Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBackgroundExposureHow to Reduce ExposureSymptoms of Non-Hodgkin LymphomaOther Health ConcernsAlternatives
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Background
Exposure
How to Reduce Exposure
Symptoms of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Other Health Concerns
Alternatives
Roundup is linked to cancer. Specifically, the herbicidal ingredientglyphosateseems to increase the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in humans. In fact, due to the body of evidence from a number of studies, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified glyphosate as a group 2A (probable) carcinogen.
This article explains what Roundup is, why it is believed to possibly cause cancer, and alternative treatments that can be used to kill weeds.
Credit:boonchai wedmakawand / Getty Images
Credit:
boonchai wedmakawand / Getty Images
What Is Roundup?
Roundup is a very popular herbicide—or weed killer—that is most commonly used in agriculture. The key ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, a compound with a molecular structure similar to the amino acid glycine.
Benefits of Roundup
In Europe, GMO crops are not approved, so it is used somewhat differently.
How Exposure to Roundup Increases Risk of Cancer
Exposure to glyphosate was found to cause DNA damage (and other changes) similar to that seen with exposure to the common chemotherapy drug VePesid (etoposide). This was an acute (sudden) change, but the authors postulated that chronic (long-term) exposure could result in cumulative damage over time. Other studies have also shown evidence of damage to DNA as well as chromosomes in human cell lines as well as the ability of glyphosate to triggeroxidative stress.
Human Exposure
A number of epidemiological (population-based) studies have now shown an association between Roundup and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).Non-Hodgkin lymphomais a cancer of the type of white blood cells called lymphocytes (either T cells or B cells) and is relatively common. Roughly 2.1% of people are expected to develop NHL over their lifetime, with the incidence slightly higher in men than in women.
Limited studies also suggest that exposure to glyphosate may be linked to a wide range of other cancers including:
If you use products such as Roundup at home or at work or if you live near a farm where Roundup is applied, there are a number of measures you can take to reduce your exposure. In general, it’s important that you don’t eat, drink, or smoke while applying it. You should also avoid touching plants and other surfaces that are still wet after application.
Symptoms of glyphosate poisoning may include:
Safe Application in Gardens
Safe Application in Farming
Are Foods Treated With Glyphosate Dangerous?According to the EPA, glyphosate has a low toxicity, and glyphosate residues on any food are considered safe for consumers up to the established tolerances.However, more research is needed to determine if foods treated with glyphosate pose any risk or danger.
Are Foods Treated With Glyphosate Dangerous?
According to the EPA, glyphosate has a low toxicity, and glyphosate residues on any food are considered safe for consumers up to the established tolerances.However, more research is needed to determine if foods treated with glyphosate pose any risk or danger.
Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma may include:
Other Health Concerns Associated With Glyphosate
In addition to cancer risk, the use of Roundup has raised concerns over other medical problems as well. Some of these include:
There are also reports that suggest a potential impact of Roundup on the liver, kidneys, general metabolic processes, as well as the composition of the gut microbiome.
Alternatives to Roundup
There are potential alternatives to the use of Roundup products, both in agriculture and in home gardens.
Home Garden
In your home garden, there are a number of alternatives to using herbicides. These can include:
Farming
Researchers have been looking into a number of alternatives to Roundup on an agricultural scale, especially with some countries banning or limiting the use of glyphosate (such as Austria, France, Germany, and Vietnam).
Even where Roundup is fully allowed, it’s recommended that contingency plans be formulated, beginning now. Even without limitations, the growing resistance of weeds to glyphosate will likely result in the need for alternative methods of weed control in the near future.
Physical/mechanical methods (such as tilling and cutting) are one option. Cultural methods such as covering crops, changing planting times, and reseeding may also reduce the need for chemical control.
Summary
Roundup is a weed killer widely used in the United States. Exposure to its main active ingredient—glyphosate—has been linked to a number of health risks, including cancer. However, more research is needed to determine its effects on the body. That said, if you are exposed to products that contain glyphosate, it’s important to take special measures to protect yourself. Wear protective clothing and avoid eating, drinking, or smoking while using such products.
As a final note, don’t limit your consumption of vegetables due to concerns over Roundup residues on your food. When it comes to your daily routine, increasing your intake of vegetables (at least up to 600 grams/day) is one of the easier ways to reduce your risk of cancer in the future.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Benbrook CM.Trends in glyphosate herbicide use in the United States and globally.Environ Sci Eur.2016;28(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12302-016-0070-0Mertens M, Hoss S, Neumann G, Afzal J, Reichenbecher W.Glyphosate, a chelating agent-relevant for ecological risk assessment?Environ Sci Pollut Res Int.2018;25(6):5298-5317. doi:10.1007/s11356-017-1080-1Suárez-Larios K, Salazar-Martínez A-M, Montero-Montoya R.Screening of pesticides with the potential of inducing dsb and successive recombinational repair.Journal of Toxicology. 2017;2017:1-9. doi:10.1155/2017/3574840Mills PJ, Kania-Korwel I, Fagan J, et al.Excretion of the herbicide glyphosate in older adults between 1993 and 2016.JAMA.2017;318(16):1610-1611. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.11726American Cancer Society.Key statistics for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Prasad M, Rekha UV, Rajagopal P, Sekar D, Jayaraman S.A review on impact of glyphosate on development of cancer.JPRI. 2021:307-316. doi:10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i62A35551MedlinePlus.Grass and weed killer poisoning.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Glyphosate.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Mesnage R, Renney G, Seralini GE, Ward M, Antonioiu MN.Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide.Sci Rep.2017;7:39328. doi:10.1038/srep39328Avila-Vazquez M, Difilipol FS, Lean BM, Maturano E, Etchegoyen A.Environmental exposure to glyphosate and reproductive health impacts in agricultural population of Argentina.Journal of Environmental Protection. 2018;9(3):83267. doi:10.4236/jep.2018.93016Myers JP, Antoniou MN, Blumberg B, et al.Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a consensus statement.Environ Health.2016;17:15-19. doi:10.1186/s12940-016-0117-0de Souza JA, Laureano-Melo R, herai RH, et al.Maternal glyphosate-based herbicide exposure alters antioxidant-related genes in the brain and serum metabolites of male rat offspring.Neurotoxicology.2019;74:121-131. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2019.06.004Beckie HJ, Flower KC, Ashworth MB, et al.Farming without Glyphosate?Plants (Basel). 2020;9(1):96. doi:10.3390/plants9010096Aune D, Giovanucci E, Boffetta P, et al.Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. doi:10.1093/ije/dyw319Additional ReadingAgostini LP, Dettogni RS, Reis RSD, et al.Effects of glyphosate exposure on human health: Insights from epidemiological and in vitro studies.Sci Total Environ. 2020;705:135808. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135808Alavanja MCR, Hofmann JN, Lynch CF, et al.Non-hodgkin lymphoma risk and insecticide, fungicide and fumigant use in the agricultural health study.PLoS One.2014;9(10):e109332. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109332Benbrook CM.How did the US EPA and IARC reach diametrically opposed conclusions on the genotoxicity of glyphosate-based herbicides?Environmental Sciences Europe. 2019;31(2). doi:10.1186/s12302-018-0184-7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.Toxic substances portal - glyphosate.Krimsky S, Gillam C.Roundup litigation discovery documents: implications for public health and journal ethics.J Public Health Policy.2018;39(3):318-326. doi:10.1057/s41271-018-0134-zLozano VL, Defarge N, Rocque LM, et al.Sex-dependent impact of Roundup on the rat gut microbiome.Toxicol Rep.2017 Dec;5:96-107. doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.12.005Parvez S, Gerona RR, Proctor M, et al.Glyphosate exposure in pregnancy and shortened gestational length: a prospective Indiana birth cohort study.Environ Health. 2018;17(1):23. doi:10.1186/s12940-018-0367-0Tarazona J, Court-Marques D, Tiramani M et al.Glyphosate toxicity and carcinogenicity: A review of the scientific basis of the European Union assessment and its differences with IARC.Arch Toxicol. 2017;91(8):2723-2743. doi:10.1007/s00204-017-1962-5Vandenberg LN, Blumberg B, Antoniou MN, et al.Is it time to reassess current safety standards for glyphosate-based herbicides?J Epidemiol Community Health.2017;71(6):613-618. doi:10.1136/jech-2016-208463
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Benbrook CM.Trends in glyphosate herbicide use in the United States and globally.Environ Sci Eur.2016;28(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12302-016-0070-0Mertens M, Hoss S, Neumann G, Afzal J, Reichenbecher W.Glyphosate, a chelating agent-relevant for ecological risk assessment?Environ Sci Pollut Res Int.2018;25(6):5298-5317. doi:10.1007/s11356-017-1080-1Suárez-Larios K, Salazar-Martínez A-M, Montero-Montoya R.Screening of pesticides with the potential of inducing dsb and successive recombinational repair.Journal of Toxicology. 2017;2017:1-9. doi:10.1155/2017/3574840Mills PJ, Kania-Korwel I, Fagan J, et al.Excretion of the herbicide glyphosate in older adults between 1993 and 2016.JAMA.2017;318(16):1610-1611. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.11726American Cancer Society.Key statistics for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Prasad M, Rekha UV, Rajagopal P, Sekar D, Jayaraman S.A review on impact of glyphosate on development of cancer.JPRI. 2021:307-316. doi:10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i62A35551MedlinePlus.Grass and weed killer poisoning.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Glyphosate.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Mesnage R, Renney G, Seralini GE, Ward M, Antonioiu MN.Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide.Sci Rep.2017;7:39328. doi:10.1038/srep39328Avila-Vazquez M, Difilipol FS, Lean BM, Maturano E, Etchegoyen A.Environmental exposure to glyphosate and reproductive health impacts in agricultural population of Argentina.Journal of Environmental Protection. 2018;9(3):83267. doi:10.4236/jep.2018.93016Myers JP, Antoniou MN, Blumberg B, et al.Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a consensus statement.Environ Health.2016;17:15-19. doi:10.1186/s12940-016-0117-0de Souza JA, Laureano-Melo R, herai RH, et al.Maternal glyphosate-based herbicide exposure alters antioxidant-related genes in the brain and serum metabolites of male rat offspring.Neurotoxicology.2019;74:121-131. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2019.06.004Beckie HJ, Flower KC, Ashworth MB, et al.Farming without Glyphosate?Plants (Basel). 2020;9(1):96. doi:10.3390/plants9010096Aune D, Giovanucci E, Boffetta P, et al.Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. doi:10.1093/ije/dyw319Additional ReadingAgostini LP, Dettogni RS, Reis RSD, et al.Effects of glyphosate exposure on human health: Insights from epidemiological and in vitro studies.Sci Total Environ. 2020;705:135808. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135808Alavanja MCR, Hofmann JN, Lynch CF, et al.Non-hodgkin lymphoma risk and insecticide, fungicide and fumigant use in the agricultural health study.PLoS One.2014;9(10):e109332. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109332Benbrook CM.How did the US EPA and IARC reach diametrically opposed conclusions on the genotoxicity of glyphosate-based herbicides?Environmental Sciences Europe. 2019;31(2). doi:10.1186/s12302-018-0184-7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.Toxic substances portal - glyphosate.Krimsky S, Gillam C.Roundup litigation discovery documents: implications for public health and journal ethics.J Public Health Policy.2018;39(3):318-326. doi:10.1057/s41271-018-0134-zLozano VL, Defarge N, Rocque LM, et al.Sex-dependent impact of Roundup on the rat gut microbiome.Toxicol Rep.2017 Dec;5:96-107. doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.12.005Parvez S, Gerona RR, Proctor M, et al.Glyphosate exposure in pregnancy and shortened gestational length: a prospective Indiana birth cohort study.Environ Health. 2018;17(1):23. doi:10.1186/s12940-018-0367-0Tarazona J, Court-Marques D, Tiramani M et al.Glyphosate toxicity and carcinogenicity: A review of the scientific basis of the European Union assessment and its differences with IARC.Arch Toxicol. 2017;91(8):2723-2743. doi:10.1007/s00204-017-1962-5Vandenberg LN, Blumberg B, Antoniou MN, et al.Is it time to reassess current safety standards for glyphosate-based herbicides?J Epidemiol Community Health.2017;71(6):613-618. doi:10.1136/jech-2016-208463
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Benbrook CM.Trends in glyphosate herbicide use in the United States and globally.Environ Sci Eur.2016;28(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12302-016-0070-0Mertens M, Hoss S, Neumann G, Afzal J, Reichenbecher W.Glyphosate, a chelating agent-relevant for ecological risk assessment?Environ Sci Pollut Res Int.2018;25(6):5298-5317. doi:10.1007/s11356-017-1080-1Suárez-Larios K, Salazar-Martínez A-M, Montero-Montoya R.Screening of pesticides with the potential of inducing dsb and successive recombinational repair.Journal of Toxicology. 2017;2017:1-9. doi:10.1155/2017/3574840Mills PJ, Kania-Korwel I, Fagan J, et al.Excretion of the herbicide glyphosate in older adults between 1993 and 2016.JAMA.2017;318(16):1610-1611. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.11726American Cancer Society.Key statistics for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Prasad M, Rekha UV, Rajagopal P, Sekar D, Jayaraman S.A review on impact of glyphosate on development of cancer.JPRI. 2021:307-316. doi:10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i62A35551MedlinePlus.Grass and weed killer poisoning.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Glyphosate.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Mesnage R, Renney G, Seralini GE, Ward M, Antonioiu MN.Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide.Sci Rep.2017;7:39328. doi:10.1038/srep39328Avila-Vazquez M, Difilipol FS, Lean BM, Maturano E, Etchegoyen A.Environmental exposure to glyphosate and reproductive health impacts in agricultural population of Argentina.Journal of Environmental Protection. 2018;9(3):83267. doi:10.4236/jep.2018.93016Myers JP, Antoniou MN, Blumberg B, et al.Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a consensus statement.Environ Health.2016;17:15-19. doi:10.1186/s12940-016-0117-0de Souza JA, Laureano-Melo R, herai RH, et al.Maternal glyphosate-based herbicide exposure alters antioxidant-related genes in the brain and serum metabolites of male rat offspring.Neurotoxicology.2019;74:121-131. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2019.06.004Beckie HJ, Flower KC, Ashworth MB, et al.Farming without Glyphosate?Plants (Basel). 2020;9(1):96. doi:10.3390/plants9010096Aune D, Giovanucci E, Boffetta P, et al.Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. doi:10.1093/ije/dyw319
Benbrook CM.Trends in glyphosate herbicide use in the United States and globally.Environ Sci Eur.2016;28(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12302-016-0070-0
Mertens M, Hoss S, Neumann G, Afzal J, Reichenbecher W.Glyphosate, a chelating agent-relevant for ecological risk assessment?Environ Sci Pollut Res Int.2018;25(6):5298-5317. doi:10.1007/s11356-017-1080-1
Suárez-Larios K, Salazar-Martínez A-M, Montero-Montoya R.Screening of pesticides with the potential of inducing dsb and successive recombinational repair.Journal of Toxicology. 2017;2017:1-9. doi:10.1155/2017/3574840
Mills PJ, Kania-Korwel I, Fagan J, et al.Excretion of the herbicide glyphosate in older adults between 1993 and 2016.JAMA.2017;318(16):1610-1611. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.11726
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Prasad M, Rekha UV, Rajagopal P, Sekar D, Jayaraman S.A review on impact of glyphosate on development of cancer.JPRI. 2021:307-316. doi:10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i62A35551
MedlinePlus.Grass and weed killer poisoning.
United States Environmental Protection Agency.Glyphosate.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Mesnage R, Renney G, Seralini GE, Ward M, Antonioiu MN.Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide.Sci Rep.2017;7:39328. doi:10.1038/srep39328
Avila-Vazquez M, Difilipol FS, Lean BM, Maturano E, Etchegoyen A.Environmental exposure to glyphosate and reproductive health impacts in agricultural population of Argentina.Journal of Environmental Protection. 2018;9(3):83267. doi:10.4236/jep.2018.93016
Myers JP, Antoniou MN, Blumberg B, et al.Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures: a consensus statement.Environ Health.2016;17:15-19. doi:10.1186/s12940-016-0117-0
de Souza JA, Laureano-Melo R, herai RH, et al.Maternal glyphosate-based herbicide exposure alters antioxidant-related genes in the brain and serum metabolites of male rat offspring.Neurotoxicology.2019;74:121-131. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2019.06.004
Beckie HJ, Flower KC, Ashworth MB, et al.Farming without Glyphosate?Plants (Basel). 2020;9(1):96. doi:10.3390/plants9010096
Aune D, Giovanucci E, Boffetta P, et al.Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. doi:10.1093/ije/dyw319
Agostini LP, Dettogni RS, Reis RSD, et al.Effects of glyphosate exposure on human health: Insights from epidemiological and in vitro studies.Sci Total Environ. 2020;705:135808. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135808Alavanja MCR, Hofmann JN, Lynch CF, et al.Non-hodgkin lymphoma risk and insecticide, fungicide and fumigant use in the agricultural health study.PLoS One.2014;9(10):e109332. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109332Benbrook CM.How did the US EPA and IARC reach diametrically opposed conclusions on the genotoxicity of glyphosate-based herbicides?Environmental Sciences Europe. 2019;31(2). doi:10.1186/s12302-018-0184-7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.Toxic substances portal - glyphosate.Krimsky S, Gillam C.Roundup litigation discovery documents: implications for public health and journal ethics.J Public Health Policy.2018;39(3):318-326. doi:10.1057/s41271-018-0134-zLozano VL, Defarge N, Rocque LM, et al.Sex-dependent impact of Roundup on the rat gut microbiome.Toxicol Rep.2017 Dec;5:96-107. doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.12.005Parvez S, Gerona RR, Proctor M, et al.Glyphosate exposure in pregnancy and shortened gestational length: a prospective Indiana birth cohort study.Environ Health. 2018;17(1):23. doi:10.1186/s12940-018-0367-0Tarazona J, Court-Marques D, Tiramani M et al.Glyphosate toxicity and carcinogenicity: A review of the scientific basis of the European Union assessment and its differences with IARC.Arch Toxicol. 2017;91(8):2723-2743. doi:10.1007/s00204-017-1962-5Vandenberg LN, Blumberg B, Antoniou MN, et al.Is it time to reassess current safety standards for glyphosate-based herbicides?J Epidemiol Community Health.2017;71(6):613-618. doi:10.1136/jech-2016-208463
Agostini LP, Dettogni RS, Reis RSD, et al.Effects of glyphosate exposure on human health: Insights from epidemiological and in vitro studies.Sci Total Environ. 2020;705:135808. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135808
Alavanja MCR, Hofmann JN, Lynch CF, et al.Non-hodgkin lymphoma risk and insecticide, fungicide and fumigant use in the agricultural health study.PLoS One.2014;9(10):e109332. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109332
Benbrook CM.How did the US EPA and IARC reach diametrically opposed conclusions on the genotoxicity of glyphosate-based herbicides?Environmental Sciences Europe. 2019;31(2). doi:10.1186/s12302-018-0184-7
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.Toxic substances portal - glyphosate.
Krimsky S, Gillam C.Roundup litigation discovery documents: implications for public health and journal ethics.J Public Health Policy.2018;39(3):318-326. doi:10.1057/s41271-018-0134-z
Lozano VL, Defarge N, Rocque LM, et al.Sex-dependent impact of Roundup on the rat gut microbiome.Toxicol Rep.2017 Dec;5:96-107. doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.12.005
Parvez S, Gerona RR, Proctor M, et al.Glyphosate exposure in pregnancy and shortened gestational length: a prospective Indiana birth cohort study.Environ Health. 2018;17(1):23. doi:10.1186/s12940-018-0367-0
Tarazona J, Court-Marques D, Tiramani M et al.Glyphosate toxicity and carcinogenicity: A review of the scientific basis of the European Union assessment and its differences with IARC.Arch Toxicol. 2017;91(8):2723-2743. doi:10.1007/s00204-017-1962-5
Vandenberg LN, Blumberg B, Antoniou MN, et al.Is it time to reassess current safety standards for glyphosate-based herbicides?J Epidemiol Community Health.2017;71(6):613-618. doi:10.1136/jech-2016-208463
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