Exposure to environmental toxins can harm brain health, especially in teens and children, who are fundamentally more vulnerable than adults to toxic exposures. Herbicides to control weeds and insect repellents to control vector-borne diseases are prevalent worldwide, but scientists don’t fully understand their effects on brain health. A new study shows that exposure to common herbicides impairs teen neurobehavioral performance.

Researchers measured urinary concentrations of common herbicides (glyphosate and 2,4-D) and an insect repellent (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, commonly known as DEET) in 519 teens living in agricultural communities in Ecuador. They tested the teens' neurobehavioral performance in five areas: attention/inhibitory control, memory/learning, language, visuospatial processing, and social perception.

They detected glyphosate in the urine of 98.3 percent of the teens and 2,4-D in 66.2 percent. Higher glyphosate concentrations correlated with lower scores in social perception; higher 2,4-D concentrations correlated with lower scores in attention/inhibitory control, memory/learning, and language. DEET exposure did not influence neurobehavioral performance.

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide widely used in agriculture and forestry to control unwanted vegetation. It is known for effectively eliminating weeds and has been a key component of many commercial herbicide products, including Roundup. However, the use of glyphosate has also been a subject of controversy due to concerns about its potential harm to human health and the environment.

These findings suggest that herbicide exposure negatively influences neurobehavioral performance in teens. Listen to Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss herbicides, pesticides, and disease risk in this Q&A.

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