A report released on Thursday by the presidential Make America Healthy Again commission raised concerns about the potential health effects of pesticides on American children, but it stopped short of calling the chemicals unsafe.
The report singled out two pesticides, glyphosate and atrazine, which are among the most widely used weed killers in the United States. The report notes that some studies have linked these and other pesticides to adverse health outcomes, especially in children.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who worked for years as an environmental lawyer, has long wanted to rein in use of these and other pesticides. But efforts to include a stronger warning about the chemicals in the report encountered pushback from farmers, industry lobbyists and Republican lawmakers.
“American farmers rely on these products,” the commission said in its report, “and actions that further regulate or restrict crop protection tools beyond risk-based and scientific processes set forth by Congress must involve thoughtful consideration of what is necessary for adequate protection, alternatives and cost of production.” The report focused on what the Trump administration says are the leading causes of chronic disease among American children.
Each year, American farmers spray atrazine on about 75 million acres of agricultural crops, such as sugar cane, corn, pineapples, sorghum and macadamia nuts. Glyphosate is even more widely used: An average of 298 million acres of farmland are sprayed with the chemical annually, including soybean, cotton, corn and grapes. The herbicides are also frequently used to clear out weeds on golf courses, school grounds and city parks, and they have been used in home gardening.
Mr. Kennedy and others have argued that these herbicides are linked to the increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma, which now affect more than half of U.S. adults and about 40 percent of children. The evidence for that is preliminary, however. Many scientists believe that the increased prevalence of certain diseases is likely caused by a combination of factors, possibly including pesticides like glyphosate and atrazine.
“The science is not a slam dunk for either of these pesticides, but there is enough preliminary evidence to suggest that we should probably be putting more resources into studying them,” said Melissa Furlong, an epidemiologist who studies the chronic health effects of environmental contaminants at the University of Arizona.
What does the data say about glyphosate?
Studies in animals exposed to high levels of glyphosate have found evidence that the chemical can cause DNA damage, lead to increased inflammation and change the way the immune system responds to pathogens. This could potentially elevate the risk for immune-related conditions, though no studies have shown that in humans. Research has shown a link between high levels of glyphosate exposure and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Some scientific reviews have suggested glyphosate may disrupt the gut microbiome and the endocrine system, as well as interfere with nervous system development when exposure happens early in life. A few researchers have hypothesized that these alterations could be behind the increasing risk of obesity and early puberty, and could potentially explain autism-like behaviors in laboratory animals. But the studies in humans are too limited to draw those conclusions right now, Dr. Furlong said.
Other scientists have said there is a magnitude of studies suggesting glyphosate is safe when used as directed, as long as workers use protection to avoid direct contact or inhalation. The commission report also noted that federal government reviews of pesticide residues have found the majority are within limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The E.P.A. has said that the chemical is safe and that there is “no indication that children are more sensitive to glyphosate.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer, however, has concluded that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The two organizations reviewed different sets of studies, and critics have noted that several of the studies the E.P.A. relied on were conducted by Monsanto, the largest manufacturer of glyphosate.
The group most at risk of glyphosate exposure is workers who use the chemical on the job. After that, children and adults living on or near agricultural land are most likely to be exposed to glyphosate. This can happen through spray drifting through the air, or chemical residue carried by soil or dust that is tracked into homes, said Cynthia Curl, an environmental health scientist at Boise State University in Idaho. They can also be exposed if they touch plants that have been treated and then touch food or their mouths while eating.
Glyphosate has also been detected in streams and rivers near farms, and in rare cases, has been found at low levels in some drinking water.
There may also be glyphosate residue on food you buy at the grocery store, although that occurs at significantly lower levels than with work exposures.
Does atrazine carry health risks?
Studies in multiple animals have shown that atrazine, which is primarily manufactured by Syngenta, can act as an endocrine disrupter. In a 2002 study in frogs, Tyrone B. Hayes, a biologist at the University of California, showed that atrazine reduced testosterone production and increased estrogen in male frogs, leading some to develop female ovaries and to display altered mating behaviors.
More recently, a few small studies in humans have found links between atrazine exposure in people living on or near U.S. farms and adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weights, preterm deliveries and birth defects — all of which can be predictors of health issues later in life. Atrazine exposure even at low levels has also been linked to menstrual cycle irregularities and earlier periods in girls, as well as lower sperm counts in men living in agricultural areas.
But because people in agricultural areas are exposed to several pesticides, it is difficult to isolate negative effects to any one chemical, some experts said.
Atrazine has been effectively banned in Europe for nearly two decades because of widespread water contamination and the chemical’s suspected links to reproductive problems.
Regulations intended to restrict atrazine use in the United States have resulted in an overall decrease in atrazine detected in streams, rivers and groundwater. But it is still the most commonly detected pesticide in water supplies, and it has at times exceeded the E.P.A.’s legal limit.
Children living in major agricultural areas may be more likely to be exposed to atrazine, Dr. Furlong noted.
What would it look like to reduce use of these pesticides?
There are already ways to remove atrazine from drinking water supplies, including water filtration techniques that can be used at the municipal level or in people’s homes, said Rainer Lohmann, who studies organic contaminants in water at the University of Rhode Island.
California and Arizona have implemented pesticide monitoring programs, which include data on glyphosate use by location. California’s SprayDays notification system can also alert those living on or near agricultural land 24 to 48 hours before farmers spray pesticides, so that they can shut doors and windows during spraying.
“Unfortunately, the rest of us don’t have that kind of information,” Dr. Curl said.
Some research suggests that washing produce under running water and switching to organic food wherever possible can reduce the average person’s overall pesticide exposure, Dr. Furlong said. You may want to prioritize eating organic versions of wheat, oats and beans, in particular, as these crops are sprayed with glyphosate closest to harvest and are more likely to have higher levels of chemical residue.
The commission, which is expected to make recommendations on its findings, could suggest banning certain pesticides, requiring stronger protections for workers or restricting application during windier weather or in areas close to homes, schools or streams. It could also recommend funding more rigorous research into pesticides, or newer alternatives, though that may prove challenging at a time when research grants and agency funding are being cut, Dr. Furlong said.
“I would say the jury’s still out on whether or not the new administration can make meaningful changes for environmental health,” she added.
Knvul Sheikh is a Times reporter covering chronic and infectious diseases and other aspects of personal health.
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