New Study Links Perinatal Roundup Exposure to Liver Damage
Among a myriad of studies linking Roundup pesticide exposure to cancer and other potentially life-threatening health problems, comes a new study in which exposure to glyphosate just before and after birth was found to induce liver damage in offspring. The study, which focuses on the effects of perinatal exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides in rats, raises new concerns about the potential adverse effects of Roundup exposure on unborn children. If you or a loved one has suffered one or more serious illnesses you believe to be linked to Roundup weed killer, contact Consumer Safety Watch right away. We can help you determine whether you may be eligible to join the massive Roundup litigation and pursue a product liability lawsuit against Bayer and Monsanto, the companies responsible for allegedly manufacturing and selling a dangerous weed killer product without warning consumers that it may cause cancer.
What is the Issue with Roundup?
Roundup is far and wide the most commonly used weed killer in the United States, with millions of pounds of the herbicide sprayed on crops, orchards, lawns, and gardens every year. Glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, has been aggressively marketed to consumers as a safe and effective pesticide that kills weeds without harming human health. However, many Roundup users are now discovering that exposure to the weed killer may cause cancer. As a result of the manufacturer’s failure to disclose the potential health risks associated with glyphosate exposure, Monsanto and Bayer have been hit with more than 100,000 lawsuits filed by former Roundup users diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other illnesses allegedly caused by exposure to the weed killer. In 2015, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared glyphosate a “probable human carcinogen,” based on studies linking Roundup to high rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among farmers and other agricultural workers routinely exposed to the weed killer. In this latest Roundup study, researchers have uncovered a link between glyphosate exposure just before and after birth and liver damage.
Adverse Effects of Glyphosate Exposure Before & After Birth
To study the potential adverse effects of perinatal glyphosate exposure in unborn children, the researchers exposed pregnant rats to glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) in drinking water from gestation day five to postnatal day 15, examining the impact on the offspring’s liver. They found that perinatal exposure to glyphosate can trigger an iron overload in the offspring’s liver, causing oxidative damage and leading to what the researchers referred to as glyphosate-induced hepatotoxicity (toxic liver disease). Hepatotoxicity is a term used to describe liver injury or impairment caused by exposure to foreign chemical substances, such as drugs, food additives, or environmental toxicants, including pesticides.
The researchers determined that the liver damage they observed was the result of exposure to glyphosate just before and after birth. “Therefore, we propose that excessive amounts of iron in offspring’s liver, blood and bone marrow induced by perinatal exposure to GBH may account for iron-driven hepatotoxicity, which was associated with Ca2+ influx, oxidative damage and inflammation,” they concluded. “Further studies will clarify whether these events can ultimately impact liver function.” The researchers’ findings, which add to growing concerns about the potential for Roundup exposure to cause serious adverse health outcomes in exposed individuals, were published in the November issue of the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.
Bayer to Replace Glyphosate in Residential Roundup Products
This new Brazilian study is just the latest to raise red flags about the toxicity of glyphosate and its potential adverse effect on human health and the environment. In July 2021, faced with years of litigation and thousands of lawsuits alleging that Roundup causes cancer and other serious health problems, Bayer announced that, beginning in 2023, glyphosate would be replaced as the active ingredient in residential Lawn & Garden Roundup products sold in the U.S. However, the company stated that there would be no change in availability of the glyphosate formulations sold to farmers, agricultural workers, and other users in the U.S. professional and agricultural markets.
Find Out How Consumer Safety Watch Can Help
If you have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or another serious illness, and you believe Roundup exposure to be the cause, do not hesitate to speak to a Roundup cancer attorney about your legal options. You may have grounds to file a Roundup lawsuit against Bayer and Monsanto, in order to pursue the compensation you and your loved ones deserve for your injuries. Contact Consumer Safety Watch as soon as possible to find out how we can help.
