Large scale biomonitoring of glyphosate and AMPA by analysis of human and animal feces and comparison with urine

• Autores: Dias, Jonatan; Yen, Ling; Alcon, Francisco; Contreras, Josefa; Abrantes, Nelson; Campos, Isabel; Baldi, Isabelle; Bureau, Mathilde; Christ, Florian; Mandrioli, Daniele; Sgargi, Daria; Pasković, Igor; Polić Pasković, Marija; Glavan, Matjaž; Hofman, Jakub; Huerta Lwanga, Esperanza; Harkes, Paula; Norgaard, Trine; Aparicio, Virginia Carolina; Silva, Vera; Schlünssen, Vivi; Alaoui, Abdallah; Scheepers, Paul; Mol, Hans
• Año de publicación: 2026
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Fuente: Environment International 207 : 110021. (January 2026)
• Materia: Biomonitoring; Glifosato; Hez; Orina; Animales; Género Humano; Glyphosate; Faeces; Urine; Animals; Humans; aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA)
• Institución: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria

Internal exposure of the world’s most used herbicide glyphosate and its environmental metabolite AMPA is commonly assessed by analysis of urine, while excretion is mostly through feces. In this study, we explore the feasibility and effectiveness of feces as an alternative matrix for urine for biomonitoring of these two compounds. A method for the determination of polar pesticides was validated and applied for analysis of 716 human and 249 animal feces samples. The samples were collected in 2021, at study sites in ten European countries and one in Argentina. Detection frequencies (DF) and median concentrations (MC) observed in sub-populations (conventional farmers, organic farmers, neighbors (rural), consumers (not involved in agricultural activities) were compared. Glyphosate was rather common in human feces in 71 % of the samples from the European sites and in 100 % of Argentinean samples. Detection in feces was more frequent than in the corresponding urine samples (35 % for Europe, 86 % for Argentina). MC in feces were 17.6 µg/kg (Europe) and 153 µg/kg (Argentina). Variation in DF and MC between study sites was larger than between pooled sub-populations of all study sites. In farm animals, glyphosate was found in the majority of the feces samples. AMPA was found less frequently, depending on the species and farming system. High concentrations of glyphosate and AMPA in bat feces showed that exposure also occurs at higher trophic levels in ecosystems near the investigated sites. In conclusion, analysis of feces reveals widespread exposure of both humans and animals to glyphosate, wider than so far reported based on urine as matrix.
EEA Balcarce
Fil: Dias, Jonatan. Wageningen University & Research. Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR); Países Bajos
Fil: Yen, Ling. Wageningen University & Research. Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR); Países Bajos
Fil: Francisco, Alcon. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Agricultural Engineering School; España
Fil: Alcon, Francisco. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Department of Business Economics; España
Fil: Contreras, Josefa. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Department Agricultural Engineering; España
Fil: Abrantes, Nelson. University of Aveiro. Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM). Department of Biology; Portugal
Fil: Campos, Isabel. University of Aveiro. Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM). Department of Environment and Planning; Portugal
Fil: Baldi, Isabelle. University of Bordeaux. Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre (BPH); Francia
Fil: Baldi, Isabelle. Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale. Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre (BPH); Francia
Fil: Bureau, Mathilde. University of Bordeaux. Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre (BPH); Francia
Fil: Bureau, Mathilde. Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale. Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre (BPH); Francia
Fil: Christ, Florian. University of Bern. Institute of Geography; Suiza
Fil: Mandrioli, Daniele. Ramazzini Institute. Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center; Italia
Fil: Sgargi, Daria. Ramazzini Institute. Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center; Italia
Fil: Pasković, Igor. Institute of Agriculture and Tourism. Department of Agriculture and Nutrition; Croacia
Fil: Polić Pasković, Marija. Institute of Agriculture and Tourism. Department of Agriculture and Nutrition; Croacia
Fil: Glavan, Matjaž. University of Ljubljana. Biotechnical Faculty. Agronomy Department; Eslovenia
Fil: Hofman, Jakub. Masaryk University. Faculty of Science. Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX); República Checa
Fil: Huerta Lwanga, Esperanza. Wageningen University and Research. Soil Physics and Land Management Group; Países Bajos
Fil: Harkes, Paula. Wageningen University and Research. Soil Physics and Land Management Group; Países Bajos
Fil: Norgaard, Trine. Aarhus University. Department of Agroecology; Dinamarca
Fil: Aparicio, Virginia Carolina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina
Fil. Silva, Vera. Wageningen University and Research. Soil Physics and Land Management Group; Países Bajos
Fil: Schlünssen, Vivi. Aarhus University. Danish Ramazzini Centre. Department of Public Health; Dinamarca
Fil: Alaoui, Abdallah. University of Bern. Institute of Geography; Suiza
Fil: Scheepers, Paul. Radboud University. Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES). Department of Environmental Science; Países Bajos
Fil: Mol, Hans. Wageningen University & Research. Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR); Países Bajos