Weed Killer Determined Not to Be Cancer Causing

This video discusses how the EPA has determined glyphosate (Roundup) is not a carcinogen.

Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions

• How could chemicals cause cancer?
• What else can cause cancer?
• Why do some scientists think glyphosate causes cancer, and others don’t?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

• Research the particular case of glyphosate and make an argument for whether they agree or disagree with the EPA’s position.
• Model how some chemicals and other environmental factors can induce mutations that lead to cancer.
• Use HHMI’s graph to analyze how random mutations can also contribute to cancer.
• Explain how different cancers have different possible causes and therefore affect people differently.
• Research different carcinogens or possible carcinogens and identify those that they come in contact with.

Related Resources

• Oregon State National Pesticide Information Center: Glyphosate General Fact Sheet: User-friendly fact sheet on glyphosate.
• NPR: Safe or Scary? The Shifting Reputation of Glyphosate, AKA Roundup: News article from before the EPA’s announcement that presents the discussion around glyphosate.
• WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer: Evaluation of Five organophosphate Insecticides and Herbicides: The original report determining that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic.
• Environmental Protection Agency: EPA Finalizes Glyphosate Mitigation: Press release with information about the EPA’s decision that glyphosate is not carcinogenic.
• Slate: Roundup Hysteria: Opinion piece from a wildlife writer.
• Stanford Health Care: What Causes Cancer?: Information on the causes and other basics about cancer.
• Your Genome (Wellcome Genome Campus): Is Cancer a Genetic Disease?: A research institution’s public fact sheet about the origins of cancer.
• Iowa PBS Market to Market: Bayer to Pay $10.9 Billion to Settle Roundup Cancer Lawsuits: A follow-up story in which Bayer settles litigation alleging that Roundup causes cancer.