The World Health Organization announced in March that glyphosate — the active ingredient in popular herbicides, including Roundup — is probably carcinogenic to humans. (Read our coverage about this announcement in Active Ingredient in Roundup Herbicide Is Probably Carcinogenic.) Roundup is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States, especially since the introduction of Roundup Ready genetically modified crops in 1996. Now, more people than ever are wondering just how much of this potentially dangerous product they’ve been exposed to. Feed the World, the Organic Consumers Association and others have teamed up to offer glyphosate testing for the public. For $119 per sample, participants can have their urine, breast milk or tap water tested.
At this point, results from breast milk suggest that glyphosate may be bioaccumulative — a possibility that flies in the face of current regulation assumptions. Recent studies also reveal a correlation between an organic diet and lower glyphosate levels in the body. I took part in this testing, and you can read about my experience and find out how to submit your own sample in Test Results: I Got My Body Analyzed for Glyphosate Residue.
Hannah Kincaid is an Assistant Editor for MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine. She is an enthusiastic student of herbal medicine, organic gardening and yoga.