Roundup

Roundup is a brand name for a family of weedkillers that includes many different formulations, from ready‑to‑use consumer products for lawns and gardens to higher‑strength agricultural and commercial concentrates. Some Roundup bottles contain glyphosate as the active ingredient, while others (especially “for lawns” or specialty blends) use different herbicides or mixtures designed for specific weeds and settings.

It’s important to read the label for ingredients, product strength, safety precautions and planting intervals.

Before you use the product or discard its packaging, make sure to take photos of the entire label, including the front, back and side panels. This can help you confirm exactly which Roundup formulation, active ingredients and concentration you used. This is also useful evidence if you later decide to file a Roundup lawsuit.

Roundup and Glyphosate

Glyphosate is just one of many active ingredients in herbicides. Bayer has said it stopped making residential Roundup formulas with glyphosate in the U.S., though it’s still available for commercial agricultural applications. 

Bayer began releasing new residential (lawn and garden) Roundup formulas without glyphosate starting in late 2022. However, older formulas could still be on store shelves even if the company stopped making them. Make sure to check the label if you are trying to avoid glyphosate.

In June 2023, Bayer agreed to pay $6.9 million to resolve claims by the New York attorney general that the company misled consumers. The claims say Bayer promoted Roundup as an environmentally safe product. The settlement also requires Bayer to stop advertising Roundup containing glyphosate as safe and nontoxic.

Roundup was initially developed for large-scale farming operations before it was made available in home and garden versions. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the U.S., and recent EPA data shows it was used on more than 80 million acres in 2001. By 2019, around 280 million pounds were sprayed annually on almost 300 million acres of farmland.

Roundup use peaked between 2004 and 2014, accounting for two-thirds of its use since its launch in 1974. Glyphosate use exploded exponentially in 1996 when Monsanto introduced “Roundup Ready” crops. The genetically modified seeds were immune to glyphosate’s effects.

Previously, farmers had applied Roundup before their crops emerged from the ground or after harvest to kill lingering weeds. The new seed technology let farmers use glyphosate even as their crops were growing. As a result, farmers used as much as triple the amount of glyphosate.

Although Roundup use is still widespread, Bayer reported a recent slump in profits in 2025. Bayer expects its revenue to drop by approximately $4 billion, due in part to Roundup litigation. Legal experts report there are thousands of ongoing Roundup lawsuits over glyphosate exposure. Litigation has also prompted municipalities across the U.S. to restrict Roundup use and enact bans on Roundup.

Research on Roundup and cancer is still evolving, but studies show some evidence that long-term exposure to high levels of glyphosate may increase the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Research also shows that glyphosate exposure may impact the developing fetus in pregnant women and that glyphosate damage to gut bacteria may negatively impact the growing brains of young children. The effects of Roundup exposure can be mild or severe, depending on the length and amount of exposure.

There are risks associated with Roundup use because of its active ingredient, glyphosate, but governing bodies have not officially classified the chemical as a carcinogen. The World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency disagree on the safety of Roundup. The EPA classifies Roundup as “safe for use,” but the International Agency for Cancer Research, an arm of the World Health Organization, classifies glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.” Roundup products continue to be sold without a cancer risk warning label.

Who Has the Highest Exposure?

People who use Roundup with glyphosate at work have the highest exposure. This includes farm workers, farming families, landscaping workers and people of all ages living and/or working in agricultural sectors.

The general population is most likely to be exposed through food sources, such as fruits, vegetables and grains. However, this exposure is much lower.

Although glyphosate doesn’t stay in the air very long, it can remain in the soil for months depending on climate, soil pH and other factors. When glyphosate breaks down, it contaminates soil and water. According to the most recent data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) are found in nearly 70 streams across the country.

AMPA is a byproduct of glyphosate breakdown and can persist in the environment longer than glyphosate. It has negative impacts on human health that are different from glyphosate. For example, a 2021 study found AMPA can cause DNA damage in humans, and children are especially vulnerable.

In a 2020 study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers at McGill University showed that even bodies of water exposed to moderate amounts of glyphosate had less diversity over time, negatively impacting that ecosystem. Glyphosate is also highly toxic to some water animals, particularly invertebrates.

Research shows that the other components of glyphosate-containing herbicides, like surfactants, can also have a negative environmental impact. Glyphosate and the components in Roundup can impact the environment by affecting affect the growth of soil microorganisms, in some cases causing an increase in microorganisms that can be dangerous to humans and animals, according to a 2021 study in Frontiers and Environmental Science.

Thousands of people have filed Roundup lawsuits claiming the weedkiller caused them or their loved ones to develop NHL and other related cancers. 

As of February 2026, Roundup litigation remains active in federal MDL 2741 and multiple state courts. Bayer recently announced a settlement worth $7.25 billion to resolve current and future Roundup lawsuits. That settlement may be paid out over up to 21 years. A judge still needs to give final approval.

If you’ve been exposed to glyphosate and diagnosed with diseases such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, speak with an experienced attorney. People can still file lawsuits for compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering. Individuals can file a wrongful death suit if a loved one has died due to Roundup exposure.

In some cases, courts have determined that Roundup exposure led to cancer and have awarded millions of dollars to individual parties. Most often, research linked these cases to long-term workplace exposure over decades. Large multidistrict Roundup suits that bring hundreds of separate lawsuits together under one judge have led to settlements of billions of dollars, and many are still ongoing.

Short-term acute exposure to glyphosate requires medical attention. Acute exposure to glyphosate can irritate the eyes, nasal passages, throat and lungs and cause breathing issues.

Short-term acute exposure to glyphosate requires medical attention. Acute exposure to glyphosate can irritate the eyes, nasal passages, throat and lungs and cause breathing issues.

Roundup alternatives don’t contain glyphosate. Most ready-made products contain acetic acid, vinegar or plant-based oils and soaps. These formulas can rapidly kill weeds by damaging the leaf cuticle and causing cell leakage.

Like Roundup, these products kill plants on contact and can only be applied directly to weeds. Even if these products don’t contain glyphosate, they still have safety risks. So, make sure to read the labels carefully.

Roundup alternatives such as corn gluten meal and iron-based herbicides may only work under specific conditions. Manual weed control methods, such as mulching, can effectively control young weeds, and boiling water poured over adult plants will deter growth.

The University of Maryland Extension Service says most alternatives are not as effective as glyphosate. It recommends using alternative herbicides with other gardening practices, such as soil health and irrigation methods.

Natural Product Trade-Offs

Natural does not always mean safe, and many of these products can be expensive. Most vinegar and natural-oil herbicide alternatives are more toxic to human skin than glyphosate or other synthetic pesticides. People should avoid inhaling these alternatives and getting them on their skin or in their eyes.

Roundup alternatives can have downsides for plant growth as well. Acid-, iron- and soap-based alternatives damage the outer layers of a plant and, like Roundup, will damage any plant they come in contact with.