Journal of Environmental Law & Litigation : Vol. 36 (2021)

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Pesticide Registration Fails to Protect Human Health: Damages from Exposure to Glyphosate-Based Herbicides
(University of Oregon School of Law, 2021-05-14) Centner, Terence J.
In the United States, approximately 125,000 people have alleged that they are suffering health problems from their exposure to Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide products. Monsanto, a company that was bought by Bayer AG in 2018, is well known for its Roundup glyphosate products that are widely used in agricultural, commercial, and residential settings. The use of glyphosate is part of an evolution of food production practices dependent on usage of synthetic pesticide products. In the 1940s, agricultural producers started using dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), parathion, and malathion in the production of crops, in some cases replacing more dangerous natural pesticides containing arsenic or lead. In other cases, synthetic pesticides were used heavily to address outbreaks of new pests, which sometimes led to environmental damages. Recent data suggest that nearly six billion pounds of pesticides are being used each year around the world, valued at $56 billion in 2012. At this rate, the use is projected to be valued at $90 billion by 2023. Annually in the United States, more than 3.3 pounds of pesticides are used per person.