First Evidence of Glyphosate in American Horseshoe Crab from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico

Glyphosate is the most used herbicide in the world. Unfortunately, contamination of water bodies by this herbicide has been reported. A severe concern has been triggered given its detrimental impact on the environment and wildlife. The American horseshoe crab ( Limulus polyphemus ) is a benthic arthropod that inhabits the Yucatan Peninsula in Southeast Mexico. This study evaluates the glyphosate concentration in 34 recently dead specimens of L . polyphemus from four localities of the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in Yucatan, Mexico. The analysis was carried out using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with a Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer. All the samples showed residues of glyphosate in the range from 0.08 to 2.38 ng g −1 . These records constitute the first evidence of glyphosate bioaccumulation in this species. Although the scope might be limited, the results demonstrate a potentially prejudicial exposition of the marine biota to glyphosate-based herbicides, given its use in the region.