Project 1 Paper Led by Trainee Haley Jenkins Selected as NIEHS Extramural Paper of the Month
A new paper about glyphosate exposure and child brain development led by Project 1 trainee Haley Jenkins was selected as a June NIEHS extramural paper of the month and featured in the June Environmental Factor newsletter. This paper, co-written with Project 1 trainee Seonyoung (Shannon) Park and other Project 1 researchers, is the first Haley has written as a PROTECT trainee.
Glyphosate is an herbicide that is widely used in agricultural, industrial, and residential settings. Links between glyphosate exposure and neurotoxicity in animals have been observed in the past, but there is scarce information available on the effects of gestational glyphosate exposure in humans. In this study, Haley and co-researchers addressed this lack of information by analyzing PROTECT and CRECE birth cohort measures for maternal urinary glyphosate analytes and child neurodevelopment. They also analyzed exposure measures for aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), which is an environmental degradant of glyphosate.
Analysis showed that gestational AMPA exposure is associated with delayed neurodevelopment, with delays being especially pronounced at 24 months old. Among the neurodevelopment measures observed, gestational AMPA exposure was most significantly associated with personal-social, cognition, and, most consistently, communication delays.
In addition to observing the relationship between glyphosate exposure and neurodevelopment, researchers also saw that the PROTECT study population had significantly higher exposure to glyphosate compared to the rest of the United States population as indicated by publicly available NHANES data. The exact source of exposure for the study population is unknown, but possible sources include contaminated water, diet, or overuse of glyphosate in the region as a result of industry or agriculture.
The findings regarding the associations between glyphosate exposure and neurodevelopment are consistent with recent animal studies. Still, this is, to Haley and the team’s knowledge, the first human epidemiological study investigating the relationship between gestational glyphosate exposure and early childhood neurodevelopment domains. Further, larger studies are needed to explore the relationship between glyphosate and neurodevelopment more in-depth. Further studies will also be needed to better determine the agricultural, commercial, and residential sources of glyphosate and AMPA exposure in Puerto Rico residents.
A roadside ad for herbicide product containing ~40% Glyphosate in Puerto Rico – image taken during a PROTECT clinic site visit to Puerto Rico – credit John Meeker