Researchers looking at health records and blood, urine and saliva samples found “an association between early-life exposure to glyphosate and liver inflammation and metabolic disease in young adults” in California’s Salinas Valley, according to the lead scientist Brenda Eskenazi. Glyphosate is the most widely used weedkiller in the world.
Eskenazi told Inside Climate News that liver inflammation and metabolic disease can be precursors for more serious diseases, such as liver cancer and cardio-metabolic diseases such as stroke and diabetes. The journal Environmental Health Perspectives published the study by Eskenazi and her colleagues earlier in March.
Teenagers who had metabolic syndrome and markers of liver disease at age 18 had higher urinary levels of glyphosate and AMPA, a breakdown product of glyphosate, between ages of 5 and 18 years, said Inside Climate News. “Metabolic syndrome in the 18-year-olds was also associated with agricultural use of glyphosate near their homes during early childhood.”
Medical and agribusiness giant Bayer says glyphosate is safe to use and has vigorously contested lawsuits blaming glyphosate for causing cancer in adults. The herbicide is approved for use in the United States.