According to the World Health Organization, the herbicide glyphosate probably leads to cancer. The herbicide is usually sold under brand name Roundup by Monsanto. The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer included the most glyphosate to its Group 2A list as ‘possibly carcinogenic’ to humans.

Monsanto, a publicly traded multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, produces Roundup. The organization was not happy with the finding; it even criticized the matter. The organization said that all labeled uses of glyphosate cause no harm to human health. It also said that one of the largest human health databases also supports the safety claims related to the herbicide.

Herbicides have become a big no- no as BC municipalities have banned most of them, and the Lower Mainland is one of those municipalities. Areas like agriculture, forestry and railway lines make use of the herbicide in British Columbia. The use of glyphosate has also been approved by the Canadian government.

James Steidle, who runs the blog Stop the Spray BC, said approximately 12,000 to 20,000 hectares of replanted evergreen forests are sprayed every year with glyphosate for killing competing deciduous trees like aspen.

“We know it reduces biodiversity. The cancer stuff, that doesn’t surprise me, it’s a nasty chemical. I’ve breathed it after it’s been sprayed and I had a sore throat and my eyes hurt for three days”, said Steidle.

According to Forestry Ministry spokeswoman Vivian Thomas, Health Canada can use glyphosate as it is registered for use over there, whereas an approved pest management plan is required to use it in BC, for which public consultation is needed.

Malathion, a chemical used to repel mosquitoes by the city of Winnipeg, has also been mentioned in the report.