Associations between Prenatal Urinary Biomarkers of Glyphosate and Aminomethylphosphonic Acid and Oxidative Stress in the Illinois Kids Development Study

Background: In vitro studies suggest that glyphosate may induce oxidative stress, but this remains underexplored in humans. We examined associations between glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), and oxidative stress biomarkers among pregnant women residing in an area known for intensive corn production and heavy herbicide use. Methods:Participants were a subset of the Illinois Kids Development Study (N = 161). Metabolites of glyphosate, AMPA, and oxidative stress biomarkers (8-iso-PGF2α, PGF2α, 2,3-dinor-8-iso-PGF2α, and 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-8-iso-PGF2α) were measured prenatal urine samples. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations between glyphosate, AMPA, and oxidative stress biomarkers. Results:Glyphosate and AMPA were not strongly associated with any of the oxidative stress biomarkers. For example, an interquartile range increase in glyphosate was associated with a small increase in 8-iso-PGF2α (β = 0.05, 95% CI = −0.07, 0.17). Conclusions: Our study characterized associations between glyphosate, AMPA, and oxidative stress among pregnant women in the Midwest, observing no significant associations between these exposures and oxidative stress.