Chemical That May Cause Infertility Found in Cheerios, Quaker Oats

80% of Americans tested were found to have been exposed to chlormequat, which has been linked to issues with puberty and reproduction, a study claims

A chemical that’s banned for use on edible plants in the United States has been found in Cheerios and Quaker Oats — and 80% of Americans have been exposed to it, according to a new study in Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology and shared on Nature.

Chlormequat is a chloride salt, according to the National Library of Medicine, and is “registered for use on ornamental plants grown in greenhouses and nurseries.”

However, it’s approved for use on edible plants in other countries — and in 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency allowed the importation of plants that had been treated with the chemical, the Environmental Working Group reports.