Pesticide Use and Practices in an Iowa Farm Family Pesticide Exposure Study

ObjectiveEstimates 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsWe 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.ConclusionsIn 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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Distributions, associations, and partial aggregate exposure of pesticides and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in the Minnesota Children's Pesticide Exposure Study (MNCPES)

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology ◽

10.1038/sj.jea.7500261 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 100-111 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

C Andrew Clayton ◽

Edo D Pellizzari ◽

Roy W Whitmore ◽

James J Quackenboss ◽

John Adgate ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Pesticide Exposure ◽

Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Exposure Study

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Occupational pesticide use and self-reported olfactory impairment in US farmers

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2020-106818 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. oemed-2020-106818

Author(s):

Srishti Shrestha ◽

David M Umbach ◽

Laura E Beane Freeman ◽

Stella Koutros ◽

Michael C R Alavanja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pesticide Exposure ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Health Study ◽

Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Response Patterns ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Petroleum Distillates ◽

Olfactory Impairment ◽

2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

ObjectivesPesticide exposure may impair human olfaction, but empirical evidence is limited. We examined associations between occupational use of 50 specific pesticides and olfactory impairment, both self-reported, among 20 409 participants in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort of pesticide applicators (mostly farmers, 97% male).MethodsWe used logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between pesticide use at enrolment (1993–1997) and olfactory impairment reported two decades later (2013–2016), adjusting for baseline covariates.ResultsAbout 10% of participants reported olfactory impairment. The overall cumulative days of any pesticide use at enrolment were associated with a higher odds of reporting olfactory impairment (OR (highest vs lowest quartile): 1.17 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.34), p-trend = 0.003). In the analyses of 50 specific pesticides, ever-use of 20 pesticides showed modest associations with olfactory impairment, with ORs ranging from 1.11 to 1.33. Of these, higher lifetime days of use of 12 pesticides were associated with higher odds of olfactory impairment compared with never use (p-trend ≤ 0.05), including two organochlorine insecticides (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and lindane), two organophosphate insecticides (diazinon and malathion), permethrin, the fungicide captan and six herbicides (glyphosate, petroleum distillates, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and metribuzin), although many of these did not exhibit clear, monotonic exposure-response patterns.ConclusionOverall, we found relatively broad associations between pesticides and olfactory impairment, involving many individual pesticides and covering several chemical classes, suggesting that pesticides could affect olfaction through multiple pathways. Future epidemiological studies with objective measurement of olfaction are required to confirm these findings.

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A GIS-based method for household recruitment in a prospective pesticide exposure study

International Journal of Health Geographics ◽

10.1186/1476-072x-7-18 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Justine LE Allpress ◽

Ross J Curry ◽

Carol L Hanchette ◽

Michael J Phillips ◽

Timothy C Wilcosky

Keyword(s):

Pesticide Exposure ◽

Exposure Study

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Environmental exposures contribute to respiratory and allergic symptoms among women living in the banana growing regions of Costa Rica

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2021-107611 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. oemed-2021-107611

Author(s):

Brooke Alhanti ◽

Berna van Wendel de Joode ◽

Manuel Soto Martinez ◽

Ana M Mora ◽

Leonel Córdoba Gamboa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Regression Models ◽

Pesticide Exposure ◽

Environmental Exposures ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

High Exposure ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Urinary Levels ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Health Cohort Study

ObjectivesThis research evaluates whether environmental exposures (pesticides and smoke) influence respiratory and allergic outcomes in women living in a tropical, agricultural environment.MethodsWe 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).ResultsCurrent 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)).ConclusionsWhile 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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Pesticide Use Related to Pesticide Poisoning Factors and the Impact of Pesticide Exposure on Health

Journal Wetenskap Health ◽

10.48173/jwh.v1i2.31 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Angie Adel ◽

Barlenti Akefiwad

Keyword(s):

Pesticide Exposure ◽

Plant Diseases ◽

Average Level ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Pesticide Poisoning ◽

Close Relationship ◽

The Impact

Pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests, both insects, fungi and weeds. Pesticides have been widely used for the purpose of eradicating pests and plant diseases in agriculture. The classification of the severity of pesticide exposure seen from the activities carried out is divided into four categories ranging from the lowest to the highest. A person with increasing age causes the metabolism function to decrease, so the average level of cholinestrase in the blood will be lower, making it easier for pesticide poisoning. Many studies have shown that there is a close relationship between the lengths of pesticide exposure

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