[Proof of life, proof of death: An anthropology of cancer among rural teachers exposed to agrochemicals in southeastern Cordoba (Argentina)]

This article presents the results of anthropological research on cancer among rural teachers occupationally exposed to agrochemicals. The study was carried out in the southeastern region of the province of Cordoba (Argentina), an area characterized by the large-scale production of transgenic crops intensively treated with agricultural pesticides. Regarding the methodology, fieldwork was conducted between 2019 and 2020 and included in-depth interviews with ten teachers, as well as observations of everyday situations in the towns where they live and work. Among the main findings, it was possible to identify a hegemonic narrative that naturalizes the existence of cancer and renders it invisible; despite this, it was possible to document the social suffering it caused among rural teachers. The article concludes that there is a need to bring visibility to these conditions in order to protect the health and wellbeing of this sector of Argentine teaching professionals.

Pollen Treated with a Combination of Agrochemicals Commonly Applied During Almond Bloom Reduces the Emergence Rate and Longevity of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Queens

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies that pollinate California's almond orchards are often exposed to mixtures of agrochemicals. Although agrochemicals applied during almond bloom are typically considered bee-safe when applied alone, their combined effects to honey bees are largely untested. In recent years, beekeepers providing pollination services to California's almond orchards have reported reductions in queen quality during and immediately after bloom, raising concerns that pesticide exposure may be involved. Previous research identified a synergistic effect between the insecticide active ingredient chlorantraniliprole and the fungicide active ingredient propiconazole to lab-reared worker brood, but their effects to developing queens are unknown. To test the individual and combined effects of these pesticides on the survival and emergence of developing queens, we fed worker honey bees in closed queen rearing boxes with pollen artificially contaminated with formulated pesticides containing these active ingredients as well as the spray adjuvant Dyne-Amic, which contains both organosilicone and alkyphenol ethoxylate. The translocation of pesticides from pesticide-treated pollen into the royal jelly secretions of nurse bees was also measured. Despite consistently low levels of all pesticide active ingredients in royal jelly, the survival of queens from pupation to 7 d post-emergence were reduced in queens reared by worker bees fed pollen containing a combination of formulated chlorantraniliprole (Altacor), propiconazole (Tilt), and Dyne-Amic, as well as the toxic standard, diflubenzuron (Dimilin 2L), applied in isolation. These results support recommendations to protect honey bee health by avoiding application of pesticide tank-mixes containing insecticides and adjuvants during almond bloom.

Agrochemicals and obesity

Obesity has become a very large concern worldwide, reaching pandemic proportions over the past several decades. Lifestyle factors, such as excess caloric intake and decreased physical activity, together with genetic predispositions, are well-known factors related to obesity. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that exposure to some environmental chemicals during critical windows of development may contribute to the rapid increase in the incidence of obesity. Agrochemicals are a class of chemicals extensively used in agriculture, which have been widely detected in human. There is now considerable evidence linking human exposure to agrochemicals with obesity. This review summarizes human epidemiological evidence and experimental animal studies supporting the association between agrochemical exposure and obesity and outlines possible mechanistic underpinnings for this link.

Effects of agrochemical pollution on schistosomiasis transmission: a systematic review and modelling analysis

BACKGROUND

Agrochemical pollution of surface waters is a growing global environmental challenge, especially in areas where agriculture is rapidly expanding and intensifying. Agrochemicals might affect schistosomiasis transmission through direct and indirect effects on Schistosoma parasites, their intermediate snail hosts, snail predators, and snail algal resources. We aimed to review and summarise the effects of these agrochemicals on schistosomiasis transmission dynamics.

METHODS

We did a systematic review of agrochemical effects on the lifecycle of Schistosoma spp and fitted dose-response models to data regarding the association between components of the lifecycle and agrochemical concentrations. We incorporated these dose-response functions and environmentally relevant concentrations of agrochemicals into a mathematical model to estimate agrochemical effects on schistosomiasis transmission. Dose-response functions were used to estimate individual agrochemical effects on estimates of the agrochemically influenced basic reproduction number, R0, for Schistosoma haematobium. We incorporated time series of environmentally relevant agrochemical concentrations into the model and simulated mass drug administration control efforts in the presence of agrochemicals.

FINDINGS

We derived 120 dose-response functions describing the effects of agrochemicals on schistosome lifecycle components. The median estimate of the basic reproduction number under agrochemical-free conditions, was 1·65 (IQR 1·47-1·79). Agrochemical effects on estimates of R0 for S haematobium ranged from a median three-times increase (R0 5·05, IQR 4·06-5·97) to transmission elimination (R0 0). Simulations of transmission dynamics subject to interacting annual mass drug administration and agrochemical pollution yielded a median estimate of 64·82 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost per 100 000 people per year (IQR 62·52-67·68) attributable to atrazine use. In areas where aquatic arthropod predators of intermediate host snails suppress transmission, the insecticides chlorpyrifos (6·82 DALYs lost per 100 000 people per year, IQR 4·13-8·69) and profenofos (103·06 DALYs lost per 100 000 people per year, IQR 89·63-104·90) might also increase the disability burden through their toxic effects on arthropods.

INTERPRETATION

Expected environmental concentrations of agrochemicals alter schistosomiasis transmission through direct and indirect effects on intermediate host and parasite densities. As industrial agricultural practices expand in areas where schistosomiasis is endemic, strategies to prevent increases in transmission due to agrochemical pollution should be developed and pursued.

FUNDING

National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health.

Environmental and Occupational Risk Factors Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology in West Javanese Rice Farmers, Indonesia

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in agricultural population is an increasing issue. This study aims to obtain a prevalence estimate of CKDu in male rice farmers in West Java, Indonesia; and analyze the relationship between CKDu and environmental and occupational factors. The study design was cross-sectional. This study included 354 healthy male farmers in two rice agriculture areas in West Java with different altitudes (low altitude and high-altitude location). This research included blood and urine sampling from the farmers for serum creatinine (SCr) level and proteinuria; questionnaire on demographic information, occupational factors and other risk factors for CKDu. We measured ambient temperature and humidity in both study locations for environmental factors. From SCr level and proteinuria, we categorized the farmers into five stages of CKD; then we distinguished CKDu from CKD if the farmers had stage 1-4 of CKD but without diabetes, hypertension and other traditional causes. Data were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression to get prevalence odd ratios of CKDu and its relationship with environmental and occupational factors, adjusted with other risk factors of CKDu. The overall prevalence of CKD was 24.9% and CKDu was 18.6%. For the environmental factors, farm location (high altitude versus low altitude location) was associated with CKDu (Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR): 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.5). For the occupational factors, although not significant, the risk of CKDu increased with the longer use of insecticide and with the more frequent of insecticide use. We suggested that there was a need to conduct future research to investigate more on the association of those environmental and occupational factors with CKDu.

Chitosan-Based Agronanochemicals as a Sustainable Alternative in Crop Protection

The rise in the World's food demand in line with the increase of the global population has resulted in calls for more research on the production of sustainable food and sustainable agriculture. A natural biopolymer, chitosan, coupled with nanotechnology could offer a sustainable alternative to the use of conventional agrochemicals towards a safer agriculture industry. Here, we review the potential of chitosan-based agronanochemicals as a sustainable alternative in crop protection against pests, diseases as well as plant growth promoters. Such effort offers better alternatives: (1) the existing agricultural active ingredients can be encapsulated into chitosan nanocarriers for the formation of potent biocides against plant pathogens and pests; (2) the controlled release properties and high bioavailability of the nanoformulations help in minimizing the wastage and leaching of the agrochemicals' active ingredients; (3) the small size, in the nanometer regime, enhances the penetration on the plant cell wall and cuticle, which in turn increases the argochemical uptake; (4) the encapsulation of agrochemicals in chitosan nanocarriers shields the toxic effect of the free agrochemicals on the plant, cells and DNA, thus, minimizing the negative impacts of agrochemical active ingredients on human health and environmental wellness. In addition, this article also briefly reviews the mechanism of action of chitosan against pathogens and the elicitations of plant immunity and defense response activities of chitosan-treated plants.

Mechanisms of action of agrochemicals acting as endocrine disrupting chemicals

Agrochemicals represent a significant class of endocrine disrupting chemicals that humans and animals around the world are exposed to constantly. Agrochemicals can act as endocrine disrupting chemicals through a variety of mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that several mechanisms of action involve the ability of agrochemicals to mimic the interaction of endogenous hormones with nuclear receptors such as estrogen receptors, androgen receptors, peroxisome proliferator activated receptors, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, and thyroid hormone receptors. Further, studies indicate that agrochemicals can exert toxicity through non-nuclear receptor-mediated mechanisms of action. Such non-genomic mechanisms of action include interference with peptide, steroid, or amino acid hormone response, synthesis and degradation as well as epigenetic changes (DNA methylation and histone modifications). This review summarizes the major mechanisms of action by which agrochemicals target the endocrine system.

Cohort study of workers at a New Zealand agrochemical plant to assess the effect of dioxin exposure on mortality

OBJECTIVES

To describe how the exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) influenced mortality in a cohort of workers who were exposed more recently, and at lower levels, than other cohorts of trichlorophenol process workers.

DESIGN

A cohort study.

SETTING

An agrochemical plant in New Zealand PARTICIPANTS: 1,599 men and women working between 1 January 1969 and 1 November 1988 at a plant producing the herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) with TCDD as a contaminant. Cumulative TCDD exposure was estimated for each individual in the study by a toxicokinetic model.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Calculation of cause-specific standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI's) compared those never and ever exposed to TCDD. Dose-response trends were assessed firstly through SMRs stratified in quartiles of cumulative TCCD exposure, and secondly with a proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

The model intercept of 5.1 ppt of TCDD was consistent with background TCDD concentrations in New Zealand among older members of the population. Exposed workers had non-significant increases in all-cancer deaths (SMR=1.08, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.34), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SMR=1.57, 95% CI: 0.32 to 4.59), soft tissue sarcoma (one death) (SMR=2.38, 95% CI: 0.06 to 13.26), diabetes (SMR=1.27, 95% CI: 0.55 to 2.50) and ischaemic heart disease (SMR=1.21, 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.50). Lung cancer deaths (SMR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.56 to 1.53) were fewer than expected. Neither the stratified SMR nor the proportional hazard analysis showed a dose-response relationship.

CONCLUSION

There was no evidence of an increase in risk for 'all cancers', any specific cancer and no systematic trend in cancer risk with TCDD exposure. This argues against the carcinogenicity of TCDD at lower levels of exposure.

Environmental Risks and Children's Health in a Mayan Community from Southeast of Mexico

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 25% of global morbidity and one-third of childhood morbidity may be attributable to environment. Low and high-income countries displayed different environmental risks. Mexico demonstrates the necessity for creating a national environmental health program. In southeastern Mexico, Tixméhuac, is a Mayan community with a high marginalization degree and social backwardness. The main childhood morbidities are acute and chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to recognize environmental risks for children's health in Tixméhauc, Yucatan State.

METHODS

A total of one hundred children under five years old participated. To identify the environmental risks at home, items from the Green Sheet Guidance (WHO), Salamanca General Survey and Environmental Clinical History were used. To know the prevalence of respiratory diseases and asthma, the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) survey was used. Potentially hazardous sites were identified partially using the Methodology for Identification and Evaluation of Health Hazards in Contaminated Sites from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

FINDINGS

The low stature of, malnutrition, presence of wheezing and asthma symptoms in children were higher than expected. The suspected cases of parasitosis and vector-borne disease occurred in 50% of the children. Indoor air quality perception was associated with respiratory pathology history; housing quality was related to suspected cases of vector-borne diseases; drinking water quality was linked to suspected cases of parasitosis. Risk areas in the community include agricultural activity, which has led to deposits of empty containers of agrochemicals and electronic waste among solid waste dump.

CONCLUSION

This study presents observed environmental risks to children in a low development country and in developing countries. The community has a low perception of the environmental risk. The need for public health programs reducing risks to children's environmental health is imperative.

Molecular detection of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis and hematological and biochemical analyses in agricultural sprayers exposed to pesticides: A cross-sectional study in Punjab, Pakistan during 2014-2016

We determined the correlation between a pesticide exposure, physical health and susceptibility toward tuberculosis along with hematological indices and liver enzymes' alterations in sprayers exposed to pesticides. Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis was detected by targeting histone-like protein (hupB) gene. The WBC (white blood cells) and RBC (red blood cells) levels of male sprayers and non-sprayers were significantly different (P<0.05). In female spray workers, the WBC and neutrophils levels were significantly different as compared with non-sprayers. Overall, in both male and female pesticide-exposed sprayers, mean values of alanine amino transferase and aspartate amino transferase were higher as compared with unexposed workers. M. Tuberculosis were detected in 15% male sprayers and 36% female sprayers while, M. bovis was detected in 5% male sprayers and 10% female sprayers. A χ²-test indicated that there existed a significant different (P<0.05) between positive and negative M. tuberculosis and M. bovis in both male/female spray workers out of total. The susceptibility of pesticide-exposed sprayers to tuberculosis and alterations in hematology and liver enzymes is crucial for health. Toxic effects of pesticides may lead to a weak immune system and increased tuberculosis susceptibility.

A principal factor analysis to characterize agricultural exposures among Nebraska veterans

Agricultural workers are at an increased risk of developing chronic respiratory disorders. Accurate estimation of long-term agricultural exposures based on questionnaires has been used to improve the validity of epidemiologic investigations and subsequent evaluation of the association between agricultural exposures and chronic diseases. Our aim was to use principal factor analysis (PFA) to distill exposure data into essential variables characterizing long-term agricultural exposures. This is a cross-sectional study of veterans between the ages of 40 and 80 years and who worked on a farm for ≥2 years. Participant characteristics were: 98.1% were white males with a mean age 65±8 (SD) years and 39.8% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The final model included four factors and explained 16.6% of the variance in the exposure data. Factor 1 was a heterogeneous factor; however, Factor 2 was exclusively composed of exposure to livestock such as hogs, dairy and poultry. Factor 3 included exposures from jobs on or off the farm such as wood dust, mineral dust, asbestos and spray paint. Crop exposure loaded exclusively in Factor 4 and included lifetime hours of exposure and maximum number of acres farmed in the participants' lifetime. The factors in the final model were interpretable and consistent with farming practices.

Role of nano-range amphiphilic polymers in seed quality enhancement of soybean and imidacloprid retention capacity on seed coatings

BACKGROUND

Nano-size and wide-range solubility of amphiphilic polymers (having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks) can improve uniformity in seed coatings. An investigation was carried out to assess the positive effect of amphiphilic polymers over hydrophilic or hydrophobic polymers as seed coating agents and pesticide carriers.

RESULTS

Amphiphilic polymers with 127.5-354 nm micelle size were synthesized in the laboratory using polyethylene glycols and aliphatic di-acids. After 6 months of storage, germination of uncoated soybean seeds decreased drastically from 97.80 to 81.55%, while polymer-coated seeds showed 89.44-95.92% germination. Similarly, vigour index-1 was reduced from 3841.10 to 2813.06 for control seeds but ranged from 3375.59 to 3844.60 for polymer-coated seeds after 6 months. The developed imidacloprid formulations retained more pesticide on soybean seed coatings than did a commercial formulation (Gaucho(®) 600 FS). The time taken for 50% release of imidacloprid from seed coatings in water was 7.12-9.11 h for the developed formulations and 0.41 h for the commercial formulation.

CONCLUSION

Nano-range amphiphilic polymers can be used to protect soybean seeds from ageing. Formulations as seed treatments may produce improved and sustained efficacy with minimum environmental contamination. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Exposure to Agrochemicals and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review

Introduction: In the agricultural world there is a continuous loss of food, fiber and other commodities due to pests, disease and weeds before harvesting time. These losses had create lots of financial burden to the farm owners that might lead to shutting down of their daily business. Worldwide, there is an overall very high loss of agricultural products due to weeds growth alone. To counteract this problem most farmers resort to the use of agrochemicals to increase their production but compromising the health of their farmworkers. The purpose of the study will be to assess the relationship between the agrochemical particles and cardiovascular diseases among farmworkers. Method: Non-systematic review was used to collect data. The following database were use: Medline, EBSCO, and Science Direct to search for the existing journal articles. Results: This study addresses the relationship between agrochemicals particles and cardiovascular diseases in the farming industries using literature review. Discussion: Other researchers had already done an extensive research on the pathway of potential mechanisms linking the ultrafine particulate matter to cardiovascular diseases. The outcomes of those investigations were the clinical results of events that might lead to the development of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure (CHF), stroke, arrhythmia and sudden death. Xenobiotic compounds that maybe implicated in the pathophysiology of human cardiovascular diseases, will be examined and included in this study. There is compelling evidence suggesting that toxic free radicals of pesticides play an important role in human health. Conclusion: There is a close relationship between agrochemicals particle and cardiovascular diseases.

[Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric studies of volatile emissions from plants for the assessment of the effectiveness and chemical safety of the implementation of environment improving phytotechnologies]

The chromato-mass-spectrometric studies of volatile emissions of fresh-cut roses have revealed the persistence of wide range of organic compounds. The most large content was consist of terpene hydrocarbons. The contribution of oxygen-containing components (alcohols, ethers, aldehydes and ketones) varied in wide ranges in dependence on the content of the feeding solution. The significant part of plants ’ volatiles has no hygienic norm. Among the substances released into the air space ofpremises with volatile emissions ofplants, a significant part has not hygienic standards. Purposeful change in composition of the mixture of volatile organic compounds released by the plants, in the combination with chemical-analytical control of the content of these substances by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in terms of ecological and hygienic aspects may be useful in the development, use and determination of the optimal conditions of the implementation of environment improving phytotechnologies and evaluation of the efficacy and safety of their impact on public health.

Climate warming and agricultural stressors interact to determine stream macroinvertebrate community dynamics

Global climate change is likely to modify the ecological consequences of currently acting stressors, but potentially important interactions between climate warming and land-use related stressors remain largely unknown. Agriculture affects streams and rivers worldwide, including via nutrient enrichment and increased fine sediment input. We manipulated nutrients (simulating agricultural run-off) and deposited fine sediment (simulating agricultural erosion) (two levels each) and water temperature (eight levels, 0-6°C above ambient) simultaneously in 128 streamside mesocosms to determine the individual and combined effects of the three stressors on macroinvertebrate community dynamics (community composition and body size structure of benthic, drift and insect emergence assemblages). All three stressors had pervasive individual effects, but in combination often produced additive or antagonistic outcomes. Changes in benthic community composition showed a complex interplay among habitat quality (with or without sediment), resource availability (with or without nutrient enrichment) and the behavioural/physiological tendency to drift or emerge as temperature rose. The presence of sediment and raised temperature both resulted in a community of smaller organisms. Deposited fine sediment strongly increased the propensity to drift. Stressor effects were most prominent in the benthic assemblage, frequently reflected by opposite patterns in individuals quitting the benthos (in terms of their propensity to drift or emerge). Of particular importance is that community measures of stream health routinely used around the world (taxon richness, EPT richness and diversity) all showed complex three-way interactions, with either a consistently stronger temperature response or a reversal of its direction when one or both agricultural stressors were also in operation. The negative effects of added fine sediment, which were often stronger at raised temperatures, suggest that streams already impacted by high sediment loads may be further degraded under a warming climate. However, the degree to which this will occur may also depend on in-stream nutrient conditions.

[Health and environment in public policies of tobacco farming municipalities in southern Brazil]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the challenges and potentialities for the development and implementation of local public policies that focus on the relationship between the use of pesticides, the health of the rural population and the environment in tobacco producing municipalities in southern Brazil.

METHODS

Qualitative case study research conducted at three major tobacco producing municipalities, by means of semi-structured interviews with seven actors involved with municipal healthcare. Data were subjected to thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The studied issues are not among the priorities for the local public policy. However, municipalities have introduced initiatives involving actions on the use of pesticides that are articulated with contining education and intersectoral action.

CONCLUSIONS

Actions to protect the health of farmers must be combined with sustainable development, which would also help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Lake eutrophication and its implications for organic carbon sequestration in Europe

The eutrophication of lowland lakes in Europe by excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is severe because of the long history of land-cover change and agricultural intensification. The ecological and socio-economic effects of eutrophication are well understood but its effect on organic carbon (OC) sequestration by lakes and its change overtime has not been determined. Here, we compile data from ~90 culturally impacted European lakes [~60% are eutrophic, Total P (TP) >30 μg P l(-1) ] and determine the extent to which OC burial rates have increased over the past 100-150 years. The average focussing corrected, OC accumulation rate (C ARFC ) for the period 1950-1990 was ~60 g C m(-2) yr(-1) , and for lakes with >100 μg TP l(-1) the average was ~100 g C m(-2) yr(-1) . The ratio of post-1950 to 1900-1950 C AR is low (~1.5) indicating that C accumulation rates have been high throughout the 20th century. Compared to background estimates of OC burial (~5-10 g C m(-2) yr(-1) ), contemporary rates have increased by at least four to fivefold. The statistical relationship between C ARFC and TP derived from this study (r(2) = 0.5) can be used to estimate OC burial at sites lacking estimates of sediment C-burial. The implications of eutrophication, diagenesis, lake morphometry and sediment focussing as controls of OC burial rates are considered. A conservative interpretation of the results of the this study suggests that lowland European meso- to eutrophic lakes with >30 μg TP l(-1) had OC burial rates in excess of 50 g C m(-2) yr(-1) over the past century, indicating that previous estimates of regional lake OC burial have seriously underestimated their contribution to European carbon sequestration. Enhanced OC burial by lakes is one positive side-effect of the otherwise negative impact of the anthropogenic disruption of nutrient cycles.

[Chemical risk in farming]

The most important chemical risks in agriculture are plant protection products. Exposure evaluation in agriculture is not an easy task and cannot be carried out with the tools and methodologies of industrial exposures. However, toxicological studies on plant protection products, that are compulsory, provide a lot of useful information for actual risk assessment. Exposure evaluation can be carried out on the basis of exposure models and on semiquantitative measures based on the observation of the activity as it is carried our by the farmer. It is therefore possible to develop risk profiles that can guide exposure evaluation and health surveillance. Concentrated animal feeding operations are associated with several chemical risks including disinfectants, antibiotics, and gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, in addition to organic dusts and endotoxins.

Perspectives on communicating risks of chemicals

The Agrochemicals Division symposium "Perfecting Communication of Chemical Risk", held at the 244th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia, PA, August 19-23, 2012, is summarized. The symposium, organized by James Seiber, Kevin Armbrust, John Johnston, Ivan Kennedy, Thomas Potter, and Keith Solomon, included discussion of better techniques for communicating risks, lessons from past experiences, and case studies, together with proposals to improve these techniques and their communication to the public as effective information. The case studies included risks of agricultural biotechnology, an organoarsenical (Roxarsone) in animal feed, petroleum spill-derived contamination of seafood, role of biomonitoring and other exposure assessment techniques, soil fumigants, implications of listing endosulfan as a persistant organic pollutant (POP), and diuron herbicide in runoff, including use of catchment basins to limit runoff to coastal ecozones and the Great Barrier Reef. The symposium attracted chemical risk managers including ecotoxicologists, environmental chemists, agrochemists, ecosystem managers, and regulators needing better techniques that could feed into better communication of chemical risks. Policy issues related to regulation of chemical safety as well as the role of international conventions were also presented. The symposium was broadcast via webinar to an audience outside the ACS Meeting venue.

The effect of titanium amendment in N-withholding nutrient solution on physiological and photosynthesis attributes and micronutrient uptake of tomato

Titanium (Ti) is a beneficial element that promotes growth and biomass production although the mechanism by which this improvement takes place is still unclear, as are other effects on plants, although it is believed that Ti can compensate for N deficiency. To prove this hypothesis, a hydroponic experiment was designed to investigate the effect of adding Ti to a nutrient solution on the nutrient uptake of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) by withholding N within the nutrient solution (NS) by 25 % (NS2) and by 50 % (NS1). Ti was added at 1 and 2 mg L⁻¹. When Ti was added to nutrient solution, the elemental concentration in tomato changed significantly: K, Ca, Fe, and Zn decreased while Ti increased. As the concentration of N in nutrient solution decreased, the Ca and Ti concentration of tomato leaves decreased and the K, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn concentration increased. As the N concentration in nutrient solution increased, the Ca concentration decreased although the application of Ti compensated for Ca concentration in NS1. All the photosynthetic attributes and physiological characteristics, including flower induction, decreased when the N concentration of NS decreased by 50 %, although this decrease could be compensated by applying 1 mg L⁻¹ Ti. This has valuable and practical applications and implications for tomato hydroponic culture.

In vitro influences of TiO₂ nanoparticles on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) tissue culture

In the last decades, extensive research on the effects of nano-TiO₂ on plant systems and different microorganisms has confirmed its photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity. However, there is no report on its application in plant cell and tissue culture as well as its role in eliminating contaminating microorganisms in tissue culture. In this work, barley mature embryos were cultured in Murashige and Skoog medium with four concentrations (0, 10, 30, 60 μg/ml) of TiO₂ suspension in four repetitions. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of calli were analyzed after each subculture. Data analysis for calli number in the first culture and callus size in all three cultures showed that the effect of treatment was significant at p > 0.95. As a result, quantitative features such as callus color, shape, embryogenesis, etc. were completely similar in both control and TiO₂ nanoparticle treatments; there is no doubt that TiO₂ nanoparticles could dramatically increase callugenesis and the size of calli. As well, TiO₂ nanoparticles are effective bactericides with an aseptic effect, causing no negative change in the quality of the callus. It is necessary to do more complementary works to identify mechanisms involved for the increased calli size and embryogenesis of explants in darkness.

Environmental health impacts of tobacco farming: a review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature on environmental health impacts of tobacco farming and to summarise the findings and research gaps in this field.

METHODS

A standard literature search was performed using multiple electronic databases for identification of peer-reviewed articles. The internet and organisational databases were also used to find other types of documents (eg, books and reports). The reference lists of identified relevant documents were reviewed to find additional sources.

RESULTS

The selected studies documented many negative environmental impacts of tobacco production at the local level, often linking them with associated social and health problems. The common agricultural practices related to tobacco farming, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, lead to deforestation and soil degradation. Agrochemical pollution and deforestation in turn lead to ecological disruptions that cause a loss of ecosystem services, including land resources, biodiversity and food sources, which negatively impact human health. Multinational tobacco companies' policies and practices contribute to environmental problems related to tobacco leaf production.

CONCLUSIONS

Development and implementation of interventions against the negative environmental impacts of tobacco production worldwide are necessary to protect the health of farmers, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Transitioning these farmers out of tobacco production is ultimately the resolution to this environmental health problem. In order to inform policy, however, further research is needed to better quantify the health impacts of tobacco farming and evaluate the potential alternative livelihoods that may be possible for tobacco farmers globally.

Environmental concentrations of agricultural-use pesticide mixtures evoke primary and secondary stress responses in rainbow trout

The present study sought to determine whether environmentally realistic mixtures of agriculturally important pesticides are stressful to fish. Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed for 96 h to concentrations of a pesticide mixture found in a waterway that is the focus of salmon restoration efforts (Nicomekl River, BC, Canada). This mixture contained organochlorine, organophosphorus, phenylurea, and triazine classes of pesticides. Fish given a realistic mixture exposure (total concentration, 1.01 µg/L) had increased plasma cortisol concentration, packed red cell volume, hematocrit (Hct), as well as decreased white cell volume, leukocrit (Lct). Similar changes in Hct and Lct were apparent after exposure to a lower concentration (0.186 µg/L). Interestingly, no changes in plasma cortisol concentration, Hct, or Lct were noted after exposure to a higher concentration (13.9 µg/L). This suggests that the exposure likely impaired the mechanisms enabling the stress response. Across all exposures, plasma glucose concentration was related to plasma cortisol concentration, not to pesticide mixture concentration. This suggests that a secondary stress response may be more related to variability in individual primary stress response than to differences in pesticide exposure concentrations. In summary, the present study indicates that salmon living in agrichemical-contaminated waterways may be experiencing stress, and this may pose a threat to their survival.

[Occupational asthma in the Tunisian central region: etiologies and professional status]

OBJECTIVE

To study the etiologies of occupational asthma and determine its impact on the professional status of asthmatic subjects.

METHODS

The authors carried out a descriptive study on all of the cases of asthma recognized as an occupational disease and declared in the private sector over nine years (2000-2008) in the Tunisian central region.

RESULTS

Cases (219) of occupational asthma were listed, accounting for 16.8% of all of the occupational diseases recognized during the period studied. Occupational asthma concerned young adults (40±8.2 years), with a predominance of women (67.7%). The textile sector dominated (74.9%). The majority of the employees were exposed to high molecular weight allergens (82.3%) and cotton dust was the principal offending agent (75.3%). Involuntary unemployment was observed in about half of the cases (46.6%) and was associated with an age lower or equal to 35 years (p = 0.01) and under 15 years of professional seniority (p=0.03).

CONCLUSION

Occupational asthma in the Tunisian central region prevails in the textile sector thereby justifying the reinforcement of preventive measures in this branch of industry.

The epidemiology of myelodysplastic syndromes

The incidence of the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the United States is reported as 3.4 per 100,000 people, translating to over 10,000 new diagnoses annually. This figure is considered to be an underestimate as our data capture techniques improve, and probably translates to a prevalence of approximately 60,000 people or more living with the disease. Patients are in their seventh or eighth decades at diagnosis, typically present with cytopenias, and have substantive transfusion requirements. The most common risk factors for developing MDS include advanced age, male gender, previous exposure to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, smoking, or, in rare cases, exposure to industrial chemicals.

Biobeds for environmental protection from pesticide use--a review

Biobeds originated in Sweden in response to the need for simple and effective methods to minimize environmental contamination from pesticide use, especially when filling spraying equipment, a typical point source of contamination. The biobed system has attracted attention in several countries, where work is being conducted to adapt it to local conditions and applications. As a consequence, the biobed system has been more or less modified and sometimes renamed, for example, as biomassbed in Italy, biofilter in Belgium, and Phytobac and biobac in France. The effectiveness and simplicity of the biobed also make it suitable for use in developing countries, and different adaptations of the biobed concept now exist in, for instance, Peru, Guatemala, and Ecuador. When the modification of the biobed includes an intention to use it for retention and degradation of pesticides in sprayer washings, the construction has to be adapted to, for example, lined biobeds to ensure that no pesticide leaching will occur. Replacement of some of the original materials in the Swedish biomixture (straw, peat, and soil) can also change the performance of the system, for instance, the amount, activity, and composition of the microbial community that develops. This review presents the state of the art of biobeds and similar systems in Sweden and worldwide and identifies future research needs. Factors affecting the efficiency of biobeds in terms of degradation and retention of pesticides are discussed, with particular emphasis on the microbial processes involved.

Incident diabetes and pesticide exposure among licensed pesticide applicators: Agricultural Health Study, 1993-2003

Exposure to certain environmental toxicants may be associated with increased risk of developing diabetes. The authors' aim was to investigate the relation between lifetime exposure to specific agricultural pesticides and diabetes incidence among pesticide applicators. The study included 33,457 licensed applicators, predominantly non-Hispanic White males, enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. Incident diabetes was self-reported in a 5-year follow-up interview (1999-2003), giving 1,176 diabetics and 30,611 nondiabetics for analysis. Lifetime exposure to pesticides and covariate information were reported by participants at enrollment (1993-1997). Using logistic regression, the authors considered two primary measures of pesticide exposure: ever use and cumulative lifetime days of use. They found seven specific pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, alachlor, and cyanazine) for which the odds of diabetes incidence increased with both ever use and cumulative days of use. Applicators who had used the organochlorine insecticides aldrin, chlordane, and heptachlor more than 100 lifetime days had 51%, 63%, and 94% increased odds of diabetes, respectively. The observed association of organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides with diabetes is consistent with results from previous human and animal studies. Long-term exposure from handling certain pesticides, in particular, organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, may be associated with increased risk of diabetes.

Prostate cancer in Mexican-Americans: identification of risk factors

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of information regarding prostate cancer (PCa) risk factors among Hispanics, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States.

METHODS

This population-based case-control study included 176 Texas men of Mexican descent with PCa and 174 age- and ethnicity-matched controls. Demographic, lifetime occupational history, family history of cancer, lifestyle (e.g., smoking, alcohol, diet, and recreational physical activity) and anthropometric information were collected by personal interviews. Chemical exposure and physical activity were determined using job-exposure matrices for each reported job.

RESULTS

Logistic regression models adjusted for relevant covariates were used to evaluate their independent effects. Compared to controls, cases were three times more likely to work in jobs with high agrichemical exposure (OR = 3.44, 95% CI 1.84-6.44), and 54% less likely to work in jobs with moderate/high occupational physical activity (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.28-0.77). In analyses stratified by stage, cases with organ-confined PCa were three times more likely to have high agrichemical exposure (OR = 3.39, 9%CI 1.68-6.84), and 56% less likely to have moderate/high levels of occupational physical activity (OR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.76). Increased risk of being diagnosed with advanced PCa was associated with obesity at time of diagnosis (OR = 2.50, 95% CI 1.20-5.20) and high levels of agrichemical exposure (OR = 4.65, 95% CI 1.97-10.97), but not with occupational physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

This case-control study, the first conducted in a homogeneous Hispanic population, identified modifiable PCa risk factors, such as physical activity and agrichemical exposure, which may be useful in developing interventions for this understudied population.

Role of modern chemistry in sustainable arable crop protection

Organic chemistry has been, and for the foreseeable future will remain, vitally important for crop protection. Control of fungal pathogens, insect pests and weeds is crucial to enhanced food provision. As world population continues to grow, it is timely to assess the current situation, anticipate future challenges and consider how new chemistry may help meet those challenges. In future, agriculture will increasingly be expected to provide not only food and feed, but also crops for conversion into renewable fuels and chemical feedstocks. This will further increase the demand for higher crop yields per unit area, requiring chemicals used in crop production to be even more sophisticated. In order to contribute to programmes of integrated crop management, there is a requirement for chemicals to display high specificity, demonstrate benign environmental and toxicological profiles, and be biodegradable. It will also be necessary to improve production of those chemicals, because waste generated by the production process mitigates the overall benefit. Three aspects are considered in this review: advances in the discovery process for new molecules for sustainable crop protection, including tests for environmental and toxicological properties as well as biological activity; advances in synthetic chemistry that may offer efficient and environmentally benign manufacturing processes for modern crop protection chemicals; and issues related to energy use and production through agriculture.

[Effects of the components of pesticides on the toxicity of their formulations]

In addition to active ingredients, the currently available pesticides comprise solvents and emulsifiers, and dispersants whose content may be as high as 85 and 30%, respectively. These components can have a substantially high effect on the toxicity and toxic kinetics of formulations, which shows a potentiating effect in many cases. From the hygienic, toxicological, and ecological points of view, it is necessary to continue studies into the combined effect of the components and active ingredients of formulations on the body and into their effect on the behavior of the latter in the environmental objects.

Third-degree burn by tincture of iodine--a case study

It is important that occupational health nurses understand farmers' work and the risks of injury during farm tasks.

Agrichemical impact on growth and survival of non-target apple phyllosphere microorganisms

The impact of conventional agrichemicals commonly used in New Zealand apple production on non-target, culturable phyllosphere microbial populations was studied in the laboratory (agar, leaf, and seedling assays) and field (apple orchard). Morphologically distinct bacteria (three), yeasts (five), and filamentous microfungi (two) were used as indicator species. The agar assay showed that agrichemical toxicity to microorganisms was dependent on product type, product rate, and organism studied. While the fungicides metiram and captan stopped or severely reduced growth of nearly all microorganisms studied, the insecticides tebufenozide and lufenuron and the fungicide nitrothal-isopropyl showed the least amount of microbial toxicity, each affecting 2 of the 10 indicator organisms studied. In the leaf assay a single agrichemical application at field rate either reduced or increased microbial population counts, again depending on product and microorganism. Repeated agrichemical applications, however, reduced microbial population numbers from 10- to 10,000-fold in planta. Further field research validated these findings, although differences in microbial numbers before and after agrichemical applications were less dramatic. In the orchard, total organism numbers recovered within 2-6 days, but species richness (sum of recognizable taxonomic units) declined. Agrichemicals clearly affected non-target, culturable surface microorganisms. The importance of diversity and stability of microbial populations for disease control still needs to be established.

A study of the impact of agricultural pesticide use on the prevalence of birth defects in northeast Italy

Pesticides are probably the most frequently deliberately released toxic chemicals into the environment. However, although the results of experimental studies indicate developmental toxicity hazards for several groups of chemicals used, the studies in humans are contradictory. There are specific regulations in the European Union (EU) regarding the use of pesticides and there is also considerable awareness about possible related health problems. In order to investigate whether, in the current EU situation, the use of certain pesticides could be associated with adverse health effects in the outcome of pregnancies, we have performed a 6-year study in an agricultural area in the Veneto Region of, northeastern Italy, where we have been able to define the exact quantity and type of pesticides as well as the exposed population, in order to quantify the risk of congenital malformations related to the use of pesticides. Data on congenital malformations were obtained from the northeast Italy Congenital malformation Registry, using several sources of ascertainment, while pesticide use were obtained through interviews with users and sellers. The municipalities of three contiguous provinces were divided into those with a high, low or intermediate use of pesticides. In the study period there was a total of 146,239 consecutive pregnancies terminating in birth or induced abortion because of congenital malformation. No significant differences in the prevalence of congenital malformations were observed between the three different areas (high, low, intermediate risk). Our study confirms that in countries such as Italy, where there is close control of the use of pesticides, there is no epidemiological evidence that pesticides have any effect on the prevalence of congenital malformations.

Treating skin disease: self-management behaviors of Latino farmworkers

Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers experience high rates of skin disease that result from their working and living conditions. Knowledge of the ways farmworkers treat skin disease symptoms will provide a foundation for developing culturally appropriate health education, improving the delivery of health services, and improving occupational health policy for agricultural workers. The purpose of this paper is to describe skin disease self-management practices among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina. This analysis uses a qualitative design based on in-depth interviews with 30 Latino farmworkers (six females, 24 males). Computer assisted, systematic procedures are used to analyze the verbatim transcripts of these interviews. Participants shared a consistent set of health self-management actions in treating skin disease. These actions were within the domains of self-care and medical care. A model of skin disease self-management among Latino farmworkers includes the self-care actions of hygiene, use of home remedies and use of over-the-counter remedies, with farmworkers often combining different domains of self-care. While farmworkers acknowledge the benefits of medical care, they are also mindful of barriers to its use, including cost, transportation and language. The large percentage of farmworkers who experience skin problems indicates that health outreach workers who serve this population need to provide education on preventing and treating skin problems, and they need to recommend to farmworkers appropriate over-the-counter medicines for the treatment of these skin problems. Appropriate medical care for treating skin problems that are dangerous and reduce farmworkers' quality-of-life needs to be made available to this population.

Use of models to assess the reduction in contamination of water bodies by agricultural pesticides through the implementation of policy instruments: A case study of the Voluntary Initiative in the UK

Through normal agricultural use, pesticides may reach environmental water bodies via several routes of entry. Various policies and initiatives exist to reduce the effects of pesticides in the environment. One such initiative in place in the UK is the Voluntary Initiative (VI). The VI is a voluntary scheme put forward by the Crop Protection Association with other crop protection and farming organisations to reduce the environmental impacts of pesticides. Mathematical models of pesticide fate can usefully be applied to examine the impact of factors influencing the contamination of water bodies by pesticides. The work reported here used water quality models to examine how changes in farmer behaviour could potentially impact pesticide contamination of environmental water bodies. As far as possible, uncalibrated, standard regulatory models were used. Where suitable models were not available, simple models were defined for the purposes of the study and calibrated using literature data. Scenarios were developed to represent different standards of practice with respect to pesticide user behaviour. The development of these scenarios was guided by the Crop Protection Management Plan (CPMP) aspect of the VI. A framework for the use of modelling in the evaluation of the VI is proposed. The results of the modelling study suggest that, in several areas, widespread adoption of the measures proposed in the VI could lead to reductions in pesticide contamination of environmental water bodies. These areas include pesticide contamination from farmyards, spray drift and field runoff. In other areas (including pesticide leaching to groundwater and contamination of surface water from field drains) the benefits that may potentially be gained from the VI are less clear. A framework to evaluate the VI should take into consideration the following aspects: (1) groundwater is more at risk when there is a combination of leachable compounds, vulnerable soils, shallow groundwater and high product usage; (2) surface water contamination from drains is most likely when heavy rain falls soon after application, the soils are vulnerable and product usage is high; (3) surface water contamination from drift is most likely when the distance between the spray boom and water body is small and product usage is high; (4) surface water contamination from farmyards is dependent on the nature of the farmyard surface, the competence of the spray operator and the level of product usage. Any policy or initiative to reduce pesticide contamination should be measured against farmer behaviour in these areas.

Latino farmworker perceptions of the risk factors for occupational skin disease

BACKGROUND

Farmworkers in the US constitute a medically underserved population at substantial risk for numerous environmental and occupational health problems. Most US farmworkers are Latino. Skin disease is one health problem to which farmworkers are particularly vulnerable. Interventions to reduce skin disease must be adapted to farmworkers' understanding of such disease, including their beliefs or knowledge of risk factors for skin disease.

METHODS

Structured by the Explanatory Models of Illness framework, this analysis uses a qualitative design based on in-depth interviews with 30 Latino farmworkers (6 females, 24 males) to determine beliefs and perceptions of the causes of common occupational skin diseases in this population. Computer assisted, systematic procedures are used to analyze the verbatim transcripts of these interviews.

RESULTS

Skin disease is a major concern among farmworkers because it affects work, social interaction, and other aspects of their lives. Farmworker beliefs and perceptions of skin disease causation can be integrated into a general model in which perceived risk factors include sun and heat, chemicals, plants, insects, moisture, hygiene, and contagion. Each of these factors is moderated by the individual's personal susceptibility to that cause. The interaction or combination of two or more factors is thought to amplify their individual effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The farmworker model of skin disease causation suggests important content for health education to reduce skin disease among farmworkers.

Validation of self-reported proximity to agricultural crops in a case-control study of neural tube defects

Self-reported perinatal exposures to chemicals or pollutant sources in case-control studies of birth defects may be inaccurate due to misreporting among mothers. In a case-control study of neural tube defects delivered in California in 1987-1988, mothers of case and control infants were asked whether they lived within 0.25 mile (400 m) of agricultural crops. Responses were compared against a gold standard derived from historical agricultural land-use survey maps. The odds ratio for self-reported proximity to any crops (1.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 2.43) appeared to be positively biased compared with the estimate for map-based proximity (1.17, 95% confidence interval: 0.79, 1.71). This pattern was also observed for proximity to specific crops such as nonpermanent and orchard crops. For vineyards, however, we observed an increased risk associated with map-based proximity (odds ratio=2.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 5.58) but not with self-reported proximity (1.09, 95% confidence interval: 0.51, 2.34). The sensitivity of self-reported proximity to any crops was greater for case (65.7%) than control mothers (50.0%) while specificity was about the same for case and control mothers (87.5 vs. 89.3%), suggesting that control mothers under-reported proximity to crops. Differential reporting was also observed between geographic regions, urban and rural residents, and across levels of maternal employment and education. These results suggest differential reporting between case and control mothers as well as an influence from maternal demographic characteristics on reporting accuracy.

[Impact of the area burden of agrochemicals on tuberculosis morbidity and mortality]

The rate of use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers in the Republic of Daghestan was high in the USSR and Russia and was many times greater than the critical burden (3/93 kg/ha) and ranged from 3.5-4.2 kg/ha in the highlands to 17.0-21.7 kg/ha in the plain. Two-factor analysis indicated that out of the mineral fertilizers, pesticides and phosphate fertilizers had the most adverse effect on the incidence of tuberculosis whereas potash fertilizers exerted a less effect. Phosphate fertilizers and copper-containing pesticides were secondary risk factors of death from tuberculosis. The correlation coefficient was 0.53 for phosphate fertilizers, 0.59 upon total exposure to organochlorine compounds, and 0.68 upon total exposure to copper-containing pesticides.

Neurologic symptoms in licensed private pesticide applicators in the agricultural health study

Exposure to high levels of many pesticides has both acute and long-term neurologic consequences, but little is known about the neurotoxicity of chronic exposure to moderate levels of pesticides. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 18,782 white male licensed private pesticide applicators enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study in 1993-1997. Applicators provided information on lifetime pesticide use and 23 neurologic symptoms typically associated with pesticide intoxication. An indicator of more symptoms (> or = 10 vs. < 10) during the year before enrollment was associated with cumulative lifetime days of insecticide use: odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.64 (1.36-1.97) for 1-50 days, 1.89 (1.58-2.25) for 51-500 days, and 2.50 (2.00-3.13) for > 500 days, compared with never users. A modest association for fumigants [> 50 days, 1.50 (1.24-1.81)] and weaker relationships for herbicides [> 500 days, 1.32 (0.99-1.75)] and fungicides [> 50 days, 1.23 (1.00-1.50)] were observed. Pesticide use within the year before enrollment was not associated with symptom count. Only associations with insecticides and fumigants persisted when all four pesticide groups were examined simultaneously. Among chemical classes of insecticides, associations were strongest for organophosphates and organochlorines. Associations with cumulative exposure persisted after excluding individuals who had a history of pesticide poisoning or had experienced an event involving high personal pesticide exposure. These results suggest that self-reported neurologic symptoms are associated with cumulative exposure to moderate levels of fumigants and organophosphate and organochlorine insecticides, regardless of recent exposure or history of poisoning.

Nurses' Agricultural Education in the Southeastern United States

The number of nurses across the United States with expertise in agricultural health nursing is unknown, yet as many as 8,000 are needed. This article describes agricultural health content in nursing programs in the southeastern United States. Agriculture is primarily family based but ranks among the top three most hazardous industries in America. Nurses in the southeastern United States serve more than 541,000 farm families, more than a quarter of the nation's agricultural population. A 15-item survey was mailed to 185 nursing schools located within 13 southeastern states. Information was requested about undergraduate and graduate curricula that included information about agricultural health and safety. Surveys were returned from 113 programs (61.1%). Schools with larger percentages of rural students were more likely to include mention of agricultural health; however, scant attention was given to any rurally focused content. In 27.4% of the schools, no mention of agricultural health issues was made, and 54.0% of nursing faculty who completed the survey were not aware of the need for nurses with agricultural health expertise. Results suggested that, when agricultural health topics were presented in class, student interest in the topic increased. Given the occupational hazards faced in agriculture and the region's economic dependence on agriculture, increased attention should be focused on agricultural health content within nursing programs.

Environmental impact of adjuvants in crop protection

The overall performance of chemical and biological plant protection products is enhanced by the use of adjuvants in the formulation (formulation adjuvants) or in the spray tank (spray adjuvants). Both types of adjuvants aim to stabilize the formulation, to improve the efficiency of the active ingredients and to reduce application and environmental risks. As an important part of the formulation, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the environmental impact and toxicology of adjuvants can not always be considered as inert. However, little is known of their impact as part of plant protection products compared with the active substances. Therefore an experimental framework is needed as a tool for a consistent environmental legislation.

Case report: agrichemicals complicating emergency helicopter transport of a farm worker

This case illustrates the hazards of helicopter transport of trauma patients exposed to agrichemicals. Agrichemical exposure risks to the flight team through dermal and inhalational routes should be considered. Chemical exposure may affect pilot navigational performance as well as patient monitoring by the flight nurse. The importance of decontaminating the patient utilizing the resources of the local fire department should be emphasized. If flight safety is considered dangerous, ground transportation should be substituted.

[Threats to human health in the use of pesticides (a review)]

The paper presents current trends in the use of pesticides and detection of their residues in the environmental objects. Pesticides are shown to be a serious health risk factor for different groups of the population when they are irrationally used and inadequately stored. A package of measures to prevent intoxication and to reduce a risk for pesticide entry into the body is provided.

[Effect of plant protective chemicals on the environment and human health]

The developed and promoted package of ecological and hygienic measures and the specific programme introduced by the State Sanitary-and-Epidemiological Surveillance Committee have yielded positive results in sanitizing the Yakhroma flood land, approaches to rationally managing the medical and sanitary situation. The implemented measures are a preparatory stage of introduction of the assessment of a health risk in hygienic monitoring.

Farm-related exposures and childhood brain tumours in seven countries: results from the SEARCH International Brain Tumour Study

A total of 1218 cases of childhood brain tumours (CBT) and 2223 control subjects from the general population were included in a population-based case-control study conducted in nine centres in seven countries. Mothers were asked about farm- or agriculture-related exposures. Significantly elevated odds ratios (OR) for CBT were associated with children's personal and maternal prenatal exposure while living on a farm with pigs (child OR = 1.7, mother OR = 2.3), horses (child OR = 1.6, mother OR = 1.8), dogs (child OR = 1.5, mother OR = 1.5) and cats (child OR = 1.5, mother OR = 1.7). Children who were exposed to pigs, horses and cats combined, while living on a farm, had a threefold elevated OR for CBT. Increased ORs for primitive neuroectodermal tumours (PNET) were associated with children's farm exposure to dogs (OR = 1.9) and cats (OR = 2.2), and maternal farm exposure to pigs (OR = 4.2). The OR for CBT was elevated (OR = 2.3) for children of mothers who had preconception/prenatal farm- or agriculture-related employment involving potential contact with animals, relative to no farm- or agriculture-related employment. In particular, increased ORs for CBT were observed for children of mothers who were employed as general farmers (OR = 4.1) or general farm workers (OR = 3.8). During the 5 years preceding the index child's birth, maternal exposures were related to CBT, relative to no maternal exposure to agricultural chemicals or animal products: fertilisers (OR = 1.8), pesticides (OR = 2.0), animal manure (OR = 2.0) and unprocessed wool (OR = 3.0). Our findings suggest that various farm-related exposures are positively associated with CBT and warrant further investigation into the public health importance of these associations.