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Rodríguez D, Barg G, Queirolo EI, Olson JR, Mañay N, Kordas K. Pyrethroid and Chlorpyrifos Pesticide Exposure, General Intellectual Abilities, and Executive Functions of School Children from Montevideo, Uruguay. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5288. [PMID: 37047904 PMCID: PMC10093823 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Children's developing brains are susceptible to pesticides. Less is known about the effect of exposure to chlorpyrifos and pyrethroids on executive functions (EF). We measured urinary 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), a metabolite of chlorpyrifos, and urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), a general, nonspecific metabolite of pyrethroids in first-grade children from Montevideo, Uruguay (n = 241, age 80.6 ± 6.4 months, 58.1% boys). EFs were assessed with the Intra-dimensional/Extra-dimensional shift (IED), Spatial Span (SSP), and Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated (CANTAB) Battery. General intellectual ability (GIA) was assessed using the Woodcock-Muñoz Cognitive battery. Median (range) urinary TCPy and 3-PBA levels were 16.7 (1.9, 356.9) ng/mg of creatinine and 3.3 (0.3, 110.6) ng/mg of creatinine, respectively. In multivariable generalized linear models, urinary TCPy was inversely associated with postdimensional errors on the IED task β [95% CI]: -0.11 [-0.17, -0.06]. Urinary 3-PBA was inversely associated with the total number of trials -0.07 [-0.10, -0.04], and the total number of errors -0.12 [-0.18, -0.07] on the IED task. When TCPy and 3-PBA were modeled together, the associations did not differ from single-metabolite models. We found no evidence of effect modification by blood lead level (BLL). Pesticide exposure may affect EF performance in urban children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danelly Rodríguez
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA; (D.R.)
| | - Gabriel Barg
- Department of Neuroscience and Learning, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Elena I. Queirolo
- Department of Neuroscience and Learning, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - James R. Olson
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA; (D.R.)
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
| | - Nelly Mañay
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Republic of Uruguay (UDELAR), Montevideo 11200, Uruguay
| | - Katarzyna Kordas
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA; (D.R.)
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Antonangeli LM, Kenzhebekova S, Colosio C. Neurobehavioral Effects of Low-Dose Chronic Exposure to Insecticides: A Review. TOXICS 2023; 11:192. [PMID: 36851066 PMCID: PMC9963921 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The modes of action of insecticides frequently involve a neurotoxic effect; therefore, the study of neurotoxic effects caused by long-term and low-dose insecticide exposure is of particular interest. This study looks at whether or not new studies conducted after 2009 and up to 2021 have provided new evidence for a better understanding of the actual neurobehavioral risk associated with long-term insecticide exposure. We selected and reviewed studies carried out on the neurobehavioral effects of neurotoxic insecticides (organophosphates and/or carbamates, pyrethroids, multiple or undefined insecticides, and organochlorines) considering occupational and non-occupational exposures. The articles were also scored and ranked based on seven parameters. Eighty-six studies were chosen for a final review process from among the 950 scientific papers identified. Twenty-six addressed occupational exposure and six environmental exposure. Among the latter group of studies, 17 focused on rural residents, to be assumed exposed because of living in rural areas, and 43 on the general population. Pending doubts have not been resolved in the last ten years due to the presence of contradictory and hardly comparable results and the fact that in most of the studies showing an evident neurobehavioral impairment the frequent presence of a previous episode of poisoning and hospitalization, with severe brain hypoxia, impaired the possibility of confirming the presence of a causal association with insecticide exposure. Interestingly, the most severely exposed groups, such as applicators who did not wear personal protective equipment, performed worse on neurobehavioral tests. As for residential exposure, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that prenatal OP exposure may increase the risk of ADHD in children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saniya Kenzhebekova
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, International Centre for Rural Health of the Santi Paolo e Carlo ASST of Milan, 20142 Milano, Italy
| | - Claudio Colosio
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, International Centre for Rural Health of the Santi Paolo e Carlo ASST of Milan, 20142 Milano, Italy
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Zúñiga-Venegas LA, Hyland C, Muñoz-Quezada MT, Quirós-Alcalá L, Butinof M, Buralli R, Cardenas A, Fernandez RA, Foerster C, Gouveia N, Gutiérrez Jara JP, Lucero BA, Muñoz MP, Ramírez-Santana M, Smith AR, Tirado N, van Wendel de Joode B, Calaf GM, Handal AJ, Soares da Silva A, Cortés S, Mora AM. Health Effects of Pesticide Exposure in Latin American and the Caribbean Populations: A Scoping Review. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:96002. [PMID: 36173136 PMCID: PMC9521041 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to pesticides is associated with adverse health outcomes. However, the literature on pesticide-related health effects in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region, an area of intensive agricultural and residential pesticide use, is sparse. We conducted a scoping review to describe the current state of research on the health effects of pesticide exposure in LAC populations with the goal of identifying knowledge gaps and research capacity building needs. METHODS We searched PubMed and SciELO for epidemiological studies on pesticide exposure and human health in LAC populations published between January 2007 and December 2021. We identified 233 publications from 16 countries that met our inclusion criteria and grouped them by health outcome (genotoxicity, neurobehavioral outcomes, placental outcomes and teratogenicity, cancer, thyroid function, reproductive outcomes, birth outcomes and child growth, and others). RESULTS Most published studies were conducted in Brazil (37%, n = 88 ) and Mexico (20%, n = 46 ), were cross-sectional in design (72%, n = 167 ), and focused on farmworkers (45%, n = 105 ) or children (21%, n = 48 ). The most frequently studied health effects included genotoxicity (24%, n = 62 ) and neurobehavioral outcomes (21%, n = 54 ), and organophosphate (OP) pesticides were the most frequently examined (26%, n = 81 ). Forty-seven percent (n = 112 ) of the studies relied only on indirect pesticide exposure assessment methods. Exposure to OP pesticides, carbamates, or to multiple pesticide classes was consistently associated with markers of genotoxicity and adverse neurobehavioral outcomes, particularly among children and farmworkers. DISCUSSION Our scoping review provides some evidence that exposure to pesticides may adversely impact the health of LAC populations, but methodological limitations and inconsistencies undermine the strength of the conclusions. It is critical to increase capacity building, integrate research initiatives, and conduct more rigorous epidemiological studies in the region to address these limitations, better inform public health surveillance systems, and maximize the impact of research on public policies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9934.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana A. Zúñiga-Venegas
- Centro de Investigaciones de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Carly Hyland
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- School of Public Health and Population Science, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - María Teresa Muñoz-Quezada
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Maryland Institute of Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Mariana Butinof
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Rafael Buralli
- Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Ricardo A. Fernandez
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Claudia Foerster
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Agroalimentarias, Animales y Ambientales, Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando, Chile
| | - Nelson Gouveia
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Juan P. Gutiérrez Jara
- Centro de Investigaciones de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Boris A. Lucero
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - María Pía Muñoz
- Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Muriel Ramírez-Santana
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Anna R. Smith
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Noemi Tirado
- Instituto de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Louisiana Paz, Bolivia
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants’ Environmental Health Study, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Gloria M. Calaf
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
- Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alexis J. Handal
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Sandra Cortés
- Centro Avanzado de Enfermedades Crónicas (ACCDiS), Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable, Departamento de Salud Pública, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana M. Mora
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Infants’ Environmental Health Study, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Binter AC, Mora AM, Baker JM, Bruno JL, Kogut K, Rauch S, Reiss AL, Eskenazi B, Sagiv SK. Exposure to DDT and DDE and functional neuroimaging in adolescents from the CHAMACOS cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113461. [PMID: 35550812 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to p,p'-dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (p,p'-DDT) is associated with poorer cognitive function in children and adolescents, but the neural mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. OBJECTIVE We investigated associations of prenatal and childhood exposure to p,p'-DDT and its metabolite p,p'-dichloro-diphenyl-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) with cortical activation in adolescents using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). METHODS We administered fNIRS to 95 adolescents from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) aged 15-17 years. We assessed cortical activity in the frontal, temporal, and parietal brain regions while participants completed tasks of executive function, language comprehension, and social cognition. We measured serum p,p'-DDT and -DDE concentrations at age 9 years and then estimated exposure-outcome associations using linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. In secondary analyses, we back-extrapolated prenatal concentrations using prediction models and examined their association with cortical activation. RESULTS Median (P25-P75) p,p'-DDT and -DDE concentrations in childhood were 1.4 (1-2.3) and 141.5 (75.0-281.3) ng/g lipid, respectively. We found that childhood exposure to p,p'-DDT and -DDE was associated with altered patterns of brain activation during tasks of cognition and executive functions. For example, we observed increased activity in the left frontal lobe during a language comprehension task (β per 10 ng/g lipid increase of serum p,p'-DDE at age 9 years = 3.4; 95% CI: 0.0, 6.9 in the left inferior frontal lobe; and β = 4.2; 95% CI: 0.9, 7.5 in the left superior frontal lobe). We found no sex differences in the associations of childhood p,p'-DDT and -DDE concentrations with neural activity. Associations between prenatal p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE concentrations and brain activity were similar to those observed for child p,p'-DDT and -DDE concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Childhood p,p'-DDT and -DDE exposure may impact cortical brain activation, which could be an underlying mechanism for its previously reported associations with poorer cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Binter
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en santé, environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Ana M Mora
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Joseph M Baker
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bruno
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Katherine Kogut
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Stephen Rauch
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sharon K Sagiv
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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Dórea JG. Exposure to environmental neurotoxic substances and neurodevelopment in children from Latin America and the Caribbean. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 192:110199. [PMID: 32941839 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Environmental (and occupational) exposure to neurotoxic substances is a worldwide problem that can affect children's neurodevelopment (ND). In Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries there are over 300 million children living under the threat of neurodevelopmental delays due to toxic environmental exposure. Large industrial centers, intense mining and agricultural activities, along with changing complex ecosystems constitute a mosaic that drives contamination of air, water and the food chain. Neurotoxic contaminants such as pesticides (organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and manganese fungicides), chemicals of industrial use (phthalates), and metals (Hg, Pb, Al, As, F, Cd, Mo, Mn) are at the center of environmental exposure studies. Exposure to neurotoxic substances singly or in combination with other compounds or socioeconomic stressors (maternal education, socio-economic and nutritional status) intertwined with occupational and para-occupational exposure can affect ND (motor, cognition, behavior) of children. Significant negative effects of pesticides and neurotoxic elements on ND were found in all studied countries, affecting especially the less-privileged children from laboring families. Studies showed that exposures to the neurotoxicants in human milk are secondary to their more lasting effects during prenatal exposure. This review integrates exposure (prenatal and breastfeeding), metabolism, and ND effects of neurotoxicants. It highlights the overwhelming evidence showing that current levels of exposures are hazardous and detrimental to children's ND in LAC countries. The evidence indicates that a reduction in neurotoxicant exposure is essential to protect children's ND. Therefore, it is urgent to adopt policies and actions that prevent and remediate region-specific children's ND issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- José G Dórea
- Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, 70919-970, DF, Brazil.
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Abreu-Villaça Y, Levin ED. Developmental neurotoxicity of succeeding generations of insecticides. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 99:55-77. [PMID: 27908457 PMCID: PMC5285268 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Insecticides are by design toxic. They must be toxic to effectively kill target species of insects. Unfortunately, they also have off-target toxic effects that can harm other species, including humans. Developmental neurotoxicity is one of the most prominent off-target toxic risks of insecticides. Over the past seven decades several classes of insecticides have been developed, each with their own mechanisms of effect and toxic side effects. This review covers the developmental neurotoxicity of the succeeding generations of insecticides including organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates and neonicotinoids. The goal of new insecticide development is to more effectively kill target species with fewer toxic side effects on non-target species. From the experience with the developmental neurotoxicity caused by the generations of insecticides developed in the past advice is offered how to proceed with future insecticide development to decrease neurotoxic risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Abreu-Villaça
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiologicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ, Brazil
| | - Edward D Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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