Expert Hints Government Agencies Protecting Monsanto's RoundUp

Glyphosate-based weed killers like RoundUp have become the most widely used in the world, growing 100-fold since their introduction and creating billions in annual sales for chemical giant Monsanto in the process.

However, recent studies suggest this chemical, used by everyone from weekend gardeners to professional landscapers and agriculture workers, may lead to a dangerous form of cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

In recent months, unsealed internal Monsanto documents revealed a troubling pattern of behavior meant to protect RoundUp sales, from paying scientists to sign off on company-written “studies”, to colluding with high-ranking EPA officials to quash safety concerns.

Now, a leading chemical safety expert has also questioned the European Union’s review of glyphosate, alleging they ignored key studies showing the cancer link.

EU Officials Propose Extending RoundUp Use

Last month, the European Commission announced plans to extend the current approval of glyphosate use by a decade. In doing so, they relied on studies by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) finding the chemical does not cause cancer in humans.

However, according to Dr. Christopher Portier, both agencies relied heavily on unpublished studies funded by the chemical industry, and failed to account for those showing an increase in tumors from glyphosate exposure.

Expert Claims Agencies Ignored RoundUp Cancer Concerns

Portier is a leading toxicologist and has served as director of the U.S. National Center for Environmental Health. In a letter to the European Commission dated May 28, he specifically states the agencies left out 8 studies that found cancer growth in rodents exposed to glyphosate.

In doing so, Portier argued, the evaluations of RoundUp safety were “heavily flawed,” and any conclusions based on them wouldn’t protect the public.

2015 WHO Study Revealed RoundUp Cancer Risks

Portier also brought up a recent study by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which in 2015 noted glyphosate was "probably carcinogenic to humans."

Finally, Portier claimed that the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) measure of glyphosate’s effects on the reproductive and endocrine systems was based on scientific data provided by the chemical industry, which is not shared with external scientists.

Only by independent review of this data, he argued, could the results be validated.

According to commission leaders, they will ask both the EFSA and ECHA to respond to the questions raised by Portier.

RoundUp Cancer Lawsuits Growing in U.S.

Currently, more than 900 lawsuits have been filed in the United States by those diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after exposure to RoundUp. Lawyers expect thousands more will eventually join the litigation and are still helping victims file cases.

For more information on the link between cancer and RoundUp, or to speak directly with a lawyer about your legal options, contact DrugNews today.

Sources:

Chow, L. Cancer Expert: EU Studies on Glyphosate Are 'Scientifically Flawed'. EcoWatch. (June 2, 2017). Retrieved from https://www.ecowatch.com/cancer-expert-glyphosate-monsanto-2430362569.html