A58-18 Relationship Between Urinary Glyphosate Levels and Obstructive Airway Diseases in the Adult and Pediatric United States’ Population: An Nhanes-based Cross-sectional Study

Background Glyphosate, the herbicide that is most frequently employed worldwide, is now a widespread environmental contaminant that can be found in food, beverages, and the atmosphere. Despite studies on animals, there is conflicting information about glyphosate’s ability to irritate human airways. Significance Asthma and children have not been included in previous studies that focused on adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Understanding its effects on the respiratory system in both adults and pediatrics is essential due to its extensive consumption. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between urinary glyphosate levels and increased risk of obstructive airway diseases, including asthma and COPD, in adults and children in the United States using nationally representative data (NHANES 2013-2018). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using NHANES data (2013-2018), which comprised 4,031 adults and 1,692 children with adequate urine glyphosate measurements. Both asthma and COPD were self-reported obstructive airway illnesses. The quantity of glyphosate in the urine was determined using ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The associations between glyphosate exposure tertiles and airway diseases were assessed using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle characteristics and correcting for dilution in urine creatinine. Results Adults with higher urine glyphosate levels had a higher odds of having obstructive airway disorders. Adults in the third tertile were 33% more likely to have asthma (aOR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.74, p = 0.03) and 15% more likely to have COPD (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.83-1.59, p = 0.39). The association with asthma reduced in children (aOR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.74-1.58, p = 0.69). Significant impacts were seen in middle-aged individuals for asthma (aOR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.98-2.35, p = 0.06) and in adults aged 20-39 for COPD (aOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 0.95-4.65, p = 0.07). Conclusion In this nationally representative U.S. sample, the study showed that higher glyphosate exposure was associated with an increased risk of obstructive respiratory illnesses in both adult and paediatric populations. These correlations were stronger among younger and middle-aged adults. Adults also showed strong dose-response relationships between glyphosate exposure and airway illnesses, especially in those with recent asthma-related episodes. This abstract is funded by: None