Passive exposure to agricultural pesticides and risk of childhood leukemia in an Italian community.
Exposure to pesticides has been suggested as a risk factor for childhood leukemia, but definitive evidence on this relation and the specific pesticides involved is still not clear.



We carried out a population-based case-control study in a Northern Italy community to assess the possible relation between passive exposure to agricultural pesticides and risk of acute childhood leukemia.



We assessed passive pesticide exposure of 111 childhood leukemia cases and 444 matched controls by determining density and type of agricultural land use within a 100-m radius buffer around children's homes. We focused on four common crop types, arable, orchard, vineyard and vegetable, characterized by the use of specific pesticides that are potentially involved in childhood induced leukemia. The use of these pesticides was validated within the present study. We computed the odds ratios (OR) of the disease and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) according to type and density of crops around the children's homes, also taking into account traffic pollution and high-voltage power line magnetic field exposure.



Childhood leukemia risk did not increase in relation with any of the crop types with the exception of arable crops, characterized by the use of 2.4-D, MCPA, glyphosate, dicamba, triazine and cypermethrin. The very few children (n=11) residing close to arable crops had an OR for childhood leukemia of 2.04 (95% CI 0.50-8.35), and such excess risk was further enhanced among children aged <5 years.



Despite the null association with most crop types and the statistical imprecision of the estimates, the increased leukemia risk among children residing close to arable crops indicates the need to further investigate the involvement in disease etiology of passive exposure to herbicides and pyrethroids, though such exposure is unlikely to play a role in the vast majority of cases.
Environmental, Genetic, and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center - CREAGEN, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Carlotta
C
Malagoli
Department of Engineering "Enzo Ferrari", University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Sofia
S
Costanzini
Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Julia E
JE
Heck
Environmental, Genetic, and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center - CREAGEN, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Marcella
M
Malavolti
Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Communication, Local Health Unit of Modena, Modena, Italy.
Gianfranco
G
De Girolamo
Information and Communication Technology Department, Local Health Unit of Reggio Emilia and IRCCS-Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Paola
P
Oleari
Division of Pediatric Oncology-Hematology, Policlinico Hospital, Modena, Italy.
Giovanni
G
Palazzi
Department of Engineering "Enzo Ferrari", University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Sergio
S
Teggi
Environmental, Genetic, and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center - CREAGEN, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. Electronic address: marco.vinceti@unimore.it.
Marco
M
Vinceti
D000293:Adolescent; D000383:Agriculture; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010575:Pesticides; D012307:Risk Factors
D010575:Pesticides
Childhood leukemia; Crop density; Pesticides; Rural area
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