Dataset Information

Pesticides in house dust from urban and farmworker households in California: an observational measurement study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Studies report that residential use of pesticides in low-income homes is common because of poor housing conditions and pest infestations; however, exposure data on contemporary-use pesticides in low-income households is limited. We conducted a study in low-income homes from urban and agricultural communities to: characterize and compare house dust levels of agricultural and residential-use pesticides; evaluate the correlation of pesticide concentrations in samples collected several days apart; examine whether concentrations of pesticides phased-out for residential uses, but still used in agriculture (i.e., chlorpyrifos and diazinon) have declined in homes in the agricultural community; and estimate resident children's pesticide exposures via inadvertent dust ingestion.

Methods

In 2006, we collected up to two dust samples 5-8 days apart from each of 13 urban homes in Oakland, California and 15 farmworker homes in Salinas, California, an agricultural community (54 samples total). We measured 22 insecticides including organophosphates (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, diazinon-oxon, malathion, methidathion, methyl parathion, phorate, and tetrachlorvinphos) and pyrethroids (allethrin-two isomers, bifenthrin, cypermethrin-four isomers, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, imiprothrin, permethrin-two isomers, prallethrin, and sumithrin), one phthalate herbicide (chlorthal-dimethyl), one dicarboximide fungicide (iprodione), and one pesticide synergist (piperonyl butoxide).

Results

More than half of the households reported applying pesticides indoors. Analytes frequently detected in both locations included chlorpyrifos, diazinon, permethrin, allethrin, cypermethrin, and piperonyl butoxide; no differences in concentrations or loadings were observed between locations for these analytes. Chlorthal-dimethyl was detected solely in farmworker homes, suggesting contamination due to regional agricultural use. Concentrations in samples collected 5-8 days apart in the same home were strongly correlated for the majority of the frequently detected analytes (Spearman ? = 0.70-1.00, p < 0.01). Additionally, diazinon and chlorpyrifos concentrations in Salinas farmworker homes were 40-80% lower than concentrations reported in samples from Salinas farmworker homes studied between 2000-2002, suggesting a temporal reduction after their residential phase-out. Finally, estimated non-dietary pesticide intake for resident children did not exceed current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) recommended chronic reference doses (RfDs).

Conclusion

Low-income children are potentially exposed to a mixture of pesticides as a result of poorer housing quality. Historical or current pesticide use indoors is likely to contribute to ongoing exposures. Agricultural pesticide use may also contribute to additional exposures to some pesticides in rural areas. Although children's non-dietary intake did not exceed U.S. EPA RfDs for select pesticides, this does not ensure that children are free of any health risks as RfDs have their own limitations, and the children may be exposed indoors via other pathways. The frequent pesticide use reported and high detection of several home-use pesticides in house dust suggests that families would benefit from integrated pest management strategies to control pests and minimize current and future exposures.

SUBMITTER: Quiros-Alcala L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3071308 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Pesticides in house dust from urban and farmworker households in California: an observational measurement study.

Quirós-Alcalá Lesliam L Bradman Asa A Nishioka Marcia M Harnly Martha E ME Hubbard Alan A McKone Thomas E TE Ferber Jeannette J Eskenazi Brenda B

Environmental health : a global access science source 20110316

<h4>Background</h4>Studies report that residential use of pesticides in low-income homes is common because of poor housing conditions and pest infestations; however, exposure data on contemporary-use pesticides in low-income households is limited. We conducted a study in low-income homes from urban and agricultural communities to: characterize and compare house dust levels of agricultural and residential-use pesticides; evaluate the correlation of pesticide concentrations in samples collected se ...[more]

PMID: 21410986

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Project description:BackgroundChildren are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure and can suffer lasting health effects. Because children of farmworkers are exposed to a variety of pesticides throughout development, it is important to explore temporal patterns of coexposures.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to characterize the pesticide co-exposures, determine how they change over time, and assess differences between farmworker and nonfarmworker households.MethodsDust collected from 40 farmworker and 35 nonfarmworker households in the Yakima Valley of the State of Washington in 2005 and then again in 2011 was analyzed for 99 pesticides. Eighty-seven pesticides representing over 28 classes were detected. Pesticides were grouped into classes using U.S. EPA pesticide chemical classifications, and trends in concentrations were analyzed at the class level.ResultsLevels of organophosphates, pyridazinones, and phenols significantly decreased between 2005 and 2011 in both farmworker and nonfarmworker households. Levels of anilides, 2,6-dinitroanilines, chlorophenols, triclosan, and guanidines significantly increased in both farmworker and nonfarmworker households in 2011 vs. 2005. Among farmworkers alone, there were significantly lower levels of N-methyl carbamates and neonicotinoids in 2011.ConclusionsWe observed significant reductions in the concentrations of many pesticides over time in both farmworker and nonfarmworker households. Although nonfarmworker households generally had lower concentrations of pesticides, it is important to note that in comparison with NHANES participants, nonfarmworkers and their families still had significantly higher concentrations of urinary pesticide metabolites. This finding highlights the importance of detailed longitudinal exposure monitoring to capture changes in agricultural and residential pesticide use over time. This foundation provides an avenue to track longitudinal pesticide exposures in an intervention or regulatory context. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3644.

Project description:BackgroundResidential use of pesticides has been associated with increased risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We evaluated determinants of glyphosate concentrations in house dust and estimated ALL risk in the California Childhood Leukemia Study (CCLS).MethodsThe CCLS is a population-based case-control study of childhood leukemia in California. Among those < 8-years (no move since diagnosis/reference date), we collected dust (2001-2007) from the room where the child spent the most time while awake and measured > 40 pesticides. Three-to-eight years later, we collected a second sample from non-movers. We used Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry to measure glyphosate (µg/g dust) for 181 ALL cases and 225 controls and for 45 households with a second dust sample. We used multivariable Tobit regression to evaluate determinants of glyphosate concentrations. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for ALL and quartiles of the concentration (first samples) using unconditional logistic regression. We computed the within- and between-home variance and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).ResultsGlyphosate was frequently detected (cases: 98 %; controls: 99 %). Higher concentrations were associated with occupational pesticide exposure, nearby agricultural use, treatment for lawn weeds and bees/wasps, and sampling season. Increasing concentrations were not associated with ALL risk (adjusted ORQ4vsQ1 = 0.8, CI: 0.4-1.4). We observed similar null associations for boys and girls, Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, and among those who resided in their home since birth (76 cases/117 controls) or age two (130 cases/176 controls). The ICC was 0.32 indicating high within-home temporal variability during the years of our study.ConclusionsWe observed higher concentrations in homes associated with expected predictors of exposure but no association with childhood ALL risk. Due to continuing use, potential exposure to young children is high. It will be important to evaluate risk in future studies with multiple dust measurements or biomarkers of exposure.

Project description:Personal pesticide exposure is not well characterized among children in vulnerable, immigrant communities. We used silicone wristbands in 2018-2019 to assess pesticide exposure in 8 year old Latinx boys and girls in rural, farmworker families (n = 73) and urban, non-farmworker families (n = 60) living in North Carolina who were enrolled in the PACE5 Study, a community-based participatory research study. We determined the detection and concentrations (ng/g) of 75 pesticides and pesticide degradation products in the silicone wristbands worn for one week using gas chromatography electron capture detection and employed gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Differences by personal and family characteristics were tested using analysis of variance or Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests when necessary. Pesticide concentrations above the limit of detection were analyzed, and reported as geometric means and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The most frequently detected pesticide classes were organochlorines (85.7%), pyrethroids (65.4%), and organophosphates (59.4%), with the most frequently detected specific pesticides being alpha-chlordane (69.2%), trans-nonachlor (67.7%), gamma-chlordane (66.2%), chlorpyrifos (54.9%), cypermethrin (49.6%), and trans-permethrin (39.1%). More of those children in urban, non-farmworker families had detections of organochlorines (93.3% vs. 79.5, p = 0.0228) and pyrethroids (75.0% vs. 57.5%, p = 0.0351) than did those in rural, farmworker families; more children in rural, farmworker families had detections for organophosphates (71.2% vs. 45.0%, p= 0.0022). Children in urban, non-farmworker families had greater concentrations of alpha-chlordane (geometric mean (GM) 18.98, 95% CI 14.14, 25.47 vs. 10.25, 95% CI 7.49, 14.03; p= 0.0055) and dieldrin (GM 17.38, 95% CI 12.78 23.62 vs. 8.10, 95% CI 5.47, 12.00; p= 0.0034) than did children in rural, farmworker families. These results support the position that pesticides are ubiquitous in the living environment for children in vulnerable, immigrant communities, and argue for greater effort in documenting the widespread nature of pesticide exposure among children, with greater effort to reduce pesticide exposure.

Dataset Information

Pesticides in house dust from urban and farmworker households in California: an observational measurement study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Pesticides in house dust from urban and farmworker households in California: an observational measurement study.

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