Glyphosate Testing: American Mothers' Breast Milk, Urine and Water

In the first-ever testing of glyphosate herbicide in the breast milk of American women, Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse found high levels in 3 of 10 samples tested. The shocking results point to glyphosate levels building up in women's bodies over a period of time — which had until then been refuted by global regulatory authorities and the biotech industry.

The levels found in the breast milk testing of 76 µg/L to 166 µg/L are 760 to 1,600× higher than the European Drinking Water Directive allows for individual pesticides. They are however less than the 700 µg/L maximum contaminant level (MCL) for glyphosate in the U.S., which was decided upon by the EPA based on the now seemingly false premise that glyphosate was not bio-accumulative.

The glyphosate testing also analyzed 35 urine samples and 21 drinking water samples from across the US and found levels in urine that were over 10× higher than those found in a similar 2013 survey done in the EU by Friends of the Earth Europe. 70% of American household drinking water samples tested positive.

The initial testing was completed at Microbe Inotech Labs, St. Louis, Missouri, using ELISA methodology. It is acknowledged that ELISA has high minimum detection levels for breast milk and urine — meaning some negatives may still contain worrying levels.