title: Analysis of House Dust and Children's Hair for Pesticides: A Comparison of Markers of Ongoing Pesticide Exposure in Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The long term study of the adverse effects of pesticides on child neuro development requires monitoring not only of initial, but ongoing pesticide exposure. Our aim was to compare house dust and children's hair as environmental and biological markers of ongoing pesticide exposure in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a continuing NIH study on the adverse effects of prenatal pesticide exposure on child neurodevelopment, ongoing pesticide exposure after birth was measured in swept house dust and hair in the children at 4 years of age for propoxur and pyrethroids (transfluthrin, bioallethrin, cyfluthrin and cypermethrin) by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The prevalence and concentration of pesticides in the two matrices were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of propoxur was higher in hair compared to house dust (p<0.001) whereas prevalence of the pyrethroids was higher (p<0.001) in house dust. The overall concentrations of the pyrethroids were also higher (p<0.007) in house dust compared to hair. There was a significant (p<0.001) correlation between dust and hair for bioallethrin and cypermethrin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ongoing exposure of children to environmental pesticides is sensitively detected by analysis of children's hair and house dust. However, prevalence of propoxur was higher in hair compared to swept house dust, but the opposite was found for the pyrethroids. Thus, both matrices should be analyzed. There was a significant (p<0.001) correlation between house dust and hair for bioallethrin and cypermethrin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hutzel Women's Hospital, the Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Enrique M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ostrea
authors.forename: Esterlita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Villanueva-Uy
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bielawski
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birn
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Janisse
keywords: Biomarkers; Environmental exposure; Hair; House dust; Pesticides