Opposition to Use of an Herbicide Grows; FDA Testing Resumes on Glyphosate

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is a suspected carcinogen that’s used for lawn care.

New Haven Register
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As the federal government renews tests to determine how much glyphosate is in America’s foods, Connecticut environmental groups, organic farmers and a U.S. senator say it’s time to limit the use of, or ban, the popular herbicide.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the world’s top-selling weed killer, Roundup, is a suspected carcinogen that’s used in agriculture, on golf courses, ballfields and other public venues, and for lawn care. It can be found in more than 750 products sold in the U.S., reports the National Pesticide Information Center.

Health concerns have been raised about Roundup for decades, concerns consistently disputed by its manufacturer, Monsanto. Earlier this year, a group of environmental health scientists called for the federal government to reassess whether glyphosate is a cancer risk.

The New York- and Connecticut-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment supports glyphosate “restrictions or prohibitions,” said Connecticut program director Louis Burch. Glyphosate poses a risk to young children “due to their rapidly growing bodies and developing immune systems,” he said. It also hurts aquatic life and can harm bees and other pollinators, he said.

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