ArticleEnvironmental health perspectives2023
Urinary Glyphosate, 2,4-D and DEET Biomarkers in Relation to Neurobehavioral Performance in Ecuadorian Adolescents in the ESPINA Cohort.
Article in Environmental health perspectives, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acetylcholinesterase activity from childhood to young adulthood.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2026Article
- Social Support, Traditional Care Practices, and Mental Health in Rural Ecuadorian Youth.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- From repellent to risk: DEET's adverse effects on hormones and bone health in kids.Journal of advanced research · 2026Article
- Associations between concurrent neonicotinoid, pyrethroid, and organophosphate insecticide metabolites and neurocognitive performance in Ecuadorian adolescents.The Science of the total environment · 2025Article
- First trimester urine glyphosate concentrations and gestational diabetes in nulliparas: a nested case-control study.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2025Article
- Associations Between Urinary Pesticide Metabolites and Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers in Adolescents Living in an Agricultural Region.Exposure and health · 2025Article
- Mapping temporal trends of pesticide use and identifying potential non-occupation population exposure using a geospatial approach.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Relationships of residential distance to greenhouse floriculture and organophosphate, pyrethroid, and neonicotinoid urinary metabolite concentration in Ecuadorian Adolescents.International journal of health geographics · 2025Article
- Associations of prenatal metal exposure with child neurodevelopment and mediation by perturbation of metabolic pathways.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Serum PFAS and lipid concentrations in Ecuadorian adolescents.Archives of environmental & occupational health · 2025Article
- Residential proximity to agricultural fields, urinary glyphosate levels and breast cancer risk: a case-control study in Argentina.Frontiers in toxicology · 2025Article
- Correlation between environmental DEET exposure and the mortality rate of cancer survivors: a large-sample cross-sectional investigation.BMC cancer · 2024Article
- Sex and adrenal hormones in association with insecticide biomarkers among adolescents living in ecuadorian agricultural communities.International journal of hygiene and environmental health · 2024Article
- A Thorny Problem: Glyphosate and 2,4-D Associated with Neurobehavioral Effects for Ecuadorian Adolescents.Environmental health perspectives · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHerbicides are the most used class of pesticides worldwide, and insect repellents are widely used globally. Yet, there is a dearth of studies characterizing the associations between these chemical groups and human neurobehavior. Experimental studies suggest that glyphosate and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicides can affect neurobehavior and the cholinergic and glutamatergic pathways in the brain. We aim to assess whether herbicides and insect repellents are associated with neurobehavioral performance in adolescents.
methodsWe assessed 519 participants (11-17 years of age) living in agricultural communities in Ecuador. We quantified urinary concentrations of glyphosate, 2,4-D, and two N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) insect repellent metabolites [3-(diethylcarbamoyl)benzoic acid (DCBA) and 3-(ethylcarbamoyl)benzoic acid (ECBA)] using isotope-dilution mass spectrometry. We assessed neurobehavioral performance using 9 subtests across 5 domains (attention/inhibitory control, memory/learning, language, visuospatial processing, and social perception). We characterized the associations using generalized estimating equations and multiple imputation for metabolites below detection limits. Models were adjusted for demographic and anthropometric characteristics, urinary creatinine, and sexual maturation. Mediation by salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone,
resultsThe mean of each neurobehavioral domain score was between 7.0 and 8.7 [standard deviation (SD) range: 2.0-2.3]. Glyphosate was detected in 98.3% of participants, 2,4-D in 66.2%, DCBA in 63.3%, and ECBA in 33.4%. 2,4-D was negatively associated with all neurobehavioral domains, but statistically significant associations were observed with attention/inhibition [score difference per 50% higher metabolite concentration
conclusionThis study describes worse neurobehavioral performance associated with herbicide exposures in adolescents, particularly with 2,4-D. Replication of these findings among other pediatric and adult populations is needed. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11383.
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