Concentrations of the urinary pyrethroid metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid in farm worker families in the MICASA study.
Indoor pesticide exposure is a growing concern, particularly from pyrethroids, a commonly used class of pesticides. Pyrethroid concentrations may be especially high in homes of immigrant farm worker families who often live in close proximity to agricultural fields, and are faced with poor housing conditions, causing higher pest infestation and more pesticide use. We investigate exposure of farm worker families to pyrethroids in a study of mothers and children living in Mendota, CA within the population-based Mexican Immigration to California: Agricultural Safety and Acculturation (MICASA) Study. We present pyrethroid exposure based on an ELISA analysis of urinary metabolite 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3PBA) levels among 105 women and 103 children. The median urinary 3PBA levels (children=2.56 ug/g creatinine, mothers=1.46 ug/g creatinine) were higher than those reported in population based studies for the United States general population, but similar to or lower than studies with known high levels of pyrethroid exposure. A positive association was evident between poor housing conditions and the urinary metabolite levels, showing that poor housing conditions are a contributing factor to the higher levels of 3PBA seen in the urine of these farm worker families. Further research is warranted to fully investigate sources of exposure.
Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address: kjtrunnelle@ucdavis.edu.
Kelly J
KJ
Trunnelle
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Deborah H
DH
Bennett
Department of Entomology and Cancer Center, University of California, Davis 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Ki Chang
KC
Ahn
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Marc B
MB
Schenker
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, 4610 X Street Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
Daniel J
DJ
Tancredi
Department of Entomology and Cancer Center, University of California, Davis 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Shirley J
SJ
Gee
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Maria T
MT
Stoecklin-Marois
Department of Entomology and Cancer Center, University of California, Davis 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Bruce D
BD
Hammock
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001565:Benzoates / Q000652:urine*; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010575:Pesticides; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D055815:Young Adult
D001565:Benzoates; D010575:Pesticides; C017618:3-phenoxybenzoic acid
3PBA; Children; ELISA; Farm worker; Pyrethroid