The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that glyphosate products are not a public health risk when used properly, affirming the agency’s previous findings in relation to the safety of the material. EPA stated that glyphosate is not a carcinogen but will be proposing adding restrictions to reduce the amount of unintended drift.
The material is a key ingredient in Bayer’s product Roundup, one of the most widely used herbicides in American agriculture. The company is currently involved in numerous lawsuits related to Roundup users who allege it caused their cancer. In a statement from Bayer, the company says it “firmly believes that the science supports the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides, which are some of the most thoroughly studied products of their kind, and is pleased that the regulators tasked with assessing this extensive body of science continue to reach favorable conclusions.”
The material is a key ingredient in Bayer’s product Roundup, one of the most widely used herbicides in American agriculture. The company is currently involved in numerous lawsuits related to Roundup users who allege it caused their cancer. In a statement from Bayer, the company says it “firmly believes that the science supports the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides, which are some of the most thoroughly studied products of their kind, and is pleased that the regulators tasked with assessing this extensive body of science continue to reach favorable conclusions.”
The scientific findings on human health risk from EPA coincide with the conclusions of other scientific reviews from several other countries, as well as other federal agencies. “EPA has found no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a press release. “Today’s proposed action includes new management measures that will help farmers use glyphosate in the most effective and efficient way possible, including pollinator protections.”
The scientific findings on human health risk from EPA coincide with the conclusions of other scientific reviews from several other countries, as well as other federal agencies. The agency did not previously identify any public health risks in the human health risk assessment of glyphosate products, however, there were ecological risks identified in the ecological assessment. EPA is proposing management measures that will assist farmers better target pesticide sprays on the intended pest while protecting pollinators and reducing the potential for weeds to become resistant to glyphosate.
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