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John,

We should be able to trust that our farms and food are free of toxic chemicals -- but one billion pounds of pesticides are applied across the U.S. each year.[1]

Traces of pesticides are even sometimes found in our food and drink after they've made their way all the way to the grocery store and our families' tables.[2]

Here's what you should know about some of the widely-used toxic pesticides that put our health and environment at risk:

If we lose bees, we lose the ability to effectively farm at least a third of the food we eat.[3] That's why a class of bee-killing pesticides called neonicotinoids, or neonics, are a huge problem.

When neonics are applied to crops, they're absorbed into every part of the plant, from roots to leaves.[4] That includes nectar and pollen -- meaning bees can't help but get exposed to these deadly toxins while doing their important job of pollination.

Neonics are deadly to bees. These chemicals attack bees' nervous systems, and exposure can lead to everything from compromised immunity to paralysis -- and even death.[5]

And bees may not be the only ones at risk. Neonic exposure has been linked to neurological impacts in humans, too.[6]

Hundreds of millions of pounds of glyphosate, the main active ingredient in some Roundup formulations, are sprayed across the U.S. every year. Because it is so widely used, exposure is nearly impossible to avoid: Over 80% of Americans aged six and older likely have glyphosate in their system.[7]

It's so common because it's extremely good at killing weeds -- but just because it's ubiquitous, doesn't mean it's safe. The World Health Organization declared glyphosate a probable human carcinogen more than 10 years ago.[8]

Many people exposed to Roundup believe it has seriously harmed their health. More than 130,000 lawsuits have been brought against Roundup manufacturers Monsanto and Bayer by people claiming their exposure to the weedkiller caused cancer.[9]

After PIRG supporters called on Bayer to change its Roundup formula, the company listened. Residential Roundup products -- the weedkillers you might buy at the hardware store or keep in your garage -- have been reformulated without glyphosate.[10] But we still have work to do: The Roundup used at an industrial scale on farm fields still contains glyphosate.[11]

When the weedkiller dicamba was first allowed to be sprayed on top of certain crops, destruction soon followed.

When dicamba comes in contact with plants, only those specifically genetically engineered to resist it can survive. The special crops are fine -- but trees, flowers, gardens, and even other non-engineered crops wither and die.[12]

And the destruction isn't contained to the farm fields where dicamba is sprayed. Dicamba becomes a gas in warm weather, remaining airborne for up to 72 hours and floating for miles.[13]

This stuff is terrible for plants, and it probably isn't good for humans, either. Some research has linked dicamba exposure to certain types of cancer.[14]

Raising awareness about the risks of these toxic pesticides is the first step toward phasing them out of our food system for good. At PIRG, we know there's a safer way to farm -- and supporters like you are fueling the advocacy that will help get toxic threats away from our food.

We're making progress: Twelve states and counting have some form of restriction on neonic pesticides, and we've sent tens of thousands of messages to decision makers calling for common-sense restrictions on glyphosate and dicamba.

Together, we're making a safer, healthier future possible.

Thank you for your support,

Faye Park
President

P.S. We count on supporters like you to fuel our campaigns to phase out the worst uses of toxic pesticides. Your donation today will help keep this work going strong.
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1. "Pesticides," U.S. Geological Survey, March 23, 2017.
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2. Diogo Soares et al., "Glyphosate Use, Toxicity and Occurrence in Food," National Library of Medicine, November 12, 2021.
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3. "The Importance of Pollinators," The U.S. Department of Agriculture, last accessed December 9, 2025.
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4. Kimberly A. Stoner, "Best Management Practices for Farmers Using Seeds Treated With Neonicotinoid Insecticides," Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, January 1, 2017.
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5. Jim Kleinschmit, "Unknown Benefits, Hidden Costs - Neonicotinoid Seed Coatings, Crop Yields and Pollinators," Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, August 5, 2015.
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6. "Three reasons we should stop using bee-killing pesticides," PIRG, April 22, 2025.
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7. Dina Akhmetshina, "Some say spraying glyphosate on crops is 'fine.' Is it really?," PIRG, October 9, 2025.
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8. "IARC Monograph on Glyphosate," International Agency for Research on Cancer, July 19, 2018.
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9. Mari Gaines, "Roundup Lawsuit Update," Forbes, February 2, 2024.
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10. Erin Hill, "Not your mother's Roundup," Michigan State University, May 8, 2025.
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11. "Roundup PowerMAX Herbicide," Bayer Crop Science, last accessed December 5, 2025.
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12. Joce Sterman and Emily Featherston, "Growing Concern: Thousands of farms across U.S. damaged by 'dicamba drift' that devastates crops," WBTV, August 1, 2022.
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13. Danielle Melgar, "The toxic pesticide dicamba is a threat to crops and human health. It's time to ban it.," PIRG, November 11, 2022.
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14. Catherine C Lerro et al., "Dicamba use and cancer incidence in the agricultural health study: an updated analysis," International Journal of Epidemiology, May 1, 2020.
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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
Main Office: 1543 Wazee St., Suite 460, Denver, CO 80202, (303) 801-0582
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