Advancements in isotopic signatures, source tracking, and abiotic transformation pathways of glyphosate: A critical review of environmental fate and risk mitigation

Glyphosate remains the most widely used broad-spectrum herbicide globally, and its environmental prevalence has increased substantially following the adoption of glyphosate‑resistant crops. This widespread use has raised concerns regarding multi‑trophic ecological effects and potential risks to human health. A central challenge in evaluating these risks lies in the complex environmental fate of glyphosate, which can degrade into the persistent metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) or into less harmful products such as glycine. This review synthesizes recent advances in high‑precision analytical techniques, with particular emphasis on multi‑element isotope analysis as a promising approach to resolve source ambiguity between agricultural glyphosate and industrial inputs. In addition, we provide an integrated perspective on glyphosate degradation pathways by bridging biotic and abiotic processes. While microbial pathways have traditionally been emphasized, we highlight the emerging evidence for mineral-mediated abiotic transformation as a significant mechanism. In particular, the glycine pathway, involves catalytic conversion of glyphosate to glycine by synthetic Mn oxides, Mn‑oxide‑coated Fe minerals, and complex soil mineral matrices, potentially bypassing the formation of intermediate compounds such as AMPA and sarcosine. By integrating mechanistic insights with advanced source‑tracking approaches this review proposes a framework for next-generation environmental monitoring and outlines strategies for engineered remediation that favor detoxification via benign abiotic pathways.The Graphical Abstract was created with BioRender.com.