Back in 2021, Bayer announced that it would remove glyphosate from the at-home versions of their popular Roundup weed killers by 2023.
While Bayer maintains that its glyphosate-based herbicides are safe when used as intended, the products have become very costly for them, as they have faced thousands of lawsuits from cancer patients who claim they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from using Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides.
While “glyphosate-free” Roundup initially sounds like a good idea, a new report from Friends of the Earth (FOE) claims that the replacement chemicals in these new formulations are even more dangerous to human health and the environment.
The report claims that the chemicals in the new Roundup products are 45 times more toxic to humans following long-term exposure compared to the original glyphosate-based formulations.
For acute exposure, FOE say the new formulations are four times more toxic than the original.
The Problematic Chemicals
FOE assessed the products available at Lowe’s and Home Depot stores in the U.S. between June and October 2024.
They found several different variations of Roundup for sale. Seven of the Roundup products still contained glyphosate. Eight other Roundup products that were glyphosate-free contained chemicals “of dramatically greater concern.”
The report identified four chemicals that have replaced glyphosate in these new Roundup formulations:
- diquat dibromide
- fluazifop-P-butyl
- triclopyr
- imazapic
FOE notes that according to US EPA safety assessments, all four of these chemicals pose greater risk of long-term and/or reproductive health problems compared to glyphosate.
Diquat dibromide is considered the worst offender, being 200 times more toxic than glyphosate over long-term exposure. It is banned in the European Union because of its toxicity.
The other chemicals are also linked to concerns like reproductive health, kidney and liver function, and neurotoxicity.
The report concluded that, for consumers exposed to these new chemicals over time, the health risks have significantly increased.
It’s Not Good for the Environment Either
The FOE’s report says that not only are the new Roundup products more dangerous to human health, but they are also more harmful to the environment.
They say that the chemicals replacing glyphosate are more likely to harm bees, birds, aquatic organisms, and earthworms.
The report highlights that these chemicals persist longer in the environment, increasing the risk of groundwater contamination and putting ecosystems at greater risk of long-term damage.
Lack of Consumer Transparency
One of the most concerning aspects of this shift, according to FOE, is Bayer’s failure to inform consumers of the new risks. The packaging of the reformulated Roundup products remains nearly identical to older versions, making it difficult for consumers to recognize that the product has changed, let alone understand the heightened risks. FOE argues that this lack of transparency is unethical and negligent.
“Drug companies are not allowed to replace aspirin in a brand-name pain reliever with oxycontin or fentanyl without warning consumers,” says Sarah Starman, FOE’s senior food and agriculture campaigner. “Yet the EPA allows Bayer to make such a drastic switch in a well-known product like Roundup with no such requirement.”
The FOE report calls for the EPA to require clearer labeling and to ban harmful chemicals like diquat dibromide from consumer products. It also urges home and garden retailers to phase out Roundup and similar toxic pesticides from their shelves, promoting safer alternatives instead.
Despite the mounting evidence of harm, Bayer continues to assert that its Roundup formulations, both old and new, are safe when used as directed.
The EPA has similarly backed Bayer’s position, claiming that glyphosate is safe for use, despite the fact that the FOE’s safety analysis is based on the EPA’s own safety data.
The EPA’s stance on glyphosate specifically has drawn significant criticism from environmental and public health advocates for years.
Bayer’s new Roundup formulations may have been designed to mitigate legal risks, but as this report highlights, they have instead introduced new and potentially greater threats. Consumers are unknowingly being exposed to far more hazardous chemicals, both to their own health and the environment. Without more stringent regulations and clearer labeling, the real risks posed by these new products will continue to be obscured.
Kendra Klein, deputy director for science at FOE, emphasized the gravity of the situation: “With the new formulations of Roundup, Bayer had the opportunity to make us safer, but it did the opposite.”