Chlormequat is a growth regulator whose use on grain crops is on the rise in North America. In the United States it is only approved for use on ornamental plants, while in the EU, the United Kingdom and Canada it is also approved for food, primarily on wheat, oats and barley. The desired effect of chlormequat is to decrease the stem height of the plant, which prevents the plant from bending, which would make harvesting difficult. However, toxicological tests show that the substance has an effect of reducing fertility and damaging the developing fetus, even in quantities below the allowable dietary intake values.

In the United States, tolerance levels were established in 2018 for the content of chlormequat chloride in imported cereals, which were increased for oats in 2020. The authors detected chlormequat in 69, 74, and 90% of urines collected in 2017, 2018-2022, and 2023, respectively, reflecting a significant increase of the pesticide in the 2023 samples. The data also showed exposure for the period before 2018. The authors suspected a potential dietary intake, however, chlormequat is also naturally produced in wheat products and egg powder under processing conditions.

To determine whether the amounts observed in Americans' urine reflect potential dietary intake, the authors also tested wheat- and oat-based products purchased in 2022 and 2023 for the presence of chlormequat.

Their results call for more thorough toxicity and food testing to assess the health effects of human exposure to chlormequat.