Association between urinary glyphosate levels and serum neurofilament light chain in a representative sample of US adults: NHANES 2013-2014

An-Ming Yang; Pei-Lun Chu; ChiKang Wang; Chien-Yu Lin

doi:10.1038/s41370-023-00594-2

Association between urinary glyphosate levels and serum neurofilament light chain in a representative sample of US adults: NHANES 2013-2014

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2023 Sep 6. doi: 10.1038/s41370-023-00594-2. Online ahead of print.

Authors

An-Ming Yang^#^{1

2}, Pei-Lun Chu^#^{3

4}, ChiKang Wang⁵, Chien-Yu Lin^{6

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, En Chu Kong Hospital, New Taipei City, 237, Taiwan.
² Department of Healthcare Management, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan.
³ School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, 242, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, 242, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, En Chu Kong Hospital, New Taipei City, 237, Taiwan. 00724@km.eck.org.tw.
⁷ School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, 242, Taiwan. 00724@km.eck.org.tw.
⁸ Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan. 00724@km.eck.org.tw.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 37674008
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00594-2

Abstract

Background: Glyphosate, the herbicide with the highest global usage, has been found to have links to neurological impairment in some occupational studies. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a protein that is released into the bloodstream following neuroaxonal damage and has emerged as a reliable biomarker for various neurological disorders. However, no research has investigated the potential link between glyphosate exposure and neurological damage or serum NfL levels in the general population.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the possible correlation between glyphosate exposure and serum NfL levels in a population that is representative of the United States.

Methods: We analyzed data from 597 adults (aged ≥20 years) from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to explore the potential correlation between urinary glyphosate levels and serum NfL levels.

Results: We found a significant positive association between urinary glyphosate levels and serum NfL levels (ß-coefficient = 0.110; S.E. = 0.040; P = 0.015), indicating that higher levels of glyphosate exposure may be linked to higher levels of neuroaxonal damage. Furthermore, when glyphosate levels were divided into quintiles, we observed a significant trend of increasing mean NfL concentrations with increasing quintiles of glyphosate exposure (P for trend = 0.036). Notably, the association was more pronounced in certain subgroups, including those aged ≥40 years, non-Hispanic whites, and those with a BMI between 25 and 30.

Impact statement: This is the first research to suggest an association between glyphosate exposure and biomarkers indicative of neurological damage in general U.S. adults. If the correlation observed is causal, it raises concerns about the potential effects of glyphosate exposure on neurological health among U.S. adults. The study is noteworthy due to its representation of American adults aged 20 and above, as well as the use of reliable and comprehensive data from the NHANES database.

Keywords: Glyphosate; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); Neurological diseases; Serum neurofilament light chain.