At a clip when substitute fact and simulated news are making detectives out of all of us , we probably should n’t be surprised that conflicting opinions invade our lives as gardeners as well . Glyphosate , the active ingredient in the human beings ’s most widely used weed orca , including Monsanto ’s Roundup , has long been regard by government agencies , admit the US Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , as sparing , broadly effective , low - toxicity and environmentally benignant . In 2015 however , glyphosate was separate as “ probably carcinogenic to human race ” by the World Health Organization ’s International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC ) . This classification difference of opinion with the EPA ’s state opinion that glyphosate is “ not likely to be carcinogenic to humans ” . Since the IARC ’s leaving from the prevailing governmental position on the chemical , there has been a proliferation of conflicting opinion on where the truth lies . Let ’s endeavor to screen the arguments out in secular terms .
How it work
Glyphosate is applied to leaves and stanch and translocates throughout the flora , concentrating in meristem tissue paper . It deflect the shikimic Lucy in the sky with diamonds footpath , preventing plants from making sure aminic acids required to bring forth protein involve for ontogenesis . photo leads to scrawny growth , loss of green color , leaf wrinkling / miscreation , weave death and plant life death , in the main in 7 - 21 days .
The absence seizure of this nerve pathway in mammals is the groundwork for depressed toxicity claims in humans . Humans and other animals must get these amino battery-acid from their diets since they ca n’t produce them .
The National Pesticide Information Center notes that glyphosate does n’t easy conk through hide . If take , it passes chop-chop without modification . It may cause eye / pelt and nose / throat irritation and can be toxic if ingested intentionally in very large quantities . This is unsurprising and distinctive of many commonly used items like aspirin and table salinity , for model . It further notes conflict studies on whether glyphosate exposure increases cancer rate in human beings , admit a possible association with Non - Hodgkin Lymphoma , and notes that developmental and generative issues have been mention in informer at high dose .
Environmentally , glyphosate bind to dirt , cause it unavailable to plants and minimizing runoff issues . It is wear out down by microbial action with a half - life average about 47 days .
History
Glyphosate was patent by Monsanto in 1974 and is the alive element in their Roundup herbicide . Today glyphosate is used in many competing herbicide products . Its use as a gage control ware engage off in the 1990s when Monsanto introduced GMO crop that are unaffected by it . Today these craw include corn , soybeans , sugar Beta vulgaris , canola and cotton . Glyphosate is used as a pre - planting discussion and as a criminal maintenance intervention during the growing time of year . Less well known is its use as a dessicant , sprayed on wheat crop . The drill is to spray Roundup or a like ware on wheat berry to dry the plant up a couple of weeks prior to harvest . This makes the harvest more uniform and easier on harvest home machinery . There is some contravention about how far-flung this practice is in the US . Overall , the function of glyphosate herbicide product in the US is in excess of 100 million pounds annually .
The IARC Position
On March 20 , 2015 , the IARC ( International Agency for Research on Cancer ) published an view that bid glyphosate “ Probably carcinogenic to human race ” . The studies were an psychoanalysis of published and peer critique reports , of mostly agricultural exposure in the US , Canada and Sweden do after 2001 . It also reanalyzed EPA studies of tumors in research lab mouse . According to IARC , the EPA originally classified these result as possibly carcinogenic to humans ( 1985 ) , but then later on reclassed them as face “ evidence of non - carcinogenicity in humans ” ( 1991 ) after a review of the tissue paper slides by an autonomous venire of skilful pathologists . The IARC depth psychology of this data point lead to a conclusion of “ sufficient grounds of carcinogenicity ” that they became a part of the “ probably carcinogenic to humans ” situation noted above .
The EPA emplacement
In December 2017 , the EPA let go a “ potation ” human health endangerment appraisal for glyphosate , concluding that it is “ not potential to be carcinogenic to humans ” and found “ no other meaningful risks to human wellness ” when used according to bring out directions . The EPA appraisal is based on put out information plus producer data that is ordinarily withhold from public prospect to protect proprietary selective information . While Monsanto offer to cater this datum to IARC , they declined to include it . The EPA conclusion agrees with most every major regulative trunk in the universe , ( IARC , not a regulative body , except ) and includes the latest observation of enrollees in the Agricultural Health Study , a collaboration of EPA , National Cancer Institute , National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health . It is the big ever pesticide study with over 50,000 farmers in North Carolina and Iowa participating over 25 + years . A November 2017 published study update summons “ No association apparent between glyphosate and … Non - Hodgkin Lymphoma . There was some grounds of AML ( acute myeloid leucaemia ) among the highest let on group that requires substantiation . ” The EPA draft assessment does state that “ there is potential for burden on birds , mammals , and terrestrial and aquatic plants ” . A “ terminal ” opinion is due from EPA in 2019 .
Opinions from Other World Regulatory and Advisory Organizations
In March 2015 , the European Chemicals Agency ( ECHA ) , the primary driver of European Union chemicals regulation , free a report that conclude that there is“no evidence linking glyphosate to Cancer the Crab in human being , based on the available information”and that“glyphosate should not be classed as a “ substance that stimulate genetic damage or interrupt reproduction ” .
The Confilict continue
The IARC post has been undermined by a Reuters diary keeper who managed to get a copy of the draft report and find 10 meaning illustration where evidence of non - carcinogenicity of glyphosate in animals were edit out and were replaced with inert or countervail program line .
On the insolent side , there is reporting that a central EPA functionary necessitate in the authority ’s cancer appraisal has a cozy and perchance compromise relationship with Monsanto . There is current court activity underway take hundreds of causa of say non - Hodgkin lymphoma sufferers brought by farmers and farm proletarian . There are also published report by academic researchers noting correlations between glyphosate exposure and bowdlerise gestational length in pregnant women as well as the coincident rise of glyphosate use with the increase of autism since the 1990s . There are no verbatim causal relationships launch , but they impart to the emotion around the topic .
Complicating matter is the fact that the cited report reference glyphosate without considering the effects of other chemical substance in the weedkiller conceptualization , which need not be identified on the intersection recording label . For example , there is evidence that the surfactant in Roundup is toxic to aquatic plant species , so glyphosate - based products containing that surface-active agent are not approved for aquatic smoke control . In add-on , conventional farmers address many different chemical substance throughout their lifetime . It is difficult to in effect sequestrate glyphosate ’s impact from the many other variables that could sham the survey participants ’ health .
And at long last , after 20 plus long time of backbreaking usance , there are an increasing number of mourning band , 24 metal money at last count , that are glyphosate resistant . At some point this becomes a major issue for both dope ascendence and the crop that the weed killer has been matt-up with . What then ?
assort It Out
An important differentiation between IARC and EPA positions is thatIARC assesses Hazard . EPA tax Risk . Hazardmeans that glyphosate , in this typeface , is equal to of cause genus Cancer undersome destiny . IARC does not limit safe / insecure exposure level or attempt to quantify risk of infection . Riskattempts to quantify encroachment based on level of vulnerability . The EPA “ not likely to be carcinogenic ” position is found on use per manufacturing business directions .
From a user point of view , glyphosate based herbicide are dispirited toxicity compared to other chemical gage control options . It has had a prescribed shock on the growth of no - till farming , scale down erosion , runoff and topsoil depletion . It has also facilitate increase food production in a food - scant world , while helping control raiser ’ costs .
On the opposing side , there are believable somebody and environmental organizations that hold the judgment that glyphosate may be a human carcinogen . Regardless , it is unsettling to know that we unavoidably assimilate glyphosate residues in our food and at a lower limit , give-up the ghost it through our trunk . The Non - Hodgkin lymphoma and AML claim by high photo farm workers are a definite fear , even if their exposure is a lot higher than for us home base gardeners .
Then there is the symbiotic relationship between glyphosate , GMO crops and Monsanto ’s leaden dependance on their related to acceptance by smart set . There is certainly reasonableness for caveat in accepting Monsanto ’s advocacy given their post in the outcome .
Organic Alternatives
Based on my research , there does n’t seem to be another chemical weedkiller that matches glyphosate ’s compounding of effectiveness and depressed perniciousness . So as chemical substance weed killer go , it is toilsome to improve on .
There are several organic berth - outgrowth weed killer available for rest home role . They include acetic pane - based products containing 10 - 20 % sourness vs the 5 - 7 % content of the white vinegar in our kitchen . Other products comprise potpourri of plant life oils , acetic or other acids , or other chemicals . The product most widely used by organically - tending professionals are plant life oil mixtures . Clove petroleum is the basis for many , with citric and cinnamon oil also part of unlike recipes . All these options are contact herbicides . They will burn down above land flora parts but hush-hush part like rhizome , bulbs and roots are unaffected and require repeated applications for control . In accession , acetic superman and the oils have strong scents which some may find objectionable . Ironically , the risk to skin and eyes from contact may be higher with these merchandise than with glyphosate . Many advisors commend these alternatives for modest smoke control requirements , for example on a patio or pool area .
If your need is for preemergence pot ascendence , edible corn gluten meal may be used on turf and certain other area . It is a spin-off of corn whisky milling and inhibits germination of crab grass and certain other skunk . It requires metered app and moisture management , and lasts about 5 or 6 week . However , tests indicate that chemical weed killer like pendimethalin are more effective than edible corn gluten .
ethnical alternatives
Beyond deal - weed and stewing water , there are a couple of non - herbicidal recitation worth mentioning . Using apropane torchto burn weeds , really to ignite them to kill cell function , can be an effective contact pot control method . Obviously , care to prevent the banquet of fire beyond the weeds under onrush is very important . Specialty weed torch have flames that are most invisible and it is not operose to opine inadvertantly lighting up a wooden fencing post , or dead industrial plant material among the weeds . Again , the method does not kill the roots of hurt plants , only the above ground portion .
For a contained sphere , solarizationis an choice . This involve till the expanse to be light up of weeds and breed it with a flat solid of credit card for six weeks in summertime . This will raise the soil temperature enough to kill weed seed .
So What About Roundup ?
The IARC opinion lacks the specificity to be of much economic value , beyond stoking concern . The EPA selective service is more substantial and the “ not potential to be carcinogenic ” characterization is a comparatively high-pitched barroom . However it is n’t conclusive and the many outstanding claims of negative health impact will keep the debate go .
The casual function of glyphosate merchandise by home gardeners does n’t come out to beget impossible risks of toxicity , carcinogenicity or environmental hurt , as long as users follow counselling for intermixture and utilisation . The large scale economic consumption of these chemicals in commercial farming does however cause business for farm proletarian , the environment and the public at large . Gut level irritation with the widespread use of glyphosate production on commercial crop and its hidden mien in our food , is graspable in spite of the prescribed vista that it is not potential to harm human health . It is this with child scurf commercial dependence on glyphosate , and other chemical pesticide and fertilizers , that is most troubling .
And stay tuned . This story is a foresighted mode from over …
reservoir :
“ EPA conclude Glyphosate Is Not Likely to Be Carcinogenic to Humans , ” NC Cooperative Extension , ( P Maxwell , M.S. , and T Gannon , Ph.D. , update Feb 27 , 2018),https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/2018/01 / epa - concludes - glyphosate - is - not - in all probability - to - be - carcinogenic - to - humans/?src = rss
IARC Monographs “ Volume 112 : evaluation of five organophosate insecticides and weed killer , ” World Health Organization , March 20 , 2015,http://www.iarc.fr / en / media - centre / iarcnews / pdf / MonographVolume112.pdf
“ In glyphosate followup , WHO Crab bureau edited out “ non - carcinogenic ” findings ” , Kate Kelland , 2025-02-12.https://www.reuters.com / investigates / extra - account / who - iarc - glyphosate/
“ IARC Response to criticisms of the monograph and the glyphosate evaluation , IARC Director , Jan 2018,”www.iarc.fr / mediacentre / iarcnews / IARC_response_to_criticisms_of_the_Monographs_and_the_glyphosate_evaluation
“ EPA Releases Draft Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments for Glyphosate for Public Comment,”The National Law Review , T Backstrom and J Aidala , March 8 , 2018 .
Glyphosate Fact Sheet , National Pesticide Information Center , npic.orst.edu / factsheets / glyphotech
“ Why Regulators conclude glyphosate safe while IARC , alone , claims it could get cancer , ” Andrew Porterfield , Genetic Literacy Project , July 24 , 2015.geneticliteracyproject.org/2025-04-20
Monsanto , EPA Seek to Keep Talks About Glyphosate Cancer Review a Secret , Carey Gillam , Huffington Post , The Blog , January 19 , 2018,www.huffingtonpost.com / carey - gillam / Blog
“ Glyphosate Exposure in Pregnancy and Shortened Gestational Length : a Prospective Indiana Birth Cohort Study,”Environmental Health(Pavez , Gerona , Proctor , Friesen , Ashby , Reiter , Lui and Winchester , March 9 , 2018),ehjournal.biomedcentral.com / articles/10.1186 / s12940 - 018 - 0367 - 0
“ challenge for Use of Glyphosate Alternatives in Urban Landscapes , University of Florida , IFAS Extension , ” May 27 , 2016.http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2025-04-17/challenges-for-use-of-glyphosate-alternatives-in-urban-landscapes/
“ Vinegar : An option to Glyphosate ? ” University of Maryland Extension , ( Deborah Smith - Fiola and Stanton Gill , updated 2017),extension.umd.edu / sites / extension.umd.edu / files/_docs / political program / ipmnet/
“ Glyphoste Use and Cancer Incidence in the Agricultural Health Study,”Journal of the National Cancer Institute , ( Andreotti et al , Nov 9 , 2017),www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / pubmed/29136183
