Monsanto faces a new lawsuit alleging that Roundup ingredients are known carcinogens and that the company continues to sell the product despite being aware of its risks.

Plaintiff Edgar M. recently filed a lawsuit against Monsanto Company, alleging that Roundup ingredients can cause cancer.

After years of being exposed to Roundup ingredients, Edgar claims, he allegedly developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Edgar claims that his exposure to Roundup ingredients is the direct cause of his development of cancer.

Released by Monsanto in the 1970s, Roundup is a common broad-spectrum weed killer used both commercially and domestically. An estimated 250 million pounds of Roundup are sprayed across the country every year. Consumers have been using the product for 40 years, allegedly without truly being informed about the nature of Roundup ingredients.

Glyphosate, one of the active Roundup ingredients, indiscriminately kills weeds based on a certain enzyme they produce. Although glyphosate is an effective weed killer, it has been linked to development of cancer in many scientific studies, leading many governmental and NGO agencies to classify the chemical as a potential carcinogen.

In 2002, a study was published by Julie Marc, who found that “glyphosate-based pesticides affect cell cycle regulation.” Cell cycle regulation problems are a “hallmark of tumor cells and human cancer,” suggesting that the effect of Roundup ingredients on human cells may lead to the development of cancer.

Similar studies followed, reportedly showing that glyphosate formulas along with other Roundup ingredients were more harmful that pure glyphosate. The combination of glyphosate and other “inert” Roundup ingredients can allegedly made the human cell more permeable and increase the toxicity associated with glyphosate.

“The study confirmed that the adjuvants in Roundup are not inert and that Roundup is always more toxic than its active ingredient glyphosate,” the lawsuit claims.

In response to new evidence, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a Class 2A “probable carcinogen.” This means that there is mechanistic evidence that the chemical causes cellular responses in humans that may lead to the development of cancer. There is a particular link between Roundup ingredients and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Despite evidence that Roundup ingredients are dangerous, Monsanto has allegedly marketed their product as “safer than table salt” and “practically non-toxic”. In 1996, the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Monsanto over these claims, which were allegedly harmful and inaccurate. The lawsuit ended when Monsanto agreed to cease advertising their Roundup ingredients as non-toxic, biodegradable, or good for the environment.

However, Edgar’s lawsuit claims that Monsanto has only altered its advertising in New York and continues to falsely advertise their products elsewhere.

“In spite of this knowledge, Defendant continued to issue broad and sweeping statements suggesting that Roundup was, and is, safer than ordinary household items such as table salt, despite a lack of scientific support for the accuracy and validity of these statements and, in fact, voluminous evidence to the contrary,” the lawsuit states.

Edgar claims that Monsanto should have warned consumers of the large amounts of evidence suggesting that Roundup ingredients are toxic. Instead, Monsanto has allegedly concealed such evidence and unlawfully represented their products as safe.

The Roundup Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-00864-HEA in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

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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