New Study Adds to Evidence That Glyphosate Weed Killer Can Cause Cancer

A new long-term animal study of the widely used weed killer glyphosate find fresh evidence that the herbicide, introduced by Monsanto in the 1970s, causes multiple types of cancer, and may do so at doses considered safe by regulators.

The results of the two-year study, which were published June 10 in the journal Environmental Health, add to an ongoing global debate over the safety of the pesticide, which is commonly used by farmers to kill weeds in fields and pastures. The chemical is also used widely to manage weeds on golf courses, in parks and playgrounds, and in forestry management.

“Our study provides solid and independent scientific evidence of the carcinogenicity of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides,” said Daniele Mandrioli, director of the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the Ramazzini Institute in Italy. Mandrioli is the principal investigator for the study.