“If it’s in their water, what’s in ours?” What a U.S. pesticide study means for NZ

A new study out of the United States has just confirmed what many suspected, say NoMoreGlyphosate NZ.

“Even with stricter regulations and greater public awareness, people are still being exposed to a cocktail of pesticides—through the air, their water, their homes, and their food.

“So if it’s happening over there, what might be happening here?

“Especially when New Zealand still uses glyphosate and other chemical weedkillers more liberally—in parks, on school grounds, along roadsides and riverbanks, and across our food crops—often with little testing or oversight.”

A Wake-Up Call from Across the Pacific

“The study, titled Occurrence of Current-Use Pesticides in Paired Indoor Dust, Drinking Water, and Urine Samples from the United States, was published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal on June 13, 2025.

“Researchers tested urine, tap water, and indoor dust from 79 households across six U.S. states. The results were staggering:

• 47 different pesticides were detected across samples.
• Glyphosate was found in 81% of urine samples.

“Most participants had multiple pesticides in their system—whether they lived near farms or not.

“The researchers didn’t just measure exposure—they evaluated potential health risks too. Hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, and cancer were among the top concerns. The study authors concluded that pesticides are “pervasive” in modern environments and “require urgent policy attention.”

But What About Here in New Zealand?

“Unlike the U.S., New Zealand has no ongoing national programme to measure pesticide residues in people, dust, or water. We don’t routinely test household exposure. We haven’t tested breast milk since 2008. Glyphosate testing in food remains limited and episodic—and primarily carried out through small-scale, one-off surveys rather than ongoing surveillance in New Zealand.

And yet, we continue to spray glyphosate:

• On food crops like wheat, oats, peas, and barley—especially right before harvest
• On school fields, playgrounds, and parks where children play
• Along roadsides and riverbanks, often near drinking water catchments
• In conservation areas, as a default “vegetation control” tool

“So if 47 different pesticides—including glyphosate—are showing up in homes and people in the U.S., with tighter controls… how can we assume it’s not happening here?

“The short answer? We can’t. Because no one is looking.”

Glyphosate: Always at the Top of the List

“In the U.S. study, glyphosate was one of the most frequently detected pesticides, appearing in 81% of urine samples. Its main breakdown product, AMPA, was also commonly found.

“That tracks with our own findings here in New Zealand:

• Glyphosate residues in 5 out of 7 supermarket cereals
• Glyphosate detected in honey samples from across the country
• Glyphosate confirmed in Weet-Bix, one of NZ’s most iconic breakfast foods

“And yet the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has proposed raising the allowable limits by 9900% for glyphosate residues on food crops like wheat, soy, and maize.

“MPI insists glyphosate is “safe.” But we have to ask:

• Safe for who?
• At what dose?
• And how would we know—if we’re not testing people, or what’s accumulating in our homes?”

Exposure Isn’t Just on the Plate

“One of the most important findings in the U.S. study is this:

“Pesticide exposure isn’t just from food.

• It’s in the dust we breathe.
• It’s in the tap water we drink.
• It’s in the air we walk through after roadside spraying.
• It’s in the grass where our kids sit and roll and run.

“Here in New Zealand, public herbicide use is widespread—and often sprayed by contractors during school hours or on windy days without warning.

• Has anyone ever tested playground dust in New Zealand?
• Has anyone monitored air quality after council spraying?
• Do we even test rivers near sprayed banks and roadsides for runoff?

“If we don’t ask, we’ll never know. And if we don’t know, we can’t protect ourselves—or future generations.

Why This Matters

“We can’t just keep saying “there’s no evidence of harm” if we never look for it. The U.S. study is a clear warning: these chemicals are not just sticking to crops—they’re building up in our bodies, our homes, and our ecosystems.

“New Zealand needs its own data. Not assumptions. Not reassurances. Real testing. Real transparency.

“Because if they’re finding it over there, you can bet it’s here too.”

Image credit: Getty Images