More Than Rain: The Hidden Presence of Glyphosate in April Showers
Last month, we discussed Trump’s executive order to prioritize domestic production of glyphosate-based herbicides and the growing concerns around their health impacts. This month, we’re focusing on why this issue affects you, even if you never use glyphosate yourself. Studies increasingly show that once applied, glyphosate can move through both water and air, traveling far beyond where it was originally used and affecting communities and ecosystems that never agreed to its use. In other words, exposure isn’t limited to our own yards or farms, it can spread through the environment into surrounding yards and communities in ways that aren’t always visible.
After application, rain can wash glyphosate into streams, rivers, and groundwater, contaminating surrounding watersheds. Even if you don’t use it yourself, nearby use matters; If a neighbor or nearby farm applies glyphosate, some of that runoff could make its way into your yard. Monitoring by the U.S. Geological Survey has detected glyphosate and its breakdown product in many U.S. waterways, particularly in agricultural regions (USGS, 2019). We know these chemicals don’t simply disappear; they persist and circulate through aquatic systems, with the potential to enter drinking water sources (Battaglin et al., 2014).
Glyphosate movement is not limited to soil and surface water, it can also re-enter the atmosphere as part of the water cycle. Studies have now detected glyphosate in rainfall, suggesting that it can be transported indirectly through the air while bound to water droplets or particulate matter, before being redeposited in new locations (Chang et al., 2011; Majewski et al., 2014). This process allows glyphosate to cycle through evaporation, precipitation, and runoff, spreading contamination far beyond areas of direct application. This chemical behavior is characteristic of long-range transport (the ability of chemicals to move across regions via wind and atmospheric processes). Its presence in precipitation and in diverse environments, including remote and northern regions with little or no direct use, highlights the interconnectedness of environmental systems and the devastating threat glyphosate use poses on human health and the environment (Battaglin et al., 2014 ; Lupi et al., 2019).
All of this adds up to a bigger picture: low-level exposure can happen to any of us repeatedly, through water, food, and even the air, and while scientists continue to study the negative long-term health outcomes, the widespread presence of glyphosate raises important questions about how we manage its use. For home gardeners, this is a reminder that every choice matters. Organic practices (like mulching, hand weeding, and building healthy soil) don’t just avoid direct exposure in your yard, they also help reduce the overall chemical load entering our shared environment, which makes choosing safer, more sustainable alternatives more important than ever.
Next month, we’ll shift our focus to a more restorative approach to glyphosate. If you’ve used this herbicide (or any chemicals in your garden) you may be wondering how to bring life back into your yard. It’s important to remember that chemicals don’t respect boundaries; even if your garden is pesticide-free, nearby use from neighbors or surrounding areas can still have an impact. Restoration takes time, and it may look worse before it gets better. You might notice an increase in weeds or other less desirable plants as natural processes begin to recover. However, with patience and the right practices, your yard can gradually return to a healthier, more balanced state.
By Saoirse McAdams