Sperm Samples in French Infertility Clinic Have High Levels of Glyphosate

A recent study published in The Journal of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety last month revealed that more than half of the sperm samples collected from the Pole Santé Leonard de Vinci infertility clinic near Tours, France contained high levels of glyphosate—the primary ingredient in Bayer AG’s Roundup weed killer, which was developed and formerly marketed by Monsanto starting in the 1970s. This discovery raises concerns about the potential negative health impact of glyphosate in reproduction, particularly in light of a growing body of research indicating historically low birth rates globally. Glyphosate is commonly used on various food crops and in residential settings across the United States.^{1 2}

The study established a significant correlation between glyphosate exposure and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause DNA damage and diminished cellular performance, as well as   compromise sperm vitality and function, which contributes to significant fertility impairment. Additionally, the research suggests that agricultural workers, smokers, and consumers of conventionally grown (non-organic) produce may be particularly vulnerable to these damaging effects. The authors wrote:

Taken together, our results suggest a negative impact of glyphosate on human reproductive health and possibly on progeny.³

Glyphosate’s Toxic Past Highlights Increased Need for Awareness and Regulation

In addition to potentially detrimental impacts on reproductive health, the manufacturers of the widely used glyphosate-based product Roundup has faced numerous lawsuits alleging that glyphosate also causes cancer, specifically non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, it inherited these legal battles. In 2020, Bayer agreed to a $10 billion settlement to resolve approximately 100,000 lawsuits, marking a significant milestone in product liability and environmental health litigation. Despite this substantial settlement, Monsanto has continued to deny that Roundup causes cancer.⁴

Prior to Bayer’s $10 billion settlement, a California jury concluded that glyphosate-based Roundup developed and marketed by Monsanto caused former groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, in 2019, awarded him $289 million in damages. This was the first prominent case to draw widespread attention to the health risks associated with glyphosate. The award amount was later reduced to $78 million following an appeal⁵

In 2023, U.S. government research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives revealed genotoxicity in farmers with elevated glyphosate levels in their bloodstreams, suggesting a potential link between the herbicide and cancer. Shortly after the study’s publication, a coalition of farmworker, public health, and environmental advocates petitioned U.S. regulators to immediately suspend the use of the hazardous weed killer. The petition, filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), argued that the toxic chemical fails to meet federal safety standard laws, and the EPA lacks valid assessments demonstrating otherwise.⁶

EPA Maintains Glyphosate “Unlikely to Be a Human Carcinogen”

The EPA is conducting an ongoing 15-year registration review of glyphosate to ensure that pesticide products continue to function as intended without posing risks to human health or the environment. The EPA anticipates completing the review by 2026.

Despite mounting evidence of glyphosate’s serious adverse effects on human health and significant legal settlements involving manufacturers of the chemical product, the EPA maintains that glyphosate is “unlikely to be a human carcinogen.”⁷ Because of the latest findings, the study authors recommended that regulators apply a precautionary principle in their regulations to safeguard human health until further research can conclusively confirm the hazards identified in the study.

Glyphosate remains the most widely used herbicide in human history, both in the US and globally.^{3 7}

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