Finally.

Nine years after Moms Across America initiated the first citizen-funded glyphosate testing in America - on our children’s urine, tap water, and breast milk, nine years after we asked the EPA, FDA, and CDC to test for glyphosate, the CDC has finally tested.

A recent article in The Guardian article reported the results:

More than 80% of urine samples drawn from children and adults in a US health study contained a weed-killing chemical linked to cancer, a finding scientists have called “disturbing” and “concerning”.

The report by a unit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that out of 2,310 urine samples, taken from a group of Americans intended to be representative of the US population, 1,885 were laced with detectable traces of glyphosate. This is the active ingredient in herbicides sold around the world, including the widely-used Roundup brand. Almost a third of the participants were children ranging from six to 18.

Glyphosate has been found at alarming levels in hummus, pita, oats, peas, eggs, wheat products, beer, wine, orange juice, vaccines, cotton sanitary products, and thousands of food samples. The widespread contamination of glyphosate has long been known to contribute to our skyrocketing health issues.

In early 2014, upon release of the initial testing on urine, tap water, and breastmilk, Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse called for:

• Adequate long-term independent testing to ensure that glyphosate herbicide formulations as sold and used are not persistent, bio-accumulative, or toxic. This testing must include the outcomes most relevant to children’s health.
• The U.S. Congress should supply funding for urgently needed long-term independent research on glyphosate herbicide formulations, including their health effects, how they get into the human body, and current levels of accumulation in people, animals, and the environment. Studies performed for regulatory authorization up until now have only tested the isolated ingredient glyphosate, not the complete formulations as sold and used, even though the formulations have been found in many studies to be much more toxic than the isolated ingredient. Also, these studies are funded by the agrochemical industry, i.e. they are not independent. Finally, they are kept secret under commercial confidentiality rules, so cannot be scrutinized by independent scientists and the public.

Since then, numerous studies on the presence of glyphosate in humans and animals have been conducted, and The Guardian named a few, including scientist Paul Mills whose study was published in 2017 by University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers when he called for “an urgent need” for a thorough examination of the impact on human health from glyphosate in foods people commonly consume.

Moms Across America is thrilled that the staff at the CDC have decided to follow through with this important testing. We commend their courage to address the reality of the contamination of glyphosate, despite any corporate pressure they may be experiencing.

There are massive ramifications to finding (once again) that the majority of the US population has glyphosate present in their bodies. 

It is crucial to note the study by German scientist Monika Kruger, showing that glyphosate does collect in the bone marrow, tendons, and muscle tissue of livestock who consumed glyphosate-sprayed grains. The study also showed that higher levels of glyphosate were present in humans that were sicker, showing a correlation between the consumption of glyphosate and the increased health crisis in countries around the world. In addition, there are  hundreds of studies clearly showing that glyphosate is causing cancer, liver and kidney disease, reproductive effects, miscarriage, the masculinization of females, the destruction of sperm, 

The “new” CDC findings, albeit nine years after requested, and more than 40 years after the EPA and FDA allowed glyphosate to be used in the food supply, are better later than never. The response was far from “urgent” however, and the repercussions of their delay are far-reaching.

Health insurance companies, manufacturers of food who had to pay out unknown thousands to settle lawsuits due to the presence of glyphosate detected in their “natural” products, consumers, and farmers who have suffered due to the enormous use of glyphosate, are likely all now wondering if this news will cause the EPA, FDA, and CDC to act and finally protect American people.

The science shows that the only action to be taken to protect the American people and the environment would be to revoke the license of glyphosate; as it drifts in the air, is water-soluble, contaminates our drinking water and/or soil for years, and does not wash, dry, or cook-off in food. 

A recent lawsuit by the Center for Food Safety and allies resulted in the Supreme Court ruling denying the previous interim approval of glyphosate. The EPA was court-ordered to review additional studies and come to a final decision about renewing or revoking the license of glyphosate by Oct 1, 2022, 13 years after they began the review. Their own policy states that they cannot authorize a chemical for use that poses a significant impact on the environment. According to their own policy, they cannot renew the license of glyphosate.

No matter what they decide, we hope it is now abundantly clear that farmers, landscapers, and backyard gardeners risk too much when using glyphosate.  They have many other safe choices. We hope it is overwhelmingly obvious that, due to skyrocketing health care costs, a devastating decline of endangered species, and impact on future generations, America cannot afford glyphosate. It is not only too rich for our blood, it is far too costly to be in our urine, our bodies, and our environment.

Moms Across America urges you to once again demand that the EPA and Congress take immediate action and revokes the license of Glyphosate. We cannot continue to allow the use of this incredibly harmful chemical on our crops, communities, or environment for any reason, nor at any amount.

Click here and send your comments directly to the EPA and your Congress members.