Tell the EPA to Ban This Cancer Causing Weedkiller

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Sponsor: The Breast Cancer Site

Scientists have confirmed glyphosate causes cancer at exposure levels deemed safe—yet it remains on the market, in our food, and in our bodies, while federal agencies look the other way.

Tell the EPA to Ban This Cancer Causing Weedkiller

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most widely used weedkillers in the world. It's sprayed on everything from backyard lawns to major food crops. For years, regulators claimed it was safe when used as directed. That claim no longer holds up.

New research shows that glyphosate causes DNA damage at levels considered “safe” by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Union1. Scientists have observed double-strand DNA breaks, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruption in human cells after exposure to amounts within current regulatory limits2.

Linked to Breast and Blood Cancers

Glyphosate has been shown to act like estrogen in breast tissue. In lab studies, it fueled the growth and spread of hormone-sensitive breast cancer cells at levels humans could easily encounter1. A major review of human data also found a 41% increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in people exposed to glyphosate-based herbicides2.

The damage doesn't stop there. Low-dose exposure over just 13 weeks disrupted gut bacteria in mammals, weakening immune function and setting the stage for long-term disease1. Researchers also found evidence of genomic instability in bone marrow cells, a mechanism associated with leukemia and other blood cancers2.

Regulators Ignored the Science

Despite this mountain of evidence, glyphosate remains on the market. U.S. regulatory agencies have so far failed to act. The EPA has ignored independent research and relied heavily on industry-funded studies, many of which were ghostwritten by Monsanto, glyphosate’s original manufacturer3. The FDA and Department of Health and Human Services have done little to reassess the chemical’s safety, even as it continues to show up in food, water, and human bodies.

The Public Deserves Protection

Children, farmworkers, and families across the country are being exposed to a chemical now known to cause cancer and genetic harm. There is no excuse for delay. When credible science shows that harm begins at levels we're already being exposed to, the only responsible course is to ban the chemical and prevent further damage.

We cannot afford to wait for more people to get sick. It's time to demand immediate federal action.

Tell the EPA, HHS, and FDA to ban glyphosate now—sign the petition.

More on this issue:

  1. Organic Insider (10 June 2019), "Unprecedented 2-Year Global Study Shows that Glyphosate Causes Multiple Cancers at Doses Previously Deemed 'Safe.'"
  2. Teresa Bongiovanni et al., Toxics (15 Mar 2022), "Glyphosate-Based Herbicide Exposure Induces DNA Damage and Genomic Instability in Bone Marrow Cells."
  3. Carey Gillam, The Guardian (20 Jan 2023), "People exposed to weedkiller chemical have cancer biomarkers in urine – study."

The Petition

To the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),

We, the undersigned, urgently call on your agencies to act immediately to ban the use of glyphosate in the United States, based on mounting scientific evidence that it poses a serious and unacceptable threat to human health—even at levels previously deemed “safe.”

Recent peer-reviewed studies have confirmed that glyphosate exposure can damage DNA, disrupt hormonal activity, and accelerate the growth of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast cancer. It has also been linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia in agricultural and residential settings. These effects have been observed at doses well within the current regulatory limits set by your own agencies.

The EPA has the authority and responsibility under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to cancel pesticide registrations when they pose unreasonable risks to human health. The FDA and HHS likewise have mandates to protect the public from harmful chemical exposure in food and the environment. The continued registration, approval, and tolerance of glyphosate in our food supply and ecosystems contradicts the most current science and violates the public trust.

We ask you to immediately:

  • Revoke the registration of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides.
  • Launch an interagency review of new health impact data with transparency and urgency.
  • Enforce stricter residue limits and support glyphosate-free agricultural transitions.

Taking these actions will protect current and future generations from a preventable health hazard. It will restore public confidence in federal agencies charged with safeguarding our well-being and signal a commitment to science-driven policy.

The science is clear. The time to act is now. A future free from glyphosate’s toxic legacy is possible—and your leadership can help make it real.

Sincerely,