InjuryBoard, researchers have found that the ingredient in popular pesticide Roundup may cause birth defects. A report published by Earth Open Source says that the European Commission has previously ignored or dismissed many other findings from the independent scientific literature showing that Roundsup and glyphosate cause endocrine disruption, damage to DNA, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, cancer and birth defects.
Roundup is a broad-spectrum herbicide sold under the Roundup brand and the generic name of glyphosate. Use of Roundup is widespread not only in consumer applications but also in commercial agriculture. The report says that the European pesticide regulatory agency knew but failed to warn the public of Roundup’s effects. The effects are found at very low doses, comparable to levels of pesticide residues found in food and the environment.
The researchers said that industry studies show that Roundup’s glyphosate causes birth defects in laboratory animals and that these adverse side effects have been known since the 1980’s. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says glyph sate has only low toxicity, with no evidence it causes cancer or birth defects. High doses in pregnant rats and rabbits resulted in diarrhea, decreased body weight gain, nasal discharge and death. Roundup and glyphosate products in the U.S. carry no warning labels about birth defects.
Contact Cappolino, Dodds & Krebbs LLP – Birth injury lawyer if you have questions about birth injuries or birth defects.
