• Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide considered a weak organic acid. It is used in a variety of weed management and weed control applications. According to the EPA, between 1999 and 2001, five to eight million pounds were consumed by private households in the United States. Roundup is the most popularly marketed brand of glyphosate. Other lesser known brands include Buccaneer, Rodeo, Aquamaster and Aquaneat. Despite its popularity and the prevalence of its use, the herbicide has some serious risks.
  
  

Toxicity

• Glyphosate contains extremely high levels of poison. Ingestion of approximately 20 milliliters can cause problems in the digestive track. While in many cases, such absorption could be accidental and can be treated if immediate attention is given, an amount between 50 milliliters to 150 milliliters can cause gastrointestinal hemorrhages, hypotension and pulmonary dysfunction. 200 milliliters is enough to cause asphyxiation and death. As a result, according to the International Program on Chemical Safety, glyphosate has become a popular method of farmer suicides in some Third World countries.
  
  

Effects on the Reproductive System

• Glyphosate is not known to directly lower reproductive abilities in human beings or rats, however, it can cause complications including reduced weight or birth defects in the offspring of people who are exposed to glyphosate for many years. Rats have also had unusually high rates of miscarriages and pre-term delivery as a result of exposure. In many cases, incomplete skeletal development of the infant occurs.
  
  

Malignancies

• Mice that were exposed to glyphosate for over two years had abnormally high instances of kidney tumors. However, a direct carcinogenic presence has not been completely established in glyphosate and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not classified it as a cancer-carrying or causing substance as of 2010.