How Dangerous is Long-Term Exposure to Roundup Weed Killer?

Farmers and gardeners have relied on Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, to kill unwanted vegetation for decades. It’s estimated by the National Center for Biotechnology Information that over the last decade 6.1 billion kilograms, or 1.3 billion pounds, of the herbicide has been applied worldwide. Over the past few years, lawsuits have been filed regarding injuries sustained as a result of using Roundup for an extended period of time.

If you’ve experienced long-term exposure to Roundup weed killer and have been diagnosed with a medical condition or illness, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim. If you are eligible, you’ll want to understand how you were exposed to glyphosate and what health problems are linked to Roundup.

Facts About Glyphosate

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the United States. There are over 750 products on the market that contain this herbicide. When sprayed, it prevents plants from making the proteins needed for growth. As a result, the plants die. When glyphosate enters the body, however, it passes through fairly quickly without being turned into another chemical.

Brief exposure may result in irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat. If ingested, the person may experience burns in the mouth and throat, nausea, and vomiting. Intentional ingestion can result in death. The long-term consequences, which we’ll discuss, are significantly worse.

How You Can Be Exposed to Roundup

Those most at risk for developing health problems related to the long-term exposure of Roundup include farmers, professional gardeners, agricultural workers, landscapers, groundskeepers, and herbicide applicators. While the most at-risk are typically in a job that requires frequent exposure, it’s possible that others could be affected as well.

There are three ways Roundup exposure happens. The first is by breathing the glyphosate in through the nose or mouth. This is most likely to happen while the herbicide is being applied to unwanted vegetation. Additionally, if someone working with Roundup gets it on the skin often, it could absorb into the skin and cause problems that way. The third way involves eating treated food that has been tainted with glyphosate. This is dangerous because some plants are being genetically modified to withstand heavy applications of Roundup. People who consumer products from major brands may be unknowingly exposed to chemicals.

Health Problems Linked to Roundup Weed Killer

Over the course of two decades, scientists have been documenting the health consequences of exposure to glyphosate. The most concerning is the alleged connection between Roundup and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Leukemia. Cancer is often incredibly challenging to treat and not every patient survives and enters remission. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer after long-term exposure to glyphosate, you can take legal action against the manufacturer.

There are a number of other health conditions that have been linked to glyphosate. They include:

• Alzheimer’s Disease. Glyphosate causes the same type of neural cell death and oxidative stress see in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Birth Defects. When Roundup disrupts the Vitamin A levels, fetal development can be impacted. As a result, congenital defects are possible.
• Depression. Glyphosate can disrupt the chemical process that produces and regulates serotonin. Serotonin depletions have been linked to depression.
• Heart Disease. Roundup has the ability to disrupt the body’s enzymes. When this happens, lysosomal dysfunction can happen, which is a factor in heart failure.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS). There are theories that suggest increased incidents of inflammatory bowel disease from exposure to glyphosate are associated with Multiple Sclerosis.
• Parkinson’s Disease. There are brain-damaging effects associated with herbicides that are believed to be the main environmental factor associated with neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson’s.

Get the Help You Need Today

If you’ve been diagnosed with one of the health problems discussed above and you believe it was caused by long-term exposure to Roundup weed killer, it’s crucial to get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible. Filing a Roundup weed killer lawsuit against a large corporation like Monsanto can be challenging. With the right legal team backing you, however, you’ll have access to the support and knowledge you need to file a successful lawsuit.

By filing a claim, you’ll be working toward receiving the compensation you need to recover from your injuries or finding ways to manage your health problems. In addition to receiving compensation for your monetary losses, you may be entitled to compensation for your noneconomic losses as well, like pain and suffering.

To learn more about the product liability litigation process or for a free case evaluation, get in touch with our law firm today. We’ll explain your right and options to you so you can take steps to get your life back in order.