A multicenter retrospective survey of poisoning after ingestion of herbicides containing glyphosate potassium salt or other glyphosate salts in Japan

ABSTRACT

Introduction: A multicenter retrospective survey of patients poisoned by herbicides containing glyphosate salts in Japan was conducted to identify differences in symptoms and outcome of poisoning. Methods: Participants were patients who were transported to emergency facilities between October 2006 and March 2014 after consuming herbicides containing glyphosate potassium salt (GlyK⁺) (the K-group) or other glyphosate salts (the O-group). Questionnaires were mailed to 38 emergency facilities that agreed to participate in the study. Results: Serum potassium levels upon arrival were significantly higher (p < 0.01), and abnormal electrocardiogram findings were significantly more common (p < 0.01) in the K-group (n = 55) than in the O-group (n = 62). Conversely, acute lung injury (ALI) including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (p = 0.05) and liver injury (LI) (p < 0.01) were significantly more common during hospitalization in the O-group, although no significant differences in the duration of hospital stay (p = 0.92) or outcomes (p = 0.95) were observed between the two groups. Discussion and conclusion: The ingestion of products containing glyphosate isopropylamine or ammonium salts, and polyoxyethyleneamine (POEA) as a surfactant, can cause severe organ injury. Physicians should note that the ingestion of products containing glyphosate potassium salt and surfactants other than POEA can cause hyperkalemia, potentially leading to fatal arrhythmias or cardiac arrest.

Keywords:

• Arrhythmia
• cardiac arrest
• glyphosate-surfactant herbicide
• hyperkalemia

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the 26 participating emergency facilities for providing data (see Appendix 2).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.