title: Urinary dialkyl phosphate levels before and after first season chlorpyrifos spraying amongst farm workers in the Western Cape, South Africa.
abstract: The study investigated urinary levels of dialkyl phosphates resulting from pesticide exposure amongst 40 farm workers. Workers were tested (urinary dialkyl phosphate levels, anthropometry, short exposure questionnaire) before and after the first day of seasonal chlorpyrifos spraying. Median baseline urinary dialkyl phosphates was high amongst both non-applicators (1587.5 μg/g creatinine, n = 8) and applicators (365.6 μg/g creatinine, n = 9). There was not much evidence of an increase in post-spray dialkyl phosphates levels from pre-spray levels amongst both applicators and non-applicators. Hours mixing, spraying, driving a tractor and hours worked by non-applicators were not significantly associated with an increase in post-spray dialkyl phosphate levels, adjusting for age, height, weight, gender, use of empty pesticide containers and self-reported kidney problems. Past applicator status was weakly positively associated with pre-spray dialkyl phosphate levels adjusting for age, height, weight, and gender, self-reported kidney problems, smoking and alcohol (β= 1019.5, p = 0.307, R² = 0.28). The high dialkyl phosphate levels call for an epidemiological investigation into the health effects of organophosphorous pesticides.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mohamed Aqiel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dalvie
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.forename: Kalavati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Channa
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: London
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D000383:Agriculture; D000498:Allyl Compounds / Q000652:urine*; D004390:Chlorpyrifos / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D013019:South Africa; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000498:Allyl Compounds; D010575:Pesticides; D004390:Chlorpyrifos