Herbicides found in Human Hair as Unique testing Project Releases First Results

The unique project, which began in July 2018, has already discovered the world’s most used herbicide, glyphosate, in a number of hair samples at over 66 parts per billion (ppb), which is a much higher level than the average urine level of 3 ppb reported by the University of California San Francisco in 2016. The main metabolite of glyphosate, AMPA, was also found in some of the hair samples at even higher levels than glyphosate itself.

The Detox Project Director, Henry Rowlands, stated; “The levels found are surprising to everyone involved, as we have been working on urine testing with university and commercial laboratories over the past four years and we have never seen such results.”

It is only recently that new developments in laboratory technology and science have enabled pesticides to be tested accurately in hair. Hair testing is now set to replace urine and blood as the preferred matrix for public pesticide testing for the following reasons:

Hair Testing also has some other advantages:

One of the main questions now for the public, scientists, regulators and the pesticide industry, is how are such levels of the world’s most used herbicide first entering the blood stream and then ending up in our hair?

Dr. Vincent Peynet, Director of Kudzu Science, stated; “The Detox Project aims to use this extraordinary new tool to change how the general public views glyphosate and other pesticides. We can only do this by showing people around the world how pesticides build up in their bodies over the long-term.”