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Griffith M, Tajik M, Wing S. Patterns of agricultural pesticide use in relation to socioeconomic characteristics of the population in the rural U.S. South. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH SERVICES 2007; 37:259-77. [PMID: 17665723 DOI: 10.2190/r410-7263-4811-4415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Residents of rural, agricultural areas where pesticides are used experience increased potential for pesticide exposure. In the rural U.S. South, where communities are predominantly of color, increased agricultural chemical use can constitute environmental injustice. Lacking data on the amounts of pesticide applied, the authors used county-level expenditure on agricultural chemicals as a proxy for pesticide use to explore spatial patterns of pesticide expenditure in relation to racial and economic composition in 953 rural counties in 12 southern states. Approximately eight times more money was spent on pesticides in counties with populations having more than 40 percent persons of color than in counties with less than 6 percent. Approximately four times more money was spent in counties with more than 22 percent of their population living in poverty than in counties with less than 12 percent. After adjusting for agricultural land area and land use, the authors found counties with more than 40 percent persons of color and more than 22 percent poverty spent about $1.3 million more on pesticides in 2002 than did counties with less than 6 percent persons of color and 12 percent poverty. This pattern of pesticide expenditures may produce racial and economic inequities in environmental exposures to pesticides, having implications for environmental justice and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Griffith
- Southeast Community Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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Nuckols JR, Gunier RB, Riggs P, Miller R, Reynolds P, Ward MH. Linkage of the California Pesticide Use Reporting Database with spatial land use data for exposure assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2007; 115:684-9. [PMID: 17520053 PMCID: PMC1867967 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.9518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2006] [Accepted: 01/03/2007] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The State of California maintains a comprehensive Pesticide Use Reporting Database (CPUR). The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) maps all crops in agricultural counties in California about once every 5 years. OBJECTIVE We integrated crop maps with CPUR to more accurately locate where pesticides are applied and evaluated the effects for exposure assessment. METHODS We mapped 577 residences and used the CPUR and CDWR data to compute two exposure metrics based on putative pesticide use within a 500-m buffer. For the CPUR metric, we assigned pesticide exposure to the residence proportionally for all square-mile Sections that intersected the buffer. For the CDWR metric, we linked CPUR crop-specific pesticide use to crops mapped within the buffer and assigned pesticide exposure. We compared the metrics for six pesticides: simazine, trifluralin (herbicides), dicofol, propargite (insecticides), methyl bromide, and metam sodium (fumigants). RESULTS For all six pesticides we found good agreement (88-98%) as to whether the pesticide use was predicted. When we restricted the analysis to residences with reported pesticide use in Sections within 500 m, agreement was greatly reduced (35-58%). The CPUR metric estimates of pesticide use within 500 m were significantly higher than the CDWR metric for all six pesticides. CONCLUSIONS Our findings may have important implications for exposure classification in epidemiologic studies of agricultural pesticide use using CPUR. There is a need to conduct environmental and biological measurements to ascertain which, if any, of these metrics best represent exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Nuckols
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1681, USA.
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Merriman JH, Hebert VR. Methyl isothiocyanate residential community air assessment for South Franklin County, Washington. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2007; 78:19-23. [PMID: 17333421 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-007-9009-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J H Merriman
- Washington State University Tri-Cities, 2710 University Drive, Richland, WA 99354-1671, USA
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Zainal H, Que Hee SS. Permeation of Comite through protective gloves. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2006; 137:165-71. [PMID: 16713085 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.01.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2005] [Revised: 08/16/2005] [Accepted: 01/11/2006] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The goal of the study was to assess how protective disposable (Safeskin) and chemical protective (Sol-Vex) nitrile gloves were against Comite emulsifiable concentrate formulation containing propargite (PROP) as active pesticidal ingredient, because there were no explicit recommendations for the gloves that should be worn for hand protection. The glove material was exposed in ASTM-type I-PTC-600 permeation cells at 30.0+/-0.5 degrees C, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry used for PROP analysis. Aqueous solutions of Comite at 40.4 mg/mL permeated both Safeskin and Sol-Vex nitrile by 8h. Safeskin showed a mean PROP mass permeated of 176+/-27 microg after 8h compared with a mean mass permeated for Sol-Vex of 3.17+/-4.08 microg. Thus, Sol-Vex was about 56 times more protective than Safeskin for an 8-h exposure. However, the kinetics of the permeation revealed that Safeskin can be worn for at least 200 min before disposal. When undiluted Comite challenged both types of nitrile, much faster permeation was observed. Safeskin gloves showed two steady state periods. The first had lag times (t(l)) values of about 1h, although normalized breakthrough times (t(b)) were < 10 min. The second steady state rate (P(s)) was on average four times the rate of the first period, and the second steady state period t(l) was about three times as long as that of the first steady state period, and about the same t(l) as for the aqueous solution. Sol-Vex gloves exposed continuously to undiluted Comite permeated above the normalized breakthrough threshold beyond 2.7h. A risk assessment revealed that the PROP skin permeation rate of 7.1 ng cm(-2)h(-1) was much slower than the first steady state Safeskin glove P(s) of 62,000 ng cm(-2)h(-1). Infrared analysis showed that the glove surfaces were not degraded by the Comite challenge. The chemically protective Sol-Vex gloves protected adequately against undiluted formulation for about 2.7h, whereas they provided protection for nearly 8h when the formulation was diluted with water to the highest concentration for field application. In contrast, the disposable Safeskin gloves did not protect at all for the undiluted formulation, but did for 200 min when the formulation was diluted with water to the highest concentration for spraying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanaa Zainal
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles, 650 Charles Young Jr Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA
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Pruett SB, Fan R, Zheng Q. Involvement of three mechanisms in the alteration of cytokine responses by sodium methyldithiocarbamate. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2006; 213:172-8. [PMID: 16321413 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2005.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2005] [Revised: 10/06/2005] [Accepted: 10/16/2005] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Sodium methyldithiocarbamate (SMD) is the third most abundantly used conventional pesticide in the U.S. We recently reported that it alters the induction of cytokine production mediated though Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 at relevant dosages in mice. Its chemical properties and evidence from the literature suggest the potential mechanisms of action for this compound. It could either act as a free radical scavenger (by means of its free S(-)group) or promote oxidation by breaking down to form methylisothiocyanate, which can deplete glutathione. It is a potent copper chelator and may affect the availability of copper to a number of copper-dependent enzymes (including some signaling molecules). SMD induces a classical neuroendocrine stress response characterized by elevated serum corticosterone concentrations, which could affect cytokine production. Although each of these mechanisms could potentially contribute to altered cytokine responses, direct evidence is lacking. The present study was conducted to obtain such evidence. The role of redox balance was investigated by pretreating mice with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), which increases cellular glutathione concentrations, before administration of SMD. NAC exacerbated the SMD-induced suppression of IL-12 and the SMD-induced enhancement of IL-10 in the serum. The role of copper chelation was investigated by comparing the effects of SMD with an equimolar dose to SMD that was administered in the form of a copper chelation complex. Addition of copper significantly decreased the action of SMD on IL-12 production but not on IL-10 production. The role of the stress response was investigated by pretreating mice with antagonists of corticosterone and catecholamines. This treatment partially prevented the action of SMD on IL-10 and IL-12 in the peritoneal fluid. The results suggest that all of the proposed mechanisms have some role in the alteration of cytokine production by SMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen B Pruett
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, 71130, USA.
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Quandt SA, Hernández-Valero MA, Grzywacz JG, Hovey JD, Gonzales M, Arcury TA. Workplace, household, and personal predictors of pesticide exposure for farmworkers. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2006; 114:943-52. [PMID: 16759999 PMCID: PMC1480506 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.8529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2005] [Accepted: 11/03/2005] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In this article we identify factors potentially associated with pesticide exposure among farmworkers, grade the evidence in the peer-reviewed literature for such associations, and propose a minimum set of measures necessary to understand farmworker risk for pesticide exposure. Data sources we reviewed included Medline, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, PsycINFO, and AGRICOLA databases. Data extraction was restricted to those articles that reported primary data collection and analysis published in 1990 or later. We read and summarized evidence for pesticide exposure associations. For data synthesis, articles were graded by type of evidence for association of risk factor with pesticide exposure as follows: 1 = association demonstrated in farmworkers; 2 = association demonstrated in nonfarmworker sample; 3 = plausible association proposed for farmworkers; or 4 = association plausible but not published for farmworkers. Of more than 80 studies we identified, only a third used environmental or biomarker evidence to document farmworker exposure to pesticides. Summaries of articles were compiled by level of evidence and presented in tabular form. A minimum list of data to be collected in farmworker pesticide studies was derived from these evidence tables. Despite ongoing concern about pesticide exposure of farmworkers and their families, relatively few studies have tried to test directly the association of behavioral and environmental factors with pesticide exposure in this population. Future studies should attempt to use similar behavioral, environmental, and psychosocial measures to build a body of evidence with which to better understand the risk factors for pesticide exposure among farmworkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A Quandt
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Dept. of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1063, USA.
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Ward MH, Lubin J, Giglierano J, Colt JS, Wolter C, Bekiroglu N, Camann D, Hartge P, Nuckols JR. Proximity to crops and residential exposure to agricultural herbicides in iowa. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2006; 114:893-7. [PMID: 16759991 PMCID: PMC1480526 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.8770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Rural residents can be exposed to agricultural pesticides through the proximity of their homes to crop fields. Previously, we developed a method to create historical crop maps using a geographic information system. The aim of the present study was to determine whether crop maps are useful for predicting levels of crop herbicides in carpet dust samples from residences. From homes of participants in a case-control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Iowa (1998-2000), we collected vacuum cleaner dust and measured 14 herbicides with high use on corn and soybeans in Iowa. Of 112 homes, 58% of residences had crops within 500 m of their home, an intermediate distance for primary drift from aerial and ground applications. Detection rates for herbicides ranged from 0% for metribuzin and cyanazine to 95% for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Six herbicides used almost exclusively in agriculture were detected in 28% of homes. Detections and concentrations were highest in homes with an active farmer. Increasing acreage of corn and soybean fields within 750 m of homes was associated with significantly elevated odds of detecting agricultural herbicides compared with homes with no crops within 750 m (adjusted odds ratio per 10 acres = 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.11). Herbicide concentrations also increased significantly with increasing acreage within 750 m. We evaluated the distance of crop fields from the home at < 100, 101-250, 251-500, and 501-750 m. Including the crop buffer distance parameters in the model did not significantly improve the fit compared with a model with total acres within 750 m. Our results indicate that crop maps may be a useful method for estimating levels of herbicides in homes from nearby crop fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H Ward
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
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Li LY, Barry T, Mongar K, Wofford P. Modeling methyl isothiocyanate soil flux and emission ratio from a field following a chemigation of metam-sodium. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2006; 35:707-13. [PMID: 16585612 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2005.0216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Metam-sodium had become the most heavily used soil fumigant in recent years as the deadline approached for methyl bromide to phase out in January 2005. After application, metam-sodium decomposes rapidly to methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), a highly toxic compound capable of killing a wide spectrum of soil-borne pests. Inhalation risk of MITC ranked high among airborne agricultural pesticides in California. Information about off-gassing intensity and percentage of emission is essential for exposure risk assessment and mitigation measures, but is limited, especially for new application methods such as drip chemigation. Air concentrations of MITC were monitored around a field treated with metam-sodium through surface drip irrigation system. The field was tarped with plastic films before the chemigation. The air concentrations at receptor locations were simulated for the period of air monitoring with the Industrial Source Complex (ISC3) Dispersion Model, and soil flux density of MITC at various periods after chemigation was estimated through a back-calculation procedure. The estimated soil flux density of MITC showed a diurnal pattern, with the daytime flux stronger than nighttime. However, the average air concentration at nighttime was higher than that at daytime. Soil flux density peaked at 4.30 microg m-2 s-1 in the first 12-h period after chemigation, then declined with time. The MITC emission percentage in the first 60-h was 2.65% of applied mass, of which 57% occurred in the first 24-h after chemigation. The study indicated that the tarped bed drip application method of metam-sodium had a relatively good control of MITC emission from soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ying Li
- California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Environmental Monitoring Branch, P.O. Box 4015, Sacramento, CA 95812-4015, USA.
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Cryer SA. Predicting soil fumigant air concentrations under regional and diverse agronomic conditions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2005; 34:2197-207. [PMID: 16275721 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2004.0474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
SOFEA (SOil Fumigant Exposure Assessment system; Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, IN) is a new stochastic numerical modeling tool for evaluating and managing human inhalation exposure potential associated with the use of soil fumigants. SOFEA calculates fumigant concentrations in air arising from volatility losses from treated fields for large agricultural regions using multiple transient source terms (treated fields), geographical information systems (GIS) information, agronomic specific variables, user-specified buffer zones, and field reentry intervals. A modified version of the USEPA Industrial Source Complex Short Term model (ISCST3) is used for air dispersion calculations. Weather information, field size, application date, application rate, application type, soil incorporation depth, pesticide degradation rates in air, tarp presence, field retreatment, and other sensitive parameters are varied stochastically using Monte Carlo techniques to mimic region and crop specific agronomic practices. Regional land cover, elevation, and population information can be used to refine source placement (treated fields), dispersion calculations, and risk assessments. This paper describes the technical algorithms of SOFEA and offers comparisons of simulation predictions for the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) to actual regional air monitoring measurements from Kern, California. Comparison of simulation results to daily air monitoring observations is remarkable over the entire concentration distribution (average percent deviation of 44% and model efficiency of 0.98), especially considering numerous inputs such as meteorological conditions for SOFEA were unavailable and approximated by neighboring regions. Both current and anticipated and/or forecasted fumigant scenarios can be simulated using SOFEA to provide risk managers and product stewards the necessary information to make sound regulatory decisions regarding the use of soil fumigants in agriculture.
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Feitz AJ, Joo SH, Guan J, Sun Q, Sedlak DL, David Waite T. Oxidative transformation of contaminants using colloidal zero-valent iron. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2005.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Harnly M, McLaughlin R, Bradman A, Anderson M, Gunier R. Correlating agricultural use of organophosphates with outdoor air concentrations: a particular concern for children. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2005; 113:1184-9. [PMID: 16140625 PMCID: PMC1280399 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.7493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2004] [Accepted: 05/05/2005] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
For the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos, median inhalation noncancer, acute children's exposures in agricultural communities are elevated above reference doses; for diazinon, similar exposures are nearly elevated. We used multivariate linear regression analysis to examine the temporal and spatial associations between agricultural use and measured air concentrations of chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos oxon, diazinon, and malathion. Agricultural use within a 3-mile radius on the monitoring day and use on the 2-4 prior days were significantly associated with air concentrations (p < 0.01) for all analytes except malathion; chlorpyrifos oxon showed the strongest association (p < 0.0001). In the final models, which included weather parameters, the proportion of variance (r2, adjusted for the number of model variables) for all analytes ranged from 0.28 (p < 0.01) for malathion to 0.65 (p < 0.0001) for diazinon. Recent cellular, animal, and human evidence of toxicity, particularly in newborns, supports the public health concern indicated by initial risk estimates. Agricultural applications of organophosphates and their oxon products may have substantial volatization and off-field movement and are a probable source of exposures of public health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Harnly
- California Department of Health Services, Oakland, CA 94612, USA.
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Pruett SB, Zheng Q, Schwab C, Fan R. Sodium methyldithiocarbamate inhibits MAP kinase activation through toll-like receptor 4, alters cytokine production by mouse peritoneal macrophages, and suppresses innate immunity. Toxicol Sci 2005; 87:75-85. [PMID: 15933225 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfi215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sodium methyldithiocarbamate (SMD; trade name, Metam Sodium) is an abundantly used soil fumigant that can cause adverse health effects in humans, including some immunological manifestations. The mechanisms by which SMD acts, and its targets within the immune system are not fully understood. Initial experiments demonstrated that SMD administered by oral gavage substantially decreased IL-12 production and increased IL-10 production induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice. The present study was conducted to further characterize these effects and to evaluate our working hypothesis that the mechanism for these effects involves alteration in signaling through toll-like receptor 4 and that this would suppress innate immunity to infection. SMD decreased the activation of MAP kinases and AP-1 but not NF-kappaB in peritoneal macrophages. The expression of mRNA for IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-18, IFN-gamma, IL-12 p35, IL-12 p40, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was inhibited by SMD, whereas mRNA for IL-10 was increased. SMD increased the IL-10 concentration in the peritoneal cavity and serum and decreased the concentration of IL-12 p40 in the serum, peritoneal cavity, and intracellularly in peritoneal cells (which are >80% macrophages). Similar effects on LPS-induced cytokine production were observed following dermal administration of SMD. The major breakdown product of SMD, methylisothiocyanate (MITC), caused similar effects on cytokine production at dosages as low as 17 mg/kg, a dosage relevant to human exposure levels associated with agricultural use of SMD. Treatment of mice with SMD decreased survival following challenge with non-pathogenic Escherichia coli within 24-48 h, demonstrating suppression of innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen B Pruett
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130, USA.
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Reynolds P, Von Behren J, Gunier RB, Goldberg DE, Harnly M, Hertz A. Agricultural pesticide use and childhood cancer in California. Epidemiology 2005; 16:93-100. [PMID: 15613951 DOI: 10.1097/01.ede.0000147119.32704.5c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Household pesticide use has been associated with higher risk for several childhood malignancies, but few studies have evaluated risks associated with residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use. We conducted a population-based case-control study of early childhood cancer (age 0-4 years) among California children born between 1990 and 1997 and mother's residential proximity to agricultural applications of pesticides at the time of the child's birth. METHODS Included in the study were 2189 case children and 4335 controls matched for birth date and sex. We estimated the in utero exposure potential from specific chemicals and chemical groups used in the 9 months before birth within a half mile of the maternal residence. We computed odds ratios (ORs) using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS No striking patterns emerged. There were modestly elevated ORs for leukemias associated with probable and possible carcinogen use, and with nearby agricultural applications of organochlorines and organophosphates during pregnancy. Two commonly used pesticides were associated with higher leukemia risk when comparing the highest and lowest categories: metam sodium (OR=2.05; 95% confidence interval=1.01-4.17) and dicofol (1.83; 1.05-3.22). CONCLUSIONS The few elevated risk associations in this study are consistent with chance, given the large number of comparisons, but they may deserve more careful consideration. Future studies that integrate specific temporal and spatial exposure potential for targeted pesticides will be important in further evaluating risks associated with childhood cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peggy Reynolds
- California Department of Health Services (CDHS), Environmental Health Investigations Branch, Oakland, California 94612, USA.
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64
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Reynolds P, Hurley SE, Goldberg DE, Yerabati S, Gunier RB, Hertz A, Anton-Culver H, Bernstein L, Deapen D, Horn-Ross PL, Peel D, Pinder R, Ross RKRK, West D, Wright WE, Ziogas A. Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use and incidence of breast cancer in the California Teachers Study cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2004; 96:206-18. [PMID: 15325881 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2004.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2003] [Revised: 01/21/2004] [Accepted: 03/02/2004] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
We examined the association between residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use and breast cancer incidence among members of the California Teachers Study cohort, a large study of professional school employees with extensive information on breast cancer risk factors, followed for cancer incidence since 1995. We identified 1552 invasive breast cancer cases, diagnosed between 1996 and 1999, among 114,835 cohort members. We used California Pesticide Use Reporting data to select pesticides for analysis based on use volume, carcinogenic potential, and exposure potential; a Geographic Information System was used to estimate pesticide applications within a half-mile radius of subjects' residences. We applied Cox proportional hazard models to estimate hazard rate ratios (HR) for selected pesticides, adjusting for age, race, and socioeconomic status. We saw no association between residential proximity to recent agricultural pesticide use and invasive breast cancer incidence. HR estimates for the highest compared to the lowest exposure categories for groups of agents were as follows: probable or likely carcinogens (1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86-1.32), possible or suggestive carcinogens (1.06, 95% CI: 0.87-1.29), mammary carcinogens (1.15, 95% CI: 0.90-1.48), and endocrine disruptors (1.03, 95% CI: 0.86-1.25). HR estimates for other groups and individual pesticides did not differ from unity, nor was there a trend for any groupings of or individual pesticides examined. Stratifying by menopausal status or family history of breast cancer did not substantially affect our results. Our analyses suggest that breast cancer incidence is not elevated in areas of recent, high agricultural pesticide use in California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peggy Reynolds
- Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Health Services, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1700, Oakland, CA 94612, USA.
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Abstract
Prevention and control of damage to health, crops, and property by insects, fungi, and noxious weeds are the major goals of pesticide applications. As with use of any biologically active agent, pesticides have unwanted side-effects. In this review, we will examine the thesis that adverse pesticide effects are more likely to occur in children who are at special developmental and behavioral risk. Children's exposures to pesticides in the rural and urban settings and differences in their exposure patterns are discussed. The relative frequency of pesticide poisoning in children is examined. In this connection, most reported acute pesticide poisonings occur in children younger than age 5. The possible epidemiological relationships between parental pesticide use or exposure and the risk of adverse reproductive outcomes and childhood cancer are discussed. The level of consensus among these studies is examined. Current concerns regarding neurobehavioral toxicity and endocrine disruption in juxtaposition to the relative paucity of toxicant mechanism-based studies of children are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent F Garry
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Program in Toxicology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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