What Do We Really Know About Roundup Weed Killer?
It’s probably in your garage and on your lawn. And it’s used on nearly every acre of corn and soy. But what risks does it pose?
The world’s most widely-used herbicide has been getting a lot of attention lately.
Last month, an international agency declared glyphosate, the primary ingredient in the popular product Roundup, a “probable human carcinogen.” The weed killer also has made recent headlines for its widespread use on genetically modified seeds and research that links it to antibiotics resistance and hormone disruption. Several national governments are planning to restrict its use, and some school districts are talking about banning it.
So what do we know about glyphosate? Five key questions and answers:
Introduced commercially by Monsanto in 1974, glyphosate kills weeds by blocking proteins essential to plant growth. It is now used in more than 160 countries, with
