WHO Agency: Popular Herbicide Probably Causes Cancer
The World Health Organization´s International Agency for Research on Cancer says the most popular weed killer, glyphosate, is probably carcinogenic.
The market name for the chemical is Roundup. The insecticides tetrachlorvinphos and parathion were also may cause cancer in humans. While parathion is no longer authorized in the EU and the U.S., tetrachlorvinphos is only banned in the EU.
"Glyphosate is also used in forestry, urban and home applications," researchers say. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct a fresh review of the rules for glyphosate this year.