Gestational urinary concentrations of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in relation to preterm birth: the MIREC study.

Jillian Ashley-Martin, Leonora Marro, James Owen, Michael M. Borghese, Tye Arbuckle, Maryse F. Bouchard, Bruce Lanphear, Mark Walker, Warren Foster, Mandy Fisher. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology 2024 Sep 18. doi: 10.1038/s41370-024-00702-w

What did the researchers do:
Glyphosate is a pesticide used to control broad-leaf weeds, primarily in agriculture. Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is a breakdown product of glyphosate. Concentrations of glyphosate and AMPA were measured in first trimester urine samples collected from 1880 MIREC participants. A total of 1,765 women delivered a singleton, live birth. A preterm birth was any birth occurring prior to 37 weeks of the pregnancy. Various statistical methods were used to examine associations between concentrations of glyphosate and AMPA in urine and the risk of delivering a live infant prematurely.

What did they find:
Six percent (n = 106) of the MIREC infants were born prematurely. The researchers found no link between urinary concentrations of glyphosate or AMPA and the risk of delivery of a preterm infant.

What does this mean:
This study found that neither glyphosate nor AMPA urinary concentrations were associated with a higher risk of delivering preterm. MIREC participants were mostly well-educated and from large urban areas. Thus, additional research on other populations from different backgrounds are needed to confirm that there is no association between this herbicide and preterm delivery.

Back to list