Lawn Agent Cues Embryo Shortfall: Herbicide weeds out mice in the womb

Having a lush, dandelion-free lawn may come at an unexpected price. According to a new report, minuscule amounts of over-the-counter weed killers impair reproduction in mice and therefore might also affect other animals, people included.

Previous studies have assessed the toxicity of high doses of single herbicide ingredients, but they haven’t tested the chemical cocktails typical of commercial formulations, says toxicologist Warren Porter of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.