California has added Roundup glyphosate to its list of cancer-causing chemicals under Proposition 65.

Proposition 65 is also referred to as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. It requires businesses to post warnings to their patrons and the public if there is anything on the premises or in any products offered that may have unhealthy levels of toxins that could cause birth defects, cancer, or reproductive damage.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Daily News, Roundup glyphosatehas been linked to such potential harm through the judgment of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

A study by the WHO in 2015 determined that the chemical glyphosate, active and key ingredient in Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup, is probably carcinogenic or cancer-causing in humans. Monsanto has widely marketed Roundup as being domestically and globally as safe.

The study’s conclusion was arrived at by reviewing evidence linking Roundup glyphosate and cancer in laboratory animals, most commonly blood cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The IARC examined nearly 1,000 studies and ascertained that there was enough data to warrant a presumptive link between Roundup glyphosate and certain types of cancer.

Monsanto, developer, manufacturer, and promoter of Roundup, attempted to sue in California State Superior Court last spring to prevent Roundup glyphosate from being listed under Proposition 65.

The decision has been appealed by the company that feels such a listing is unfounded by science. While the debate awaits a final decision, their request to put a temporary hold on the listing has been rejected by the state appellate and California Supreme Court.

Some farmer advocacy groups are taking the environmental tack in fighting the Roundup Proposition 65 listing. Among the arguments put forward are that California’s air remains cleaner by being able to use the very effective herbicide. By helping control weeds through chemical means, Roundup supposedly allows for fewer tractor runs, which means less particulate matter and pollutants released into the air.

But pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro testified to state officials that she has been seeing sicker kids in her practice of treating children for exposure to glyphosate, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

In 2014, there were 250 million pounds of glyphosate sprayed on crops within the U.S. This means that exposure can occur whether you live in or near a farm as just about every piece of produce you eat has been affected unless it is organic.

Recent research has linked this exposure to a variety of health problems, and not just cancer. Kidney disease and failure, celiac disease, autism, intestinal disorders and even chromosomal DNA damage has all been linked to the compound glyphosate.

Chromosomal damage is among the most frightening considerations of all. DNA damage can be passed on to future generations and felt for years to come.

If you or a loved one developed cancer after using Roundup as a farm worker or home gardener, you may have a legal claim. Legal migrant farm workers may also seek help. Learn more by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.

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