Pesticide dose estimates for children of Iowa farmers and non-farmers.
Farm children have the potential to be exposed to pesticides. Biological monitoring is often employed to assess this exposure; however, the significance of the exposure is uncertain unless doses are estimated. In the spring and summer of 2001, 118 children (66 farm, 52 non-farm) of Iowa farm and non-farm households were recruited to participate in a study investigating potential take-home pesticide exposure. Each child provided an evening and morning urine sample at two visits spaced approximately 1 month apart, with the first sample collection taken within a few days after pesticide application. Estimated doses were calculated for atrazine, metolachlor, chlorpyrifos, and glyphosate from urinary metabolite concentrations derived from the spot urine samples and compared to EPA reference doses. For all pesticides except glyphosate, the doses from farm children were higher than doses from the non-farm children. The difference was statistically significant for atrazine (p<0.0001) but only marginally significant for chlorpyrifos and metolachlor (p = 0.07 and 0.1, respectively). Among farm children, geometric mean doses were higher for children on farms where a particular pesticide was applied compared to farms where that pesticide was not applied for all pesticides except glyphosate; results were significant for atrazine (p = 0.030) and metolachlor (p = 0.042), and marginally significant for chlorpyrifos (p = 0.057). The highest estimated doses for atrazine, chlorpyrifos, metolachlor, and glyphosate were 0.085, 1.96, 3.16, and 0.34 microg/kg/day, respectively. None of the doses exceeded any of the EPA reference values for atrazine, metolachlor, and glyphosate; however, all of the doses for chlorpyrifos exceeded the EPA chronic population adjusted reference value. Doses were similar for male and female children. A trend of decreasing dose with increasing age was observed for chlorpyrifos.
Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, MS R-14, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA. bcurwin@cdc.gov
Brian D
BD
Curwin
Misty J
MJ
Hein
Wayne T
WT
Sanderson
Cynthia
C
Striley
Dick
D
Heederik
Hans
H
Kromhout
Stephen J
SJ
Reynolds
Michael C
MC
Alavanja
D000081:Acetamides / Q000652:urine; D000293:Adolescent; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D001280:Atrazine / Q000652:urine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004390:Chlorpyrifos / Q000652:urine; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008297:Male; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*; D012016:Reference Values; D016482:Urinalysis; D000097797:Glyphosate
D000081:Acetamides; D001280:Atrazine; D004390:Chlorpyrifos; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005998:Glycine; D010575:Pesticides; D000097797:Glyphosate; C051786:metolachlor