Evaluation of take-home organophosphorus pesticide exposure among agricultural workers and their children.
We analyzed organophosphorus pesticide exposure in 218 farm worker households in agricultural communities in Washington State to investigate the take-home pathway of pesticide exposure and to establish baseline exposure levels for a community intervention project. House dust samples (n = 156) were collected from within the homes, and vehicle dust samples (n = 190) were collected from the vehicles used by the farm workers to commute to and from work. Urine samples were obtained from a farm worker (n = 213) and a young child (n = 211) in each household. Dust samples were analyzed for six pesticides, and urine samples were analyzed for five dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites. Azinphosmethyl was detected in higher concentrations (p < 0.0001) than the other pesticides: geometric mean concentrations of azinphosmethyl were 0.53 micro g/g in house dust and 0.75 micro g/g in vehicle dust. Dimethyl DAP metabolite concentrations were higher than diethyl DAP metabolite concentrations in both child and adult urine (p < 0.0001). Geometric mean dimethyl DAP concentrations were 0.13 micro mol/L in adult urine and 0.09 micro mol/L in child urine. Creatinine-adjusted geometric mean dimethyl DAP concentrations were 0.09 micro mol/g in adult urine and 0.14 micro mol/g in child urine. Azinphosmethyl concentrations in house dust and vehicle dust from the same household were significantly associated (r2 = 0.41, p < 0.0001). Dimethyl DAP levels in child and adult urine from the same household were also significantly associated (r2 = 0.18, p < 0.0001), and this association remained when the values were creatinine adjusted. The results of this work support the hypothesis that the take-home exposure pathway contributes to residential pesticide contamination in agricultural homes where young children are present.
Curl
Cynthia L
CL
Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. ccurl@u.washington.edu
Fenske
Richard A
RA
Kissel
John C
JC
Shirai
Jeffry H
JH
Moate
Thomas F
TF
Griffith
William
W
Coronado
Gloria
G
Thompson
Beti
B
D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004391:Dust; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014861:Washington
D004391:Dust; D007306:Insecticides; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds