Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “PESTICIDES”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

A case-control study of pesticides and fetal death due to congenital anomalies.

We examined the association between late fetal death due to congenital anomalies (73 cases, 611 controls) and maternal residential proximity to pesticide applications in ten California counties. A statewide database of all applications of restricted pesticides was linked to maternal address to determine daily exposure status. We examined five pesticide chemical classes. The odds ratios from logistic regression models, adjusted for maternal age and county, showed a consistent pattern with respect to timing of exposure; the largest risks for fetal death due to congenital anomalies were from pesticide exposure during the 3rd-8th weeks of pregnancy. For exposure either in the square mile of the maternal residence or in one of the adjacent 8 square miles, odds ratios ranged from 1.4 (95% confidence interval = 0.8-2.4) for phosphates, carbamates, and endocrine disruptors to 2.2 (95% confidence interval = 1.3-3.9) for halogenated hydrocarbons. Similar odds ratios were observed when a more restrictive definition of nonexposure (not exposed to any of the five pesticide classes during the 3rd-8th weeks of pregnancy) was used. The odds ratios for all pesticide classes increased when exposure occurred within the same square mile of maternal residence.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed2001

Pesticides and mortality from hormone-dependent cancers.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are considered to be a possible cause of hormone-dependent cancers. In areas of high exposure to pesticides, people are concerned about the long lasting toxicity of pesticides, some of which are possibly hormonally active. We collected for each Belgian municipality (n = 589) the latest mortality statistics from breast and prostate cancer (period 1985-1994) and the latest data on crops and pesticides (1998). In addition, data on possible confounders such as population density, degree of urbanization, industrial activity and the presence of an incinerator were collected as well. The data were analysed with spatial statistics that takes into account the spatial nature of the data. There is a large variation in crops and pesticide exposure among the municipalities, the highest exposure being seen in the fruit production area. Apart from use of defoliants and potato cultivation, no consistent correlation was detected between crops, pesticides and mortality from breast and prostate cancer. Our data cannot support the hypothesis of a relationship between total and class-related pesticide use and breast and prostate cancer mortality. However, the increased mortality due to breast cancer and to a lesser extent due to prostate cancer in traditional potato-growing areas needs attention and more research.

Belgium↗
PubMed1993

Aplastic anemia and pesticides. An etiologic association?

The majority of cases of aplastic anemia, a rare previously lethal disease, are of unknown etiology. Nevertheless, for the past 3 decades, case reports and case series of aplastic anemia have suggested an etiologic association between aplastic anemia and pesticide exposure. A review of the medical literature, including basic science literature, confirms a possible etiologic association between pesticide exposure and aplastic anemia. Two hundred and eighty cases of aplastic anemia associated with pesticide exposure were reported in the literature. The majority of these cases were young (mean age, 34 years; median, 28), with a short latency (mean, 5 months) and with a history of occupational exposure to pesticides. The pesticide exposures reported were the organochlorines and organophosphates, both commonly used pesticides throughout the world. Therapeutic and methodologic issues as well as future directions for research into this etiologic association are discussed.

Anemia, Aplastic↗
PubMed1995

Maternal pesticide exposure and pregnancy outcome.

Exposure to pesticides is inherent in many agricultural jobs. Most of the interest in connection with pesticides and pregnancy outcome has been directed to birth defects. Some indications of an elevated risk of limb anomalies have been associated with ecologic exposure, maternal environmental exposure to pesticides determined by the mother's place of residence, and parental occupation involving potential pesticide exposure. Orofacial clefts have been related to maternal environmental exposure to pesticides and exposure in agricultural work. Moreover, there is evidence that maternal agricultural occupation and pesticide exposure may be associated with elevated risk of spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. However, some studies have found no indication of reproductive hazards but, altogether, the epidemiologic evidence is inconclusive as regards the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed2004

Paternal exposure to agricultural pesticides and cause specific fetal death.

AIMS: To study the association between fetal death and paternal agricultural occupation in areas and time periods with different levels of use of agricultural pesticides. METHODS: A total of 1 473 146 stillbirths and births occurring in Spain between 1995 and 1999 were analysed. RESULTS: The offspring of agricultural workers had the highest risk of fetal death from congenital anomalies in the southern and eastern area (where pesticide use is greatest) and the lowest risk in the rest of Spain. In both areas the offspring of agricultural workers had a similar excess risk of fetal death from the remaining causes of death. The relative risk of fetal death from congenital anomalies in infants conceived between April and September (the months of greater use of pesticides) in the southern and eastern area was 0.90 in manual workers and 1.62 in agricultural workers, compared to non-manual workers; in individuals who were conceived during the rest of the year, the relative risk was 0.87 and 0.85, respectively. In both periods the offspring of agricultural workers had an excess risk of fetal death from the remaining causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: Paternal agricultural work in the areas where pesticides are massively used increases the risk of fetal death from congenital anomalies. The risk is also increased for fetuses conceived during the time periods of maximum use of pesticides The higher risk of fetal death from the remaining causes of death in the offspring of agricultural workers seems unrelated to pesticide exposure.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed2006

Assigning exposure to pesticides and solvents from self-reports collected by a computer assisted personal interview and expert assessment of job codes: the UK Adult Brain Tumour Study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare assignment of occupational pesticide and solvent exposure using self-reported data collected by a computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) with exposure based on expert assessment of job codes. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a CAPI to collect individual occupational exposure data. METHODS: Between 2001 and 2004, 1495 participants were interviewed using a CAPI for a case-control study of adult brain tumours and acoustic neuromas. Two types of occupational data were collected: (1) a full history, including job title from which a job code was assigned from the Standard Occupational Classification; and (2) specific details on pesticide and solvent exposure reported by participants. Study members' experiences of using the CAPI were recorded and advantages and disadvantages summarised. RESULTS: Of 7192 jobs recorded, the prevalence of self-reported exposure was 1.3% for pesticides and 11.5% for solvents. Comparing this with exposure expertly assessed from job titles showed 53.6% and 45.8% concordance for pesticides and solvents respectively. Advantages of the CAPI include no data entry stage, automatic input validation, and a reduction in interviewer bias. Disadvantages include an adverse effect on study implementation as a consequence of resources required for programming and difficulties encountered with data management prior to analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Different methods of exposure assessment derive different exposure levels for pesticide and solvent exposure at work. Agreement between self-reported and expert assessment of exposure was greater for pesticides compared to solvents. The advantages of using a CAPI for the collection of complex data outweigh the disadvantages for interviewers and data quality but using such a method requires extra resources at the study outset.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Pesticides and other agricultural factors associated with self-reported farmer's lung among farm residents in the Agricultural Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Farmer's lung, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis, is an important contributor to respiratory morbidity among farmers. METHODS: Using the 1993-7 enrolment data from the Agricultural Health Study, we conducted a cross-sectional study of occupational risk factors for farmer's lung among 50,000 farmers and farm spouses in Iowa and North Carolina using hierarchical logistic regression controlling for age, state, and smoking status. Participants provided information on agricultural exposures, demographic characteristics, and medical history via self-administered questionnaires. Approximately 2% of farmers (n = 481) and 0.2% of spouses (n = 51) reported doctor-diagnosed farmer's lung during their lifetime. We assessed farmers and spouses separately due to different information on occupational exposure history. Only pesticide exposures represented lifetime exposure history, all other farm exposures represented current activities at enrolment. RESULTS: Among farmers, handling silage (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.82), high pesticide exposure events (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.21), and ever use of organochlorine (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.74) and carbamate pesticides (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.68) were associated with farmer's lung in mutually-adjusted models. The insecticides DDT, lindane, and aldicarb were positively associated with farmer's lung among farmers. Current animal exposures, while not statistically significant, were positively associated with farmer's lung, particularly for poultry houses (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 0.93 to 2.58) and dairy cattle (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.89). The occupational data were more limited for spouses; however, we saw similar associations for dairy cattle (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 0.72 to 3.14) and organochlorine pesticides (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.64 to 2.59). CONCLUSION: While historic farm exposures may contribute to the observed associations with pesticides, these results suggest that organochlorine and carbamate pesticides should be further evaluated as potential risk factors for farmer's lung

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Mortality in a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators in Florida.

OBJECTIVES: Although the primary hazard to humans associated with pesticide exposure is acute poisoning, there has been considerable concern surrounding the possibility of cancer and other chronic health effects in humans. Given the huge volume of pesticides now used throughout the world, as well as environmental and food residue contamination leading to chronic low level exposure, the study of possible chronic human health effects is important. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study, analysed by general standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of licensed pesticide applicators in Florida compared with the general population of Florida. A cohort of 33,658 (10% female) licensed pesticide applicators assembled through extensive data linkages yielded 1874 deaths with 320,250 person-years from 1 January 1975 to 31 December 1993. RESULTS: The pesticide applicators were consistently and significantly healthier than the general population of Florida. As with many occupational cohorts, the risks of cardiovascular disease and of diseases associated with alcohol and tobacco use were significantly lower, even in the subpopulations--for example, men, women, and licence subcategories. Among male applicators, prostate cancer mortality (SMR 2.38 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.83 to 3.04) was significantly increased. No cases of soft tissue sarcoma were confirmed in this cohort, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was not increased. The number of female applicators was small, as were the numbers of deaths. Mortality from cervical cancer and breast cancer was not increased. Additional subcohort and exposure analyses were performed. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous publications on farmers but at odds with current theories about the protective effects of vitamin D, prostate cancer was increased in these pesticide applicators. Female breast cancer was not increased despite theories linking risk of breast cancer with exposure to oestrogen disruptors--such as the organochlorines. The lack of cases of soft tissue sarcoma is at odds with previous publications associating the use of the phenoxy herbicides with an increased risk of these cancers.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

"Keep a low profile": pesticide residue, additives, and freon use in Australian tobacco manufacturing.

OBJECTIVES: To review the Australian tobacco industry's knowledge of pesticide residue on Australian tobacco and its policies and practices on resisting calls by tobacco control advocates that consumers should be informed about pesticide residue as well as additives. METHODS: Review of previously internal industry documents relevant to pesticides and additives in Australian tobacco located from the Master Settlement Agreement websites. RESULTS: Between 1972 and 1994 Philip Morris Australia was aware that its leaf samples were often contaminated with pesticide residue, sometimes including organochlorine levels described by PM's European laboratories as being "extremely high". Consumers were not advised of the contamination nor products withdrawn. From 1981, the industry also resisted calls to declare fully the extent of use and long term safety data on all additives used in their products. They developed standard public responses that were evasive and misleading and, in 2000, implemented voluntary additive disclosure which allowed the companies to continue to avoid disclosure of any ingredient they deemed to be a trade secret. There was extensive use of ozone depleting freon in Australian tobacco manufacturing. Again, the industry kept this information away from consumers. CONCLUSIONS: Australian smokers are unable to make informed decisions about smoking because pesticide and additive disclosure remains voluntary. The Australian government should regulate tobacco to require full disclosure including information on the likely health consequences of inhaling pesticide and additive pyrolysis products.

Australia↗
PubMed2004

Characterization of the t(14;18) BCL2-IGH translocation in farmers occupationally exposed to pesticides.

Increasing incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been associated repeatedly with farming occupation and particular attention focused on the role of pesticide exposure to potentially explain part of this trend. A genetic hallmark of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the presence of recurrent chromosomal translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene. Of these, the t(14;18), which deregulates BCL2 expression and inhibits apoptosis, is the most frequent in follicular lymphoma and has been detected consistently in peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy individuals. As BCL2-IGH translocation represents an early step of the malignant process, we evaluated the occurrence and molecular characteristics of BCL2-IGH translocation in 56 individuals occupationally exposed to pesticides in open field farming They were selected from a representative cohort of farmers with a well-defined assessment of pesticide exposure taking into account potential confounding factors, smoking, sunlight, and age. Our results suggest that occupational exposure to pesticides would increase BCL2-IGH prevalence together with the frequency of BCL2-IGH-bearing cells especially during the high pesticide use period. Distribution of BCL2 or IGH breakpoint positions seemed to be independent of pesticide exposure and was similar to those found in other healthy populations or lymphoma patients. Finally, these results provide additional evidence that BCL2-IGH translocation measurements could be a measure of acquired genetic instability in relation to genotoxic exposure in a gene directly relevant in term of lymphomagenesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Pesticides and the induction of aneuploidy in human sperm.

Pesticides are some of the most frequently released toxic chemicals into the environment. Exposure to them has been associated with reproductive dysfunction, but the knowledge of the genotoxic risks of these substances is still limited. In vitro and in vivo, many pesticides are shown to induce aneuploidy. Analysis of sperm chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome-specific probes has obtained increasing popularity in genetic toxicology. Sperm-FISH studies on men exposed to pesticides have yielded conflicting results: in men exposed to multiple pesticides during spraying no increased disomy frequencies in sperm were observed, although one study reported an increased rate of sex chromosome nullisomy. In contrast the two studies conducted in pesticide factories showed increased frequencies of sperm aneuploidy in exposed men compared to controls. The available data indicates that at least some of the commonly used pesticides are capable of inducing aneuploidy in human sperm when the exposure level is high enough.

Aneugens↗
PubMed1996

Clinical and biochemical changes in greenhouse sprayers chronically exposed to pesticides.

1 This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the impact on health produced by the use of different types of pesticides in greenhouses. It is based on the need to practice and develop biological monitoring techniques to assess exposure and predict health risk in workers occupationally exposed to pesticides. 2 Two groups of greenhouse workers with either high or low exposure to a combination of pesticides was taken in Almería, a Spanish province where cultures under plastic are very extended. 3 One hundred and five sprayers were interviewed to collect information about symptoms and signs related to past exposures. Each pesticide sprayer was examined by a physician, and a blood sample was drawn for plasma and red blood cell cholinesterases, complete blood count, and liver and renal function tests. 4 Exposure of workers to a combination of pesticides resulted in 37% of the workers showing toxic signs and symptoms. The main toxic effect observed were a high incidence of spontaneous abortion, depression, and certain neurologic disorders like headache, tremor and paraesthesia. 5 The major analytical change was a decrease of the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration in 38% of the cases. However, no significant decrease in both serum and erythrocyte cholinesterase activities was observed. 6 The sprayers were not usually aware of the potential hazards of pesticides and did not try their best to maintain personal hygiene.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The health impacts of pesticide use on sugarcane farmers in Fiji.

A survey conducted among sugarcane farmers in Fiji found significant differences in the incidence of chronic illness and disease between users of pesticides and a nonuser control group. Though average production of sugarcane was markedly higher among pesticide users, average annual medical expenditures were also significantly higher. Advanced technological methods including chemical pesticides require a system of institutional support to provide, inter alia, information for an effective transition from traditional to modern agricultural practices. Without that support the ad hoc application of technology may result in inefficiency and, in the case of pesticides, increased health risks among the farm population. Besides practical handling and application advice farmers require information describing the chronic health impacts of pesticide exposure to allow their weighing of the full costs of pesticide use against the production benefits.

Agriculture↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hazardous pesticides in Central America.

Pesticides are an extensively documented occupational and environmental hazard in Central America. Yet, severe problems persist. Toxic pesticide use in the Region increased during 1985-1999. High exposure levels and ineffectiveness of personal protective equipment evidence the difficulties for risk reduction. Acute poisonings remain a severe problem. Delayed and/or long-lasting health effects include dermatoses, cancer, and genotoxic, neurotoxic, and respiratory effects. The use of hazardous pesticides persists through deficiencies in government-driven assessment and risk management; excessive focus on regional harmonization; short-term economic interests; strong links between industry and governments; aggressive marketing; weak trade unions; and failure of universities to reach decision makers. Regulation based on local data is lacking. An agreement of the Ministries of Health for restricting the most toxic pesticides in Central America has potential for progress. The most effective way to reduce risk is to greatly reduce pesticide use. Actions needed include development of multidisciplinary strategies for local studies on health and environmental impact of pesticides; development of sustainable nonchemical agricultural technologies; evaluation of interventions; extending and sharing of expertise within the Region; strengthening of unions and communities; and redefining the role of industry toward development of safer products, with responsible marketing and reliable information.

Academies and Institutes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pregnancy outcomes among farming households of Nueva Ecija with conventional pesticide use versus integrated pest management.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare pregnancy outcomes in farming households that used pesticides conventionally with those that practiced integrated pest management (IPM) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, in the period 1998-1999. Conventional pesticide users (CPUs) were defined as pesticide appliers who used pesticides routinely and regularly, whereas users of IPM were those who used pesticides as necessary, and on economically injured crop areas only. The data sets were subjected to the chi-square test of association, Fisher's exact probability test, and logistic regression analysis. At a significance level at 0.05, spontaneous abortion occurred significantly more often among the 345 CPU households than among the 331 IPM households (adjusted risk ratio 6.17). Likewise, birth defects were significantly more common in the CPU group (adjusted risk ratio 4.56). Thus, people of reproductive age who plan to have children should avoid any use of pesticides.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Who's afraid of national laws? Pesticide corporations use trade negotiations to avoid bans and undercut public health protections in Central America.

The agrochemical industry is using trade agreements to block proposed bans on pesticides identified as the worst occupational health hazards by a multi-country illness surveillance program in Central America. Through privileged access to closed-door negotiations, industry inserted deregulatory mechanisms, including a regional pesticide registry that invalidates national laws, investors' rights protection, and increased intellectual property protections, into the draft Central American Customs Union and the Central American Free Trade Agreement. These agreements undermine health-based national pesticide registration requirements; weaken health ministries' role in pesticide control; block marketing of cheaper, less toxic pesticides; and have a chilling effect on future pesticide regulatory activity. So long as corporations have privileged access to the trade negotiations and civil society is excluded, the resulting agreements will benefit special interests at the expense of public health.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2006

Simultaneous analysis of 10 pyrethroid pesticides in natural medicines by GC/MS with negative chemical ionization.

Many methods for the determination of pesticides residues in food have been reported. Although natural medicines should be confirmed as safe as food, only a few methods for the determination of pesticide residues in natural medicines have been reported. In this study, 10 pyrethroid pesticides were detected in natural medicines by GC/MS with negative chemical ionization (NCI). GC/MS with NCI can detect halogenated pesticides selectively, and thus is suitable for the detection of pyrethroid pesticides. This study indicates that GC/MS with NCI is useful for analyzing pyrethroid pesticides in natural medicines.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗
PubMed2000

Identifying populations potentially exposed to agricultural pesticides using remote sensing and a Geographic Information System.

Pesticides used in agriculture may cause adverse health effects among the population living near agricultural areas. However, identifying the populations most likely to be exposed is difficult. We conducted a feasibility study to determine whether satellite imagery could be used to reconstruct historical crop patterns. We used historical Farm Service Agency records as a source of ground reference data to classify a late summer 1984 satellite image into crop species in a three-county area in south central Nebraska. Residences from a population-based epidemiologic study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma were located on the crop maps using a geographic information system (GIS). Corn, soybeans, sorghum, and alfalfa were the major crops grown in the study area. Eighty-five percent of residences could be located, and of these 22% had one of the four major crops within 500 m of the residence, an intermediate distance for the range of drift effects from pesticides applied in agriculture. We determined the proximity of residences to specific crop species and calculated crop-specific probabilities of pesticide use based on available data. This feasibility study demonstrated that remote sensing data and historical records on crop location can be used to create historical crop maps. The crop pesticides that were likely to have been applied can be estimated when information about crop-specific pesticide use is available. Using a GIS, zones of potential exposure to agricultural pesticides and proximity measures can be determined for residences in a study.

Adult↗