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Vera-Aviles M, Castillo-Burguete T, Pérez-Herrera N. "I Do Not Have the Time of Being sick": Para-Occupational Exposure and Women's Health Risk Perception in an Agricultural Community. J Agromedicine 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38874286 DOI: 10.1080/1059924x.2024.2366458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Few studies have explored the relationship between para-occupational exposure and risk perception in farmers' families. Women are indirectly involved in agricultural activities, even though their roles most of the time are hidden. Women's para-occupational exposure and risk perceptions are important to describe, since women have a key gender role in the family's health care and possibly in the impact of acting regarding pesticide safety education. Furthermore, in farmer families, the impact of para-occupational pesticide exposure on women's health has been neglected. AIM Analyze pesticide para-occupational exposure scenario, knowledge, and health risk perception among women living in a farmer community. METHODS A mixed methodology was used. Two groups of women were identified to screen the exposure scenario: Women living in a farming family and women not living in a farming family. Data on para-occupational pesticide exposure and intradomicile practices were collected by questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to identify health risk perception and risk practices. RESULTS We observed a complex pesticide exposure scenario. All women were potentially exposed to pesticides through several pathways. One-third of the participants lived near a farming family or in proximity to neighbors that used pesticides at home, and one of every three women referred to spending time in a farmer's home. Among the group of women in a farming family (n = 18) stored pesticides inside the home was common; having the "safety practice" of storing pesticides in high places to avoid children being exposed. Women not living in farmimg families (n = 11) felt overexposed due to living in an agricultural community and agricultural drift exposure. Women from this group also mentioned feeling fear of developing cancerous diseases as well as fertility problems. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge and risk perception of pesticide exposure are similar between groups; however, women living in farming families were less willing to attend preventive health check-ups or educational programs than women not living in a farming family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Vera-Aviles
- Unidad Interinstitucional de Investigación Clínica y Epidemiológica (UIICE), Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Teresa Castillo-Burguete
- Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Norma Pérez-Herrera
- Unidad Interinstitucional de Investigación Clínica y Epidemiológica (UIICE), Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
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Tsakiris P, Damalas CA, Koutroubas SD. Risk perception and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in pesticide use: does risk shape farmers' safety behavior? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38803231 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2359076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Risk perception and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in pesticide use were studied in 109 farmers of northern Greece. Farmers differed in the levels of pesticide risk perception, with 26.6% showing very low and low levels, 34.9% showing moderate levels, and 38.5% showing high and very high levels. Pesticide risk perception was positively correlated with education and large cultivated area, but negatively with age and non-farming as a main profession. Most farmers (82.6%) showed adequate use of PPE (mostly face mask and gloves). The use of PPE was positively correlated with education and risk perception, but negatively with age and non-farming as a main profession. Farmers with high levels of risk perception used 1.3 and 2.6 times more PPE items than those with moderate and low levels of risk perception, respectively. High education was a positive predictor, whereas main profession other than farming was a negative predictor of PPE use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petros Tsakiris
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
| | - Christos A Damalas
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
| | - Spyridon D Koutroubas
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
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Kar A, Deole S, Nayak RR, Gupta AK, Gadratagi BG, Patil N, Guru-Pirasanna-Pandi G, Mahapatra B, Mahanty A, Adak T. Distribution and risk assessment of pesticide pollution in small streams adjoining paddy fields. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 469:133852. [PMID: 38430593 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The present investigation was planned to bridge the knowledge gap on spatiotemporal variations of pesticide pollution in small streams adjacent to paddy fields, and to visualize the associated risks in the aquatic ecosystems. We screened 106 pesticides using GCMSMS and LCMSMS from 10 small streams (n = 212, surface water samples) adjacent to paddy fields over seven months. Fifty-five pesticides were detected across different streams and months. The highest mean concentration was detected for fenobucarb (272 ng L-1), followed by thiamethoxam (199 ng L-1). The highest maximum concentration was detected for thiamethoxam ( 13,264 ng L-1), followed by triflumezopyrim ( 11,505 ng L-1). The highest detection frequency was recorded for fenobucarb (80.00%), followed by pretilachlor (79.00%). Out of the ten streams, Attabira stream had the highest mean number of pesticides detected in each sample. Maximum number of pesticides were detected in October followed by September. Pesticides namely, hexaconazole, pretilachlor, tricyclazole, fenobucarb and thiamethoxam were consistently detected across all streams. The risk assessment against the fishes, micro-invertebrates and algae were measured by risk quotient index (RQ). Twenty-five pesticides out of the detected pesticides (n = 55) had risk quotient values greater than 1. The highest RQmax values were observed in case of fenpropathrin followed by cyfluthrin-3. The highest RQmean value was observed in case of cyfluthrin, indicating its higher toxicity to fishes. The present study reveals that small streams are polluted with pesticides and there is a need to develop strategies and policy interventions in regularizing the pesticide uses for reducing the pesticide pollution in aquatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit Kar
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha 753006, India; Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Krishak Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492012, India; Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India
| | - Sonali Deole
- Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Krishak Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492012, India
| | | | - Akhilesh Kumar Gupta
- Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India
| | | | - Naveenkumar Patil
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha 753006, India
| | | | - Bibhab Mahapatra
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha 753006, India; Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, Odisha 756019, India
| | - Arabinda Mahanty
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha 753006, India
| | - Totan Adak
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha 753006, India.
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Burgos-Núñez S, Calao-Ramos C, Hernández SN, Enamorado-Montes G, Urango-Cárdenas I, Navarro-Frómeta A, Paternina-Uribe R, Marrugo-Negrete JL. Genetic damage among children living in agricultural areas in the North of Colombia. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2024; 96:e20221111. [PMID: 38808810 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202420221111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the use of pesticides has increased considerably for pest control and to improve agricultural production. The rural areas of several municipalities of department of Cordoba, north of Colombia, are highly dependent on agriculture. In this study, a questionnaire and field observations about pesticide use and genotoxic damage through the comet assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes of children who live near crop fields was evaluated. Damage Index for Comet Assay (DICA) of five children populations exposed to pesticides (mean of 94.73±53.95 for the municipality of Monteria, the higher damage in this study) were significantly Higher than control children population (mean of 7.56±7.39). Results showed the damage index in children exposed group was higher than in the control group. An inadequate management of pesticides, as well as incorrect disposal of toxic wastes was observed in the study zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saudith Burgos-Núñez
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Química, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
| | - Clelia Calao-Ramos
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Química, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Bacteriología, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
| | - Sibila N Hernández
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Química, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
| | - Germán Enamorado-Montes
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Química, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
| | - Iván Urango-Cárdenas
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Química, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
| | - Amado Navarro-Frómeta
- Universidad Tecnológica Izúcar Matamoros, Departamento de Tecnología Ambiental y Alimentos, Prolongación Reforma 166, Barrio Santiago Mihuacán Código Postal 74420 Izúcar de Matamoros, México
| | - Roberth Paternina-Uribe
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Química, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Regencia y Farmacia, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
| | - José Luis Marrugo-Negrete
- Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Química, Carrera 6 # 77, 305, Código Postal 230002 Montería, Colombia
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Brühl CA, Arias Andres M, Echeverría-Sáenz S, Bundschuh M, Knäbel A, Mena F, Petschick LL, Ruepert C, Stehle S. Pesticide use in banana plantations in Costa Rica - A review of environmental and human exposure, effects and potential risks. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 174:107877. [PMID: 37030284 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity is declining on a global scale. Especially tropical ecosystems, containing most of the planetary biodiversity, are at risk. Agricultural monocrop systems contribute to this decline as they replace original habitats and depend on extensive use of synthetic pesticides that impact ecosystems. In this review we use large-scale banana production for export purposes in Costa Rica as an example for pesticide impacts, as it is in production for over a century and uses pesticides extensively for more than fifty years. We summarise the research on pesticide exposure, effects and risks for aquatic and terrestrial environment, as well as for human health. We show that exposure to pesticides is high and relatively well-studied for aquatic systems and humans, but hardly any data are available for the terrestrial compartment including adjacent non target ecosystems such as rainforest fragments. Ecological effects are demonstrated on an organismic level for various aquatic species and processes but are not available at the population and community level. For human health studies exposure evaluation is crucial and recognised effects include various types of cancer and neurobiological dysfunctions particularly in children. With the many synthetic pesticides involved in banana production, the focus on insecticides, revealing highest aquatic risks, and partly herbicides should be extended to fungicides, which are applied aerially over larger areas. The risk assessment and regulation of pesticides so far relies on temperate models and test species and is therefore likely underestimating the risk of pesticide use in tropical ecosystems, with crops such as banana. We highlight further research approaches to improve risk assessment and, in parallel, urge to follow other strategies to reduce pesticides use and especially hazardous substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten A Brühl
- Institute for Environmental Sciences (iES) Landau, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany.
| | - Maria Arias Andres
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Silvia Echeverría-Sáenz
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Mirco Bundschuh
- Institute for Environmental Sciences (iES) Landau, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany; Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
| | - Anja Knäbel
- Institute for Environmental Sciences (iES) Landau, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Freylan Mena
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Lara L Petschick
- Institute for Environmental Sciences (iES) Landau, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Clemens Ruepert
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Sebastian Stehle
- Institute for Environmental Sciences (iES) Landau, RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
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Kouamé RMA, Guglielmo F, Abo K, Ouattara AF, Chabi J, Sedda L, Donnelly MJ, Edi C. Education and Socio-economic status are key factors influencing use of insecticides and malaria knowledge in rural farmers in Southern Côte d'Ivoire. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2443. [PMID: 36577975 PMCID: PMC9795670 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14446-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insecticides play a key role in rural farming; however, their over- or misuse has been linked with a negative impact on malaria vector control policies. This study was conducted amongst agricultural communities in Southern Côte d'Ivoire to identify which insecticides are used by local farmers and how it relates to the perception of farmers on malaria. Understanding the use of insecticides may help in designing awareness programme on mosquito control and pesticides management. METHODS A questionnaire was administered to 1399 farming households across ten villages. Farmers were interviewed on their education, farming practices (e.g. crops cultivated, insecticides use), perception of malaria, and the different domestic strategies of mosquito control they use. Based on some pre-defined household assets, the socioeconomic status (SES) of each household was estimated. Statistical associations were calculated between different variables, showing significant risk factors. RESULTS The educational level of farmers was significantly associated with their SES (p < 0.0001). Most of the householders (88.82%) identified mosquitoes as the principal cause of malaria, with good knowledge of malaria resulting as positively related to high educational level (OR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.35, 3.10). The use of indoor chemical compounds was strongly associated to the SES of the households, their education level, their use of ITNs and insecticide in agricultural (p < 0.0001). Indoor application of pyrethroid insecticides was found to be widespread among farmers as well as the use of such insecticide for crops protection. CONCLUSION Our study shows that the education level remains the key factor influencing the use of insecticides by farmers and their awareness of malaria control. We suggest that better communication tailored to education level and including SES, controlled availability and access to chemical products, should be considered when designing campaigns on use of pesticides and vector borne disease control for local communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M A Kouamé
- Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny, BP 1093, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire.,Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, 01 BP 1303, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Federica Guglielmo
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Vector Biology Department, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Kouabénan Abo
- Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny, BP 1093, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Allassane F Ouattara
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, 01 BP 1303, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.,Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Joseph Chabi
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana
| | - Luigi Sedda
- Lancaster Ecology and Epidemiology Group, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Furness Building, Lancaster, LA1 4YG, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J Donnelly
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Vector Biology Department, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Constant Edi
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, 01 BP 1303, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
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Yin Z, Li B, Gu D, Huang J, Zhang L. Modeling of Farmers' Vegetable Safety Production Based on Identification of Key Risk Factors From Beijing, China. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2022; 42:2089-2106. [PMID: 34704274 DOI: 10.1111/risa.13843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Food safety emphasizes risk control in the production process, and has attracted much attention from food regulators and consumers in recent years. The objectives of this study were to conduct early key risk factors identification and risk modeling for vegetable safety production. To achieve these objectives, this article quantitatively identified the key direct and indirect risk factors in vegetable safety production through questionnaire surveys and a multivariate linear model, and modeled the effects of key risk factors affecting vegetable safety production based on the catastrophe progression method. Based on 973 valid farmers' questionnaires from Beijing, China, the results showed that key direct risk factors are production violation, farmland biological control, pesticide and fertilizer use criteria, and agricultural consumable handling; key indirect risk factors included cooperative participation, planting years, prohibited pesticide knowledge, production recording, and product type. Through the empirical analysis, it can be seen that there are regional differences in the production risk of vegetable farmers in Beijing. The production risks of Changping, Huairou, and Shunyi are the most serious; from a city-wide perspective, the risk of farmland biological control is greatest, followed by risk aversion ability. The findings of this research have important implications for safe vegetable production and farmers' production risk control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqing Yin
- College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Li
- College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Dongyue Gu
- College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Beijing Agro-product Safety and Quality Center, Beijing, China
| | - Lingxian Zhang
- College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Informationization Standardization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
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Rodríguez-Miranda R, Palomo-Cordero L, Padilla-Mora M, Corrales-Vargas A, van Wendel de Joode B. [Playful Learning: a tool for Environmental Education]. REVISTA DE CIENCIAS AMBIENTALES = TROPICAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 2022; 56:209-228. [PMID: 35822176 PMCID: PMC9273103 DOI: 10.15359/rca.56-1.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Playful learning for environmental education represents a participatory pedagogical mediation that considers the socio-environmental realities in which persons are immersed. OBJECTIVE To promote environmental education, through playful, participatory, and flexible methods, to prevent pesticide exposure. METHODOLOGY Using geographic information systems, the distances between schools and bananas plantations were calculated. A playful and constructivism methodology was designed for primary school students (6 - 8.5 years), and their legal guardians. Subsequently, 148 workshops were developed in 37 rural Costa Rican schools, in which 2757 children and 387 adults participated. RESULTS Thirty-eight percent (38 %) (n=14) of the schools were located at less than 100 meters from banana plantations. Playful communication generated a participatory environment, in which local needs were identified and collective knowledge was built about the effects of pesticide exposure on the environment and human health. Participants were able to identify the main preventive actions to reduce pesticide exposure. CONCLUSIONS Playful, participatory, and flexible methodologies in environmental education facilitate the process of sensitizing first cycle primary school students and their parents from rural communities about the risks of exposure to pesticides. The methodology used can be easily adapted for application in other environmental science studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reichel Rodríguez-Miranda
- Asistente de investigación en Programa Infantes y Salud Ambiental (ISA) del Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica
| | - Luis Palomo-Cordero
- Asistente de investigación en Programa Infantes y Salud Ambiental (ISA) del Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica
| | - Michael Padilla-Mora
- Académico e investigador de la División de Educación Básica (DEB), Centro de Investigación y Docencia en Educación (CIDE) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica
| | - Andrea Corrales-Vargas
- Investigadora en Programa Infantes y Salud Ambiental (ISA) del Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Académica e investigadora en Programa Infantes y Salud Ambiental (ISA) del Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET) de la Universidad Nacional (UNA), Costa Rica
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Alhanti B, van Wendel de Joode B, Soto Martinez M, Mora AM, Córdoba Gamboa L, Reich B, Lindh CH, Quirós Lépiz M, Hoppin JA. Environmental exposures contribute to respiratory and allergic symptoms among women living in the banana growing regions of Costa Rica. Occup Environ Med 2021; 79:469-476. [PMID: 34969778 PMCID: PMC9198003 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2021-107611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This research evaluates whether environmental exposures (pesticides and smoke) influence respiratory and allergic outcomes in women living in a tropical, agricultural environment. METHODS We used data from 266 mothers from the Infants' Environmental Health cohort study in Costa Rica. We evaluated environmental exposures in women by measuring seven pesticide and two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metabolites in urine samples. We defined 'high exposure' as having a metabolite value in the top 75th percentile. We collected survey data on respiratory and allergic outcomes in mothers as well as on pesticides and other environmental exposures. Using logistic regression models adjusted for obesity, we assessed the associations of pesticide exposure with multiple outcomes (wheeze, doctor-diagnosed asthma, high (≥2) asthma score based on symptoms, rhinitis, eczema and itchy rash). RESULTS Current pesticide use in the home was positively associated with diagnosed asthma (OR=1.99 (95% CI=1.05 to 3.87)). High urinary levels of 5-hydroxythiabendazole (thiabendazole metabolite) and living in a neighbourhood with frequent smoke from waste burning were associated with a high asthma score (OR=1.84 (95%CI=1.05 to 3.25) and OR=2.31 (95%CI=1.11 to 5.16), respectively). Women who worked in agriculture had a significantly lower prevalence of rhinitis (0.19 (0.01 to 0.93)), but were more likely to report eczema (OR=2.54 (95%CI=1.33 to 4.89)) and an itchy rash (OR=3.17 (95%CI=1.24 to 7.73)). CONCLUSIONS While limited by sample size, these findings suggest that environmental exposure to both pesticides and smoke may impact respiratory and skin-related allergic outcomes in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke Alhanti
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Study, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | | | - Ana M Mora
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Study, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica.,Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Leonel Córdoba Gamboa
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Study, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Brian Reich
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marcela Quirós Lépiz
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Study, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA .,Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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Muñoz-Quezada MT, Lucero B, Castillo B, Bradman A, Zúñiga L, Baumert BO, Iglesias V, Muñoz MP, Buralli RJ, Antini C. Psychometric Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Perception and Knowledge About Exposure to Pesticides in Rural Schoolchildren of Maule, Chile. Front Psychol 2021; 12:715477. [PMID: 34630226 PMCID: PMC8492929 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.715477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to pesticides during infancy is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. The assessment of knowledge and perception of pesticides exposure and risk among children has not been thoroughly studied. The aim of the study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of a questionnaire that measures the knowledge and perception of exposure to organophosphate pesticides among rural schoolchildren. The questionnaire was administered to 151 schoolchildren between 9 and 13years from four Chilean rural schools. An internal consistency analysis of the ordinal alpha coefficient and a polychoric factor analysis for categorical data were used. The results show that the ordinal alpha was 0.95. Polychoric matrices of rotated components show the 17 questions summarized pesticide knowledge in five factors extracted after promax rotation. This factorial model explains 56.3% of the variance. The questions were grouped as follows: knowledge about pesticides (Factor 1); knowledge of health effects related to pesticides exposure (Factor 2); pesticide exposure through the growing of fruits and vegetables (Factor 3); perception and action against pesticides exposure at school (Factor 4); and perception and action against pesticides exposure at home (Factor 5). The questionnaire provides a useful tool for examining pesticide exposure in agricultural regions, allowing younger community members to participate.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Muñoz-Quezada
- The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Boris Lucero
- The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Benjamín Castillo
- Doctorate in Applied Mathematical Modeling, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Asa Bradman
- Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.,Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Liliana Zúñiga
- The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.,Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Brittney O Baumert
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Verónica Iglesias
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - María Pía Muñoz
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rafael J Buralli
- Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carmen Antini
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
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11
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Mehmood Y, Arshad M, Mahmood N, Kächele H, Kong R. Occupational hazards, health costs, and pesticide handling practices among vegetable growers in Pakistan. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 200:111340. [PMID: 34043972 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Disregarding protective measures when handling pesticides in agricultural production imposes increased health risks and health costs on farmers as well as degrades the natural ecosystem. In Pakistan, where agriculture is the prime occupation in rural communities, there is overwhelming evidence of indiscriminate use of hazardous pesticides by farmers without taking adequate precautions. Using cross-sectional data, we examined personal protection and health costs to vegetable growers due to pesticide exposure and determinants of farmers' pesticide handling practices. The theory of averting behavior was used, and the possible factors affecting farmers' adoption of safety equipment and of disposal methods for pesticide containers were estimated using a logit model. Health effects (P < 0.05) and farmers' protection and health costs (P < 0.01) are found as important determinants of farmers' adoption of safety equipment and of disposal methods for pesticide containers. The mean protection and health cost of pesticide exposure per farmer per vegetable season in 2019 was US $3.60. Analytical outcomes indicate that safe and recommended pesticide handling practices are needed to be introduced through adequate integrated pest management (IPM) training programs and by improving farmers' formal education. Thus, creating awareness through IPM training programs among vegetable growers and enhancing formal education to encourage the adoption of precautionary measures and safe disposal methods for pesticide containers may reduce health risks and health costs. Findings imply that adoption of adequate pesticide handling practices would further help reduce occupational hazards and promote sustainable agriculture in Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasir Mehmood
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Arshad
- Department of Economics, School of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan; Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Nasir Mahmood
- Department of Economics & Agricultural Economics, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Harald Kächele
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany; Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstraße 5, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany
| | - Rong Kong
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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12
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Barraza D, Jansen K, Wesseling C, van Wendel de Joode B. Pesticide risk perceptions among bystanders of aerial spraying on bananas in Costa Rica. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 189:109877. [PMID: 32758674 PMCID: PMC7529952 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about how bystanders perceive risks from pesticide use in areas with frequent aerial spraying of pesticides. This research aims to better understand how bystanders (school workers) from three counties of the Limón province in Costa Rica, who did not have a contractual relationship with agricultural production, perceive risks of pesticides in the areas where they work and live. A face-to-face survey was carried out among 475 school workers, of whom 455 completed all 33 questions on pesticide risk perception. An exploratory factor analysis characterized underlying perceptions of pesticide exposure. Nine factors explained 40% of total variance and concerned severity and magnitude of perceived risk, manageability, benefits and support of pesticide use, amongst others. We subsequently analyzed what variables explained the five factors with satisfactory internal consistency, using separate multivariable linear regression models. Older school workers, (male) elementary teachers, and women school workers (particularly from schools situated near agricultural fields with aerial spraying of pesticides), felt greater severity and/or magnitude of risk from pesticide use. This study shows that bystanders are concerned about health risks from pesticide use. Their risk perceptions are not only shaped by gender and age like previously reported in the literature, but also by job title and geographical context. Understanding of what hazards people care about and how they deal with them is essential for successful risk management, bystanders should therefore be considered as a relevant actor in debates around pesticide issues and for informing the development of regulations and risk reduction strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Barraza
- Infants' Environmental Health Program (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica; Rural Sociology Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands; Engineering on Occupational Health and Environment, National Technical University at Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
| | - Kees Jansen
- Rural Sociology Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
| | - Catharina Wesseling
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health Program (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
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13
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Hutter HP, Poteser M, Lemmerer K, Wallner P, Shahraki Sanavi S, Kundi M, Moshammer H, Weitensfelder L. Indicators of Genotoxicity in Farmers and Laborers of Ecological and Conventional Banana Plantations in Ecuador. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17041435. [PMID: 32102275 PMCID: PMC7068563 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Banana farming represents an important segment of agricultural production in Ecuador. The health of farmworkers might be compromised by the extensive use of pesticides in plantations applied under poorly regulated conditions. Due to an increased awareness of pesticide-related problems for nature, as well as for worker and consumer health, ecological farming has been established in some plantations of Ecuador. We set out to investigate the occupational health of workers in both conventional and ecological farming. Nuclear anomalies in buccal epithelial cells were used as short-term indicators for genotoxicity and a potentially increased cancer risk in the two groups of farmworkers. By application of the Buccal Micronucleus Cytome Assay (BMCA), we found the frequency of micronuclei in conventional pesticide using farmworkers significantly increased by 2.6-fold, and other nuclear anomalies significantly increased by 24% to 80% (except pyknosis with a non-significant increase of 11%) compared to the farmworkers on ecological plantations. These results demonstrate that ecological farming may provide an alternative to extensive pesticide use with significantly reduced indicators of cancer risk. In conventional farming, improvements in education and instruction regarding the safe handling of pesticides and protective equipment, as well as regulatory measures, are urgently needed.
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14
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Staudacher P, Fuhrimann S, Farnham A, Mora AM, Atuhaire A, Niwagaba C, Stamm C, Eggen RIL, Winkler MS. Comparative Analysis of Pesticide Use Determinants Among Smallholder Farmers From Costa Rica and Uganda. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2020; 14:1178630220972417. [PMID: 33402828 PMCID: PMC7739084 DOI: 10.1177/1178630220972417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides are used globally in agriculture and pose a threat to the health of farmers, communities, and the environment. Smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries have generally a low socio-economic status and educational level. Consequently, they are particularly vulnerable to negative impacts of pesticides on their health, yields, or land. In a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices study, we compared the pest management practices between a market-oriented farming system in Zarcero County, Costa Rica, and a subsistence-based farming system in Wakiso District, Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among smallholder farmers from Costa Rica (n = 300) in 2016 and from Uganda (n = 302) in 2017. We enrolled conventional and organic farmers, but also farmers with mixed practices and non-applicators of any pest management strategy. We found that the majority of pesticides used in both case studies are classified as highly hazardous by the World Health Organization. While more than 90% of smallholder farmers from both countries were aware of the negative health effects of pesticide exposure, <11% in Costa Rica and <2% in Uganda reported using personal protective equipment every time they handled or applied pesticides. Hygiene and other safe use practices were not adopted by all farmers (<61%), especially among farmers applying more hazardous pesticides. Conventional farmers from Costa Rica (14%) and Uganda (19%) reported disposing pesticide residuals into rivers. Using a logistic regression we found that organic farmers were more likely to having been trained on safe pesticide use practices. Using a robust regression, we observed that smallholder household income was primarily driven by education and not directly by the use of synthetic pesticides. Our results suggest that negative effects of pesticides can be managed over the whole life cycle, from purchase, via storage and application to residual and waste management by fostering professionalization of farmers. We advise future safe use and handling interventions to consider the pesticide use-related socioeconomic and demographic findings highlighted in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Staudacher
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, CHN, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Philipp Staudacher, Eawag, Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf, CH-8600, Switzerland.
| | - Samuel Fuhrimann
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Andrea Farnham
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ana M Mora
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Aggrey Atuhaire
- Uganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health (UNACOH), Kampala, Uganda
| | - Charles Niwagaba
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Christian Stamm
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Rik IL Eggen
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, CHN, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mirko S Winkler
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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15
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Fuhrimann S, Staudacher P, Lindh C, van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM, Winkler MS, Kromhout H. Variability and predictors of weekly pesticide exposure in applicators from organic, sustainable and conventional smallholder farms in Costa Rica. Occup Environ Med 2019; 77:40-47. [PMID: 31796522 PMCID: PMC6929695 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2019-105884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Objective Estimates of pesticide exposure among applicators from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce, and exposure assessment methods are sometimes costly or logistically unfeasible. We examined the variability in weeklong pesticide exposure among applicators in Costa Rica and its predictors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 221 pesticide applicators from organic, sustainable and conventional farms in 2016. We administered structured questionnaires to assess pesticide application practices at two time points (4–6 weeks apart). We adapted an existing algorithm to fit the context of smallholders and derive weekly pesticide exposure scores. We used linear mixed-effect models to examine within-worker and between-worker score variability. We then identified sociodemographic and occupational predictors of weekly pesticide exposure scores. Results We observed high within-worker and between-worker variability in weekly pesticide exposures (eg, up to 180-fold and 70-fold differences in average weekly exposures within and between workers, respectively; intraclass correlation coefficient=0.4). Applicators working on conventional and sustainable farms had exposure scores twofold and 1.5-fold higher than those working in organic farms, respectively. Farm workers who received training on pesticide use had weekly pesticide exposure scores of 33% (95% CI 1% to 55%) lower than those who did not receive any training. Conclusions In this study of applicators from smallholder farms in Costa Rica, we determined the importance of collecting questionnaire data on self-reported pesticide use repeatedly due to its high variability within workers and absence of application records. Our questionnaire-based exposure algorithm could allow the calculation of semiquantitative estimates of average pesticide exposure for applicators from other LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Fuhrimann
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Philipp Staudacher
- Department Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Duebendorf, Switzerland.,Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Ana M Mora
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.,Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mirko S Winkler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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16
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Health, environment and colonial legacies: Situating the science of pesticides, bananas and bodies in Ecuador. Soc Sci Med 2019; 239:112529. [PMID: 31561208 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Pesticide-related health impacts in Ecuador's banana industry illustrate the need to understand science's social production in the context of major North-South inequities. This paper explores colonialism's ongoing context-specific relationships to science, and what these imply for population health inquiry and praxis. Themes in postcolonial science and technology studies and critical Latin American scholarship guide this exploration, oriented around an ethnographic case study of bananas, pesticides and health in Ecuador. The challenge of explaining these impacts prompts us to explore discursive and contextual dynamics of pesticide toxicology and phytopathology, two disciplines integral to understanding pesticide-health linkages. The evolution of banana phytopathology reflects patterns of banana production and plant science in settings made accessible to scientists by European colonialism and American military interventions. Similarly, American foreign policy in Cold War-era Latin America created conditions for widespread pesticide exposures and accompanying health science research. Neocolonial representations of the global South interacted with these material realities in fostering generation of scientific knowledge. Implications for health praxis include troubling celebratory portrayals of global interconnectedness in the field of global health, motivating critical political economy and radical community-based approaches in their place. Another implication is a challenge to conciliatory corporate engagement approaches in health research, given banana production's symbiosis of scientifically 'productive' military and corporate initiatives. Similarly, the origins and evolution of toxicology should promote humility and precautionary approaches in addressing environmental injustices such as pesticide toxicity, given the role of corporate actors in promoting systematic underestimation of risk to vulnerable populations. Perhaps most unsettlingly, the very structures and processes that drive health inequities in Ecuador's banana industry simultaneously shape production of knowledge about those inequities. Public health scholars should thus move beyond simply carrying out more, or better, studies, and pursue the structural changes needed to redress historical and ongoing injustices.
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17
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González NR. Subjective production of exposure to agrochemicals. A scoping review. CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2019; 24:781-792. [PMID: 30892500 DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232018243.01512017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The intensification of agriculture in countries of the Southern Cone of Latin America has led to a significant rise in the use of agrochemicals. Scientific output in the field of health has concentrated on the epidemiological aspects of this issue and studies addressing the social dimensions of exposure to these substances remain scarce. The aim of this scoping review was to assess the scientific literature on the subjective production of groups exposed to agrochemicals. To this end, searches were conducted of the Scopus, PubMed, BVS, SciELO, and DOAJ databases for articles published between 1991 and 2016. A complementary search strategy drawing on references to other studies in the selected articles was also adopted. The findings show that the studies give subjective production different names and that the predominant themes covered by the literature were risk perception and health beliefs. With regard to understanding-explaining the subjective production process, a series of articles focused on individual lifestyles, while another group considered collective ways of life. The wide-ranging findings suggest that this area is a field of study in dispute, where positivist and functionalist approaches converge with historically situated studies that adopt a critical perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Rodríguez González
- Facultad de Psicología, Polo Salud Comunitaria, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República. Florida 1065. Paysandú Uruguay.
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18
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Deknock A, De Troyer N, Houbraken M, Dominguez-Granda L, Nolivos I, Van Echelpoel W, Forio MAE, Spanoghe P, Goethals P. Distribution of agricultural pesticides in the freshwater environment of the Guayas river basin (Ecuador). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 646:996-1008. [PMID: 30235652 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The rapid increase and transition to more intensive agricultural activities in developing nations are often leading to misuse and overuse of pesticides, making their environment vulnerable for pesticide accumulation. In the present study, the Guayas river basin was taken as a representative case study to evaluate pesticide contamination of the Ecuadorean freshwater environment. Pesticide contamination was determined at 181 sampling sites by a multi-residue method using solid phase extraction (SPE) and pesticide residues were linked with agricultural land use activities to identify the main pollution sources. Moreover, the biological water quality status based on macroinvertebrate communities was determined at every location and the relation with the occurrence of pesticide residues was further investigated. Results showed that pesticide contamination of the freshwater environment was widely present in the Guayas river basin with detections at 108 sampling sites (60%). A total of 26 pesticide products were identified. Most frequently detected pesticides included cadusafos (62 locations), butachlor (21 locations) and pendimethalin (21 locations), with concentrations up to 0.081, 2.006 and 0.557 μg·L-1 respectively. Pesticide residues detected in this study did not significantly influence the biological water quality (p = 0.69), but were observed to be positively correlated with ammonium concentrations, supporting the assumed combined application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture. These pesticide residues were also associated with one or more agricultural crops, with in particular the banana and rice industries identified as major pollution sources. Both high consumption rates and non-specific application methods, such as aerial spraying of banana plantations and application directly into the water layer of irrigated rice fields, may attribute to pesticide contamination of the freshwater environment of the Guayas river basin. It is therefore suggested that measures, e.g. legal regulations and awareness campaigns, taken to prevent environmental pollution and accumulation of pesticides primarily focus on these industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Deknock
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Niels De Troyer
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael Houbraken
- Laboratory of Crop Protection Chemistry, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, block B, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luis Dominguez-Granda
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del litoral, ESPOL, Centro del Agua y Desarollo Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Facultad de Ingeniería Marítima, Ciencias Biológicas, Oceánicas y Recursos Naturales, Campus Gustavo Galindo, km. 30.5 Via Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Indira Nolivos
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del litoral, ESPOL, Centro del Agua y Desarollo Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Facultad de Ingeniería Marítima, Ciencias Biológicas, Oceánicas y Recursos Naturales, Campus Gustavo Galindo, km. 30.5 Via Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Wout Van Echelpoel
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Spanoghe
- Laboratory of Crop Protection Chemistry, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, block B, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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19
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Mena-Rivera L, Quirós-Vega J. Assessment of drinking water suitability in low income rural areas: a case study in Sixaola, Costa Rica. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2018; 16:403-413. [PMID: 29952329 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2018.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Vegas-Las Palmas is a rural settlement located in the southern Caribbean region of Costa Rica on the border with Panama. Its population does not have access to potable water, and inhabitants depend on water from wells at the water table level to meet their needs. These wells lack basic infrastructure to protect this water from contamination. In this study, water quality was evaluated at 12 wells from 2014 to 2016 (n = 72). The results revealed high concentrations of faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli with maximum values of 4.6 × 104 MPN/100 mL and 1.1 × 104 MPN/100 mL, respectively. In addition, maximum values of pH, conductivity, turbidity, Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Mn, Cd and Pb were found to be outside the standard limits (nationally and internationally) for potable water. Possible sources of water contamination are associated with the geomorphological characteristics of the area, as well as with hydrometeorological and anthropogenic factors such as the lack of sewerage, the presence of latrines, animals near the wells and the use of agrochemicals. The water quality was heterogeneous among wells, and all of them were found to have conditions that caused water to be unfit for human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Mena-Rivera
- Water Resources Management Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 86-3000, Costa Rica E-mail:
| | - José Quirós-Vega
- Institute for Social Studies in Population, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 86-3000, Costa Rica
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20
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Montgomery K, Corona C, Frye R, Barnett R, Bailey A, Fitsanakis VA. Transport of a manganese/zinc ethylene-bis-dithiocarbamate fungicide may involve pre-synaptic dopaminergic transporters. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2018; 68:66-71. [PMID: 29807111 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mancozeb (MZ), an organic-metal fungicide used predominantly on vegetables and fruits, has been linked to neurodegeneration and behavioral disruptions in a variety of organisms, including humans. Both γ-aminobutyric acid and dopamine neurons appear to be more vulnerable to MZ exposure than other neuronal populations. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that MZ may be differentially transported into these cells through their presynaptic neurotransmitter transporters. To test this, we pretreated Caenorhabditis elegans with transporter antagonists followed by exposure to various concentrations of MZ. Potential neuroprotection was monitored via green fluorescence associated with various neuron populations in transgenic worm strains. Neurodegeneration associated with subacute MZ treatment (30 min) was not altered by transporter antagonist pretreatment. On the other hand, pretreatment with a dopamine transporter antagonist (GBR12909) appeared to protect dopaminergic neurons from chronic (24 h) MZ treatment. These results are consistent with other reports that dopamine transporter levels or activity may modulate toxicity for neurotoxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara Montgomery
- King University, Department of Biology, 1350 King College Road, Bristol, TN 37620, USA.
| | - Caleb Corona
- King University, Department of Biology, 1350 King College Road, Bristol, TN 37620, USA.
| | - Rebekah Frye
- King University, Department of Biology, 1350 King College Road, Bristol, TN 37620, USA.
| | - Reid Barnett
- King University, Department of Biology, 1350 King College Road, Bristol, TN 37620, USA.
| | - Andrew Bailey
- King University, Department of Biology, 1350 King College Road, Bristol, TN 37620, USA.
| | - Vanessa A Fitsanakis
- King University, Department of Biology, 1350 King College Road, Bristol, TN 37620, USA.
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21
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Cecchini M, Bedini R, Mosetti D, Marino S, Stasi S. Safety Knowledge and Changing Behavior in Agricultural Workers: an Assessment Model Applied in Central Italy. Saf Health Work 2017; 9:164-171. [PMID: 29928530 PMCID: PMC6005907 DOI: 10.1016/j.shaw.2017.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 06/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In recent years, the interest in health and safety in the workplace has increased. Agriculture is one of the human work activities with the highest risk indexes. Studies on risk perception of agricultural workers are often referred to as specific risk factors (especially pesticides), but the risk perception plays an important role in preventing every kind of accident and occupational disease. Methods The aim of this research is to test a new method for understanding the relation between risk perception among farmers and the main risk factors to which they are exposed. A secondary aim is to investigate the influence of training in risk perception in agriculture. The data collection was realized using a questionnaire designed to investigate the risk perception; the questionnaire was given to a sample of 119 agricultural workers in central Italy. Through the use of the “principal components analysis” it was possible to highlight and verify the latent dimensions underlying the collected data in comparison with scales of attitudes. Results Results show that the highest percentage of strong negative attitude is among the people who have worked for more years, while farmers who have worked for fewer years have a marked positive attitude. Conclusion The analysis of the questionnaires through the synthetic index method (Rizzi index) showed that agricultural workers involved, in particular the elderly workers, have a negative attitude towards safety; workers are hostile to safety measures if they have not attended special training courses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Cecchini
- Department of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Roberto Bedini
- Department of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Davide Mosetti
- Department of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Sonia Marino
- Integronomia - Ergonomics and Sustainability Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Serenella Stasi
- Confedertecnica Advisor, Partner LVD Laboratory Democratic Evaluation, Rome, Italy
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22
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Wang W, Jin J, He R, Gong H. Gender differences in pesticide use knowledge, risk awareness and practices in Chinese farmers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 590-591:22-28. [PMID: 28285132 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates gender differences in the pesticide use knowledge, risk awareness and practices of farmers in Anqiu County, China. A total of 452 male and 178 female farmers from seven towns were interviewed in 2016. The results show that there are gender differences regarding knowledge of pesticide impacts, pesticide use practices and protective behaviors. Male farmers had a better knowledge of pesticide use and greater awareness of associated health risks. More men than women used pesticides and disposed of the pesticide containers correctly, but fewer men applied protective measures or behaviors when using pesticides. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that participation in farmer professional cooperatives differed by gender and contributed greatly to the protective behaviors of farmers (p<0.05). These results suggest that gender-sensitive educational programs should be implemented to increase the awareness of safety amongst farmers, and protective measures should be encouraged to reduce exposure to pesticide risks in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Wang
- Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianjun Jin
- Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Rui He
- Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Haozhou Gong
- Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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23
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Mrema EJ, Ngowi AV, Kishinhi SS, Mamuya SH. Pesticide Exposure and Health Problems Among Female Horticulture Workers in Tanzania. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2017; 11:1178630217715237. [PMID: 28690397 PMCID: PMC5484550 DOI: 10.1177/1178630217715237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Commercialization of horticulture farming, expansion of farms, and the practice of monoculture favor the proliferation of pests, which in turn increases the need for pesticides. Increased exposure to pesticides is associated with inadequate knowledge on the hazardous nature of pesticides, poor hygiene practices, lack of availability of washing facilities, and insufficient adherence to precautionary instructions on pesticide labels. Mitigating the risks posed by pesticides is considered a less compelling interest than alleviating poverty. Women working in horticulture in Tanzania usually have low levels of education and income and lack decision-making power even on matters relating to their own health. This contributes to pesticide exposure and other health challenges. Because of multiple factors, some of which act as study confounders, few studies on exposure to pesticides and health effects have been conducted among women. This review identified factors that contribute to the increased health effects among women working in the horticultural industry and how these effects relate to pesticide exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aiwerasia Vera Ngowi
- CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Aiwerasia Vera Ngowi, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, P. O. Box 65015, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
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24
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Quinteros E, Ribó A, Mejía R, López A, Belteton W, Comandari A, Orantes CM, Pleites EB, Hernández CE, López DL. Heavy metals and pesticide exposure from agricultural activities and former agrochemical factory in a Salvadoran rural community. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:1662-1676. [PMID: 27796975 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7899-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Pesticide handling in farming activities involves substantial hazards for the rural population and for the environment. In Latin America, it is estimated that the population at risk of being affected by heavy metals is over 4 million. This research describes the different types of exposure to pesticides and heavy metals in a rural population (Loma del Gallo), considering both environmental and occupational exposure. This study consists of an inspection in a former pesticide factory (QUIMAGRO), analysis of heavy metals in samples from surface and ground water in the community close to the factory, and a survey to the local population about their perceptions of pesticide exposures. Containers with 34.6 tons of chemicals improperly stored were identified in the former factory and removed by the government. Arsenic and cadmium were found in groundwater, and the highest values were 0.012 and 0.004 mg/l, respectively. These contaminants were also detected in most surface water samples, with maximum values of 0.026 and 0.0001 mg/l, respectively. Results of the survey show that of the 44 participants 42 % were farmers. Farmers used 19 different pesticide products containing 11 active ingredients. The most used active ingredients were paraquat (65 %), methamidophos (35 %), and atrazina (29 %). Eighty-two percent of the farmers did not use personal protective equipment. In addition to the pesticides used in the agriculture of the area, pesticide containers were removed from the QUIMAGRO area, but the pollution was still present at time of sampling and it is evident by the odor of the site. Surface water had the major concentration of heavy metals than the groundwater. Loma del Gallo population has been exposed to toxic pesticide from QUIMAGRO and agriculture for many years. The farmers carry out mishandling of pesticides and they not use PPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Quinteros
- Ministry of Health El Salvador, Calle Gabriela Mistral Avenida del Prado, National Institute of Health, N° J-234, Col. Buenos Aires I, San Salvador, El Salvador.
| | - Alexandre Ribó
- Ministry of Health El Salvador, Calle Gabriela Mistral Avenida del Prado, National Institute of Health, N° J-234, Col. Buenos Aires I, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Roberto Mejía
- Ministry of Health El Salvador, Calle Gabriela Mistral Avenida del Prado, National Institute of Health, N° J-234, Col. Buenos Aires I, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Alejandro López
- Ministry of Health El Salvador, Calle Gabriela Mistral Avenida del Prado, National Institute of Health, N° J-234, Col. Buenos Aires I, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Wilfredo Belteton
- National Reference Laboratory, Ministry of Health El Salvador, Alameda Roosvelt, Edificio Max Bloch, frente a parque Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Aimee Comandari
- Department of General Science, College of Southern Nevada, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, 89146, USA
| | - Carlos M Orantes
- Ministry of Health El Salvador, Calle Gabriela Mistral Avenida del Prado, National Institute of Health, N° J-234, Col. Buenos Aires I, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Ernesto B Pleites
- Ministry of Health El Salvador, Calle Gabriela Mistral Avenida del Prado, National Institute of Health, N° J-234, Col. Buenos Aires I, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Carlos E Hernández
- Ministry of Health El Salvador, Calle Gabriela Mistral Avenida del Prado, National Institute of Health, N° J-234, Col. Buenos Aires I, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Dina L López
- Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio University, Clippinger Laboratories 316, Athens, OH, 45701-2979, USA
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25
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van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM, Lindh CH, Hernández-Bonilla D, Córdoba L, Wesseling C, Hoppin JA, Mergler D. Pesticide exposure and neurodevelopment in children aged 6-9 years from Talamanca, Costa Rica. Cortex 2016; 85:137-150. [PMID: 27773359 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 06/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Certain pesticides may affect children's neurodevelopment. We assessed whether pesticide exposure was associated with impaired neurobehavioral outcomes in children aged 6-9 years. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 140 children living near banana plantations and plantain farms in the Talamanca County, Costa Rica and assessed their neurobehavioral performance. Exposure was determined by analyzing urinary metabolites of chlorpyrifos (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol, TCPy), mancozeb (ethylenethiourea, ETU), and pyrethroids (3-phenoxybenzoic acid, 3-PBA). Repeated urine samples were obtained for 36 children. We estimated associations of pesticide concentrations with neurobehavioral outcomes using multivariable linear and logistic regression models. Median (25th-75th percentiles) TCPy, ETU, and 3-PBA concentrations were 1.4 (.7-3.1), 1.2 (.7-3.0), and .8 (.5-1.5) μg/L, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged between .32 and .67. After adjustment for potential confounders, higher urinary TCPy concentrations were associated with poorer working memory in boys (n = 59) (β per 10-fold increase in TCPy concentrations = -7.5, 95% CI: -14.4, -.7); poorer visual motor coordination (β = -1.4, 95% CI: -2.7, -.1); increased prevalence of parent-reported cognitive problems/inattention (adjusted OR per 10-fold increase in urinary concentrations = 5.8, 95% CI: 1.6, 22.9), oppositional disorders (aOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.0, 16.0), and ADHD (aOR = 6.8, 95% CI: 1.8, 28.6), and; decreased ability to discriminate colors (aOR = 6.6, 95% CI: 1.6, 30.3; the higher the score the worse). Higher ETU concentrations were associated with poorer verbal learning outcomes (β = -7.0, 95% CI: -12.7, -1.3). Higher 3-PBA concentrations were associated with poorer processing speed scores, particularly in girls (β = -8.8, 95% CI: -16.1, -1.4). Our findings indicate that children living near banana and plantain plantations are exposed to pesticides that may affect their neurodevelopment, which for certain domains may differ between boys and girls. We recommend the implementation of measures to reduce pesticide exposure in children living nearby banana plantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Ana M Mora
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Leonel Córdoba
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Catharina Wesseling
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, United States
| | - Donna Mergler
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Health, Well-being, Society and Environment (CINBIOSE), University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada
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26
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van Wendel de Joode B, Barbeau B, Bouchard MF, Mora AM, Skytt Å, Córdoba L, Quesada R, Lundh T, Lindh CH, Mergler D. Manganese concentrations in drinking water from villages near banana plantations with aerial mancozeb spraying in Costa Rica: Results from the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 215:247-257. [PMID: 27208757 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Elevated manganese (Mn) in drinking water has been reported worldwide. While, naturally occurring Mn in groundwater is generally the major source, anthropogenic contamination by Mn-containing fungicides such as mancozeb may also occur. The main objective of this study was to examine factors associated with Mn and ethylenethiourea (ETU), a degradation product of mancozeb, in drinking water samples from villages situated near banana plantations with aerial spraying of mancozeb. Drinking water samples (n = 126) were obtained from 124 homes of women participating in the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA, for its acronym in Spanish), living nearby large-scale banana plantations. Concentrations of Mn, iron (Fe), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and ethylenethiourea (ETU), a degradation product of mancozeb, were measured in water samples. Only six percent of samples had detectable ETU concentrations (limit of detection (LOD) = 0.15 μg/L), whereas 94% of the samples had detectable Mn (LOD = 0.05 μg/L). Mn concentrations were higher than 100 and 500 μg/L in 22% and 7% of the samples, respectively. Mn was highest in samples from private and banana farm wells. Distance from a banana plantation was inversely associated with Mn concentrations, with a 61.5% decrease (95% CI: -97.0, -26.0) in Mn concentrations for each km increase in distance. Mn concentrations in water transported with trucks from one village to another were almost 1000 times higher than Mn in water obtained from taps in houses supplied by the same well but not transported, indicating environmental Mn contamination. Elevated Mn in drinking water may be partly explained by aerial spraying of mancozeb; however, naturally occurring Mn in groundwater, and intensive agriculture may also contribute. Drinking water risk assessment for mancozeb should consider Mn as a health hazard. The findings of this study evidence the need for health-based World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on Mn in drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health Program (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Benoit Barbeau
- Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, NSERC-Industrial Chair in Drinking Water, Department of Civil, Mining and Geological Engineering, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maryse F Bouchard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Montreal, CHUSJ Research Center, Canada
| | - Ana María Mora
- Infants' Environmental Health Program (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Åsa Skytt
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Leonel Córdoba
- Infants' Environmental Health Program (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Rosario Quesada
- Infants' Environmental Health Program (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Thomas Lundh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Donna Mergler
- Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur la Biologie, la Santé, la Société et l' Environnement (CINBIOSE), Université du Québec à Montréal, Pavillon des Sciences, 141, Avenue du Président Kennedy, H2× 1Y4, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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27
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Polidoro BA, Morra MJ. An ecological risk assessment of pesticides and fish kills in the Sixaola watershed, Costa Rica. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:5983-5991. [PMID: 26832877 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6144-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Along the southeastern coast of Costa Rica, a variety of pesticides are intensively applied to produce export-quality plantains and bananas. In this region, and in other agricultural areas, fish kills are often documented by local residents and/or in the national news. This study examines principal exposure pathways, measured environmental concentrations, and selected toxicity thresholds of the three most prevalent pesticides (chlorpyrifos, terbufos, and difenoconazole) to construct a deterministic risk assessment for fish mortality. Comparisons of observed pesticide concentrations, along with estimated biological effects and observations during actual fish kills, highlight gaps in knowledge in correlating pesticide environmental concentration and toxicity in tropical environments. Observations of fish kill events and measured pesticide concentrations in the field, along with other water quality indicators, suggest that a number of environmental conditions can interact to cause fish mortality and that current species toxicity datasets may not be applicable for estimating toxicological or other synergistic effects, especially in tropical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A Polidoro
- School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - Matthew J Morra
- Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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28
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Brisbois B. Bananas, pesticides and health in southwestern Ecuador: A scalar narrative approach to targeting public health responses. Soc Sci Med 2015; 150:184-91. [PMID: 26765220 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Public health responses to agricultural pesticide exposure are often informed by ethnographic or other qualitative studies of pesticide risk perception. In addition to highlighting the importance of structural determinants of exposure, such studies can identify the specific scales at which pesticide-exposed individuals locate responsibility for their health issues, with implications for study and intervention design. In this study, an ethnographic approach was employed to map scalar features within explanatory narratives of pesticides and health in Ecuador's banana-producing El Oro province. Unstructured observation, 14 key informant interviews and 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out during 8 months of fieldwork in 2011-2013. Analysis of interview data was informed by human geographic literature on the social construction of scale. Individual-focused narratives of some participants highlighted characteristics such as carelessness and ignorance, leading to suggestions for educational interventions. More structural explanations invoked farm-scale processes, such as uncontrolled aerial fumigations on plantations owned by elites. Organization into cooperatives helped to protect small-scale farmers from 'deadly' banana markets, which in turn were linked to the Ecuadorian nation-state and actors in the banana-consuming world. These scalar elements interacted in complex ways that appear linked to social class, as more well-off individuals frequently attributed the health problems of other (poorer) people to individual behaviours, while providing more structural explanations of their own difficulties. Such individualizing narratives may help to stabilize inequitable social structures. Research implications of this study include the possibility of using scale-focused qualitative research to generate theory and candidate levels for multi-level models. Equity implications include a need for public health researchers planning interventions to engage with scale-linked inequities, such as disparities within nation-states. Finally, the prominence of the global North in explanatory narratives is a useful reminder that 'structural factors' prominently include inequities related to the legacies of colonialism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Brisbois
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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29
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Andrade-Rivas F, Rother HA. Chemical exposure reduction: Factors impacting on South African herbicide sprayers' personal protective equipment compliance and high risk work practices. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 142:34-45. [PMID: 26093240 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The high exposure risks of workers to herbicides in low- and middle-income countries is an important public health concern because of the potential resulting negative impacts on workers' health. This study investigated workers' personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance as a risk mitigation measure; particularly workers who apply herbicides for Working for Water (WfW) - a South African invasive alien vegetation control programme. The study aim was to understand workers' low PPE compliance by analysing their risk perceptions of herbicide use, working conditions and socio-cultural context. Research methods included ethnographic observations, informal interviews, visual media, questionnaires and a focus group. Study results indicated that low PPE compliance persists despite workers' awareness of herbicide exposure risks and as a result of the influence from workers' socio-cultural context (i.e. gender dynamics and social status), herbicide risk perceptions and working conditions (i.e. environmental and logistical). Interestingly, teams comprised of mostly women had the highest compliance rate. These findings highlighted that given the complexity of PPE compliance, especially in countries with several economic and social constraints, exposure reduction interventions should not rely solely on PPE use promotion. Instead, other control strategies requiring less worker input for effectiveness should be implemented, such as elimination and substitution of highly hazardous pesticides, and altering application methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Andrade-Rivas
- Environmental Health Division & Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, South Africa; Universidad El Bosque, Research Vice-rectoray, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Hanna-Andrea Rother
- Environmental Health Division & Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, South Africa.
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30
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Remoundou K, Brennan M, Sacchettini G, Panzone L, Butler-Ellis MC, Capri E, Charistou A, Chaideftou E, Gerritsen-Ebben MG, Machera K, Spanoghe P, Glass R, Marchis A, Doanngoc K, Hart A, Frewer LJ. Perceptions of pesticides exposure risks by operators, workers, residents and bystanders in Greece, Italy and the UK. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 505:1082-1092. [PMID: 25461109 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.10.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The EU Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides (EU128/2009/EC) requires European Member States to develop training activities targeting occupational exposure to pesticides, and communication material aimed at residents and bystanders. Risk perceptions, knowledge and attitudes associated with passive and occupational exposure to pesticide potentially influence the extent to which different stakeholders adopt self-protective behaviour. A methodology for assessing the link between attitudes, adoption of self-protective behaviours and exposure was developed and tested. A survey was implemented in the Greece, Italy and the UK, and targeted stakeholders associated with pesticide exposure linked to orchards, greenhouse crops and arable crops respectively. The results indicated that the adoption of protective measures is low for residents and bystanders, with the exception of residents in Greece, when compared to operators and workers, who tend to follow recommended safety practices. A regression analysis was used to examine the factors affecting the probability of adopting protective measures as well the as the level of exposure in the case of operators and workers where data are available. The results indicate that the likelihood of engaging in self-protective behaviour is not significantly affected by perceptions of own health being affected by pesticides for residents and bystanders. However, operators who perceive that their heath has been negatively affected by the use of pesticides are found to be more likely to adopt self-protective behaviours. Gender and country differences, in perceptions, attitudes and self-protection are also observed. Recommendations for improved communication, in particular for vulnerable groups, are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Remoundou
- Food and Society Group, Centre for Rural Economy, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE19 1AA, UK
| | - M Brennan
- Food and Society Group, Centre for Rural Economy, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE19 1AA, UK
| | - G Sacchettini
- Opera Research Centre, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, 29100 Piacenza, Italy
| | - L Panzone
- Food and Society Group, Centre for Rural Economy, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE19 1AA, UK
| | - M C Butler-Ellis
- Silsoe Spray Applications Unit, NIAB, Building 42, Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedford MK45 4HP, UK
| | - E Capri
- Opera Research Centre, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, 29100 Piacenza, Italy
| | - A Charistou
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, Athens 14561, Greece
| | - E Chaideftou
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, Athens 14561, Greece
| | | | - K Machera
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 Stefanou Delta Street, Kifissia, Athens 14561, Greece
| | - P Spanoghe
- Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - R Glass
- Food and Environmental Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York Y0411LZ, UK
| | - A Marchis
- Opera Research Centre, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Piacenza, 29100 Piacenza, Italy
| | - K Doanngoc
- Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - A Hart
- Food and Environmental Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York Y0411LZ, UK
| | - L J Frewer
- Food and Society Group, Centre for Rural Economy, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE19 1AA, UK.
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31
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van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM, Córdoba L, Cano JC, Quesada R, Faniband M, Wesseling C, Ruepert C, Oberg M, Eskenazi B, Mergler D, Lindh CH. Aerial application of mancozeb and urinary ethylene thiourea (ETU) concentrations among pregnant women in Costa Rica: the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2014; 122:1321-8. [PMID: 25198283 PMCID: PMC4256696 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mancozeb and its main metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU) may alter thyroid function; thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development. In Costa Rica, mancozeb is aerially sprayed at large-scale banana plantations on a weekly basis. OBJECTIVES Our goals were to evaluate urinary ETU concentrations in pregnant women living near large-scale banana plantations, compare their estimated daily intake (EDI) with established reference doses (RfDs), and identify factors that predict their urinary ETU concentrations. METHODS We enrolled 451 pregnant women from Matina County, Costa Rica, which has large-scale banana production. We visited 445 women up to three times during pregnancy to obtain urine samples (n = 872) and information on factors that possibly influence exposure. We determined urinary ETU concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. RESULTS Pregnant women's median urinary ETU concentrations were more than five times higher than those reported for other general populations. Seventy-two percent of the women had EDIs above the RfD. Women who lived closest (1st quartile, < 48 m) to banana plantations on average had a 45% (95% CI: 23, 72%) higher urinary ETU compared with women who lived farthest away (4th quartile, ≥ 565 m). Compared with the other women, ETU was also higher in women who washed agricultural work clothes on the day before sampling (11%; 95% CI: 4.9, 17%), women who worked in agriculture during pregnancy (19%; 95% CI: 9.3, 29%), and immigrant women (6.2%; 95% CI: 1.0, 13%). CONCLUSIONS The pregnant women's urinary ETU concentrations are of concern, and the principal source of exposure is likely to be aerial spraying of mancozeb. The factors predicting ETU provide insight into possibilities for exposure reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Programa Infantes y Salud Ambiental (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Brisbois BW. Epidemiology and 'developing countries': writing pesticides, poverty and political engagement in Latin America. SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE 2014; 44:600-624. [PMID: 25272614 DOI: 10.1177/0306312714523514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The growth of the field of global health has prompted renewed interest in discursive aspects of North-South biomedical encounters, but analysis of the role of disciplinary identities and writing conventions remains scarce. In this article, I examine ways of framing pesticide problems in 88 peer-reviewed epidemiology papers produced by Northerners and their collaborators studying pesticide-related health impacts in Latin America. I identify prominent geographic frames in which truncated and selective histories of Latin America are used to justify research projects in specific research sites, which nevertheless function rhetorically as generic 'developing country' settings. These frames legitimize health sector interventions as solutions to pesticide-related health problems, largely avoiding more politically charged possibilities. In contrast, some epidemiologists appear to be actively pushing the bounds of epidemiology's traditional journal article genre by engaging with considerations of political power, especially that of the international pesticide industry. I therefore employ a finer-grained analysis to a subsample of 20 papers to explore how the writing conventions of epidemiology interact with portrayals of poverty and pesticides in Latin America. Through analysis of a minor scientific controversy, authorial presence in epidemiology articles, and variance of framing strategies across genres, I show how the tension between 'objectivity' and 'advocacy' observed in Northern epidemiology and public health is expressed in North-South interaction. I end by discussing implications for postcolonial and socially engaged approaches to science and technology studies, as well as their relevance to the actual practice of global health research. In particular, the complicated interaction of the conflicted traditions of Northern epidemiology with Latin American settings on paper hints at a far more complex interaction in the form of public health programming involving researchers and research participants who differ by nationality, ethnicity, gender, profession, and class.
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Barraza D, Jansen K, van Wendel de Joode B, Wesseling C. Social movements and risk perception: unions, churches, pesticides and bananas in Costa Rica. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2013; 19:11-21. [PMID: 23582610 DOI: 10.1179/2049396712y.0000000018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Between 1992 and 2010 in the Costa Rican Caribbean, a social movement coalition called Foro Emaús sought to change people's view on problems of high pesticide use in banana production. OBJECTIVE To understand the formation and membership of Foro Emaús, its success period, and its decline. METHODS Semi-structured interviews of 28 key actors; a questionnaire survey among school personnel (n = 475) in Siquirres, Matina, and Talamanca counties; and secondary data from newspapers, leaflets, and movement documents were used. RESULTS Foro Emaús developed activism around pesticide issues and put pressure on governmental agencies and banana companies and shaped people's perception of pesticide risks. The success of the Foro Emaús movement led to the reinforcement of a counteracting social movement (Solidarismo) by conservative sectors of the Catholic Church and the banana companies. We found that the participation of unions in Foro Emaús is an early example of social movement unionism. CONCLUSIONS Scientific pesticide risk analysis is not the only force that shapes emerging societal perceptions of pesticide risk. Social movements influence the priority given to particular risks and can be crucial in putting health and environmental risk issues on the political and research agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Barraza
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
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Ríos-González A, Jansen K, Javier Sánchez-Pérez H. Pesticide risk perceptions and the differences between farmers and extensionists: towards a knowledge-in-context model. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2013; 124:43-53. [PMID: 23611494 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2013.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED A growing body of literature analyzes farmer perceptions of pesticide risk, but much less attention has been given to differences in risk perception between farmers and technical experts. Furthermore, inconsistencies in knowledge have too easily been explained in terms of lack of knowledge rather than exploring the underlying reasons for particular forms of thinking about pesticide risks. By doing this, the division between expert and lay knowledge has been deepened rather than transcended. OBJECTIVE This study aims to understand differences and similarities among the perceptions of pesticide risks of farmers, farm workers, and technical experts such as extensionists, by applying a social science approach towards knowledge and risk attitudes. METHODS Semi-structured interviews and field observations were conducted to smallholders, farm workers, extensionists, health professionals and scientists involved in the use and handling of pesticides. Subsequently, a survey was carried out to quantify the farmers and extensionists' acceptance or rejection of typical assertions expressed previously in the semi-structured interviews. RESULTS Smallholders showed to gain knowledge from their own experiences and to adapt pesticides practices, which is a potential basis for transforming notions of pesticide safety and risk reduction strategies. Though extensionists have received formal education, they sometimes develop ideas deviating from the technical perspective. The risk perception of the studied actors appeared to vary according to their role in the agricultural labor process; they varied much less than expected according to their schooling level. CONCLUSIONS Commitment to the technical perspective is not dramatically different for extensionists on the one hand and farmers as well as farm workers on the other hand. Ideas about a supposed lack of knowledge by farmers and the need of formal training are too much driven by a deficit model of knowledge. Further research on risk perceptions of pesticides and training of rural people will benefit from the development of a knowledge-in-context model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Ríos-González
- Society, Culture and Health Academic Area, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n, Barrio de María Auxiliadora cp. 29290 San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
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van Wendel de Joode B, Barraza D, Ruepert C, Mora AM, Córdoba L, Oberg M, Wesseling C, Mergler D, Lindh CH. Indigenous children living nearby plantations with chlorpyrifos-treated bags have elevated 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy) urinary concentrations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 117:17-26. [PMID: 22749112 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 04/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The US Environmental Protection Agency voluntary phased-out residential use of chlorpyrifos in 2001. In contrast, in Costa Rica, chlorpyrifos-treated bags are increasingly used to protect banana and plantain fruits from insects and to fulfill product standards, even in populated areas. OBJECTIVES To evaluate children's exposure to chlorpyrifos in villages situated nearby banana plantations and plantain farms in Costa Rica. METHODS The study targeted two villages with use of chlorpyrifos-treated bags in nearby banana plantations and plantain farms and one village with mainly organic production. For 140 children from these villages, mostly indigenous Ngäbe and Bribri, parent-interviews and urine samples (n=207) were obtained. Urinary 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy) levels were measured as a biomarker for chlorpyrifos exposure. In the banana and plantain village also environmental contamination to chlorpyrifos was explored. RESULTS Children from the banana and plantain villages had statistically significant higher urinary TCPy concentrations than children from the referent village; 2.6 and 2.2 versus 1.3μg/g creatinine, respectively. Chlorpyrifos was detected in 30% of the environmental samples as well as in 92% of the hand/foot wash samples. For more than half of the children their estimated intake exceeded the US EPA chronic population adjusted dose. For some, the acute population adjusted dose and the chronic reference dose were also exceeded. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that children living nearby plantations with chlorpyrifos-treated bags are exposed to chlorpyrifos levels that may affect their health. Interventions to reduce chlorpyrifos exposure are likely to improve children's health and environment in banana and plantain growing regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
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Ribeiro MG, Colasso CG, Monteiro PP, Pedreira Filho WR, Yonamine M. Occupational safety and health practices among flower greenhouses workers from Alto Tietê region (Brazil). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2012; 416:121-126. [PMID: 22134030 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Revised: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In this preliminary study the occupational safety and health practices among flower greenhouses workers were evaluated. The study was carried out in the alto Tietê region, located at the Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Inadequate welfare facilities; poor pesticide storage, use and disposal conditions; use of highly toxic pesticides; lack of adequate data regarding pesticide use; and incorrect use and maintenance of PPE were observed in most of the visited greenhouses. These results suggest that, in greenhouses, workers may be at higher risk of pesticide exposure, due to many factors that can intensify the exposure such as the lack of control on reentry intervals after pesticide application. Specific regulations are needed to ensure better OSH practices on pesticide use and to improve working conditions in greenhouses, in order to deal with the peculiarities of greenhouse working environment. Some of the special requirements for greenhouses workers' protection are the establishment of ventilation criteria for restricted entry interval; clear reentry restrictions; and EPI for workers other than applicators that need to enter the greenhouse before expiring REI interval. Another important way to improve OSH practices among workers includes the distribution of simple guidelines on the dos and don'ts regarding OSH practices in greenhouses and extensively training interventions to change the perception of hazards and the behavior towards risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela G Ribeiro
- Fundação Jorge Duprat Figueiredo de Segurança e Medicina do Trabalho, Rua Capote Valente, 710, Pinheiros, CEP: 05409-002, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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