Chu Pei-Lun, Hsiao Ching-Chung, Su Ta-Chen, Wang Chikang, Lin Chien-Yu
School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei 242, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei 242, Taiwan.
Department of Nephrology, New Taipei Municipal Tucheng Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2025 Mar 1;292:117989. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.117989.
Glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), extensively used worldwide, have been associated with various health concerns, including an elevated risk of mortality. Experimental studies suggest that these herbicides may disrupt selenium homeostasis by hindering its uptake or promoting oxidative stress. However, the interplay between glyphosate exposure and selenium status remains poorly understood in epidemiological studies, particularly regarding selenium's role in modulating the mortality risk associated with glyphosate exposure in nationally representative populations.
In this study, we analyzed data from the 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included 6410 participants aged 3 years and older. This dataset was linked to mortality information from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for individuals aged 18 and older, with follow-up through 2019. The primary aim was to investigate the relationships between urinary glyphosate levels, whole blood selenium, selenium intake, and the influence of selenium status on glyphosate-related all-cause mortality risk. A significant negative correlation was observed between the natural logarithm (ln) of urinary glyphosate levels and the ln of whole blood selenium in the complex multiple linear regression models, with a ß coefficient of -0.010 (SE = 0.003, P = 0.003). However, no association was found between urinary glyphosate levels and selenium intake. Furthermore, the association was particularly prominent among females, non-Hispanic whites, and individuals with lower selenium intake. When examining the relationship between glyphosate exposure, whole blood selenium levels, and all-cause mortality, higher ln-urinary glyphosate levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.43; 95 % CI: 1.00-2.09). This elevated risk was especially pronounced in individuals with whole blood selenium concentrations at or above the 50th percentile. Additionally, ln-whole blood selenium was associated with a protective effect against all-cause mortality (HR = 0.01; 95 % CI: 0.00-0.18), with the strongest protective effect observed in individuals with selenium levels below the 50th percentile.
In this comprehensive analysis of NHANES data, our study identifies a potentially harmful relationship between glyphosate exposure and whole blood selenium levels. Notably, excessively high whole blood selenium levels may not only reduce the protective effects against all-cause mortality but could also increase the risk of glyphosate-related mortality, suggesting a U-shaped relationship between selenium levels and mortality risk. These findings highlight the need for further research into the health effects of glyphosate exposure and its interaction with selenium status, emphasizing the potential public health implications.
草甘膦及草甘膦基除草剂（GBHs）在全球广泛使用，与各种健康问题相关，包括死亡率升高。实验研究表明，这些除草剂可能通过阻碍硒的摄取或促进氧化应激来破坏硒稳态。然而，在流行病学研究中，草甘膦暴露与硒状态之间的相互作用仍知之甚少，特别是关于硒在调节全国代表性人群中与草甘膦暴露相关的死亡风险方面的作用。
在本研究中，我们分析了2013 - 2018年国家健康与营养检查调查（NHANES）的数据，其中包括6410名3岁及以上的参与者。该数据集与国家卫生统计中心（NCHS）提供的18岁及以上个体的死亡率信息相关联，并随访至2019年。主要目的是研究尿草甘膦水平、全血硒、硒摄入量之间的关系，以及硒状态对草甘膦相关全因死亡风险的影响。在复杂多元线性回归模型中，观察到尿草甘膦水平的自然对数（ln）与全血硒的ln之间存在显著负相关，β系数为 - 0.010（标准误 = 0.003，P = 0.003）。然而，未发现尿草甘膦水平与硒摄入量之间存在关联。此外，这种关联在女性、非西班牙裔白人以及硒摄入量较低的个体中尤为突出。在研究草甘膦暴露、全血硒水平与全因死亡率之间的关系时，较高的尿草甘膦ln水平与死亡风险增加显著相关（风险比[HR] = 1.43；95%置信区间：1.00 - 2.09）。这种升高的风险在全血硒浓度处于或高于第50百分位数的个体中尤为明显。此外，全血硒ln与全因死亡率的保护作用相关（HR = 0.01；95%置信区间：0.00 - 0.18），在硒水平低于第50百分位数的个体中观察到最强的保护作用。
在对NHANES数据的这项综合分析中，我们的研究确定了草甘膦暴露与全血硒水平之间潜在的有害关系。值得注意的是，过高的全血硒水平不仅可能降低对全因死亡率的保护作用，还可能增加草甘膦相关死亡率的风险，表明硒水平与死亡风险之间呈U形关系。这些发现凸显了对草甘膦暴露的健康影响及其与硒状态相互作用进行进一步研究的必要性，强调了潜在的公共卫生意义。
