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John,
Avoiding dangerous exposure to toxic chemicals is just common sense. But it can be hard to know how to stay safe when the crops that become our food are grown with pesticides, and when you may even have a bottle of weedkiller in your own garage.
Roundup is the most-used agricultural chemical in the world.[1] Have questions about Roundup's safety? We have answers.
Glyphosate, the main active ingredient in some Roundup formulations, has been linked to cancer. The cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled glyphosate as a "probable human carcinogen" in 2016.[2]
More than 130,000 lawsuits have been brought against Roundup manufacturers Monsanto and Bayer by people claiming their exposure to the weedkiller caused cancer.[3]
The Roundup in your garage probably doesn't have glyphosate anymore, unlike the stuff used on farm fields. After PIRG supporters called on Bayer to change its Roundup formula, the company listened: Residential Roundup products have been reformulated without glyphosate, the active ingredient identified by the WHO as a probable carcinogen.[4]
It's always important to use herbicides according to the instructions on the package, and to avoid direct contact as much as possible. Or better yet, avoid these kinds of chemicals entirely if you can.
The Roundup used at an industrial scale on farm fields still contains glyphosate.[5] That means many farmers are still exposed to this probable carcinogen as a part of their work, and that glyphosate residues may be ending up on the food we eat.
Roundup is used on farm fields everywhere food is grown. It's present all across the US.[6]
The use of Roundup massively expanded alongside the adoption of "Roundup Ready" plants. These plants are specially engineered to be immune to the herbicide, so farmers can apply Roundup to kill weeds while sparing crops.
Today, almost 100% of the corn and soy grown in America is engineered to tolerate herbicides this way.[7]
Estimated agricultural use of glyphosate over time, via USGS.
Yes, you can be exposed to low levels of glyphosate in food and drink. Researchers at U.S. PIRG Education Fund found glyphosate in almost all tested samples of beer and wine.[8] These results are in line with other studies' findings: Scientists have discovered glyphosate residues in many different kinds of food samples, sometimes in amounts higher than the legally permitted limits.[9]
The amount of glyphosate making it to our plates is generally small. But since the health impacts of glyphosate exposure are still not fully understood, more study is needed before any amount of glyphosate in food and drink could be truly called "safe." Until we have evidence that exposure to glyphosate truly poses no risk to our health, we shouldn't be using it so widely on the food we eat.
The best way to protect ourselves from this probable carcinogen is to stop using glyphosate unless and until it's proven safe. That's why PIRG has rallied thousands of people to send messages to decision makers in favor of limits on glyphosate -- and none of this work would be possible without supporters like you.
Thank you,
Faye Park
President
P.S. You can support our work to phase out glyphosate and protect our health from other toxic threats by making a donation today.
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1. Douglas Main, "Glyphosate Now the Most-Used Agricultural Chemical Ever," Newsweek, February 2, 2016.
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2. "IARC Monograph on Glyphosate," International Agency for Research on Cancer, last accessed July 25, 2025.
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3. Mari Gaines, "Roundup Lawsuit Update," Forbes, February 2, 2024.
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4. Erin Hill, "Not your mother's Roundup," Michigan State University, May 8, 2025.
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5. "Roundup PowerMAX Herbicide," Bayer Crop Science, last accessed July 30, 2025.
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6. "Estimated Annual Agricultural Pesticide Use," United States Geological Survey, last accessed July 29, 2025.
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7. "Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States - Recent Trends in GE Adoption," U.S. Department of Agriculture, January 4, 2025.
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8. "Glyphosate pesticide in beer and wine," U.S. PIRG Education Fund, February 21, 2019.
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9. Diogo Soares et al., "Glyphosate Use, Toxicity and Occurrence in Food," National Library of Medicine, November 12, 2021.
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Your donation will power our dedicated staff of organizers, policy experts and attorneys who drive all of our campaigns in the public interest, from banning toxic pesticides and moving us beyond plastic, to saving our antibiotics and being your consumer watchdog, to protecting our environment and our democracy. None of our work would be possible without the support of people just like you.
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U.S. PIRG
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