- Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture, forestry, and home gardening, with exposure possible through food, water, and soil.
- While the EPA maintains that glyphosate is unlikely to be carcinogenic when used as directed, new studies from China and Italy suggest possible links to kidney damage and higher cancer rates.
- Despite growing scientific scrutiny and ongoing lawsuits, U.S. regulators have not moved to restrict or ban glyphosate, though pressure from advocacy groups continues to rise.
Two new studies are raising fresh questions about glyphosate, one of the world’s most common herbicides, and its possible connection to cancer, even at levels previously considered “safe.” However, before diving into all that, it’s essential for you to understand just how widespread glyphosate use is and how you might come into contact with it.
What is glyphosate?
As the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) explains, glyphosate is a type of pesticide called an herbicide that is “applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses. The sodium salt form of glyphosate is used to regulate plant growth and ripen specific crops.” It’s a “non-selective herbicide,” which, NPIC explains, means “it will kill most plants.”
It was first registered for use and sold by Monsanto in 1974 and is one of the most common herbicides in the U.S. It is also the main ingredient in Roundup. “People apply it in agriculture and forestry, on lawns and gardens, and for weeds in industrial areas. Some products containing glyphosate control aquatic plants,” NPIC notes.
In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its interim registration review decision (ID) for glyphosate, stating it “found that there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label. EPA also found that glyphosate is unlikely to be a human carcinogen,” suggesting that it is not cancer-causing.
However, the EPA added that it is “currently updating its evaluation of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate to better explain its findings and include the current relevant scientific information.” (The product is also approved for use across the European Union, with the European Commission noting the herbicide has been assessed three times and “there is currently no scientific or legal justification for a ban.”)
How do humans usually come in contact with glyphosate?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) put together a Tox Guide for glyphosate, noting that the general population is usually exposed to the herbicide through “contaminated air, water, or soil near agricultural land or residential areas where glyphosate was used,” adding that “Exposure to small amounts of glyphosate residue on some foods may occur, although these levels are very low.” HHS does note that farm and landscaping workers, along with those living near agricultural areas, “will incur higher exposure to glyphosate, as agriculture is the largest industry for herbicide use.”
As for how glyphosate moves through the body, the Tox Guide explained that it is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and “likely to be absorbed through the respiratory tract, but very little glyphosate is absorbed through the skin.” The herbicide is then distributed to the “kidney, liver, and brain in humans and also circulates in the blood. However, it does not significantly accumulate in the body.”
The guide added that a full picture of the health effects of glyphosate in humans and its carcinogenic potential is still a work in progress, though “respiratory effects, including rhinitis, atopic asthma, and wheeze, were found in agricultural workers. Dermatological and ocular effects have also been documented, and some studies found reproductive and developmental effects.” The guide further notes that there have been some conflicting suggestions about the herbicide’s carcinogenic potential. “The EPA found that glyphosate was not classifiable in terms of carcinogenicity, but that the literature supports a classification of ‘not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,’ while the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified glyphosate as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans.'”
Where is glyphosate hiding?
Because glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, it can be found in most non-organic produce. According to a March 2025 study, glyphosate residue can be found in:
Foods: Trace amounts of glyphosate can be found on fruits, vegetables, grains, and even processed foods, which account for a “major route of exposure.” According to the study, it’s also been found in honey, beer, and even pureed food for infants. (Notably, the levels are all within the “safe” guidelines.)
The water supply: Glyphosate has been found in the water supply near agricultural areas. As the study noted, that’s likely due to the “compound’s high solubility and mobility in the environment, which enables it to contaminate surface and groundwater via soil runoff and erosion, particularly after heavy rains.”
The air: The study also noted that individuals living near agricultural areas, particularly farm workers, should be aware of its ability to travel through the air. It noted, ” Glyphosate can be present in the air, water, and soil, especially in agricultural and residential areas where it is heavily used. Inhalation exposure occurs when glyphosate is aerosolized, particularly during spraying, posing risks to farm workers, landscapers, and residents living near agricultural fields.”
What did these latest studies find?
In August, researchers from the Tongxiang Wutong Street Community Health Service Center and Kunming Medical University in China published the findings of a new study in Scientific Reports, offering fresh insight into how glyphosate might harm human kidney health. Using a computer model to identify the possible “target” proteins that glyphosate could bind to in the body, they discovered 47 potential connections and compared those to a larger list of genes and proteins already linked to kidney injury and kidney cancer. They then created a map of how these proteins might interact, showing that glyphosate could potentially disrupt one gene, which might trigger a chain reaction affecting other genes.
The modeling created by the researchers suggests that glyphosate could bind to several enzymes and a protein called plasminogen, which are key to the body’s ability to remodel tissue. When these break down, it often leads to kidney disease and cancer.
But that’s not the only issue these researchers uncovered. They also found that glyphosate could potentially interfere with how nitrogen is processed in the body, potentially leading to toxic buildup and oxidative stress that may further damage kidney cells over time.
It’s important to understand that the study does not establish causation, meaning its authors can’t claim that glyphosate directly causes kidney injury or cancer. However, it does offer far more specific details that can be tested in future lab work, allowing us to gain an even deeper understanding of the chemicals used to grow our food.
In June, researchers from Italy’s Ramazzini Institute published the results of another two-year study in the journal Environmental Health. The team exposed pregnant rats to glyphosate and continued to expose their offspring to the herbicide for two years after birth. After the animals died, the team examined their tissues and compared them to a control group not exposed to the herbicide. They found that rats exposed to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides had higher rates of cancers, including increased occurrences of leukemia, as well as skin, liver, thyroid, and bone cancers, along with a host of other negative health outcomes.
“Our study provides solid and independent scientific evidence of the carcinogenicity of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides,” Daniele Mandrioli, the director of the institute’s Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center, shared in a statement.
Bayer, the owner of Monsanto, responded to the June study by saying that “it is already clear this study has serious methodological flaws, which is consistent with the Ramazzini Institute’s long history of making misleading claims about the safety of various products. … The EPA determined past Ramazzini studies did not meet the criteria of scientific quality for consideration in the registration review process.”
These studies, however, are far from alone. There’s this 2022 study on its effects on the human nervous system, this study on its role in liver inflammation, and this 2021 study on its impact on the gut microbiome of rats.
Are there any plans in the U.S. to restrict or ban Glyphosate?
Right now, neither the EPA nor any government agency has indicated plans to ban glyphosate.
On August 14, The New York Times reported on a draft of a White House report called the “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy,” about the health of American children. The newspaper noted that while the working draft includes many potential talking points, such as vaccines and research into childhood oral health, it does little to ease people’s fears over pesticides.
The draft report, The Times explained, states that environmental regulators will collaborate with “food and agricultural stakeholders” to increase public awareness of and confidence in pesticides like glyphosate. While The Times notes the draft does not recommend any new restrictions, it does mention that the administration will support research to help farmers find ways to reduce their dependence on pesticides, something HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has previously promised to do.
Still, that may not be enough for supporters of President Trump or RFK Jr. The Times highlighted a letter written in July and signed by 500 people, including leaders from organizations like Moms Across America and RFK Jr.’s speech writer, Charles Eisenstein, stating, “For decades, the U.S. government has been propping up a toxic, industrial food system that poisons us, and the American people are paying in every way imaginable. We are paying with our tax dollars. We are paying at the doctor’s office; we have a reproductive, physical, and mental health crisis costing Americans over $4.3 trillion a year. We are paying with the erosion of our soil, the pollution of our water, the collapse of essential pollinators, and the chronic illnesses that plague our children.”
The group urges the MAHA Commission to “act decisively to address the contamination of our food, air, water, and bodies with toxic pesticides,” and to ban products like glyphosate, adding, “We call on the MAHA Commission to adopt these crucial recommendations to safeguard current and future generations of Americans.”
While the government may do little in the near future, Bayer is paying out many settlements in personal lawsuits. According to AgFunderNews (AFN), Bayer’s CEO, Bill Anderson, said on an earnings call that the company has settled 17,000 cases, adding that “just recently, we’ve taken thousands of cases off the table through confidential settlements on a low cost per case average in the glyphosate litigation.” However, as AFN noted, Bayer still has another 61,000 claims about glyphosate remaining on the docket out of the nearly 200,000 filed, and has set aside more than $11 billion to fight them in court.
So, what does any of this mean?
This means more research is needed to understand if and how glyphosate impacts human health. Ideally, this would involve studies on people, since research using animals or computer models has important limitations, as both studies point out.. However, as the authors of the computational study conclude, “Ultimately, confirming these pathways could inform the development of preventive strategies or therapeutic interventions to mitigate the renal health risks associated with this ubiquitous herbicide.”
Reviewed by
Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC: Lauren is an award-winning registered dietitian and three-time book author, with more than 22 years in the field.
