Overview
- PAN UK reported detecting glyphosate and its breakdown product AMPA in 8 of 13 playgrounds across three counties and two London boroughs, including residues on slides and swings.
- The tested sites were not close to agricultural fields, and PAN UK attributes the likely source to routine council weed‑killing in public spaces.
- Glyphosate is classified by the WHO’s cancer research agency as probably carcinogenic, and a 2023 UC Berkeley study linked childhood exposure to higher long‑term risks of serious diseases.
- Hackney was the only area where neither glyphosate nor AMPA was found, aligning with its pesticide‑free policy in parks and estates since 2021.
- Official 2024 data show councils used 354 tonnes of pesticides with glyphosate products comprising about 96% of active substances, as PAN UK urges a three‑year phase‑out and as Parliament considers a bill to end council pesticide use ahead of a national reapproval consultation due early 2026 with a decision by mid‑December.