This landmark population study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) analyzed urine samples from a cohort of Southern California residents spanning over two decades (1993-2016). The results showed that human urinary glyphosate levels increased approximately 500% during this period, closely tracking the dramatic increase in glyphosate use on U.S. crops.
The steepest increase in urinary glyphosate occurred after 1996, coinciding with the introduction of Roundup Ready genetically modified crops that enabled massive increases in glyphosate application. By 2016, the proportion of participants with detectable urinary glyphosate had risen from 12% to over 70%.
This study provided the first long-term longitudinal evidence that the population-wide body burden of glyphosate has risen dramatically alongside agricultural usage, undermining regulatory assurances that dietary exposure is negligible and that glyphosate is rapidly excreted.
Key Findings
- •Urinary glyphosate levels in the study population increased approximately 500% between 1993 and 2016.
- •The percentage of individuals with detectable urinary glyphosate rose from 12% to over 70%.
- •The increase in human exposure closely paralleled the increase in glyphosate use on GMO crops after 1996.
- •Mean urinary glyphosate concentrations exceeded 3 micrograms per liter by 2016.
- •The study provided the first longitudinal biomonitoring data on glyphosate in a general population cohort.
Methodology
Prospective cohort study analyzing archived urine samples from 100 participants in the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging in Southern California. Samples were collected at multiple time points from 1993 to 2016 and analyzed for glyphosate using HPLC-MS/MS. Results were analyzed for temporal trends and correlated with USDA glyphosate usage data.
Why This Matters for Families
A 500% increase in human glyphosate exposure should alarm every family. This study proves that despite industry assurances, Americans are absorbing more and more glyphosate into their bodies with each passing year. Given the associated health risks, reducing dietary glyphosate exposure through organic food choices has never been more urgent.
Original Source
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