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News Uptake
The Environmental Working Group conducted a small survey and found that four out of five Americans tested positive for Chlormequat.
Chlormequat is a pesticide which helps crops grow. It has harmful effects on human body.
In some researches, chlormequat has been linked to reduced fertility, negative impact on reproductive health and fetal development.
That is why it is banned in the USA from being used on crops.
But America allows imports from the countries which use chlormequat on food crops.
The survey which had this shocking result analyzed the urine samples of 96 people from 2017 to 2023 and the chemical was found in 77 samples.
Researchers found higher detection of the chemical in 2023 than in 2017 or 2022, conveying that this chemical is on the rise in America.
The study found that 92% of oat-based foods bought in May 2023 contained chlormequat. Cheerios cereal and Quaker oats also had the chemical.
Due to climate change, it's feared that farmers may increase the use of the pesticide containing chlormequat to increase their crop production.