[2] AMPA is one of the primary degradation products of the herbicide glyphosate.

[4][1] In addition, it is a degradation product of other aminophosphonates, which have applications as antiscalant and water treatment.

[5] AMPA was found in the final effluent of some wastewater treatment plants at concentrations of up to 10μg/l.

[7] AMPA has the potential to be broken down further by manganese oxide in laboratory conditions, however in soil manganese oxide is usually only present in trace amounts.

[11] AMPA has toxicity which is comparable to that of glyphosate and it is therefore considered to be of similar toxicological concern (harmful in greater than 0.5 parts per million) as glyphosate itself.