A recent study has sounded the alarm on a pesticide called chlormequat, found in the majority of people tested.
This pesticide, not widely known, has been linked to serious health issues in animal studies, such as reproductive and developmental problems, sparking concerns about its effects on humans.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a respected organization known for its research on environmental health issues, conducted this groundbreaking study.
They tested the urine of 96 individuals and found chlormequat in 77 of them. This discovery is particularly concerning because it’s the first study of its kind in the U.S., highlighting how common this pesticide is in people’s bodies.
The study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology on February 15, points to a growing problem.
Comparing samples from 2017 to 2023, researchers noticed an increase in the number of people with detectable levels of chlormequat, suggesting that exposure to this pesticide is on the rise.
Animal studies have previously shown that chlormequat can cause significant damage to the reproductive system and interfere with the development of fetuses, affecting the growth of the head and bones and altering metabolic processes.
These findings raise important questions about the potential harm chlormequat could cause to humans, especially considering its widespread presence.
Despite its apparent risks, chlormequat is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use only on ornamental plants within the U.S., not food crops.
However, since 2018, the EPA has allowed chlormequat on imported foods, including oats—a staple in many American diets, with many oats and oat products in the U.S. sourced from Canada.
What’s more, in a controversial move, the EPA proposed in April 2023 to permit the use of chlormequat on barley, oats, triticale, and wheat grown in the U.S., a decision that has faced opposition from EWG.
EWG’s Alexis Temkin, Ph.D., the lead author of the study, emphasizes the importance of the government’s role in ensuring the safety of pesticides.
The organization urges the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration to start testing foods for chlormequat.
They also want the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include chlormequat in its biomonitoring program to better understand its prevalence and effects on human health.
In addition to its study on human exposure, EWG has tested oat-based foods in 2022 and 2023, finding chlormequat in many non-organic products.
Interestingly, organic oat products showed little to no traces of the pesticide, suggesting that choosing organic might be a safer option for consumers concerned about exposure.
This research by EWG shines a light on the potential dangers of chlormequat and the need for more comprehensive testing and regulation of pesticides to protect public health.
The research findings can be found in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
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