Glyphosate Use and Mosaic Loss of Chromosome Y among Male Farmers in the Agricultural Health Study
Vicky C. Chang, Weiyin Zhou, Sonja I. Berndt, Gabriella Andreotti, Meredith Yeager, Christine G. Parks, Dale P. Sandler, Nathaniel Rothman, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Mitchell J. Machiela, Jonathan N. Hofmann
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide worldwide and has been implicated in the development of certain hematologic cancers. Although mechanistic studies in human cells and animals support the genotoxic effects of glyphosate, evidence in human populations is scarce. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between lifetime occupational glyphosate use and mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) as a marker of genotoxicity among male farmers. METHODS: of cells (expanded mLOY). RESULTS: ]. Similar patterns of associations were observed for intensity-weighted lifetime days of glyphosate use. DISCUSSION: High lifetime glyphosate use could be associated with mLOY affecting a larger fraction of cells, suggesting glyphosate could confer genotoxic or selective effects relevant for clonal expansion. As the first study to investigate this association, our findings contribute novel evidence regarding the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate and require replication in future studies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12834.