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Conejo-Bolaños LD, Mora AM, Hernández-Bonilla D, Cano JC, Menezes-Filho JA, Eskenazi B, Lindh CH, van Wendel de Joode B. Prenatal current-use pesticide exposure and children's neurodevelopment at one year of age in the Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) birth cohort, Costa Rica. Environ Res 2024; 249:118222. [PMID: 38272290 PMCID: PMC11065598 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pesticide exposure may affect young children's neurodevelopment, but only few cohort studies have addressed possible effects of non-organophosphate pesticides. OBJECTIVE We evaluated associations between prenatal current-use pesticide exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes among 1-year-old children from the Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) birth cohort. METHODS To determine prenatal pesticide exposure, we measured biomarkers of pyrimethanil, chlorpyrifos, synthetic pyrethroids, and 2,4-D in urine samples among 355 women, 1-3 times during pregnancy. One-year post-partum, we evaluated children's neurodevelopment with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd edition (BSID-III). We assessed associations between exposures and neurodevelopmental outcomes (composite and z-scores) using single-chemical linear regression models adjusted for possible confounders (maternal education, parity, sex, gestational age at birth, child age, HOME-score, location of assessment, biomarkers of mancozeb), and studied effect-modification by sex. We evaluated non-linear associations of multiple pesticide exposures with Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). RESULTS We found higher prenatal urinary 2,4-D concentrations were associated with lower language (βper ten-fold increase = -2.0, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = -3.5, -0.5) and motor (βper ten-fold increase = -2.2, 95 %CI = -4.2, -0.1) composite scores among all children. Also, higher chlorpyrifos exposure [measured as urinary 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy)] was associated with lower cognitive composite scores (βper ten-fold increase = -1.9, 95 %CI = -4.7, 0.8), and lower motor composite scores among boys (βper ten-fold increase = -3.8, 95 % CI = -7.7, 0.1) but not girls (βper ten-fold increase = 2.3, 95 %CI = -1.6, 6.3, pINT = 0.11). Finally, higher pyrimethanil was associated with lower language abilities among girls, but not boys. Pyrethroid metabolite concentrations did not explain variability in BSID-III composite scores. Associations were similar for BSID-III z-scores, and we found no evidence for non-linear associations or mixture effects. DISCUSSION Prenatal exposure to common-use pesticides may affect children's neurodevelopment at 1-year of age, some effects may be sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Diego Conejo-Bolaños
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica; Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies in Childhood and Adolescence (INEINA), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Ana M Mora
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica; Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), University of California at Berkeley, United States
| | | | - Juan Camilo Cano
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - José A Menezes-Filho
- Laboratory of Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Barão de Jeremoabo s/n Campus, Universitário de Ondina, 40170-115, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), University of California at Berkeley, United States
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, SE-221 85, Lund, Sweden
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
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van Wendel de Joode B, Peñaloza-Castañeda J, Mora AM, Corrales-Vargas A, Eskenazi B, Hoppin JA, Lindh CH. Pesticide exposure, birth size, and gestational age in the ISA birth cohort, Costa Rica. Environ Epidemiol 2024; 8:e290. [PMID: 38617432 PMCID: PMC11008631 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose To examine associations of prenatal biomarkers of pesticide exposure with birth size measures and length of gestation among newborns from the Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) birth cohort, Costa Rica. Methods We included 386 singleton liveborn newborns with data on birth size measures, length of gestation, and maternal urinary biomarkers of chlorpyrifos, synthetic pyrethroids, mancozeb, pyrimethanil, and 2, 4-D during pregnancy. We associated biomarkers of exposure with birth outcomes using multivariate linear regression and generalized additive models. Results Concentrations were highest for ethylene thiourea (ETU, metabolite of mancozeb), median = 3.40; p10-90 = 1.90-6.79 µg/L, followed by 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP, metabolite of chlorpyrifos) p50 = 1.76 p10-90 = 0.97-4.36 µg/L, and lowest for 2,4-D (p50 = 0.33 p10-90 = 0.18-1.07 µg/L). Among term newborns (≥37 weeks), higher prenatal TCP was associated with lower birth weight and smaller head circumference (e.g., β per 10-fold-increase) during the second half of pregnancy = -129.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -255.8, -3.5) grams, and -0.61 (95% CI = -1.05, -0.17) centimeters, respectively. Also, among term newborns, prenatal 2,4-D was associated with lower birth weight (β per 10-fold-increase = -125.1; 95% CI = -228.8, -21.5), smaller head circumference (β = -0.41; 95% CI = -0.78, -0.03), and, during the second half of pregnancy, with shorter body length (β = -0.58; 95% CI = -1.09, -0.07). Furthermore, ETU was nonlinearly associated with head circumference during the second half of pregnancy. Biomarkers of pyrethroids and pyrimethanil were not associated with birth size, and none of the biomarkers explained the length of gestation. Conclusions Prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos and 2,4-D, and, possibly, mancozeb/ETU, may impair fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants’ Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jorge Peñaloza-Castañeda
- Infants’ Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Ana M. Mora
- Infants’ Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), University of California at Berkeley
| | - Andrea Corrales-Vargas
- Infants’ Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), University of California at Berkeley
| | - Jane A. Hoppin
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, North Carolina
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, North Carolina
| | - Christian H. Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
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Krais AM, de Joode BVW, Liljedahl ER, Blomberg AJ, Rönnholm A, Bengtsson M, Cano JC, Hoppin JA, Littorin M, Nielsen C, Lindh CH. Correction to: Detection of the fungicide transformation product 4-hydroxychlorothalonil in serum of pregnant women from Sweden and Costa Rica. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2023:10.1038/s41370-023-00604-3. [PMID: 37739996 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00604-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Annette M Krais
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Emelie Rietz Liljedahl
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Annelise J Blomberg
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna Rönnholm
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Bengtsson
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Juan Camilo Cano
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), 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, NC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Margareta Littorin
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Werthmann D, van Wendel de Joode B, Cuffney MT, Reich BJ, Soto-Martinez ME, Corrales-Vargas A, Palomo-Cordero L, Peñaloza-Castañeda J, Hoppin JA. A cross-sectional analysis of medical conditions and environmental factors associated with fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in women and children from the ISA birth cohort, Costa Rica. Environ Res 2023; 233:116449. [PMID: 37356534 PMCID: PMC10529647 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a marker of airway inflammation. Elevated FeNO has been associated with environmental exposures, however, studies from tropical countries are limited. Using data from the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA) birth cohort, we evaluated medical conditions and environmental exposures' association with elevated FeNO. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 277 women and 293 8-year old children who participated in the 8-year post-partum visit in 2019. We measured FeNO and collected information on medical conditions and environmental exposures including smoke from waste burning, work in banana plantations, and home pesticide use. We defined elevated FeNO as >25 ppb for women and >20 ppb for children. To evaluate factors associated with elevated FeNO, we used logistic regression models adjusted for obesity in women and unadjusted in children. RESULTS Overall elevated FeNO was common (20% of women, 13% of children). Rhinitis diagnosis was significantly associated with elevated FeNO in both women (odds ratio (OR): 3.67 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.81,7.35) and children (OR: 8.18 95%CI: 3.15, 21.22); wheeze was associated with elevated FeNO in women (OR: 4.50 95% CI: 2.25, 8.99). Environmental exposures were associated with elevated FeNO, but not significantly. Waste burning was associated with elevated FeNO in both women (OR: 1.58 95%CI 0.68, 4.15) and children (OR: 2.49 95%CI:0.82, 10.79). Para-occupational pesticide exposures were associated with elevated FeNO in women and children. For women, having a partner working in agriculture was associated with elevated FeNO (OR: 1.61 95%CI:0.77, 3.58) and for children, maternal work in agriculture was associated with elevated FeNO. (OR 2.08 95%CI 0.86, 4.67) CONCLUSION: Rhinitis and wheeze were associated with elevated FeNO in this rural, agricultural population. Smoke from waste burning as well as para-occupational pesticide exposure may contribute to elevated FeNO in rural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Werthmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants Environmental Health Program (ISA) Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Michael T Cuffney
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Brian J Reich
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Statistics, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Andrea Corrales-Vargas
- Infants Environmental Health Program (ISA) Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Luis Palomo-Cordero
- Infants Environmental Health Program (ISA) Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jorge Peñaloza-Castañeda
- Infants Environmental Health Program (ISA) Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Department of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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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. Erratum: "Health Effects of Pesticide Exposure in Latin American and the Caribbean Populations: A Scoping Review". Environ Health Perspect 2023; 131:89001. [PMID: 37589661 PMCID: PMC10434013 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
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Krais AM, de Joode BVW, Liljedahl ER, Blomberg AJ, Rönnholm A, Bengtsson M, Cano JC, Hoppin JA, Littorin M, Nielsen C, Lindh CH. Detection of the fungicide transformation product 4-hydroxychlorothalonil in serum of pregnant women from Sweden and Costa Rica. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2023:10.1038/s41370-023-00580-8. [PMID: 37474645 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00580-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 4-hydroxychlorothalonil (HCT, R182281), a transformation product of the fungicide chlorothalonil, was recently identified in human serum and breast milk. There are indications that HCT may be more toxic and environmentally persistent than chlorothalonil. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to investigate serum concentrations of HCT in pregnant women in Sweden and Costa Rica. METHODS We developed a quantitative analytical method for HCT using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We measured HCT in 1808 serum samples from pregnant women from the general population in Sweden (1997-2015) and in 632 samples from 393 pregnant women from an agricultural population in Costa Rica (2010-2011). In Swedish samples, we assessed time trends and investigated seasonality. In the Costa Rican samples, we evaluated variability between and within women and explanatory variables of HCT concentrations. RESULTS HCT was detected in all serum samples, and the limit of detection was 0.1 µg/L. The median HCT concentration in the Swedish samples was 4.1 µg/L (interquartile range [IQR] of 2.9 - 5.8 µg/L), and 3.9 times higher in the Costa Rican samples (median: 16.1 µg/L; IQR: 10.6 - 25.0 µg/L). We found clear seasonal variation with higher concentrations in the first half of each year among Swedish women. In the Costa Rican study, women working in agriculture and living near banana plantations had higher HCT concentrations, whilst higher parity and having a partner working in agriculture were associated with decreased HCT, and no clear seasonal pattern was observed. IMPACT STATEMENT For the first time, this study quantifies human exposure to the fungicide chlorothalonil and/or its transformation product 4-hydroxychlorothalonil (HCT, R182281) and finds higher serum concentrations in women from a tropical agricultural setting as compared with women from the general population in Sweden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette M Krais
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Emelie Rietz Liljedahl
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Annelise J Blomberg
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna Rönnholm
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Bengtsson
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Juan Camilo Cano
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), 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, NC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Margareta Littorin
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christel Nielsen
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Divison of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Masís-Leandro K, Kromhout H, van Wendel de Joode B. A Microsoft-Excel-based tool for conducting the DeRmal Exposure Assessment Method (DREAM). Ann Work Expo Health 2023; 67:796-798. [PMID: 37279552 PMCID: PMC10324640 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxad026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Keneth Masís-Leandro
- Infants’ Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Hans Kromhout
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants’ Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Islam JY, Hoppin J, Mora AM, Soto-Martinez ME, Gamboa LC, Castañeda JEP, Reich B, Lindh C, van Wendel de Joode B. Respiratory and allergic outcomes among 5-year-old children exposed to pesticides. Thorax 2023; 78:41-49. [PMID: 35210357 PMCID: PMC9533533 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-218068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the effects of pesticides on children's respiratory and allergic outcomes. We evaluated associations of prenatal and current pesticide exposures with respiratory and allergic outcomes in children from the Infants' Environmental Health Study in Costa Rica. METHODS Among 5-year-old children (n=303), we measured prenatal and current specific gravity-corrected urinary metabolite concentrations of insecticides (chlorpyrifos, pyrethroids), fungicides (mancozeb, pyrimethanil, thiabendazole) and 2,4-D. We collected information from caregivers on respiratory (ever doctor-diagnosed asthma and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), wheeze and cough during last 12 months) and allergic (nasal allergies, itchy rash, ever eczema) outcomes. We fitted separate multivariable logistic regression models for high (≥75th percentile (P75)) vs low (<P75) metabolite concentrations with respiratory and allergic outcomes. We also ran models including metabolite concentrations as continuous exposure variables. RESULTS Children's respiratory outcomes were common (39% cough, 20% wheeze, 12% asthma, 5% LRTI). High current pyrethroid metabolite concentrations (∑pyrethroids) were associated with wheeze (OR=2.37, 95% CI 1.28 to 4.34), itchy rash (OR=2.74, 95% CI 1.33 to 5.60), doctor-diagnosed asthma and LRTI. High current ethylene thiourea (ETU) (specific metabolite of mancozeb) was somewhat associated with LRTI (OR=2.09, 95% CI 0.68 to 6.02). We obtained similar results when modelling ∑pyrethroids and ETU as continuous variables. We saw inconsistent or null associations for other pesticide exposures and health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Current pyrethroid exposure may affect children's respiratory and allergic health at 5 years of age. Current mancozeb exposure might contribute to LRTI. These findings are important as pyrethroids are broadly used in home environments and agriculture and mancozeb in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Y Islam
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA,Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jane 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, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ana M Mora
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica,Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Leonel Córdoba Gamboa
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jorge Ernesto Peñaloza Castañeda
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Brian Reich
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA,Department of Biostatistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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9
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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. Environ Health Perspect 2022; 130:96002. [PMID: 36173136 PMCID: PMC9521041 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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10
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Giffin A, Hoppin JA, Córdoba L, Solano-Díaz K, Ruepert C, Peñaloza-Castañeda J, Lindh C, Reich BJ, van Wendel de Joode B. Pyrimethanil and chlorpyrifos air concentrations and pregnant women's urinary metabolites in the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Costa Rica. Environ Int 2022; 166:107328. [PMID: 35728412 PMCID: PMC9708932 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Only few studies have compared environmental pesticide air concentrations with specific urinary metabolites to evaluate pathways of exposure. Therefore, we compared pyrimethanil and chlorpyrifos concentrations in air with urinary 4-hydroxypyrimethanil (OHP, metabolite of pyrimethanil) and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy, metabolite of chlorpyrifos) among pregnant women from the Infant's Environmental Health Study (ISA) in Matina County, Costa Rica. METHODS During pregnancy, we obtained repeat urinary samples from 448 women enrolled in the ISA study. We extrapolated pyrimethanil and chlorpyrifos concentrations measured with passive air samplers (PAS) (n = 48, from 12 schools), across space and time using a Bayesian spatiotemporal model. We subsequently compared these concentrationswith urinary OHP and TCPy in 915 samples from 448 women, usingseparatemixed models andconsidering several covariables. RESULTS A 10% increase in air pyrimethanil (ng/m3) was associated with a 5.7% (95% confidence interval (CI 4.6, 6.8) increase in OHP (μg/L). Women living further from banana plantations had lower OHP: -0.7% (95% CI -1.2, -0.3) for each 10% increase in distance (meters) as well as women who ate rice and beans ≥15 times a week -23% (95% CI -38, -4). In addition, each 1 ng/m3 increase in chlorpyrifos in air was associated with a 1.5% (95% CI 0.2, 2.8) increase in TCPy (μg/L), and women working in agriculture tended to have increased TCPy (21%, 95% CI -2, 49). CONCLUSION The Bayesian spatiotemporal models were useful to estimate pyrimethanil and chlorpyrifos air concentrations across space and time. Our results suggest inhalation of pyrimethanil and chlorpyrifos is a pathway of environmental exposure. PAS seems a useful technique to monitor environmental current-use pesticide exposures. For future studies, we recommend increasing the number of locations of environmental air measurements, obtaining all air and urine measurements during the same month, and, ideally, including dermal exposure estimates as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Giffin
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, NC, USA
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, NC, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, NC, USA
| | - Leonel Córdoba
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Karla Solano-Díaz
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Clemens Ruepert
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jorge Peñaloza-Castañeda
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Brian J Reich
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, NC, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, NC, USA
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Program, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
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11
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Röösli M, Fuhrimann S, Atuhaire A, Rother HA, Dabrowski J, Eskenazi B, Jørs E, Jepson PC, London L, Naidoo S, Rohlman DS, Saunyama I, van Wendel de Joode B, Adeleye AO, Alagbo OO, Aliaj D, Azanaw J, Beerappa R, Brugger C, Chaiklieng S, Chetty-Mhlanga S, Chitra GA, Dhananjayan V, Ejomah A, Enyoh CE, Galani YJH, Hogarh JN, Ihedioha JN, Ingabire JP, Isgren E, Loko YLE, Maree L, Metou’ou Ernest N, Moda HM, Mubiru E, Mwema MF, Ndagire I, Olutona GO, Otieno P, Paguirigan JM, Quansah R, Ssemugabo C, Solomon S, Sosan MB, Sulaiman MB, Teklu BM, Tongo I, Uyi O, Cueva-Vásquez H, Veludo A, Viglietti P, Dalvie MA. Interventions to Reduce Pesticide Exposure from the Agricultural Sector in Africa: A Workshop Report. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19158973. [PMID: 35897345 PMCID: PMC9330002 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19158973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Despite the fact that several cases of unsafe pesticide use among farmers in different parts of Africa have been documented, there is limited evidence regarding which specific interventions are effective in reducing pesticide exposure and associated risks to human health and ecology. The overall goal of the African Pesticide Intervention Project (APsent) study is to better understand ongoing research and public health activities related to interventions in Africa through the implementation of suitable target-specific situations or use contexts. A systematic review of the scientific literature on pesticide intervention studies with a focus on Africa was conducted. This was followed by a qualitative survey among stakeholders involved in pesticide research or management in the African region to learn about barriers to and promoters of successful interventions. The project was concluded with an international workshop in November 2021, where a broad range of topics relevant to occupational and environmental health risks were discussed such as acute poisoning, street pesticides, switching to alternatives, or disposal of empty pesticide containers. Key areas of improvement identified were training on pesticide usage techniques, research on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at exposure reduction and/or behavioral changes, awareness raising, implementation of adequate policies, and enforcement of regulations and processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Röösli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.C.-M.); (A.V.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (S.F.); (M.A.D.)
| | - Samuel Fuhrimann
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.C.-M.); (A.V.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (S.F.); (M.A.D.)
| | - Aggrey Atuhaire
- Uganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health (UNACOH), YMCA Building, Plot 37/41, Buganda Road, Kampala P.O. BOX 12590, Uganda;
| | - Hanna-Andrea Rother
- Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7729, South Africa; (H.-A.R.); (L.L.)
| | - James Dabrowski
- Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 6531, George 6530, South Africa;
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;
| | - Erik Jørs
- Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark;
| | - Paul C. Jepson
- Oregon IPM Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Leslie London
- Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7729, South Africa; (H.-A.R.); (L.L.)
| | - Saloshni Naidoo
- Discipline of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa;
| | - Diane S. Rohlman
- College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA;
| | - Ivy Saunyama
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Subregional Office for Southern Africa, Block 1 Tendeseka Office Park, Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe 00153 Rome, Italy;
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants’ Environmental Health Program (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica;
| | - Adeoluwa O. Adeleye
- Department of Crop Production and Protection, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 220282, Nigeria; (A.O.A.); (O.O.A.); (M.B.S.)
| | - Oyebanji O. Alagbo
- Department of Crop Production and Protection, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 220282, Nigeria; (A.O.A.); (O.O.A.); (M.B.S.)
| | - Dem Aliaj
- Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, 6002 Lucerne, Switzerland;
| | - Jember Azanaw
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia;
| | - Ravichandran Beerappa
- ICMR-Regional Occupational Health Centre (Southern), Bangalore 562110, India; (R.B.); (V.D.)
| | - Curdin Brugger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.C.-M.); (A.V.)
| | - Sunisa Chaiklieng
- Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand;
| | - Shala Chetty-Mhlanga
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.C.-M.); (A.V.)
| | - Grace A. Chitra
- Global Institute of Public Health, Ananthapuri Hospitals and Research Institute, Trivandrum 695024, Kerala, India;
| | - Venugopal Dhananjayan
- ICMR-Regional Occupational Health Centre (Southern), Bangalore 562110, India; (R.B.); (V.D.)
| | - Afure Ejomah
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, P.M.B. 1154, Benin City 300212, Nigeria; (A.E.); (O.U.)
| | - Christian Ebere Enyoh
- Green and Sustainable Chemical Technologies, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 3388570, Japan;
| | - Yamdeu Joseph Hubert Galani
- Section of Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, UK;
| | - Jonathan N. Hogarh
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana;
| | - Janefrances N. Ihedioha
- Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (J.N.I.); (M.B.S.)
| | - Jeanne Priscille Ingabire
- Horticulture Program, Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board, Kigali 5016, Rwanda;
| | - Ellinor Isgren
- Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), P.O. Box 170, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden;
| | - Yêyinou Laura Estelle Loko
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Biosciences et Biotechnologies Appliquées (ENSBBA), Université Nationale des Sciences, Technologies, Ingénierie et Mathématiques (UNSTIM), BP 2282 Abomey, Benin;
| | - Liana Maree
- Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7493, South Africa;
| | - Nkoum Metou’ou Ernest
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cameroon, Direction of Regulation and Quality Control of Agricultural Inputs and Product, Messa, Yaoundé P.O. Box 2082, Cameroon;
| | - Haruna Musa Moda
- Department of Health Professions, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BG, UK;
| | - Edward Mubiru
- Chemistry Department, School of Physical Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda;
| | - Mwema Felix Mwema
- School of Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania;
| | - Immaculate Ndagire
- Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiation Institute (SEATINI) Uganda, Kampala P.O. Box 3138, Uganda;
| | - Godwin O. Olutona
- Industrial Chemistry Programme, College of Agriculture Engineering and Science, Bowen University, Iwo 232101, Nigeria;
| | - Peter Otieno
- Pest Control Products Board, Loresho, Nairobi P.O. Box 13794-00800, Kenya;
| | - Jordan M. Paguirigan
- Common Services Laboratory, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Philippines, Alabang, Muntinlupa 1781, Philippines;
| | - Reginald Quansah
- School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG13, Ghana;
| | - Charles Ssemugabo
- Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda;
| | - Seruwo Solomon
- CropLife Uganda, Chicken House, Plot1, Old Kampala Road, Second Floor Room 17, Kampala P.O. Box 36592, Uganda;
| | - Mosudi B. Sosan
- Department of Crop Production and Protection, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 220282, Nigeria; (A.O.A.); (O.O.A.); (M.B.S.)
| | - Mohammad Bashir Sulaiman
- Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (J.N.I.); (M.B.S.)
| | - Berhan M. Teklu
- Ethiopian Agriculture Authority, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 313003, Ethiopia;
- Faculty of Naval and Ocean Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak P.O. Box 34469, Turkey
| | - Isioma Tongo
- Laboratory for Ecotoxicology and Environmental Forensics, Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, P.M.B. 1154, Benin City 300212, Nigeria;
| | - Osariyekemwen Uyi
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, P.M.B. 1154, Benin City 300212, Nigeria; (A.E.); (O.U.)
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Henry Cueva-Vásquez
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Carrera de Medicina Humana Lima, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima 15067, Peru;
| | - Adriana Veludo
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; (C.B.); (S.C.-M.); (A.V.)
| | - Paola Viglietti
- Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health (CEOHR), School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa;
| | - Mohamed Aqiel Dalvie
- Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health (CEOHR), School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa;
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (S.F.); (M.A.D.)
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12
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Crowe J, Rojas-Valverde D, Rojas-Garbanzo M, Gutiérrez-Vargas R, Ugalde-Ramírez JA, Ledezma-Rojas JP, Cabrera-Alpizar W, Salazar-Salazar M, Mauricio-La Torre R, Valera-Amador L, van Wendel de Joode B. Kidney Function in Rice Workers Exposed to Heat and Dehydration in Costa Rica. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph19094962. [PMID: 35564355 PMCID: PMC9100597 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19094962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate heat exposure, dehydration, and kidney function in rice workers over the course of three months, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We collected biological and questionnaire data across a three-month-period in male field (n = 27) and other (n = 45) workers from a rice company where chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is endemic. We used stepwise forward regression to determine variables associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate eGFR at enrollment and/or change in eGFR, and Poisson regression to assess associations with incident kidney injury (IKI) over the course of three months. Participants were 20−62 years old (median = 40 in both groups). Dehydration was common (≥37%) in both groups, particularly among other workers at enrollment, but field workers were more exposed to heat and had higher workloads. Low eGFR (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2) was more prevalent in field workers at enrollment (19% vs. 4%) and follow-up (26% vs. 7%). Field workers experienced incident kidney injury (IKI) more frequently than other workers: 26% versus 2%, respectively. Age (β = −0.71, 95%CI: −1.1, −0.4), current position as a field worker (β = −2.75, 95%CI: −6.49, 0.99) and past work in construction (β = 3.8, 95%CI: −0.1, 7.6) were included in the multivariate regression model to explain eGFR at enrollment. The multivariate regression model for decreased in eGFR over three month included current field worker (β = −3.9, 95%CI: −8.2, 0.4), current smoking (β= −6.2, 95%CI: −13.7−1.3), dehydration (USG ≥ 1.025) at both visits (β= −3.19, 95%CI: −7.6, 1.2) and pain medication at follow-up (β= −3.2, 95%CI: −8.2, 1.95). Current fieldwork [IR (incidence rate) = 2.2, 95%CI 1.1, 5.8) and being diabetic (IR = 1.8, 95%CI 0.9, 3.6) were associated with IKI. Low eGFR was common in field workers from a rice company in Guanacaste, and being a field worker was a risk factor for IKI, consistent with the hypothesis that occupational heat exposure is a critical risk factor for CKDu in Mesoamerica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Crowe
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica; (M.R.-G.); (B.v.W.d.J.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Daniel Rojas-Valverde
- Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Salud y Deporte (CIDISAD), Escuela de Ciencias del Movimiento Humano y Calidad de Vida (CIEMHCAVI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica; (D.R.-V.); (R.G.-V.); (J.A.U.-R.); (W.C.-A.)
| | - Marianela Rojas-Garbanzo
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica; (M.R.-G.); (B.v.W.d.J.)
| | - Randall Gutiérrez-Vargas
- Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Salud y Deporte (CIDISAD), Escuela de Ciencias del Movimiento Humano y Calidad de Vida (CIEMHCAVI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica; (D.R.-V.); (R.G.-V.); (J.A.U.-R.); (W.C.-A.)
| | - José Alexis Ugalde-Ramírez
- Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Salud y Deporte (CIDISAD), Escuela de Ciencias del Movimiento Humano y Calidad de Vida (CIEMHCAVI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica; (D.R.-V.); (R.G.-V.); (J.A.U.-R.); (W.C.-A.)
| | - José Pablo Ledezma-Rojas
- Masters Program in Occupational Health, Universidad Nacional-Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica;
| | - William Cabrera-Alpizar
- Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Salud y Deporte (CIDISAD), Escuela de Ciencias del Movimiento Humano y Calidad de Vida (CIEMHCAVI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica; (D.R.-V.); (R.G.-V.); (J.A.U.-R.); (W.C.-A.)
| | | | | | | | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica; (M.R.-G.); (B.v.W.d.J.)
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13
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Piracón JAB, Hernández-Bonilla D, Menezes-Filho JA, van Wendel de Joode B, Lozada YAV, Bahia TC, Cortes MAQ, Achury NJM, Muñoz IAM, Pardo MAH. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to pesticides and school-age children’s cognitive ability in rural Bogotá, Colombia. Neurotoxicology 2022; 90:112-120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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14
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Corrales Vargas A, Peñaloza Castañeda J, Rietz Liljedahl E, Mora AM, Menezes-Filho JA, Smith DR, Mergler D, Reich B, Giffin A, Hoppin JA, Lindh CH, van Wendel de Joode B. Exposure to common-use pesticides, manganese, lead, and thyroid function among pregnant women from the Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) study, Costa Rica. Sci Total Environ 2022; 810:151288. [PMID: 34756903 PMCID: PMC9162492 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pesticides and metals may disrupt thyroid function, which is key to fetal brain development. OBJECTIVES To evaluate if current-use pesticide exposures, lead and excess manganese alter free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations in pregnant women from the Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA). METHODS At enrollment, we determined women's (n = 400) specific-gravity corrected urinary pesticide (μg/L) metabolite concentrations of mancozeb (ethylene thiourea (ETU)), pyrimethanil, thiabendazole, chlorpyrifos, synthetic pyrethroids, and 2,4-D. We also measured manganese hair (MnH) (μg/g) and blood (MnB) (μg/L), and blood lead (PbB) (μg/L) concentrations. To detect an immediate and late effect on thyroid homeostasis, we determined TSH, FT4 and FT3 in serum obtained at the same visit (n = 400), and about ten weeks afterwards (n = 245). We assessed associations between exposures and outcomes with linear regression and general additive models, Bayesian multivariate linear regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression. RESULTS About 80%, 94%, and 100% of the women had TSH, FT4, and FT3 within clinical reference ranges, respectively. Women with higher urinary ETU, and pyrimethanil-metabolites, had lower FT4: β = -0.79 (95%CI = -1.51, -0.08) and β = -0.29 (95%CI = -0.62, -0.03), respectively, for each tenfold increase in exposure. MnB was positively associated with FT4 (β = 0.04 (95%CI = 0.00, 0.07 per 1 μg/L increase), and women with high urinary pyrethroid-metabolite concentrations had decreased TSH (non-linear effects). For the late-effect analysis, metabolites of pyrethroids and chlorpyrifos, as well as MnH, and PbB were associated decreased TSH, or increased FT4 and/or FT3. DISCUSSION Mancozeb (ETU) and pyrimethanil may inhibit FT4 secretion (hypothyroidism-like effect), while chlorpyrifos, pyrethroids, MnB, MnH, PbB and Mn showed hyperthyroidism-like effects. Some effects on thyroid homeostasis seemed to be immediate (mancozeb (ETU), pyrimethanil, MnB), others delayed (chlorpyrifos, MnH, PbB), or both (pyrethroids), possibly reflecting different mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Corrales Vargas
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jorge Peñaloza Castañeda
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Emelie Rietz Liljedahl
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ana María Mora
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica; Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), University of California at Berkeley, United States
| | - Jose Antonio Menezes-Filho
- Laboratory of Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Barão de Jeremoabo s/n Campus Universitário de Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Donald R Smith
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, United States
| | - Donna Mergler
- Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur le bien-être, la santé, la société et l'environnement (CINBIOSE), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Brian Reich
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, United States; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, United States
| | - Andrew Giffin
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, United States; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, United States
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, United States
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
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15
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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]. Rev Cienc Ambient 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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16
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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: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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17
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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. Environ Res 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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18
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Córdoba Gamboa L, Solano Diaz K, Ruepert C, van Wendel de Joode B. Passive monitoring techniques to evaluate environmental pesticide exposure: Results from the Infant's Environmental Health study (ISA). Environ Res 2020; 184:109243. [PMID: 32078818 PMCID: PMC7153910 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pesticides used in agriculture may expose populations living nearby. Costa Rica is a major banana-exporting country, its production depends on extensive pesticide use. OBJECTIVES To evaluate environmental pesticide exposure, we measured levels of current-use pesticides in air and dust from 12 schools in Matina County, Costa Rica, with passive sampling methods. METHODS We selected ten proximal and two non-proximal schools and placed polyurethane foam passive air samplers outdoors at each school, during four consecutive periods. At three of these schools, we also placed an active air sampler during the first 24 h of each sampling period. We collected passive dust samples by placing a glass Petri Dish at the inside of each school. We subsequently performed a chemical analysis of 18 pesticides, using gas chromatography with mass detector. RESULTS With passive air samplers we detected ten different pesticides: two insecticides, two nematicides, and six fungicides, of which nine reported to be used on banana plantations. More than half of the samples contained at least five pesticides. Chlorpyrifos was detected most-frequently, in 98% of samples, followed by the nematicides etoprophos and the fungicide pyrimethanil that were both detected in 81% of samples. Chlorpyrifos concentrations were five times higher in proximal as compared to non-proximal schools: mean = 18.2 ng/m3 (range = 6.1-36.1) and mean = 3.5 ng/m3 (range= <0.5-11.4) and varied more between schools than in time (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.80). In general, results from passive and active samplers showed similar exposure patterns; yet median concentrations tended to be higher in passive samplers. In dust samples, mostly fungicides were detected; chlorothalonil was detected most frequently, in 50% of samples. DISCUSSION Passive air sampling is a promising technique to characterize environmental exposure to current-use pesticides; more studies are needed to characterize the sampling rates, reproducibility and optimum sampling times for passive samplers. School environments near banana plantations are contaminated with multiple pesticides that include insecticides, nematicides, and fungicides, which is of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonel Córdoba Gamboa
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, 86-3000, Costa Rica.
| | - Karla Solano Diaz
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, 86-3000, Costa Rica
| | - Clemens Ruepert
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, 86-3000, Costa Rica
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, 86-3000, Costa Rica
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19
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Mora AM, Hoppin JA, Córdoba L, Cano JC, Soto-Martínez M, Eskenazi B, Lindh CH, van Wendel de Joode B. Prenatal pesticide exposure and respiratory health outcomes in the first year of life: Results from the infants' Environmental Health (ISA) study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 225:113474. [PMID: 32066110 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing evidence suggests that pesticide exposure may influence respiratory health, but data in young children are very limited. We examined the association of prenatal pesticide exposure with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and wheeze at one year of age in children from the Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) study in Costa Rica. METHODS We measured seven pesticide metabolites, including ethylenethiourea (ETU, metabolite of mancozeb), in maternal urine samples collected repeatedly during pregnancy. For each woman, we averaged pesticide concentrations during each half of pregnancy (≤20 and >20 weeks of gestation) and across repeated samples collected over the course of pregnancy. We collected information about LRTIs (n = 355) and wheezing (n = 272) during the first year of life from mothers when their children were 11-19 months old. We fit multivariable logistic regression models using high (quartile 4) vs. low (quartiles 1-3) urinary pesticide concentrations as exposures and adjusted models for maternal age, education, parity, gestational age at birth, and child sex. RESULTS Ten percent of the children had at least one LRTI and 39% had at least one episode of wheezing during their first year of life. Median (25-75th percentile) specific gravity-corrected urinary ETU concentrations during the first half, second half, and over the course of pregnancy were 3.4 (2.1-5.0), 3.3 (2.2-4.7), and 3.4 (2.4-5.0) ng/mL, respectively. We observed that high urinary ETU concentrations during the first half of pregnancy were associated with increased odds of LRTI (OR = 2.45; 95% CI: 0.96, 6.26), whereas high urinary ETU concentrations during the second half of pregnancy were associated with decreased odds of wheezing (OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.96). We found that the association between high urinary ETU concentrations during the first half of pregnancy and LRTIs persisted among mother-child pairs with either high or low ETU concentrations during the second half. In contrast, the association of high urinary ETU concentrations during the second half of pregnancy with wheezing was attenuated when we simultaneously adjusted for urinary ETU concentrations during the first half. We observed null associations between other pesticide metabolites measured during pregnancy and respiratory outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that exposure to mancozeb/ETU during the first half of pregnancy may be associated with respiratory outcomes in the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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 at Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.
| | - Jane A Hoppin
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, United States
| | - Leonel Córdoba
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Juan C Cano
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Manuel Soto-Martínez
- Respiratory Department, Hospital Nacional de Niños, Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social, Costa Rica
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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20
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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: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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21
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Rodríguez-Zamora MG, Zock JP, van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM. Respiratory Health Outcomes, Rhinitis, and Eczema in Workers from Grain Storage Facilities in Costa Rica. Ann Work Expo Health 2019; 62:1077-1086. [PMID: 30016387 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxy068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives To examine the associations of inhalable grain dust exposure with respiratory health outcomes, rhinitis, and eczema reported by workers from rice, wheat, and maize storage facilities. Methods A cross-sectional study of 136 workers (73 operators and 63 administrative staff and other workers) from eight Costa Rican grain storage facilities was conducted in 2014-2015. Full-shift personal inhalable dust samples from all workers were collected. Study participants were administered a short version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire to identify symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, and eczema. Associations between grain dust exposure and health outcomes were assessed using multivariable logistic and negative binomial regression models adjusted for age, smoking history, grain type, and presence of pets or farm animals in the home. Results The median inhalable grain dust concentration was 2.0 (25th to 75th percentile: 0.3-7.0) mg m-3. Higher concentrations of inhalable dust were associated with increased odds of (i) asthma symptoms or medication use [adjusted Odds ratio (ORa) per 10-fold increase in dust concentration 2.7; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-6.7]; (ii) a score of at least two out of five symptoms suggestive of asthma (ORa 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-1.3); and (iii) eczema (ORa 3.6; 95% CI: 1.7-9.6). No associations of inhalable grain dust exposure with chronic bronchitis and rhinitis were observed. Conclusions High exposure to inhalable dust in Costa Rican grain storage facilities was associated to asthma symptoms and eczema in workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- María G Rodríguez-Zamora
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Seguridad Laboral e Higiene Ambiental (EISLHA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Jan-Paul Zock
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain.,University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Omar Dengo Campus, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Ana M Mora
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Omar Dengo Campus, 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
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22
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Mora AM, Córdoba L, Cano JC, Hernandez-Bonilla D, Pardo L, Schnaas L, Smith DR, Menezes-Filho JA, Mergler D, Lindh CH, Eskenazi B, van Wendel de Joode B. Prenatal Mancozeb Exposure, Excess Manganese, and Neurodevelopment at 1 Year of Age in the Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) Study. Environ Health Perspect 2018; 126:057007. [PMID: 29847083 PMCID: PMC6072008 DOI: 10.1289/ehp1955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although growing evidence suggests that early-life excess manganese (Mn) impairs neurodevelopment, data on the neurodevelopmental effects of mancozeb, a fungicide containing Mn, and its main metabolite ethylenethiourea (ETU) are limited. OBJECTIVE We examined whether prenatal mancozeb exposure and excess Mn were associated with neurodevelopment in 355 1-y-old infants living near banana plantations with frequent aerial mancozeb spraying in Costa Rica. METHODS We measured urinary ETU, hair Mn, and blood Mn concentrations in samples collected 1-3 times during pregnancy from mothers enrolled in the Infants' Environmental Health (ISA) study. We then assessed neurodevelopment in their 1-y-old infants using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (BSID-III). We estimated exposure-outcome associations using linear regression models adjusted for maternal education, parity, gestational age at birth, child age, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment score, and location of neurodevelopmental assessment. RESULTS Median (P25-P75) urinary ETU, hair Mn, and blood Mn measured during pregnancy were 3.3 μg/L (2.4-4.9; specific gravity-corrected), 1.7 μg/g (0.9-4.1), and 24.0 μg/L (20.3-28.0), respectively. Among girls, higher ETU was associated with lower social-emotional scores [β per 10-fold increase=-7.4 points (95% CI: -15.2, 0.4)], whereas higher hair Mn was associated with lower cognitive scores [-3.0 (-6.1, 0.1)]. Among boys, higher hair Mn was associated with lower social-emotional scores [-4.6 (-8.5, -0.8)]. We observed null associations for blood Mn, language, and motor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that maternal exposure to mancozeb and excess Mn during pregnancy may have adverse and sex-specific effects on infant neurodevelopment. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1955.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana María 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 at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Leonel Córdoba
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Juan Camilo Cano
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | | | - Larissa Pardo
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Division of Research in Community Interventions, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Donald R Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | | | - Donna Mergler
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Health, Well-being, Society and Environment (CINBIOSE), University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christian H Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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23
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Rodríguez-Zamora MG, Medina-Escobar L, Mora G, Zock JP, van Wendel de Joode B, Mora AM. Dust exposure in workers from grain storage facilities in Costa Rica. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2017; 220:1039-1045. [PMID: 28663028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 12 million workers are involved in the production of basic grains in Central America. However, few studies in the region have examined the occupational factors associated with inhalable dust exposure. OBJECTIVES (i) To assess the exposure to inhalable dust in workers from rice, maize, and wheat storage facilities in Costa Rica; (ii) to examine the occupational factors associated with this exposure; and (iii) to measure concentrations of respirable and thoracic particles in different areas of the storage facilities. METHODS We measured inhalable (<100μm) dust concentrations in 176 personal samples collected from 136 workers of eight grain storage facilities in Costa Rica. We also measured respirable (<4μm) and thoracic (<10μm) dust particles in several areas of the storage facilities. RESULTS Geometric mean (GM) and geometric standard deviation (GSD) inhalable dust concentrations were 2.0mg/m3 and 7.8 (range=<0.2-275.4mg/m3). Personal inhalable dust concentrations were associated with job category [GM for category/GM for administrative staff and other workers (95% CI)=4.4 (2.6, 7.2) for packing; 20.4 (12.3, 34.7) for dehulling; 109.6 (50.1, 234.4) for unloading in flat bed sheds; 24.0 (14.5, 39.8) for unloading in pits; and 31.6 (18.6, 52.5) for drying], and cleaning task [15.8 (95% CI: 10.0, 26.3) in workers who cleaned in addition to their regular tasks]. Higher area concentrations of thoracic dust particles were found in wheat (GM and GSD=4.3mg/m3 and 4.5) and maize (3.0mg/m3 and 3.9) storage facilities, and in grain drying (2.3mg/m3 and 3.1) and unloading (1.5mg/m3 and 4.8) areas. CONCLUSIONS Operators of grain storage facilities showed elevated inhalable dust concentrations, mostly above international exposure limits. Better engineering and administrative controls are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- María G Rodríguez-Zamora
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Seguridad Laboral e Higiene Ambiental (EISLHA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.
| | - Lourdes Medina-Escobar
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Seguridad Laboral e Higiene Ambiental (EISLHA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Glend Mora
- Escuela de Ingeniería en Seguridad Laboral e Higiene Ambiental (EISLHA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Jan-Paul Zock
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - 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; Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
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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: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Kiefer M, Rodríguez-Guzmán J, Watson J, van Wendel de Joode B, Mergler D, da Silva AS. Worker health and safety and climate change in the Americas: issues and research needs. Rev Panam Salud Publica 2016; 40:192-197. [PMID: 27991978 PMCID: PMC5176103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
SYNOPSIS This report summarizes and discusses current knowledge on the impact that climate change can have on occupational safety and health (OSH), with a particular focus on the Americas. Worker safety and health issues are presented on topics related to specific stressors (e.g., temperature extremes), climate associated impacts (e.g., ice melt in the Arctic), and a health condition associated with climate change (chronic kidney disease of non-traditional etiology). The article discusses research needs, including hazards, surveillance, and risk assessment activities to better characterize and understand how OSH may be associated with climate change events. Also discussed are the actions that OSH professionals can take to ensure worker health and safety in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Kiefer
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Western States Division, United States of America
| | | | - Joanna Watson
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Western States Division, United States of America
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Donna Mergler
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Health, Well-being, Environment and Society, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, Canada
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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). Environ Pollut 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Wesseling C, van Wendel de Joode B, Crowe J, Rittner R, Sanati NA, Hogstedt C, Jakobsson K. Mesoamerican nephropathy: geographical distribution and time trends of chronic kidney disease mortality between 1970 and 2012 in Costa Rica. Occup Environ Med 2015. [PMID: 26199395 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Mesoamerican nephropathy is an epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) unrelated to traditional causes, mostly observed in sugarcane workers. We analysed CKD mortality in Costa Rica to explore when and where the epidemic emerged, sex and age patterns, and relationship with altitude, climate and sugarcane production. METHODS SMRs for CKD deaths (1970-2012) among population aged ≥20 were computed for 7 provinces and 81 counties over 4 time periods. Time trends were assessed with age-standardised mortality rates. We qualitatively examined relations between mortality and data on altitude, climate and sugarcane production. RESULTS During 1970-2012, age-adjusted mortality rates in the Guanacaste province increased among men from 4.4 to 38.5 per 100,000 vs. 3.6-8.4 in the rest of Costa Rica, and among women from 2.3 to 10.7 per 100,000 vs. 2.6-5.0 in the rest of Costa Rica. A significant moderate excess mortality was observed among men in Guanacaste already in the mid-1970s, steeply increasing thereafter; a similar female excess mortality appeared a decade later, remaining stable. Male age-specific rates were high in Guanacaste for age categories ≥30, and since the late 1990s also for age range 20-29. The male spatiotemporal patterns roughly followed sugarcane expansion in hot, dry lowlands with manual harvesting. CONCLUSIONS Excess CKD mortality occurs primarily in Guanacaste lowlands and was already present 4 decades ago. The increasing rates among Guanacaste men in hot, dry lowland counties with sugarcane are consistent with an occupational component. Stable moderate increases among women, and among men in counties without sugarcane, suggest coexisting environmental risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharina Wesseling
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Program on Work, Environment and Health in Central America (SALTRA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jennifer Crowe
- Program on Work, Environment and Health in Central America (SALTRA), Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Ralf Rittner
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Negin A Sanati
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christer Hogstedt
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristina Jakobsson
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Mora AM, van Wendel de Joode B, Mergler D, Córdoba L, Cano C, Quesada R, Smith DR, Menezes-Filho JA, Eskenazi B. Maternal blood and hair manganese concentrations, fetal growth, and length of gestation in the ISA cohort in Costa Rica. Environ Res 2015; 136:47-56. [PMID: 25460620 PMCID: PMC4262687 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal studies have shown that both deficiency and excess manganese (Mn) may result in decreased fetal size and weight, but human studies have reported inconsistent results. METHODS We examined the association of blood and hair Mn concentrations measured at different times during pregnancy with fetal growth among term births and length of gestation in a cohort of 380 mother-infant pairs living near banana plantations aerially sprayed with Mn-containing fungicides in Costa Rica. We used linear regression and generalized additive models to test for linear and nonlinear associations RESULTS Mean (± SD) blood Mn concentration was 24.4 ± 6.6 μg/L and geometric mean (geometric SD) hair Mn concentration was 1.8 (3.2) μg/g. Hair Mn concentrations during the second and third trimesters of gestation were positively related to infant chest circumference (β for 10-fold increase = 0.62 cm; 95% CI: 0.16, 1.08; and β = 0.55 cm; 95% CI: -0.16, 1.26, respectively). Similarly, average maternal hair Mn concentrations during pregnancy were associated with increased chest circumference (β for 10-fold increase = 1.19 cm; 95% CI: 0.43, 1.95) in infants whose mothers did not have gestational anemia, but not in infants of mothers who had gestational anemia (β = 0.39 cm; 95% CI: -0.32, 1.10; pINT=0.14). All these associations were linear. Blood Mn concentrations did not show consistent linear nor nonlinear relationships with any of the birth outcomes CONCLUSIONS Mn plays an important role in fetal development, but the extent to which environmental exposures may cause adverse health effects to the developing fetus is not well understood. Among women living near banana plantations in Costa Rica, we did not observe linear or nonlinear associations of Mn concentrations with lowered birth weight or head circumference, as reported in previous studies. However, we did find positive linear associations between maternal hair Mn concentrations during pregnancy and infant chest circumference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Mora
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica; Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 1995 University Ave, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA.
| | - Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - 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.
| | - Leonel Córdoba
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Camilo Cano
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Rosario Quesada
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000 Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Donald R Smith
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
| | - José A Menezes-Filho
- Laboratory of Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Barão de Jeremoabo s/n Campus Universitário de Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 1995 University Ave, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA.
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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). Environ Health Perspect 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Saint-Charles J, Webb J, Sanchez A, Mallee H, van Wendel de Joode B, Nguyen-Viet H. Ecohealth as a field: looking forward. Ecohealth 2014; 11:300-307. [PMID: 24756699 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-0930-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Revised: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This forum paper proposes a reflection on the "field of ecohealth" and on how best to sustain a supportive environment that enables the evolution of diverse partnerships and forms of collaboration in the field. It is based on the results of a preconference workshop held in October 2012, in Kunming, China at the fourth biennial conference of the International Association for Ecology and Health. Attended by 105 persons from 38 countries, this workshop aimed to have a large-group and encompassing discussion about ecohealth as an emerging field, touching on subjects such as actors, processes, structures, standards, and resources. Notes taken were used to conduct a qualitative thematic analysis combined with a semantic network analysis. Commonalities highlighted by these discussions draw a portrait of a field in which human health, complex systems thinking, action, and ecosystem health are considered central issues. The need to reach outside of academia to government and the general public was identified as a shared goal. A disconnect between participants' main concerns and what they perceived as the main concerns of funding agencies emerged as a primary roadblock for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Saint-Charles
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Well-Being, Health, Society and Environment, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, Canada,
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Wesseling C, van Wendel de Joode B, Crowe J, Rittner R, Jakobsson K. 0204 Mesoamerican nephropathy in Costa Rica: Geographical distribution and time trends of chronic kidney disease mortality between 1970 and 2012. Occup Environ Med 2014. [DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102362.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Dudani A, Till C, van Wendel de Joode B. Caregiver-infant interactions in the context of prenatal environmental health exposures in rural Costa Rica. The Lancet Global Health 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(15)70038-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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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. Int J Occup Environ 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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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. Environ Res 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Gascon M, Kromhout H, Heederik D, Eduard W, van Wendel de Joode B. Respiratory, allergy and eye problems in bagasse-exposed sugar cane workers in Costa Rica. Occup Environ Med 2012; 69:331-8. [PMID: 22271638 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2011-100029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To evaluate bagasse (sugar cane fibres) and microbiological exposure among sugar cane refinery workers in Costa Rica and its relationships with respiratory, allergy and eye problems. METHODS Ventilatory lung function and total serum IgE were measured in 104 sugar cane workers in five departments at one refinery before the harvesting season, and repeated for 77 of the workers at the end of the season. Information on the prevalence of respiratory and other symptoms was collected with a standardised questionnaire. During the harvesting season, inhalable dust, endotoxin and mould levels were measured among 74 randomly selected sugar cane workers across departments. RESULTS During the harvesting season, dust levels were relatively high in some departments, while endotoxin and mould levels were around background levels. Workers' ventilatory lung function differed between departments before, but not during the harvesting season or between seasons. During the harvesting season, the prevalence of wheeze and eye problems almost doubled in workers exposed to bagasse and other types of dust, whereas shortness of breath and rhinitis increased only in bagasse-exposed workers. Reporting wheeze and shortness of breath was positively associated with the number of years working at the refinery, suggesting a long-term health effect. CONCLUSION In this refinery, the differences in workers' ventilatory lung function before the harvesting season are unlikely to be explained by bagasse exposure. However, the increase in reported symptoms (wheeze, shortness of breath, eye problems and rhinitis) over the season is likely due to irritation by dust, in particular bagasse, rather than microbiological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Gascon
- Programa Salud y Trabajo en América Central, Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Bravo V, Rodríguez T, van Wendel de Joode B, Canto N, Calderón GR, Turcios M, Menéndez LA, Mejía W, Tatis A, Abrego FZ, de la Cruz E, Wesseling C. Monitoring pesticide use and associated health hazards in Central America. Int J Occup Environ Health 2011; 17:258-69. [PMID: 21905395 DOI: 10.1179/107735211799041896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
We established methods for monitoring pesticide use and associated health hazards in Central America. With import data from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama for 2000-2004, we constructed quantitative indicators (kg active ingredient) for general pesticide use, associated health hazards, and compliance with international regulations. Central America imported 33 million kg active ingredient per year. Imports increased 33% during 2000-2004. Of 403 pesticides, 13 comprised 77% of the total pesticides imported. High volumes of hazardous pesticides are used; 22% highly/extremely acutely toxic, 33% moderately/severely irritant or sensitizing, and 30% had multiple chronic toxicities. Of the 41 pesticides included in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC), the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Dirty Dozen, and the Central American Dirty Dozen, 16 (17% total volume) were imported, four being among the 13 most imported pesticides. Costa Rica is by far the biggest consumer. Pesticide import data are good indicators of use trends and an informative source to monitor hazards and, potentially, the effectiveness of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viria Bravo
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Rodríguez T, van Wendel de Joode B, Lindh CH, Rojas M, Lundberg I, Wesseling C. Assessment of long-term and recent pesticide exposure among rural school children in Nicaragua. Occup Environ Med 2011; 69:119-25. [PMID: 21725072 DOI: 10.1136/oem.2010.062539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study assessed pesticide exposure of children in rural Nicaragua in relation to parental pesticide use, from around conception to current school age, as part of an epidemiological evaluation of neurodevelopment effects. METHODS We included 132 children whose parents were subsistence farmers or plantation workers, or had an agricultural history. As proxies for children's long-term exposures, we constructed cumulative parental pesticide-specific use indices for periods before and after the child's birth from data obtained using an icon-calendar-based questionnaire, of application hours (h) for plantation workers and subsistence farmers, and of kilograms of active ingredients (ai) only for subsistence farmers. Pesticide residues of TCPY, 3-PBA and 2,4-D were analysed in children's urine as indicators for current exposures. RESULTS Life-time indices were highest for the organophosphates chlorpyrifos (median 114 h (min 2; max 1584), 19.2 kg ai (min 0.37; max 548)) and methamidophos (84 h (6; 1964), 12.2 kg ai (0.30; 780)). The P50 values of children's urinary residues were 3.7 μg/g creatinine for TCPY, 2.8 for 3-PBA and 0.9 for 2,4-D; TCPY values are comparable with those in other countries, but 3-PBA and 2,4-D are considerably higher. The maximum levels for all three pesticides are the highest reported for children. Residues increased on days after application, but most high residue levels were unrelated to parental pesticide applications. CONCLUSION Urinary pesticide residues reveal high environmental exposure among children in rural Nicaragua. The quantitative parental pesticide use indices as proxies for children's exposures during different periods may be useful for the evaluation of developmental health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Rodríguez
- Center for Research in Health, Work and Environment (CISTA), National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua.
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Bravo V, Rodríguez T, Joode BVWD, Canto N, Calderón GR, Turcios M, Menéndez LA, Mejía W, Tatis A, Abrego FZ, Cruz EDL, Wesseling C. Monitoring Pesticide Use and Associated Health Hazards in Central America. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health 2011. [DOI: 10.1179/oeh.2011.17.3.258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Barraza D, Jansen K, van Wendel de Joode B, Wesseling C. Pesticide use in banana and plantain production and risk perception among local actors in Talamanca, Costa Rica. Environ Res 2011; 111:708-717. [PMID: 21396636 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2011.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2010] [Revised: 01/28/2011] [Accepted: 02/15/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The Talamanca County in Costa Rica has large-scale banana and small-scale plantain production, probably causing pesticide exposure in indigenous children. We explored to what extent different community actors are aware of children's pesticide hazards and how their awareness related to socio-economical and cultural conditions. Methods comprised eight focus groups with fathers and mothers separately, 27 semi-structured interviews to key actors, and field observations. As a whole, the indigenous plantain farmers and banana plantation workers had some general knowledge of pesticides concerning crop protection, but little on acute health effects, and hardly any on exposure routes and pathways, and chronic effects. People expressed vague ideas about pesticide risks. Inter-community differences were related to pesticide technologies used in banana and plantain production, employment status on a multinational plantation versus smallholder status, and gender. Compared to formalized practices on transnational company plantations, where workers reported to feel protected, pesticide handling by plantain smallholders was not perceived as hazardous and therefore no safety precautions were applied. Large-scale monoculture was perceived as one of the most important problems leading to pesticide risks in Talamanca on banana plantations, and also on neighboring small plantain farms extending into large areas. Plantain farmers have adopted use of highly toxic pesticides following banana production, but in conditions of extreme poverty. Aerial spraying in banana plantations was considered by most social actors a major determinant of exposure for the population living nearby these plantations, including vulnerable children. We observed violations of legally established aerial spraying distances. Economic considerations were most mentioned as the underlying reason for the pesticide use: economic needs to obtain the production quantity and quality, and pressure to use pesticides by other economic agents such as middlemen. Risk perceptions were modulated by factors such as people's tasks and positions in the production process, gender, and people's possibilities to define their own social conditions (more fatalistic perceptions among banana workers). The challenge for the future is to combine these insights into improved health risk assessment and management that is culturally adequate for each particular community and agricultural context.
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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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Crowe J, van Wendel de Joode B, Wesseling C. A pilot field evaluation on heat stress in sugarcane workers in Costa Rica: What to do next? Glob Health Action 2009; 2. [PMID: 20052430 PMCID: PMC2799305 DOI: 10.3402/gha.v2i0.2062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Revised: 09/25/2009] [Accepted: 09/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change is producing major impacts including increasing temperatures in tropical countries, like Costa Rica, where the sugarcane industry employs thousands of workers who are exposed to extreme heat. OBJECTIVES This article outlines a pilot qualitative evaluation of working conditions and heat in the sugarcane industry. DESIGN A literature review, direct observations and exploratory interviews with workers were conducted to reach a preliminary understanding of the dimensions of heat-related health issues in the sugarcane industry, as a basis for the design of future studies. RESULTS The industry employs temporary workers from Nicaragua and Costa Rica as well as year-round employees. Temporary employees work 12-hour shifts during the harvest and processing ('zafra') season. In many cases, sugarcane field workers are required to carry their own water and often have no access to shade. Sugar mill workers are exposed to different levels of heat stress depending upon their job tasks, with the most intense heat and workload experienced by the oven ('caldera') cleaners. CONCLUSIONS Research is needed to achieve better understanding of the multiple factors driving and interacting with heat exposures in the sugarcane industry in order to improve the health and safety of workers while maintaining worker productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Crowe
- Program on Work and Health in Central America (SALTRA), Central American Institute for Studies in Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Fieten KB, Kromhout H, Heederik D, van Wendel de Joode B. Pesticide exposure and respiratory health of indigenous women in Costa Rica. Am J Epidemiol 2009; 169:1500-6. [PMID: 19372212 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwp060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2007 to evaluate the relation between pesticide exposure and respiratory health in a population of indigenous women in Costa Rica. Exposed women (n = 69) all worked at plantain plantations. Unexposed women (n = 58) worked at organic banana plantations or other locations without pesticide exposure. Study participants were interviewed using questionnaires to estimate exposure and presence of respiratory symptoms. Spirometry tests were conducted to obtain forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Among the exposed, prevalence of wheeze was 20% and of shortness of breath was 36% versus 9% and 26%, respectively, for the unexposed. Prevalence of chronic cough, asthma, and atopic symptoms was similar for exposed and unexposed women. Among nonsmokers (n = 105), reported exposures to the organophosphate insecticides chlorpyrifos (n = 25) and terbufos (n = 38) were strongly associated with wheeze (odd ratio = 6.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.6, 28.0; odds ratio = 5.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.4, 25.6, respectively). For both insecticides, a statistically significant exposure-effect association was found. Multiple organophosphate exposure was common; 81% of exposed women were exposed to both chlorpyrifos and terbufos. Consequently, their effects could not be separated. All findings were based on questionnaire data. No relation between pesticide exposure and ventilatory lung function was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin B Fieten
- Central American Institute for Studieson Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Geer LA, Anna D, Curbow B, Diener-West M, de Joode BVW, Mitchell C, Buckley TJ. Survey assessment of worker dermal exposure and underlying behavioral determinants. J Occup Environ Hyg 2007; 4:809-20. [PMID: 17846926 DOI: 10.1080/15459620701612722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Within the workplace, there is less reliance on engineering controls for dermal exposure protection and more reliance on the worker's motivation and training in use of personal protective equipment. Behavior thus becomes a significant determinant of dermal exposure, and its assessment paramount in examining and understanding factors influencing exposure. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) assess worker knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of workplace dermal hazards using a self-complete questionnaire and to examine KAP associations with behavior and exposure; (ii) compare worker and manager scores to identify potential gaps in KAP between the two groups; (iii) utilize a semiquantitative observational DeRmal Exposure Assessment Methodology (DREAM) to evaluate worker dermal exposure; and (iv) identify potential behavioral factors underlying exposure using DREAM and KAP. Nineteen industries across the Baltimore, Md. and Lancaster, Pa., regions participated in the study including a total of 89 workers and 17 managers. The scales within the KAP questionnaire that served as the outcome measure included knowledge, training, behavior, behavior beliefs, information beliefs, self-efficacy, and overall beliefs. DREAM scores ranged from 0.15 to 545 with a median of 8 and a mean (SD) of 22 (62.5). Whereas worker self-efficacy with respect to PPE use, and the group "workers with 10-20 years of experience" were marginally positively associated with protective behavior (p < 0.08 and p < 0.06, respectively), a question related to barriers to PPE use was negatively associated with precautionary behavior (p < 0.01). Dermal exposure was positively associated with workers in the age group 40-49 years as compared with those less than 40 years of age (OR = 4.86, 95% CI = 0.93, 25.62). There were no statistically significant associations between KAP and DREAM. This is one of the first studies to begin to elucidate worker knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions that underlie behaviors that lead to occupational dermal exposures. Results of the KAP questionnaire can inform strategies to improve awareness and protective practices in the workplace through factors such as increased worker dermal hazard knowledge, well-informed company PPE selection and availability, and improved worker training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Geer
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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de Joode BVW, Vermeulen R, Heederik D, van Ginkel K, Kromhout H. Evaluation of 2 self-administered questionnaires to ascertain dermatitis among metal workers and its relation with exposure to metalworking fluids. Contact Dermatitis 2007; 56:311-7. [PMID: 17577371 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.2007.01111.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We performed an exploratory study to evaluate 2 self-administered questionnaires assessing hand dermatitis and investigate a possible exposure-response relationship between dermal exposure to semi-synthetic metalworking fluids (SMWF) and dermatitis. In a cross-sectional survey on dermatitis, a symptom-based questionnaire and a picture-based skin screening list were applied in 80 SMWF-exposed workers and 67 referents. To evaluate the accuracy of the questionnaires, 47 subjects were examined by a dermatologist. Dermal exposure levels to SMWF were assessed on hands, forearms, and face with a observational method that was validated using a fluorescent tracer method. The symptom-based questionnaire had a relatively high sensitivity (0.86) but moderate specificity (0.64), and the skin screening list had a low sensitivity (0.36) and a relatively high specificity (0.84). The skin screening list seemed to represent the more severe cases of dermatitis and showed a significant relation with exposure for dermatitis on hands, forearms, or face. In epidemiological surveys where workers are not seen by a dermatologist, the skin screening list seems to be more appropriate to detect cases of dermatitis, as its higher specificity results in less false positives. Alternatively, it would be preferable applying the symptom-based questionnaire; workers with symptoms should be seen by a dermatologist to identify false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Risk Assessment in the Work Environment, TNO Quality of Life and IRAS Utrecht University, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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van Wendel de Joode B, Vermeulen R, Heederik D, van Ginkel K, Kromhout H. Evaluation of two self-administered questionnaires to ascertain dermatitis among metal workers and its relation with exposure to metal working fluids. Contact Dermatitis 2007; 57:14-20. [PMID: 17577352 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.2007.01127.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We performed an exploratory study to evaluate 2 self-administered questionnaires assessing hand dermatitis and to investigate a possible exposure-response relation between dermal exposure to semi-synthetic metal working fluids (SMWF) and dermatitis. In a cross-sectional survey on dermatitis, a symptom-based questionnaire and a picture-based skin-screening list were applied in 80 SMWF-exposed workers and 67 referents. To evaluate accuracy of the questionnaires, 47 subjects were examined by a dermatologist. Dermal exposure levels to SMWF were assessed on the hands, forearms, and face with an observational method that was validated with a fluorescent-tracer method. The symptom-based questionnaire had a relatively high sensitivity (0.86) but moderate specificity (0.64), the skin-screening list had a low sensitivity (0.36) and a relatively high specificity (0.84). The skin-screening list seemed to represent the more severe cases of dermatitis and showed a significant relation to exposure, for dermatitis on hands, forearms, or face. In epidemiological surveys where workers are not seen by a dermatologist, the skin-screening list seems to be more appropriate to detect cases of dermatitis, as its higher specificity results in less false positives. Alternatively, it would be preferable to apply the symptom-based questionnaire; workers with symptoms should be seen by a dermatologist to identify false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna van Wendel de Joode
- Risk Assessment in the Work Environment, a collaborative centre between TNO Quality of Life and IRAS Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Vermeulen R, Lan Q, Li G, Rappaport SM, Kim S, van Wendel de Joode B, Shen M, Bohong X, Smith MT, Zhang L, Yin S, Rothman N. Assessment of dermal exposure to benzene and toluene in shoe manufacturing by activated carbon cloth patches. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 8:1143-8. [PMID: 17075621 DOI: 10.1039/b608076f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this investigation was to use activated carbon cloth (ACC) patches to study the probability and extent of dermal exposure to benzene and toluene in a shoe factory. METHODS Inhalation and dermal exposure loading were measured simultaneously in 70 subjects on multiple days resulting in 113 observations. Dermal exposure loading was assessed by ACC patches attached to likely exposed skin areas (e.g. the palm of the hand and abdomen). A control patch at the chest and an organic vapor monitor (OVM) were used to adjust the hand and abdomen patches for the contribution from the air through passive absorption of benzene and toluene on the ACC patches. Systemic exposure was assessed by quantification of unmetabolized benzene (UBz) and toluene (UTol) in urine. RESULTS Mean air concentrations for the study population were 1.5 and 7.5 ppm for benzene and toluene, respectively. Iterative regression analyses between the control patch, OVM and the dermal patches showed that only a small proportion of the ACC patches at the hand had likely benzene (n = 4; mean 133 microg cm(-2) h(-1)) or toluene (n = 5; mean 256 microg cm(-2) h(-1)) contamination. Positive patches were exclusively observed among subjects performing the task of gluing. Significant dermal exposure loading to the abdomen was detected only for toluene (n = 2; mean 235 microg cm(-2) h(-1)). No relation was found between having a positive hand or abdomen ACC patch and UBz or UTol levels. In contrast a strong association was found between air levels of benzene (p = 0.0016) and toluene (p < 0.0001) and their respective urinary levels. CONCLUSIONS ACC patches are shown to be a useful technique for quantifying the probability of dermal exposure to organic solvents and to provide estimates of the potential contribution of the dermal pathway to systemic exposure. Using ACC patches we show that dermal exposure to benzene and toluene in a shoe manufacturing factory is probably rare, and when it occurred exposures were relatively low and did not significantly contribute to systemic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Vermeulen
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Rockville, MD 20892, USA.
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van Wendel de Joode B, van Hemmen JJ, Meijster T, Major V, London L, Kromhout H. Reliability of a semi-quantitative method for dermal exposure assessment (DREAM). J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2005; 15:111-20. [PMID: 15069425 DOI: 10.1038/sj.jea.7500369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Valid and reliable semi-quantitative dermal exposure assessment methods for epidemiological research and for occupational hygiene practice, applicable for different chemical agents, are practically nonexistent. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of a recently developed semi-quantitative dermal exposure assessment method (DREAM) by (i) studying inter-observer agreement, (ii) assessing the effect of individual observers on dermal exposure estimates for different tasks, and (iii) comparing inter-observer agreement for ranking of body parts according to their exposure level. Four studies were performed in which a total of 29 observers (mainly occupational hygienists) were asked to fill in DREAM while performing side-by-side observations for different tasks, comprising dermal exposures to liquids, solids, and vapors. Intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.68 to 0.87 for total dermal exposure estimates, indicating good to excellent inter-observer agreement. The effects of individual observers on task estimates were estimated using a linear mixed effect model with logged DREAM estimates as explanatory variable; "task", "company/department", and the interaction of "task" and "company/department" as fixed effects; and "observer" as a random effect. Geometric mean (GM) dermal exposure estimates for different tasks were estimated by taking the exponent of the predicted betas for the tasks. By taking the exponent of the predicted observer's intercept (exp(omega i)), a multiplier (M(O)) was estimated for each observer. The effects of individual observers on task estimates were relatively small, as the maximum predicted mean observers' multiplier was only a factor 2, while predicted GMs of dermal exposure estimates for tasks ranged from 0 to 1226, and none of the predicted individual observers' multipliers differed significantly from 1 (t-test alpha = 0.05). Inter-observer agreement for ranking of dermal exposure of nine body parts was moderate to good, as median values of Spearman correlation coefficients for pairs of observers ranged from 0.29 to 0.93. DREAM provides reproducible results for a broad range of tasks with dermal exposures to liquids, solids, as well as vapors. DREAM appears to offer a useful advance for estimations of dermal exposure both for epidemiological research and for occupational hygiene practice.
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van Wendel de Joode B, Tielemans E, Vermeulen R, Wegh H, Kromhout H. Dermal exposure assessment to benzene and toluene using charcoal cloth pads. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2005; 15:47-50. [PMID: 15083162 DOI: 10.1038/sj.jea.7500349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Charcoal cloth pads have been used to assess volatile chemicals on the skin in a laboratory setting; however, they have not yet been applied to measure dermal exposure in occupational settings. This study aimed at evaluating whether charcoal pads can be used to assess dermal exposure to benzene and toluene in workers of a petrochemical plant. Inhalation and dermal exposure levels to benzene and toluene were assessed for workers of a petrochemical plant performing different jobs. Benzene uptake was assessed by determining S-phenylmercapturic acid in workers' urine samples. Dermal exposure levels on the charcoal pads were adjusted for ambient air levels of benzene and toluene by subtracting the amount of benzene or toluene measured in personal air from the amount of benzene or toluene measured on the charcoal pad. In general, measured external and internal exposure levels were low. The estimated contribution of the dermal route to internal benzene exposure levels was less than 0.06% for all jobs. Toluene personal air concentrations and benzene and toluene dermal exposure levels differed statistically significantly between job titles. For benzene, differences between jobs were larger for adjusted dermal exposures (maximum 17-fold, P = 0.02) than for inhalation exposures (maximum two-fold, P = 0.08). Also for toluene, although less clear, differences between jobs were larger for adjusted dermal exposures (maximum 23-fold, P = 0.01) as compared to inhalation exposures (maximum 10-fold, P = 0.01). Charcoal pads appeared to measure dermal exposures to benzene and toluene in addition to ambient air levels. Future studies applying charcoal cloth pads for the dermal exposure assessment at workplaces with higher dermal exposure to organic solvents may provide more insight into the biological relevance of dermal exposure levels measured by charcoal cloth pads. In addition, the design of the dermal sampler might be improved by configuring a dermal sampler, where part of the sampler is protected against direct contact and splashes, but still permeable for the gas phase. This design would most likely result in a better ability to correct for airborne concentrations at a given body location.
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