What to know
- CDC has published urinary glyphosate (N-(Phosphonomethyl)glycine) data tables in the Report.
- The tables present biomonitoring data from NHANES 2013-2014, providing nationally representative information for the U.S. population.
- Glyphosate was measured in urine samples from a random one-third subsample of NHANES participants aged 6 years and older.
- Urinary concentrations of glyphosate indicate exposure but do not imply disease or adverse health effects. Further research is needed to determine safe levels and potential associations with health effects.
Urinary Glyphosate (N-(Phosphonomethyl)glycine) Data Tables Published
CDC routinely updates summary measurements for its National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) biomonitoring data in its National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (Report).
CDC is providing these urinary glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) measurements (NHANES variable name: SSGLYP) as a standalone resource in advance of the next scheduled update to aid federal, state, and local public health agencies, and others, currently investigating glyphosate.
These tables present biomonitoring data gathered in NHANES 2013-2014. NHANES is designed to provide nationally representative information for the general U.S. population.
Glyphosate was measured in urine from a random one-third subsample of NHANES participants 6 years of age and older. The Environmental Health Laboratory in CDC's National Center for Environmental Health used mass spectrometry to make these measurements.
The measurement of an environmental chemical in a person's urine is an assessment of exposure; it does not by itself mean that the chemical causes disease or an adverse health effect. Research studies, separate from these data, are required to determine which urinary concentrations are safe and which ones could be associated with disease or an adverse health effect.
Please direct any questions about this information to CDC-INFO:
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/dcs/contactus/form
Notes and Additional Resources
For more information about glyphosate, please see the following resources:
Glyphosate | Toxic Substances | Toxic Substance Portal | ATSDR (cdc.gov)
Statistics include geometric means and selected percentiles, with 95 percent confidence intervals around each estimated statistic. Percentiles describe the shape of the distribution. For all chemicals, the 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles are presented.
Biomonitoring is the assessment of human exposure to chemicals by measuring the chemicals, their metabolites, or adducts in human specimens such as blood, serum, or urine.
Urinary Glyphosate (N-(Phosphonomethyl)glycine) (2013 - 2014)
| Demographic Categories |
Survey (Years) |
Geometric Mean (95% CI) |
50th Percentile (95% CI) |
75th Percentile (95% CI) |
90th Percentile (95% CI) |
95th Percentile (95% CI) |
Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 13-14 | .411 (.376-.450) | .392 (.359-.436) | .656 (.573-.751) | 1.11 (.961-1.32) | 1.58 (1.35-1.83) | 2310 |
| Age 6-11 years | 13-14 | .515 (.437-.606) | .526 (.441-.602) | .891 (.620-1.18) | 1.38 (1.15-1.78) | 1.78 (1.39-2.30) | 337 |
| Age 12-19 years | 13-14 | .481 (.422-.547) | .456 (.387-.506) | .804 (.670-.963) | 1.32 (1.02-1.65) | 1.70 (1.32-2.06) | 348 |
| Age 20+ years | 13-14 | .392 (.358-.429) | .375 (.350-.410) | .613 (.527-.718) | 1.03 (.907-1.25) | 1.54 (1.18-1.86) | 1625 |
| Males | 13-14 | .421 (.380-.466) | .409 (.363-.468) | .680 (.595-.788) | 1.15 (.974-1.36) | 1.62 (1.27-1.97) | 1153 |
| Females | 13-14 | .402 (.364-.445) | .379 (.347-.418) | .622 (.532-.744) | 1.07 (.930-1.29) | 1.56 (1.28-1.82) | 1157 |
| Mexican Americans | 13-14 | .359 (.329-.391) | .358 (.327-.405) | .545 (.501-.606) | .815 (.742-.929) | 1.07 (.916-1.37) | 381 |
| Non-Hispanic blacks | 13-14 | .461 (.427-.498) | .446 (.389-.514) | .706 (.631-.780) | 1.21 (.994-1.50) | 1.64 (1.36-2.21) | 464 |
| Non-Hispanic whites | 13-14 | .417 (.374-.466) | .392 (.356-.449) | .662 (.573-.781) | 1.17 (.926-1.54) | 1.70 (1.35-1.90) | 930 |
| All Hispanics | 13-14 | .374 (.333-.419) | .364 (.320-.434) | .600 (.499-.703) | .920 (.787-1.08) | 1.26 (1.07-1.39) | 586 |
| Asians | 13-14 | .352 (.303-.409) | .349 (.295-.400) | .563 (.479-.707) | 1.03 (.880-1.17) | 1.34 (.997-2.28) | 238 |
Urinary Glyphosate (N-(Phosphonomethyl)glycine) (creatinine corrected) (2013 - 2014)
| Demographic Categories |
Survey (Years) |
Geometric Mean (95% CI) |
50th Percentile (95% CI) |
75th Percentile (95% CI) |
90th Percentile (95% CI) |
95th Percentile (95% CI) |
Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 13-14 | .443 (.406-.482) | .450 (.404-.486) | .753 (.689-.829) | 1.17 (1.10-1.31) | 1.60 (1.46-1.79) | 2309 |
| Age 6-11 years | 13-14 | .653 (.579-.738) | .643 (.533-.775) | 1.00 (.860-1.29) | 1.70 (1.35-2.07) | 2.26 (1.76-2.82) | 337 |
| Age 12-19 years | 13-14 | .414 (.372-.460) | .421 (.373-.472) | .676 (.626-.705) | .946 (.848-1.17) | 1.34 (.976-2.09) | 348 |
| Age 20+ years | 13-14 | .429 (.392-.469) | .428 (.391-.470) | .733 (.674-.802) | 1.14 (1.10-1.27) | 1.54 (1.38-1.69) | 1624 |
| Males | 13-14 | .388 (.357-.421) | .397 (.353-.435) | .670 (.604-.738) | 1.04 (.956-1.11) | 1.26 (1.12-1.52) | 1152 |
| Females | 13-14 | .502 (.450-.559) | .504 (.447-.576) | .858 (.732-.958) | 1.40 (1.24-1.49) | 1.81 (1.61-2.00) | 1157 |
| Mexican Americans | 13-14 | .378 (.333-.429) | .373 (.328-.418) | .635 (.571-.683) | 1.01 (.849-1.12) | 1.24 (1.05-1.60) | 380 |
| Non-Hispanic blacks | 13-14 | .362 (.309-.423) | .346 (.283-.469) | .610 (.508-.707) | .939 (.791-1.07) | 1.24 (1.01-1.60) | 464 |
| Non-Hispanic whites | 13-14 | .476 (.431-.526) | .480 (.435-.533) | .810 (.722-.910) | 1.30 (1.13-1.48) | 1.69 (1.49-2.04) | 930 |
| All Hispanics | 13-14 | .391 (.349-.439) | .385 (.327-.444) | .668 (.596-.710) | 1.01 (.856-1.14) | 1.29 (1.12-1.55) | 585 |
| Asians | 13-14 | .444 (.384-.512) | .446 (.384-.512) | .773 (.633-.929) | 1.17 (.974-1.55) | 1.55 (1.18-1.97) | 238 |