Glyphosate and Other Toxic Chemicals Detected in French Diapers

In a study said to be the first of its kind worldwide, French health agency Anses has found potentially dangerous chemicals in disposable diapers. The substances they discovered include glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto‘s Roundup weedkiller, BBC News reported. Anses said it “detected a number of hazardous chemicals in disposable diapers that could migrate through urine, for example, and enter into prolonged contact with babies’ skin.” Some of the chemicals were found at levels above safety limits while others, like glyphosate, were found at lower levels.

The report was based on tests of 23 samples of diapers on sale in France between 2016 and 2018, including brands billed as “ecological”. The agency did not name specific brands, but said the tests were representative of the market as a whole. Some French diaper brands are also sold in other countries.

The study found 60 chemicals in all, some of which have been banned in the EU for more than 15 years, British newspaper, The Guardian reported. Anses also said that some exceeded limits for safe exposure based on a “realistic” use estimate of 4,000 diapers for a child during their first three years of life. Sources: reuters.com, BBC.com and theguardian.com