Glyphosate-based herbicides are widely used for their effective and safe agricultural, forestry, and residential weed control. As part of the Farm Family Exposure Study^a, glyphosate concentrations in urine were evaluated from 48 farmers, their spouses, and their 79 children (4-18 years of age), prior to and several days following application of glyphosate on the farm. Glyphosate was primarily detected in the urine of farmer-applicators, or of family members who were present during herbicide mixing, loading or application. The urine concentrations indicated that the glyphosate exposures were well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum acceptable daily level for glyphosate. The majority (97%) of family members who were not present during herbicide mixing, loading or application did not have detectable glyphosate in their urine. It is advisable to minimize exposure to all pesticides whenever possible, and this study identified specific practices that could be improved to reduce the potential for exposure. The full journal article is available here: https://bit.ly/2kxRHxd 

^aThe Farm Family Exposure Study was a biomonitoring study involving 95 farm families (farmer-applicators, spouses and children). It measured the actual amount of pesticides absorbed into the body by analyzing the urine of study participants over a five-day period around an application of pesticide. The study was conceived and funded by members of The Farm Family Pesticide Study task force, composed of Bayer Crop Sciences, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, FMC, Monsanto, Syngenta. The American Chemical Council also co- sponsored the study. Scientists at the University of Minnesota designed and executed the study. Their work was reviewed by an advisory committee comprised of experts in epidemiology and exposure assessment from several universities and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.