title: Determinants of agricultural pesticide concentrations in carpet dust.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide applications has been used as a surrogate for exposure in epidemiologic studies, although little is known about the relationship with levels of pesticides in homes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We identified determinants of concentrations of agricultural pesticides in dust.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected samples of carpet dust and mapped crops within 1,250 m of 89 residences in California. We measured concentrations of seven pesticides used extensively in agriculture (carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, chlorthal-dimethyl, diazinon, iprodione, phosmet, and simazine). We estimated use of agricultural pesticides near residences from a statewide database alone and by linking the database with crop maps. We calculated the density of pesticide use within 500 and 1,250 m of residences for 180, 365, and 730 days before collection of dust and evaluated relationships between agricultural pesticide use estimates and pesticide concentrations in carpet dust.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For five of the seven pesticides evaluated, residences with use of agricultural pesticides within 1,250 m during the previous 365 days had significantly higher concentrations of pesticides than did residences with no nearby use. The highest correlation with concentrations of pesticides was generally for use reported within 1,250 m of the residence and 730 days before sample collection. Regression models that also accounted for occupational and home use of pesticides explained only a modest amount of the variability in pesticide concentrations (4-28%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Agricultural pesticide use near residences was a significant determinant of concentrations of pesticides in carpet dust for five of seven pesticides evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Berkeley, California 94704, USA. robert.gunier@cpic.org
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gunier
authors.forename: Mary H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Airola
authors.forename: Erin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colt
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Buffler
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Rudolph P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Rull
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hertz
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metayer
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nuckols
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002140:California; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D006540:Herbicides / Q000032:analysis*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D010571:Pest Control / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D006540:Herbicides; D007306:Insecticides