People exposed to weedkiller chemical have cancer biomarkers in urine – study

Study measured glyphosate in urine and found high levels associated with signs of oxidative stress

New research by top US government scientists has found that people exposed to the widely used weedkilling chemical glyphosate have biomarkers in their urine linked to the development of cancer and other diseases.

The study, published last week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, measured glyphosate levels in the urine of farmers and other study participants and determined that high levels of the pesticide were associated with signs of a reaction in the body called oxidative stress, a condition that causes damage to DNA. 

Learn more

 

The study findings come after the CDC reported last year that more than 80% of urine samples drawn from children and adults contained glyphosate.
The study findings come after the CDC reported last year that more than 80% of urine samples drawn from children and adults contained glyphosate. Photograph: valio84sl/Getty Images/iStockphoto