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PubMed2002

Solid-phase extraction and cleanup of organophosphorus pesticide residues in bovine muscle with gas chromatographic detection.

The purpose of this investigation is to develop a rapid and simple method for the assessment of organophosphorus pesticides in bovine muscle by using solid-phase extraction (SPE). After extraction with ethyl acetate (EtOAc) the homogenate is centrifuged and filtered through sodium sulfate. The fat is precipitated in methanol by cooling and the extract is diluted with water and passed through a SPE column (Isolute ENV+). After elution with EtOAc, evaporation, and redissolution, the sample is injected into a gas chromatographic (GC) capillary column DB-1701 and detected by a flame photometric detector. Recoveries from bovine muscle fortified with 12 pesticides between 4 and 65 microg/kg include three levels ranging between 59% and 109% for ten of them. The two most polar pesticides (metamidophos and acephate) are not successful. The relative standard deviations are between 1% and 10% for the ten pesticides. A simplex method is used to optimize the GC conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Pesticide exposure in male farmers and survival of in vitro fertilized pregnancies.

BACKGROUND: Male-mediated spontaneous abortion is well described among animals, but less well documented in humans. Studies that include early pregnancy experience are expensive to conduct, but IVF provides new opportunities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Danish IVF register covers all IVF treatments performed after 1993. We mailed a questionnaire to 5879 women (response rate 68.2%). A subgroup of exposed male partners received a questionnaire on specific exposure to pesticides and growth retardants (n = 128 men, response rate 81.3%). Information on outcome was collected from national health registers. Survival of the first HCG-positive pregnancy was analysed using Cox regression. RESULTS: The proportion of pregnancies terminated by spontaneous abortion before 28 gestational weeks was 19.7% (n = 66 pregnancies), 19.7% (n = 61), 21.3% (n = 47) and 22.2% (n = 18) in pregnancies with paternal exposure to herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and growth retardants. respectively. In the reference group of 2925 pregnancies, the abortion rate was 28.4%. The differences in survival were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: We found no increased risk of spontaneous abortion in IVF-treated women attributable to paternal agricultural application of pesticides and growth retardants. Exposure to potentially harmful pesticides in Denmark is relatively low, and the findings are restricted to countries with similar standards of protection.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rapid multimethod for verification and determination of toxic pesticides in whole blood by means of capillary GC-MS.

A rapid and single multimethod was developed to determine substances of different pesticide classes in whole blood in the event of acute human intoxications, as required by EU Commission Directive 96/46. The method was validated by an in-house and an independent laboratory validation. Whole blood is hemolyzed and then deproteinized. After extraction of the supernatant, blood levels are determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method, which can be performed within 120 min, covers 15 active substances (8 organophosphate pesticides, 2 carbamates, 3 pyrethroids, 1 azole, and 1 organochlorine pesticide) classified as toxic or very toxic. These compounds can be identified down to concentrations between 100 and 1000 ng/mL by comparison of their mass spectra to those in a commercial pesticide mass spectra library. Using the standard addition method, they can be quantitated down to concentrations between 30 and 200 ng/mL. These limits of quantitation are considered to be sufficient in comparison to respective LD50 values.

Forensic Medicine↗
PubMed1989

Managing resistance with multiple pesticide tactics: theory, evidence, and recommendations.

Sequences, mixtures, rotations, and mosaics are potential strategies for using more than one pesticide to manage pest populations and for slowing the evolution of pesticide resistance. Results from theoretical models suggest that, under certain conditions, mixtures might be especially effective for resistance management. The assumptions of such models, however, are probably not widely applicable. Potential disadvantages associated with mixtures that are usually not considered in modeling studies include disruption of biological control, promotion of resistance in secondary pests, and intense selection for cross-resistance. Results from limited experimental work suggest that pesticide combinations do not consistently suppress resistance development. More thorough evaluation of tactics that seek to optimize benefits of more than one insecticide will require rigorous experiments with the particular pest and pesticide combinations. Because of the difficulty in generalizing results across systems and the potential negative effects of multiple insecticide use, emphasis on minimizing insecticide use is recommended.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Pesticide use by licensed applicators for the control of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Connecticut.

To assess the use of insecticides for tick control by commercial applicators in Connecticut, a questionnaire was mailed to 897 individuals and businesses with ornamental and turf pesticide applicator licenses. In total, 348 completed surveys were returned (38.8%). The majority of the respondents considered themselves lawn care (41.1%), landscape (31.3%) or tree care (12.6%) providers. Tick control services were offered by 16.4% (n = 57) of the respondents, all of whom apply insecticides for tick control, mainly for Ixodes scapularis Say. Over half (n = 33) also treat for the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say). Most respondents (66.7%) began applying pesticides for the control of I. scapularis during the period from 1990 to 1996. The principal acaricide used for tick control was cyfluthrin (n = 21), with chlorpyrifos 2nd (n = 18), carbaryl 3rd (n = 12), and fluvalinate (n = 4) 4th. When asked about what other pesticides were used for tick control, the top 3 chemicals also were the principal alternatives. Past success with a product was the dominant factor in selecting a pesticide, but information provided by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (New Haven), Cooperative Extension (University of Connecticut, Storrs), and scientific studies were important. Half of the respondents (49.1%) indicated that their tick control business had increased slightly or dramatically since 1991, although tick control comprises < 5% of their overall business for 63.1% of these applicators. Residential properties comprised 90% of the business for half of those treating for ticks, and the median charge for 0.4 ha was $180. Many respondents (43.8%) also indicated that they planned to expand their tick control services. Tick control represents a small but growing business in Connecticut.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

The role of oxidative stress in the in vitro induction of micronuclei by pesticides in mouse lung fibroblasts.

The involvement of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase (both at 0.1 mg/ml) in defence against the genotoxicity of phosphamidon (80 microg/ml) and dieldrin (25 microM) was investigated in order to demonstrate that the two pesticides damage DNA through the generation of reactive oxygen species and therefore of oxidative stress. The pesticide genotoxicity was determined by the cytokinesis-block micronucleus test performed on primary mouse lung fibroblast cultures. Also, 3-aminotriazole (40 mM) and mercaptosuccinate (0.5 mM), inhibitors of catalase and glutathione peroxidase, respectively, were added to the cultures. Data indicate that catalase causes a decrease only in the damage induced by phosphamidon, while glutathione peroxidase protects against damage induced by both phosphamidon and dieldrin. Simultaneous treatment with antioxidant inhibitors and pesticides results in a decrease in micronucleus frequency and cell number, due to apoptotic death. Our results indicate that clastogenic DNA damage produced by the two pesticides is modulated by antioxidant enzymes and their inhibitors and thus could be due to oxidative stress induction.

Amitrole↗
PubMed2005

Neurotoxicological and statistical analyses of a mixture of five organophosphorus pesticides using a ray design.

Environmental exposures generally involve chemical mixtures instead of single chemicals. Statistical models such as the fixed-ratio ray design, wherein the mixing ratio (proportions) of the chemicals is fixed across increasing mixture doses, allows for the detection and characterization of interactions among the chemicals. In this study, we tested for interaction(s) in a mixture of five organophosphorus (OP) pesticides (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dimethoate, acephate, and malathion). The ratio of the five pesticides (full ray) reflected the relative dietary exposure estimates of the general population as projected by the US EPA Dietary Exposure Evaluation Model (DEEM). A second mixture was tested using the same dose levels of all pesticides, but excluding malathion (reduced ray). The experimental approach first required characterization of dose-response curves for the individual OPs to build a dose-additivity model. A series of behavioral measures were evaluated in adult male Long-Evans rats at the time of peak effect following a single oral dose, and then tissues were collected for measurement of cholinesterase (ChE) activity. Neurochemical (blood and brain cholinesterase [ChE] activity) and behavioral (motor activity, gait score, tail-pinch response score) endpoints were evaluated statistically for evidence of additivity. The additivity model constructed from the single chemical data was used to predict the effects of the pesticide mixture along the full ray (10-450 mg/kg) and the reduced ray (1.75-78.8 mg/kg). The experimental mixture data were also modeled and statistically compared to the additivity models. Analysis of the 5-OP mixture (the full ray) revealed significant deviation from additivity for all endpoints except tail-pinch response. Greater-than-additive responses (synergism) were observed at the lower doses of the 5-OP mixture, which contained non-effective dose levels of each of the components. The predicted effective doses (ED20, ED50) were about half that predicted by additivity, and for brain ChE and motor activity, there was a threshold shift in the dose-response curves. For the brain ChE and motor activity, there was no difference between the full (5-OP mixture) and reduced (4-OP mixture) rays, indicating that malathion did not influence the non-additivity. While the reduced ray for blood ChE showed greater deviation from additivity without malathion in the mixture, the non-additivity observed for the gait score was reversed when malathion was removed. Thus, greater-than-additive interactions were detected for both the full and reduced ray mixtures, and the role of malathion in the interactions varied depending on the endpoint. In all cases, the deviations from additivity occurred at the lower end of the dose-response curves.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Experts' assessment of probability and level of pesticide exposure in agricultural workers.

The occupational history of the parents of 261 infants with congenital malformations and 261 matched controls was collected. During the relevant time period before the birth of their child, 183 parents were involved in agricultural activities, 49% of them having directly applied pesticides. Two experts assessed the probability and the level of exposure to each quoted pesticide (582 observations) by using 4-point scales. Interrater agreement was estimated. Kappa-weighted values for probability and level of exposure were, respectively, kappa = 0.36 and kappa = 0.39. In the analysis of some categories of exposure (non-applicators, herbicides) very low interrater agreement was observed. In epidemiological studies, detailed assessment of pesticide exposure (product-by-product) is needed to investigate the effects of pesticides on health. But the application of experts' judgment in this area needs more research in assessing the validity of this approach.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed2002

Removing pesticides from the hands with a simple washing procedure using soap and water.

Crop activities lead to dermal exposure of workers to pesticides. The efficacy of hand washing as a control measure is unknown. The efficacy of water and soap was studied for some pesticides and exposure situations. Pre-washing contamination levels in field studies were calculated from foliar residues by models using transfer factors. Between 24.5% and 50.7% of the calculated prewashing contamination was removed in two field studies with three pesticides, with coefficients of variation between 43% and 72%. In a human volunteer study, on average 45.8% and 85.7% was removed for two pesticides (coefficients of variation 6% and 7%). No influence of 'washing vigour' was found and efficacy did not depend on pre-washing contamination levels. The combination of field studies and laboratory experiments was successful, partly compensating for weaknesses in both approaches.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Mortality of mental disorders in relation to potential pesticide exposure.

Some studies have suggested a role of pesticide exposure in the development of neurobehavioral disorders. This case-control study examined the association between mortality from mental disorders and occupational exposure to pesticides. The study population consisted of 7756 deaths and 330,452 eligible controls identified from US death certificate files for the years 1988 through 1992. Exposure assignment was based on job title reported on the death certificates. Employment in jobs potentially involving pesticide exposure was weakly associated with the risk of death from mental disorders (odds ratio [OR] = 1.46; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.33-1.60). This association was stronger among women (OR = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.89-3.71), in particular for deaths from neurotic disorders (OR = 4.32; 95% CI = 2.44-7.64). These results must be interpreted with caution, however, because the impact of social and work-related factors other than pesticide exposure is not known.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Safety practices, neurological symptoms, and pesticide poisoning.

Depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate, and spatial disorientation associated with pesticide poisoning may influence farmers' ability to comply with established safety procedures. The purpose of this article is to describe the relationship between safety practices, neurological symptoms, and pesticide poisoning. A survey of farm residents was conducted in an eight-county area in Colorado. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine associations between safety practices, neurological symptoms, and previous pesticide poisoning. A number of safety practices were associated with the following neurological symptoms: difficulty concentrating; feeling irritable; relatives noticing memory difficulties; and difficulty understanding reading materials. The associations between safety practices and neurological symptoms were increased in the presence of pesticide poisoning. Factors associated with failure to engage in established safety practices in this study were neurological symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Occupational exposure to pesticides and pregnancy outcomes in gardeners and farmers: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a follow-up study to examine whether exposure to pesticides during pregnancy had an adverse effect on pregnancy outcomes among Danish gardeners and farmers. METHODS: Using data from the National Birth Cohort in Denmark, we identified 226 pregnancies of gardeners and 214 pregnancies of farmers during 1997 through 2003. Work activities and exposure to pesticides were reported in an interview (around 16 weeks of gestation). Totally, 62,164 other workers in the cohort served as a reference group. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained by linkage to the national registers. Cox regression was applied to analyze late fetal loss and congenital malformations, and logistic regression was used to analyze preterm birth and small for gestational age. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the studied pregnancy outcomes between gardeners or farmers and all other workers, except for an increased risk of very preterm birth for gardeners and a favorable birth weight for farmers. With the exception of biologic approach used in gardening, neither work activities nor exposure to pesticides showed a significant increased risk of adverse birth outcomes among gardeners or farmers. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest little effect of occupational exposures to pesticides on pregnancy outcomes among gardeners or farmers in Denmark. The results may not apply to other countries.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Semen quality in fertile US men in relation to geographical area and pesticide exposure.

We conducted the first US study to compare semen quality among study centres using standardized methods and strict quality control. We present data on semen quality in partners of 493 pregnant women recruited through prenatal clinics in four US cities during 1999-2001. Sperm concentration, semen volume and motility were determined at the centres and morphology was assessed at a central laboratory. While between-centre differences in sperm morphology and sample volume were small, sperm concentration and motility were significantly reduced in Columbia, MO (MO) relative to men in New York, NY, Minneapolis, MN and Los Angeles, CA; total number of motile sperm was 113 x 10(6) in MO and 162, 201 and 196 x 10(6) in CA, MN and NY respectively. Differences among centres remained significant in multivariate models that controlled for abstinence time, semen analysis time, age, race, smoking, history of sexually transmitted disease and recent fever (all p-values <0.01). We hypothesized that poorer sperm concentration and motility in MO men relative to other centres might be related to agricultural pesticides that are commonly used in the mid-west. We investigated this hypothesis by conducting a nested case-control study within the MO cohort. We selected 25 men in this cohort for whom all semen parameters (concentration, % normal morphology and % motile) were low as cases and an equal number of men for whom all semen parameters were within normal limits as controls. We measured metabolites of eight non-persistent, current-use pesticides in urine samples the men had provided at the time of semen collection. Pesticide metabolite levels were elevated in cases compared with controls for the herbicides alachlor and atrazine, and for the insecticide diazinon (2-isopropoxy-4-methyl-pyrimidinol) (p-values for Wilcoxon rank test = 0.0007, 0.012, and 0.0004 for alachlor, atrazine and diazinon respectively). Men with higher levels of alachlor or diazinon were significantly more likely to be cases than men with low levels [odds ratios (OR) = 30.0, 16.7 for alachlor and diazinon respectively], as were men with atrazine over the limit of detection (OR = 11.3). These associations between current-use pesticides and reduced semen quality suggest that agricultural chemicals may have contributed to the reduced semen quality seen in fertile men from mid-Missouri.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Enzymatic activity, osmotic stress and degradation of pesticide mixtures in soil extract liquid broth inoculated with Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor.

In this study we examined the extracellular enzymatic activity of two white rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor) in a soil extract broth in relation to differential degradation of a mixture of different concentrations (0-30 p.p.m.) of simazine, dieldrin and trifluralin under different osmotic stress (-0.7 and -2.8 MPa) and quantified enzyme production, relevant to P and N release (phosphomonoesterase, protease), carbon cycling (beta-glucosidase, cellulase) and laccase activity, involved in lignin degradation. Our results suggest that T. versicolor and P. chrysosporium have the ability to degrade different groups of pesticides, supported by the capacity for expression of a range of extracellular enzymes at both -0.7 and -2.8 MPa water potential. Phanerochaete chrysosporium was able to degrade this mixture of pesticides independently of laccase activity. In soil extract, T. versicolor was able to produce the same range of enzymes as P. chrysoporium plus laccase, even in the presence of 30 p.p.m. of the pesticide mixture. Complete degradation of dieldrin and trifluralin was observed, while about 80% of the simazine was degraded regardless of osmotic stress treatment in a nutritionally poor soil extract broth. The capacity of tolerance and degradation of high concentrations of mixtures of pesticides and production of a range of enzymes, even under osmotic stress, suggest potential bioremediation applications.

Basidiomycota↗
PubMed1990

Pesticides in breast milk--a public health perspective.

Concern in the community about the risk of environmental hazards such as pesticides seems widespread. Pesticides have been widely used in agriculture to enhance food production and pesticide residues are now found in most human breast milk samples taken in industrialised countries. A breast milk survey on 158 women in Victoria was carried out during 1985/86 among women attending infant welfare centres. The survey showed that the mean sigma DDT and HCB concentrations had fallen by 62 per cent and 74 per cent respectively since the previous Victorian study in 1978. However dieldrin levels had not decreased significantly and most pesticide levels, as well as those for PCB, were above the acceptable daily intake levels set by the World Health Organization. The significance of these findings is still unclear. The response of governments and the media to this type of controversy is discussed in the light of the Victorian Breast Milk Survey.

Female↗
PubMed2006

Respiratory diseases and pesticide exposure: a case-control study in Lebanon.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the odds of being exposed to pesticides in asthmatic adults. DESIGN: A case-control study was performed in Lebanon. SETTING: People were approached when consulting physicians as outpatients. PATIENTS: Asthmatic patients and non-asthmatic controls in several Lebanese hospitals were interviewed. MAIN RESULTS: The study included 407 subjects from 10 medical centres. Any exposure to pesticides was associated to asthma (OR = 2.11 (1.47 to 3.02); p<10(-4)). Occupational use presented the highest association (OR = 4.98 (1.07 to 23.28); p = 0.02), followed by regional exposure (OR 3.51 (2.11 to 5.85); p<10(-4)). Results were confirmed by multivariate analysis, particularly for regional exposure (OR(a) = 2.78; p = 0.02) and house exposure (OR(a) = 2.17; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results are comparable to those found in other studies; especially for occupational exposure. Pesticides toxicological effects may explain chronic respiratory symptoms and asthma associations found with all exposure types. Pesticide exposure was associated with asthma in Lebanese adults.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Risk of cancer in pesticide applicators in Swedish agriculture.

The risk of cancer was analysed in a cohort of 20,245 licensed pesticide applicators in agriculture who had licences issued between 1965 and 1976. Most were men (99%) and about 50% had been born in 1935 or later. The cohort was followed up in the Swedish Cancer Register from date of licence until death or 31 December 1982. The mean follow up time was 12.2 years. Average time since first exposure was longer, however, since one fifth of the cohort was exposed in the 1950s. A total of 558 malignant tumours was found compared with 649.8 expected, which resulted in a statistically significantly decreased standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-0.93). Significantly decreased risks of cancer were also found for liver (SIR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.18-0.93), pancreas (SIR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26-0.87), lung (SIR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.35-0.68), and kidney (SIR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.32-0.84). No statistically significantly increased risks or any time trends were observed. SIR for testicular cancer was increased (SIR = 1.55, 95% CI: 0.92-2.45) and increased with period since licence. Eighteen cases with testicular cancer were found. For those born in 1935 or later a non-significant increased overall risk of cancer was observed (SIR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.82-1.37). Comparisons were made with agricultural workers in general since pesticide applicators are mainly farmers that use or have used pesticides to a greater extent. Higher risks for pesticide applicators were found for testicular cancer, tumours of the nervous system and endocrine glands, and Hodgkin's disease.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
PubMed1995

Bladder cancer among French farmers: does exposure to pesticides in vineyards play a part?

OBJECTIVE: To appraise the potential contribution of pesticides sprayed on vineyards to the genesis of bladder cancer among agricultural workers. METHODS: A pesticide exposure index (PEI), based on labour time and the proportion of agricultural land used as vineyards, was constructed for 89 French geographical units (départements). The standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for bladder cancer, as well as tobacco consumption and economic status of male farmers and farm labourers aged 35-74 in the same areas were estimated for the period 1984-6. Models were fitted to the geographical data with Poisson regressions and extra-Poisson models with geographically structured and unstructured random effects. RESULTS: Mortality from bladder cancer among farmers was lower (but not significantly so) than within the overall population (SMR 0.96, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.85-1.08), but there was a significant link with exposure to pesticides in vineyards by univariate analysis (relative risk (RR) 1.17, 95% CI 1.10-1.24) and by multivariate analysis (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.22). CONCLUSION: These results add some evidence to the view that pesticides in vineyards cause mortality from bladder cancer among farmers, and could explain the French south-north gradient in bladder cancer, as vineyards are mainly located in Southern France.

Adult↗