a new, peer-reviewed study of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found that 80% of Americans are regularly exposed to the chemical chlormequat, which has been linked to fertility and developmental problems in laboratory animals.
The chemical is used to control the growth of grain crops such as oats, wheat and barley so that they are easier to harvest.
Here’s what you need to know about the findings.
Which products appear to contain chlormequat?
Chlormequat has been found in samples of conventional oat products, including General Mills Cheerios and Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, at levels exceeding 100 parts per billion. For example, in the context of a 14-ounce box of cereal, only a trace amount of the chemical would be present.
For fifty years, products containing chlormequat residue were not allowed to be imported into the US and domestic use of the chemical was limited to ornamental plants. But in 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began allowing international imports of grain from countries where chlormequat is approved for use, including Canada and EU countries.
In 2020, the EPA increased the allowable amount of the chemical in imports from 15 to 40 parts per million, after petition from Taminco, a company that manufactures the chemical. Taminco has that too submitted an application for the EPA to greenlight the use of chlormequat on U.S. crops; if approved, exposure of the general population to the chemical would likely increase.
How do chlormequat and other pesticides affect our bodies?
Although concentrations of chlormequat in human urine are still well below current levels of concern, the EWG study authors found a “significant increase” in the chemical in urine samples from people living in Florida, South Carolina and Missouri in 2023 , compared to samples from the last six years. Because chlormequat passes through the human body within 24 hours, the research suggests that these people are regularly exposed to rising levels of chlormequat – likely through the consumption of oat-based foods such as oatmeal and granola.
While acute ingestion of chlormequat can be fatal for humans, the impact of low, chronic doses is not well understood. Low levels of the chemical have been shown to have an impact reproductive health And grow in male and female laboratory animals.
“A precautionary approach should be used until more studies can examine the potential health effects of chlormequat exposure in humans,” Dr. Alexis Temkin, a senior toxicologist at the EWG and lead author of the study, said via email. In addition, exposure to multiple chemicals can lead to risks increase health risks even if the dose of each individual chemical is lower than what regulators consider harmful.
Many Americans are regularly exposed to harmful agricultural chemicals. Last November, Georgetown University published a paper analyzing the link between fifty years of pesticide exposure and declining sperm health. A recent study from the Indiana University School of Medicine found a significant increase in the presence of the herbicide dicamba in pregnant people in Indiana, with 70% testing positive between 2020 and 2022, a sharp increase from the 28% recorded in a similar study from 2010 to 2012. Dicamba has been linked to certain types of cancer.
Last year the journal of the National Cancer Institute was published found it that high levels of the herbicide glyphosate, commonly known by its original brand name “RoundUp,” in human urine were linked to oxidative stress, a condition that causes damage to DNA; the chemical is also associated with metabolic diseases and liver inflammation. Glyphosate has also been found in oat products.
How do I avoid taking chlormequat?
Does this mean you should ignore your morning bowl of oatmeal? Not necessary. The EWG, a non-profit organization, but receives Private sector support from some organic food companies suggests that consumers concerned about exposure to chlormequat and other pesticides may want to purchase oat-based grains and products made with organic ingredients, since certified organic oats are grown without synthetic pesticides. Low levels of contamination can still occur in organic products, but in the EWG’s testing, “only one in eight samples had low, detectable levels of chlormequat,” says Temkin.