Dataset Information

Lifetime organophosphorous insecticide use among private pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.

ABSTRACT: Organophosphorous insecticides (OPs) are the most commonly used insecticides in US agriculture, but little information is available regarding specific OP use by individual farmers. We describe OP use for licensed private pesticide applicators from Iowa and North Carolina in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) using lifetime pesticide use data from 701 randomly selected male participants collected at three time periods. Of 27 OPs studied, 20 were used by >1%. Overall, 95% had ever applied at least one OP. The median number of different OPs used was 4 (maximum=13). Malathion was the most commonly used OP (74%) followed by chlorpyrifos (54%). OP use declined over time. At the first interview (1993-1997), 68% of participants had applied OPs in the past year; by the last interview (2005-2007), only 42% had. Similarly, median annual application days of OPs declined from 13.5 to 6 days. Although OP use was common, the specific OPs used varied by state, time period, and individual. Much of the variability in OP use was associated with the choice of OP, rather than the frequency or duration of application. Information on farmers' OP use enhances our ability to characterize and understand the potential health effects of multiple OP exposures.

SUBMITTER: Hoppin JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3478402 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Lifetime organophosphorous insecticide use among private pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.

Hoppin Jane A JA Long Stuart S Umbach David M DM Lubin Jay H JH Starks Sarah E SE Gerr Fred F Thomas Kent K Hines Cynthia J CJ Weichenthal Scott S Kamel Freya F Koutros Stella S Alavanja Michael M Beane Freeman Laura E LE Sandler Dale P DP

Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology 20120801 6

Organophosphorous insecticides (OPs) are the most commonly used insecticides in US agriculture, but little information is available regarding specific OP use by individual farmers. We describe OP use for licensed private pesticide applicators from Iowa and North Carolina in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) using lifetime pesticide use data from 701 randomly selected male participants collected at three time periods. Of 27 OPs studied, 20 were used by >1%. Overall, 95% had ever applied at leas ...[more]

PMID: 22854518

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Project description:BackgroundThough evidence suggests that some pesticides may have thyroid-disrupting properties, prospective studies of associations between specific pesticides and incident thyroid disease are limited.ObjectiveWe evaluated associations between use of specific pesticides and incident hypothyroidism in private pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS).MethodsSelf-reported incident hypothyroidism ([Formula: see text] cases) was studied in relation to ever-use and intensity-weighted cumulative days of pesticide use at study enrollment. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox proportional hazards models applied to 35,150 male and female applicators followed over 20 y. All models were stratified by state and education to meet proportional hazards assumptions ([Formula: see text] for age x covariate interactions). Models of pesticides that did not meet proportional hazards assumptions were stratified by median attained age (62 y).ResultsHypothyroidism risk was significantly increased with ever- vs. never-use of four organochlorine insecticides (aldrin, heptachlor, and lindane among participants with attained age [Formula: see text]; chlordane in all participants), four organophosphate insecticides (coumaphos in those [Formula: see text]; diazinon, dichlorvos, and malathion in all participants) and three herbicides (dicamba, glyphosate, and 2,4-D in all participants). HRs ranged from 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.41 (chlordane) to 1.54; 95% CI: 1.23, 19.4 (lindane in those [Formula: see text]). Hypothyroidism risk was greatest among those with higher intensity-weighted lifetime days of using chlordane, lindane, coumaphos (over age 62), diazinon, permethrin, and 2,4-D.ConclusionsOur findings support associations between exposure to several pesticides and increased hypothyroidism risk. These findings are generally consistent with prior analyses of prevalent hypothyroidism in the AHS. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3194.

Dataset Information

Lifetime organophosphorous insecticide use among private pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.

Publications

Lifetime organophosphorous insecticide use among private pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study.

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