For decades, glyphosate—the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller—has been at the center of a global debate. Now, a new wave of peer-reviewed research makes one thing disturbingly clear: glyphosate may be far more dangerous than previously thought.

The most startling finding? It doesn’t take high doses to increase cancer risk. Even levels considered “safe” by regulators are now being linked to multiple cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, and breast cancer.

Glyphosate causes DNA damage at legally approved exposure levels.

DNA Damage Below Regulatory Limits

Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that glyphosate exposure, at doses as low as 0.5 mg/kg—the European Union’s accepted daily intake limit—can cause DNA damage and cell mutations in human cells. Their work, published in Chemosphere, showed these effects at levels also within U.S. Environmental Protection Agency thresholds, calling into question decades of industry-backed safety claims.

In controlled lab tests, researchers observed signs of oxidative stress and double-strand DNA breaks—both of which are early hallmarks of cancer development. If unrepaired, such damage can lead to permanent mutations in replicating cells.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup.

Breast and Blood Cancer Concerns

Another study by scientists at the University of Vienna exposed breast cancer cells to glyphosate at “environmentally relevant” concentrations and found a significant increase in cell growth and migration—traits commonly linked to aggressive tumors. Glyphosate appeared to mimic estrogen in the body, potentially accelerating growth in hormone-sensitive cancers, according to Organic Insider.

Adding to the concern, a meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Washington found that people exposed to glyphosate-based herbicides had a 41% higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The authors emphasized that these individuals weren’t factory workers but farmers, landscapers, and others using glyphosate under ordinary conditions.

Studies show glyphosate disrupts gut microbiomes at low doses.

Disruptions Beyond the Genome

The risks extend beyond genetic mutations. Researchers at the Ramazzini Institute in Italy discovered that low-dose glyphosate exposure over a 13-week period disrupted gut microbiota in rats, weakening immune defenses and creating conditions conducive to cancer formation. These findings mirrored real-world exposures and raised serious public health questions.

Further work published in the journal Toxics revealed that glyphosate exposure can also cause oxidative stress and DNA instability in bone marrow cells—a biological mechanism tied to the development of blood cancers such as leukemia.

Current “safe” limits are based on outdated toxicology.

Manufactured Safety and Regulatory Gaps

For years, Monsanto and later Bayer, its parent company, claimed glyphosate was safe when used as directed. But internal documents released during lawsuits revealed a pattern of ghostwritten studies, interference with regulatory bodies, and attempts to discredit scientists who found adverse effects.

Despite the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classifying glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015, U.S. and EU regulators declined to revise their risk assessments—a position that drew fire from independent scientists and advocacy groups, The Guardian reports.

Amid mounting evidence, France’s public health agency has now committed to reassessing glyphosate safety, particularly in light of findings showing harm at doses well below current limits.

Children and farmworkers are especially vulnerable to glyphosate exposure.

No Dose May Be Safe

What’s becoming increasingly clear is that glyphosate doesn’t need to be consumed in large quantities to cause harm.

Researchers are observing serious biological effects—DNA breaks, hormone disruption, microbiome damage—at doses people encounter through food residues, lawn care, and occupational exposure.

The science now shows that the concept of a “safe dose” may be irrelevant. Regulators and consumers alike must reconsider what level of glyphosate exposure, if any, is truly acceptable—especially when it comes to vulnerable groups like pregnant women, children, and agricultural workers.

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