideal that glyphosate is an environmental risk factor for the development of multiple myeloma. In addition, an article published in 2020 in Cancer Prevention Research found that glyphosate accelerates the development of a multiple myeloma precursor condition known as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, promoting progression to multiple myeloma in mice. The researchers concluded that this is direct experimental evidence which establishes glyphosate as a risk factor for multiple myeloma.

Toxic substances can cause multiple diseases, and glyphosate has also been linked with kidney damage. A 2014 article published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health established the hypothesis that glyphosate was responsible for a large number of chronic kidney disease diagnoses among rice paddy farmers in Sri Lanka. A study published in 2023 in Environmental Science & Technology Letters investigated this hypothesis, concluding that glyphosate is indeed associated with chronic kidney disease in Sri Lanka. The study also found that other risk factors were contributing to kidney disease in Sri Lanka, such as flouride, vanadium and water hardness. A study published in 2019 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health also suggested that glyphosate may be causing kidney disease in Sri Lanka.

Glyphosate has also been linked with liver damage. Glyphosate exposure is associated with increased liver weight, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. A 2017 study linked glyphosate exposure with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats. A 2020 study found that nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients had a higher chance of glyphosate being present in their urine. A 2022 study determined that perinatal glyphosate exposure can damage the livers of unborn children. A 2023 study found that childhood glyphosate exposure might increase early adulthood risk of liver disorders.

Glyphosate may also be a general cancer risk for humans and may contribute to cancer incidence regarding many types of cancer, meaning that if you have been given a cancer diagnosis for many types of cancer, such as liver cancer or breast cancer, there is a chance that glyphosate may have caused it. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2015, classified the chemical as being “probably carcinogenic to humans.” In addition, a 2023 study published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that glyphosate exposure can lead to oxidative stress in humans. Oxidative stress is a known cause of cancer.

Who Is Most At Risk For Roundup Exposure?

The people who are most at risk for Roundup exposure are people who apply Roundup as part of their job. This includes:

• Farmworkers
• Groundskeepers
• Professional gardeners
• Landscapers
• Other agricultural workers

What To Do If You’ve Been Exposed

If you’ve been exposed to Roundup, it’s important for the sake of your health to take the right steps afterward.

If you have ingested Roundup, your best option may be to call poison control.

If you suspect that you have been harmed by your regular exposure to Roundup, you should see a medical professional about it.

Basically, if you have been exposed to Roundup and think that your health might have been harmed, you should be evaluated by a medical professional.

Lawsuits Against Roundup

Monsanto and Bayer are currently facing over 40,000 lawsuits alleging that exposure to Roundup injured plaintiffs. Most of the lawsuit involve allegations that Roundup exposure caused plaintiffs to develop NHL.

You may be eligible to file a Roundup lawsuit against Monsanto and Bayer if:

• You were exposed to Roundup
• You developed a medical condition such as NHL or liver damage

If you or a loved one developed NHL or liver damage after being exposed to Roundup, call us today for a free consultation. Our experienced hazardous exposure lawyers have been representing clients exposed to hazardous chemicals such as Roundup, paraquat and asbestos since 1990. We have recovered over 0,000,000 for our clients and do not charge our clients any fee until and unless we recover compensation for them. When our clients can’t afford treatment for their injuries or diseases, we get them to doctors who treat them on a lien, meaning they’re not charged for treatment until their case is over.

Call us today if you or a loved one got sick after being exposed to Roundup. You may be eligible for financial compensation in a lawsuit against Monsanto and Bayer.

Is Roundup Dangerous When Dry?

You may be wondering: is Roundup dangerous after it dries? The answer appears unclear.

Roundup’s label makes the claim that Roundup is safe for pets and kids to walk on once the herbicide has completely dried.

However, glyphosate has a half-life of up to 197 days. This means that it can take up to 197 days for glyphosate in the environment to break down. Because of this, there may be a danger of dried glyphosate becoming airborne.

Applying Roundup Safely

The best way to avoid exposure to Roundup is to simply not use it, and to use Roundup alternatives instead.

However, if you’re absolutely set on using Roundup, the safest way to apply it is:

• Wait for a windless, dry, clear day. The product can be diluted by moisture, rendering it less effective. The herbicide can be spread by wind to areas you don’t intend it to be applied to.
• Wear the right safety clothing. You should wear rain boots, rubber gloves and long sleeves to make sure that Roundup does not contact your skin.
• Carefully read the product’s directions before preparing the Roundup solution. You should use three to six ounces of Roundup per each gallon of water as a general rule.
• Avoid getting Roundup in your eyes or on your skin, and avoid inhaling it. Immediately after using Roundup, you should wash your hands. Don’t touch Roundup while it’s wet.

Alternatives to Roundup

Alternatives to Roundup include:

• Boiling water
• Soap salts
• Iron-based weedkillers
• Mulch
• Manual weed removal
• Corn gluten
• Acidic herbicides
• Biopesticides
• Crop rotation

For more detail on safer Roundup alternatives, read our blog post on Roundup alternatives.

Hiring a Roundup Lawyer

If you’ve become ill after being exposed to Roundup, you may qualify for financial compensation in a Roundup lawsuit against Bayer and Monsanto. However, Bayer posted 54.7 billion dollars in revenue in 2022. You’ll need strong, experienced, aggressive lawyers by your side if you want to take them on in court.

Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has been taking on Fortune 500 companies since 1990 and winning. We have the experiences and resources to take on the largest corporations and win for our clients.

Contact us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma or liver damage after being exposed to Roundup – you may qualify for a financial recovery.