Food Contaminants
glyphosate causes kidney disease
In plain terms: Does glyphosate cause kidney disease?
Contested Food Contaminants 💰 Industry COI noted🔬 Includes disconfirming
Part of: 🔍 glyphosate
RefutedContestedStrong support
consensus score 0.12
A kidney disease epidemic in farming regions of Sri Lanka and Central America prompted this, but the leading explanation is heat stress and dehydration in outdoor workers. The one study measuring both found the job mattered and glyphosate levels did not.
📅 Last reviewed: 2026-07-29 ⓘ
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: Population patterns (Observational)
MechanismIn-vitroAnimalObservationalRCTMeta-analysis
How the studies fall
6 support 2 contradict 0 tested null 27 mixed · 35 sources, 5 independent groups
What the evidence shows
This centres on chronic kidney disease of unknown origin in farming regions of Sri Lanka and Central America. The signature hypothesis, that glyphosate forms nephrotoxic complexes with hard-water metals, has been tested directly exactly once, and only at the level of wells rather than patients. Nobody has measured glyphosate in diagnosed patients against matched controls.
The evidence (35)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qiu YY et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | ACUTE POISONING case report: intentional co-ingestion of ~100-120 mL of 41% glyphosate-isopropylammonium plus ~100g ethanol caused multi-organ dysfunction (AKI, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, lung/liver/gut injury); patient recovered ful |
| Qiang S et al 2024 · Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) | observational | mixed | moderate | ACUTE SELF-POISONING cohort (n=151, 2010-2013): plasma glyphosate and AMPA concentrations predicted acute kidney injury (AUC 0.83 and 0.76) and case fatality (AUC>0.9); co-formulant polyethoxylated tallow amine was an even stronger AKI pred |
| Omote D et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | ACUTE POISONING case report: 68-year-old man after accidental glyphosate ingestion developed AKI with biopsy-confirmed severe tubulointerstitial nephritis (atypical vs the more common acute tubular necrosis pattern), requiring hemodialysis; |
| Liu S et al 2025 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Roosters fed 200 mg glyphosate/kg diet for 120 days showed elevated creatinine/BUN, elevated KIM-1/NGAL injury markers, and apoptotic renal ultrastructural damage; trehalose co-supplementation (5 g/kg) largely prevented injury. EXPERIMENTAL TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Panzacchi S et al 2025 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | moderate | Ramazzini Institute's Global Glyphosate Study: Sprague-Dawley rats exposed prenatally through 104 weeks at EU ADI (0.5 mg/kg bw/day), 5 mg/kg, and NOAEL (50 mg/kg bw/day) showed statistically significant dose-related increases in tumors (in TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Babich R et al 2024 · The Science of the total environment | animal | mixed | low | Zebrafish embryos exposed to low-level glyphosate alone (10 ppb, below the 700 ppb drinking-water limit) showed CNS-gene dysregulation and reduced movement, but RENAL developmental genes and lysosomal transcripts were only distinctly suppre |
| Hojo K et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | ACUTE POISONING case report (83-year-old, suicide attempt, ~55 mg/L plasma glyphosate): a dry-chemistry analyzer read creatinine as falsely elevated (10.62 mg/dL) versus the true enzymatic-method value (1.36 mg/dL) -- apparent severe renal |
| Romo-García MF et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | low | Cross-sectional study of 221 children (general/ambient exposure, not occupational) found the early tubular-injury biomarker KIM-1 rose ~42% (95% CI 32-52%) per unit increase in glyphosate; a SHAP model attributed 51% of KIM-1 variance to gl |
| Khacha-Ananda S et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | OCCUPATIONAL study: farmers regularly spraying glyphosate-surfactant herbicide showed 'no significant immediate changes' in KIM-1/TIMP2/IGFBP7/DNA-methylation post-task (possibly due to PPE use), though ~50% had a biomarker ratio >1 suggest |
| Aboregela AM et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Wistar rats given glyphosate-based herbicide 100 mg/kg/day orally for 14 days developed glomerular atrophy, tubular necrosis, and worsened renal/oxidative/apoptotic markers; naringenin co-treatment (50 mg/kg) partially protected. EXPERIMENT TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Cha'on U et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | Population survey in Northeast Thailand (n=2205, 6.26% CKDu) found CKDu associated with age, male sex, uric acid, and 'consumption of groundwater contaminated with potential nephrotoxins (cadmium, lead, fluoride, AND glyphosate)' -- glyphos |
| Hussein N. 2026 · Research Square | animal | mixed | low | Preprint: male rats dosed at 1/10 LD50 of glyphosate (plus 3 comparator herbicides) 3x/week for 4 weeks showed significant elevations in creatinine, urea, and renal histopathology vs controls, though glyphosate produced 'comparatively moder TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Lu HY et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | Structured review (635 records screened, 61 human studies retained) across glyphosate/paraquat/organophosphates/atrazine found human evidence for chronic occupational/environmental exposure causing CKD/ESRD 'more limited and heterogeneous,' |
| Peng Y et al 2025 · Medicine | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES 2013-2018 (n=4178, DIETARY/general-population route; title says 'organophosphorus' but the analysis is glyphosate-specific): urinary glyphosate positively associated with self-reported kidney-stone prevalence in a dose-response patte |
| Hu L et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES 2013-2014 cross-sectional (n=1170, DIETARY route): urinary glyphosate positively associated with albumin-creatinine ratio (beta=0.07, 95% CI 0.01-0.13) and negatively with eGFR in the third quartile (beta=-3.72, 95% CI -5.98,-1.46); |
| kunju SA et al 2026 · preprint | observational | mixed | low | ACUTE POISONING cohort (51 patients, intentional oral ingestion, India, 2009-2019): elevated creatinine >1.4 mg/dL was strongly associated with in-hospital mortality (OR 25.2, 95% CI 2.19-290.23); 7.8% died. This is acute high-dose self-poi |
| Hamed AM et al 2025 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Female Wistar rats given glyphosate 5 mg/kg/day for 25 days developed elevated urea/creatinine, reduced creatinine clearance, oxidative stress, and tubular degeneration; melittin nanoparticles (40 ug/kg) provided protection. EXPERIMENTAL AN TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Rihani R et al 2025 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Rat kidney cortex/medulla and human HK2 tubular cells exposed to glyphosate (GP) or Roundup (RU): GP alone reduced medullary mitochondrial respiration (-14.2%, p=0.02), cortex largely unaffected; RU produced larger effects in both cortex an TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Chukwubueze F et al 2025 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Chronic GBH-exposed rat kidneys (dose/duration not stated in abstract; NIH-extramural funded per record metadata) showed altered N-glycan profiles and proteomic activation of inflammatory/immune pathways (IL-6, STAT3, NFE2L2 upregulated), w TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Li G et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES cross-sectional analysis: each unit increase in log-urinary glyphosate associated with 25% higher nephrolithiasis (kidney-stone) prevalence (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.06-1.47); PI3K/Akt mechanism validated in vivo/in vitro showing glyphosate |
| Gericke B et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Killifish renal proximal tubules exposed to glyphosate/AMPA (1-100 ug/L short-term; 10 ug/L 24h in vivo, environmentally relevant) showed reduced ABC-transporter (Pgp/Mrp2/Mrp4/Bcrp) detoxification activity acutely with compensatory upregul TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Mazuryk J et al 2024 · ACS pharmacology & translational science | observational | mixed | low | Narrative review covering glyphosate hepato/nephro/hemo/cardiopulmonary toxicity and clinical cases: nephrotoxicity evidence spans occupational HPA-axis dysregulation through to ACUTE intoxication causing oliguria, hyperkalemia, and shock; |
| Egbuchiem AN et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | contradicts | low | County-level ecological panel (12 Midwestern US states, 1999-2020, USGS pesticide-use data, 3-yr lag): glyphosate use was associated with increased HEART DISEASE mortality (beta=5.04, p<0.001), but 'no significant associations were observed |
| Albrakati A. 2025 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Male Wistar rats given glyphosate 25 mg/kg/day for 21 days showed impaired renal function, elevated KIM-1, suppressed antioxidant enzymes, and increased apoptotic markers; quercetin co-treatment (50 mg/kg) dose-dependently protected. EXPERI TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Assar DH et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Nile tilapia exposed to 0.6 mg/L glyphosate (water-borne, EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL, 8 weeks) showed elevated BUN and creatinine plus reduced lysozyme activity vs controls. Study's primary aim was testing a dietary sodium-butyrate countermeasure; TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Meira DD et al 2024 · preprint | observational | mixed | low | OCCUPATIONAL study of 304 Brazilian farmers exposed to pesticides (glyphosate emphasized but not isolated from other pesticides): CYP2C9 'normal metabolizer' genotype was associated with cardiovascular and kidney problems in pesticide-expos |
| Uthayarajan N et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | low | Systematic review of 57 Sri Lankan CKDu studies found water sources contaminated with heavy metals, fluoride, agrochemicals and glyphosate/AMPA, but conclusions attribute risk primarily to heavy metals/fluoride and do not isolate glyphosate |
| Nacano BRM et al 2024 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Rats given glyphosate 5 mg/kg bw/day with a balanced diet showed decreased kidney weight, tubular vacuolation, upregulated KIM-1, and increased mitochondrial ROS versus controls. EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL dose is far above estimated human dietary TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Zhu Y et al 2025 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | NHANES 2013-2016 (n=1614, ages 12-40, DIETARY/general-population route): highest glyphosate quartile associated with 0.06 mL/min/1.73m2 LOWER eGFR vs lowest quartile (95% CI -0.13 to -0.00) -- statistically significant but clinically tiny - |
| Roberts SM et al 2025 · Research Square | observational | contradicts | moderate | 168 general-population US subjects: glyphosate detected in 40% (max 25.3 ug/L), estimated doses 1-2 orders of magnitude BELOW regulatory safe limits; NO relationship found between urinary glyphosate/AMPA and any of 21 renal-injury biomarker |
| Merutka IR et al 2026 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | moderate | Adult zebrafish exposed 10-60 days to low-level glyphosate (10 ppb) +/- metals (Cd/As/Pb/V, 2-15 ppb), levels matched to actual agricultural drinking water, developed tubular injury, altered mitochondrial function/mitophagy, and proteinuria TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Ulrich JC et al 2023 · study_type: observational | observational | supports | moderate | Direct test of the glyphosate + water-hardness complexation hypothesis: large Sri Lanka field study found glyphosate in 44% of CKDu-endemic wells vs 8% of non-endemic wells; logistic regression showed glyphosate, fluoride, water hardness, a |
| Rodgers KM et al 2026 · study_type: observational | observational | mixed | moderate | OCCUPATIONAL cohort of 285 Central American agricultural workers: higher urine glyphosate associated with eGFR decline over 1 year in the lower-exposure group (-4.0 mL/min/1.73m2, 95% CI -7.2,-0.87), but paradoxically LOWER odds of eGFR dec |
| Roma D et al 2023 · study_type: in-vitro | in-vitro | mixed | low | HEK293 (human embryonic kidney) cells exposed to Roundup at 0.7-3500 ug/L glyphosate-equivalent for 1-24h: the three highest concentrations (>=70 ug/L) increased DNA damage (comet assay) vs control, with impaired DNA-repair kinetics at the TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
| Noor MI et al 2025 · study_type: animal | animal | mixed | low | Goldfish exposed to environmentally-relevant Roundup concentrations (0.5 and 5.0 ug/L, 2 weeks) showed increased oxidative-nitrative stress markers, renal histopathology, and apoptosis in kidney tissue. EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL, low/environmenta TEMPERED: preclinical (animal/in-vitro) evidence, retained in the ledger but not carrying a human-outcome headline; dosing is typically far above human exposure. |
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