Agricultural Exposure Research Articles

Agricultural exposure and COPD – an update

Agricultural exposure and COPD – an update

MEASUREMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF THE ROLE OF SOME MACROECONOMIC VARIABLES IN AGRICULTURAL PERFORMANCE IN SELECTED ARAB COUNTRIES FOR THE PERIOD 1990-2020

The agricultural sector in most of the developing countries is one of the most vital sectors except for oil, as it contributes to providing the most fundamental needs of individuals, foremost of which is food, as well as employing 40% of the total population. However, the performance of the aforementioned sector does not meet the performance of the agricultural sectors in the developed countries as it can not cover the needs of the population, as the reason for this is that it is subject to the effects of a number of macroeconomic variables, namely the values of agricultural exports and imports, cash supply, foreign exchange and Government revenues and expenditures, as the independent variables in the standard models, which were used for estimation. So, a number of Arab countries were that include (Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia). The study was pivoted on the hypothesis that macroeconomic variables contribute to a varying levels to the performance of the agricultural sector represented by the agricultural growth and the contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product, the rate of agricultural exposure and agricultural productivity as the dependent variables. 2020 and data of Panel Data type and Eviews_12 software and its tests were used in this study. A set of conclusions were drawn, the most important of which were the economic policies adopted with varying roles, but they are not ideal for the performance of the sector mentioned above. The researchers recommend reorganizing the structure of economic policies and enhansing agricultural awareness programs in the sample countries in the direction that achieves the largest possible amount of agricultural production for them.

Kidney cancer and occupational agricultural exposures in the AGRIculture and CANcer (AGRICAN) cohort

Kidney cancer and occupational agricultural exposures in the AGRIculture and CANcer (AGRICAN) cohort

Cancer incidence in agricultural workers: Findings from an international consortium of agricultural cohort studies (AGRICOH).

Agricultural work can expose workers to potentially hazardous agents including known and suspected carcinogens. This study aimed to evaluate cancer incidence in male and female agricultural workers in an international consortium, AGRICOH, relative to their respective general populations. The analysis included eight cohorts that were linked to their respective cancer registries: France (AGRICAN: n=128,101), the US (AHS: n=51,165, MESA: n=2,177), Norway (CNAP: n=43,834), Australia (2 cohorts combined, Australian Pesticide Exposed Workers: n=12,215 and Victorian Grain Farmers: n=919), Republic of Korea (KMCC: n=8,432), and Denmark (SUS: n=1,899). For various cancer sites and all cancers combined, standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each cohort using national or regional rates as reference rates and were combined by random-effects meta-analysis. During nearly 2,800,000 person-years, a total of 23,188 cancers were observed. Elevated risks were observed for melanoma of the skin (number of cohorts=3, meta-SIR=1.18, CI: 1.01-1.38) and multiple myeloma (n=4, meta-SIR=1.27, CI: 1.04-1.54) in women and prostate cancer (n=6, meta-SIR=1.06, CI: 1.01-1.12), compared to the general population. In contrast, a deficit was observed for the incidence of several cancers, including cancers of the bladder, breast (female), colorectum, esophagus, larynx, lung, and pancreas and all cancers combined (n=7, meta-SIR for all cancers combined=0.83, 95% CI: 0.77-0.90). The direction of risk was largely consistent across cohorts although we observed large between-cohort variations in SIR for cancers of the liver and lung in men and women, and stomach, colorectum, and skin in men. The results suggest that agricultural workers have a lower risk of various cancers and an elevated risk of prostate cancer, multiple myeloma (female), and melanoma of skin (female) compared to the general population. Those differences and the between-cohort variations may be due to underlying differences in risk factors and warrant further investigation of agricultural exposures.

Effect of Pesticide Exposure on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Incidence and Survival in California

Introduction:While previous studies propose pesticide exposure to be a risk factor for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) development, results are inconclusive. In addition, the impact of pesticide exposure on NHL survival is not well-established. Therefore, we identified NHL patients from the California Cancer Registry and linked these patients with the statewide pesticide use reporting database to determine the impact of pesticide exposure on NHL-related incidence and outcomes.Methods:Using the California Cancer Registry, we identified patients with a first primary diagnosis of NHL from 2010-2016 and linked these patients with CalEnviroScreen 3.0 to obtain production agriculture pesticide exposure to 70 chemicals from the state mandated Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) by census tract from 2012-2014. In addition, data from PUR was integrated into a geographic information system that employs land use data to estimate cumulative exposure to specific pesticides previously associated with NHL (glyphosate, organophosphorus, carbamate, phenoxyherbicide and 2,4-dimethylamine salt) between 10 years prior up to 1 year after NHL diagnosis. SEER*Stat software was used to calculate NHL subtype incidence rates by census tract pesticide use level. Multivariable cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the impact of total pesticide exposure from CalEnviroScreen 3.0 and individual pesticide exposure from geographic land use data on lymphoma-specific and overall survival.Results:Among 35,808 NHL patients identified, 44.2% were exposed to pesticide in their census tract of residence. Pesticide exposure was higher in Hispanic/Latino (46.5%) and non-Hispanic white (45.6%) then Asian/Pacific Islander (37.2%) and African American (34.9%) patients with NHL. Glyphosate, organophosphorus, carbamate, phenoxyherbicide and 2,4-dimethylamine salt exposure was reported in 34.1%, 26.0%, 10.6%, 14.0% and 12.8% of NHL patients, respectively. Pesticide exposure was not associated with increased NHL incidence by NHL subtype or subgroups defined by sociodemographic factors. Total pesticide exposure at time of diagnosis was not associated with lymphoma-specific or overall survival. In addition, no association was consistently found between glyphosate, organophosphorus, carbamate, phenoxyherbicide and 2,4 dimethylamine salt exposure and lymphoma-specific or overall survival.Conclusion:In this large population-based study of neighborhood agricultural pesticide exposure, pesticide exposure was noted to be prevalent among patients diagnosed with NHL, with high pesticide exposure particularly observed in Hispanics/Latinos and non-Hispanic whites. However, pesticide exposure was not consistently associated with increased NHL incidence or worse NHL lymphoma-specific or overall survival. DisclosuresPoh: Acrotech: Honoraria; Incyte: Research Funding; Morphosys: Consultancy. Tuscano: BMS: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Acrotech: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding.

Do we prioritize floodplains for development and farming? Mapping global dependence and exposure to inundation

Global wetlands and floodplains offer benefits and perils alike for human society. For example, humans rely on natural flood cycles for fisheries and agriculture, yet flooding also caused nearly one trillion USD in damage in the past 30 years and impacts millions of people every year. Looking forward, altered flow regimes or increased drought conditions are expected to affect the natural inundation cycle and its ecosystem services. The current and potential future impacts of flooding and drying events warrant increasing efforts to quantify our dependence and exposure within flooded areas, since any change from current inundation patterns is expected to have consequences for those who rely on regular flood occurrences. This paper provides a baseline global assessment of the dependence and exposure of human populations, urban areas, roads, and agriculture on current inundation patterns. The analysis uses a spatially explicit inundation map at ∼500 m resolution (GIEMS-D15) derived from satellite remote sensing to represent flooding extents and overlays it with current population and land use maps. We find that 35% of the analyzed population, or 2.0 billion people, live inside areas that are prone to inland flooding, which comprise only 12% of the land surface area (excluding marine coastal areas), confirming that population densities within inundation zones are about three-times above global average. Likewise, 35% of urban areas potentially experience regular, seasonal, or infrequent flooding. Agriculture shows a similar pattern with 24% of the world’s cropland in areas of recurring inundation. Finally, we estimate that 18% of the global road network is exposed to inundation during high water periods. These global estimates demonstrate a preferential tendency of human populations, infrastructure, and agriculture to be co-located within inundation areas, making related anthropogenic activities highly susceptible to future changes in flood regimes. The results are intended to offer a suite of first-order estimates as partial input to more holistic risk and vulnerability assessments and to ultimately improve environmental planning and policy at large scales.

Lung inflammation from repeated exposure to LPS and glyphosate.

Agricultural workplaces consist of multiple airborne contaminants and inhalation exposures induce respiratory effects in workers. Endotoxin (LPS) and glyphosate are two common airborne contaminants in agricultural environments. We have previously shown that exposure to a combination of LPS and glyphosate synergistically modulates immune reactions as compared to individual exposures. The immunopathogenesis of acute and chronic exposure to complex agricultural exposures including LPS and glyphosate is not known; therefore, we further investigated the lung cellular inflammatory differences in mice exposed to either a combination, or individual, LPS, and glyphosate for 1day, 5days, and 10days. Exposure to a combination of LPS and glyphosate resulted in greater cellular inflammatory effects in lungs as compared to individual exposures to LPS or glyphosate. Repeated exposures to the combination of LPS and glyphosate resulted in robust infiltration of inflammatory cells in the perivascular, peribronchiolar, and alveolar regions, and increases of alveolar septal thicknesses and perivascular spaces in the lungs with intense intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) - 1 staining in the perivascular region, but minimal staining in the pulmonary artery endothelium.

Conidiobolomycosis: a diagnostic challenge (case report)

Introduction and importance: Conidiobolomycosis is a rare chronic granulomatous fungal infection affecting the rhino-facial region. It usually occurs in immunocompetent males with agricultural exposure. A high index of suspicion is required to achieve a timely diagnosis in such cases, as the infection usually responds well to early antifungal therapy. Case presentation: We share a case of this disease occurring in a 21-year-old male presenting with a right nasal mass and external nasal swelling. It could not be diagnosed correctly over 2 months at various hospitals before he visited our center, where we excised the mass via functional endoscopic sinus surgery and identified Conidiobolus coronatum as the causative agent based on histopathologic examination, and MALDI-TOF. The facial deformity resolved after 3 months of therapy with oral Voriconazole. Clinical discussion: In this report, we discuss the pathogenesis of Conidiobolomycosis, our diagnostic approach, and the use of functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which has not been reported extensively in the existing literature. Conclusion: In endemic regions, conidiobolomycosis should be considered amongst the differential diagnosis of a nasal mass associated with facial swelling. A multidisciplinary team approach is required to arrive at a timely diagnosis and begin early antifungal therapy.

Conserving the Cerrado and Amazon biomes of Brazil protects the soy economy from damaging warming

In tropical regions, widespread loss of native forest and savanna vegetation is increasing extreme heat, particularly in agricultural regions. Using the case of rising extreme heat from lost forest and savanna vegetation in Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado regions, we modeled losses to soy production, the region’s principal economic activity. We assessed two types of extreme-heat regulation values: the value of avoided extreme-heat exposure of soy from the conservation of neighboring ecosystems and the value of lost revenue due to increased extreme heat exposure from increased ecosystem conversion. Our modeling combines empirical estimates of (1) the influence of ecosystem conversion on extreme heat over neighboring cropland, (2) the impacts of extreme heat on agricultural yields, and (3) native vegetation area, agricultural area, and crop prices. We examine lost soy value from land conversion over the period 1985 to 2012, potential losses from further conversion under plausible land and climate change scenarios (2020–2050), and the future value of conservation of the region’s remaining ecosystem area near soy. Soy revenue lost due to extreme heat from native vegetation loss (1985–2012) totaled 99 (2005USD) ha−1 for 2012-2013 growing season. By 2050, agricultural growth, ecosystem conversion, and climate change could boost extreme-heat regulation values by 25% to 95%. Future values were strongly sensitive to changes in agricultural density, rates of native vegetation loss, and climate. Extreme-heat regulation values were largest in the Cerrado biome and the southeastern Amazon. Relative to land values, the value of extreme heat regulation was largest relative to the carbon value of biomass in the Cerrado. By regulating the exposure of agriculture to extreme heat, ecosystem conservation can create considerable value for the soy sector.

Association of Agriculture Occupational Exposure With Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in South Indian Villages: REDSI Study.

There has been a huge increase in diabetes and its associated cardiovascular complications over the last decade, predominantly in the middle- and low-income countries. In these countries, the majority live in rural areas. The Rural Epidemiology of Diabetes in South India (REDSI) study was aimed to analyze the prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, and its complications in rural farming and non-farming villages in Tamil Nadu, South India. A research survey on the prevalence of self-reported diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors (age, sex, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, alcohol and tobacco use) and agricultural occupational exposure was executed among 106,111 people from 61 villages in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India, during 2015–2018. Overall, we observed a diabetes prevalence of 11.9% in rural South India. A nearly two-fold higher prevalence of diabetes was observed among the farming community (15.0%) compared to that among the non-farming population (8.7%). Logistic regression analyses revealed a strong association with agrochemical exposure (P < 0.0001) and diabetes prevalence among rural farming people. Our survey indicates a high prevalence of diabetes in rural South India particularly among the farming community. This survey in conjunction with other epidemiological and experimental studies raises the need for understanding the etiology of diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors in rural communities.

Wild Bee Pollinators Foraging in Peanut and Cotton Adjacent to Native Wildflower Strips

Wild bees are major contributors to pollination of economically important crops. However, widespread habitat conversion to agriculture and pesticide exposure are associated with declines in wild bee abundance and biodiversity. A growing number of studies have investigated the incorporation of a variety of flower species in agroecosystems to augment resource and habitat availability to wild bees and pollination of nearby crops. Here we investigated if wildflower strips containing Gaillardia pulchella Foug. (Asteraceae) in 2018 and G. pulchella, Rudbeckia hirta L. (Asteraceae), and Monarda citriodora Cerv. ex Lag. (Lamiaceae) in 2019 could promote pollinator abundance and pollination of nearby peanut and cotton. We used bee bowls in crop fields to capture bees and identified the pollen on the bees. We captured a total of 291 bees in peanut and 89 bees in cotton that were comprised of 2 families (Apidae and Halictidae) with 10 species represented from these families. The species in peanut were comprised mostly of Melissodes communis Cresson and Melissodes bimaculatus Lepeletier (Apidae). The bee species in cotton was comprised of mostly Lasioglossum reticulatum Robertson (Halictidae), M. communis, and M. bimaculatus. At peak abundance in peanut, 48% of bees bore both G. pulchella and peanut pollen. At peak abundance in cotton, 37% of bees bore 1 or more wildflower strip pollen and cotton pollen. Throughout the season, 62% of the bees captured in cotton had unidentified pollen from surrounding sources. These results indicate that the wildflower buffers had provided pollinators and bee foragers to these crops in early season. By studying bee foraging between crop fields and wildflower strips based on identification of pollen grain on bee bodies, we showed the potential to increase pollination in crop fields through the provision of floral resources throughout the growing season.

Identities, concentrations, and sources of pesticide exposure in pollen collected by managed bees during blueberry pollination

Bees are critical for crop pollination, but there is limited information on levels and sources of pesticide exposure in commercial agriculture. We collected pollen from foraging honey bees and bumble bees returning to colonies placed in blooming blueberry fields with different management approaches (conventional, organic, unmanaged) and located across different landscape settings to determine how these factors affect pesticide exposure. We also identified the pollen and analyzed whether pesticide exposure was correlated with corbicular load composition. Across 188 samples collected in 2 years, we detected 80 of the 259 pesticide active ingredients (AIs) screened for using a modified QuEChERS method. Detections included 28 fungicides, 26 insecticides, and 21 herbicides. All samples contained pesticides (mean = 22 AIs per pollen sample), with pollen collected from bees on conventional fields having significantly higher average concentrations (2019 mean = 882.0 ppb) than those on unmanaged fields (2019 mean = 279.6 ppb). Pollen collected by honey bees had more AIs than pollen collected by bumble bees (mean = 35 vs. 19 AIs detected at each farm, respectively), whereas samples from bumble bees had higher average concentrations, likely reflecting differences in foraging behavior. Blueberry pollen was more common in pollen samples collected by bumble bees (25.9% per sample) than honey bees (1.8%), though pesticide concentrations were only correlated with blueberry pollen for honey bees. Pollen collected at farms with more blueberry in the surrounding landscape had higher pesticide concentrations, mostly AIs applied for control of blueberry pathogens and pests during bloom. However, for honey bees, the majority of AIs detected at each farm are not registered for use on blueberry at any time (55.2% of AIs detected), including several highly toxic insecticides. These AIs therefore came from outside the fields and farms they are expected to pollinate. For bumble bees, the majority of AIs detected in their pollen are registered for use on blueberry during bloom (56.9% of AIs detected), though far fewer AIs were sprayed at the focal farm (16.7%). Our results highlight the need for integrated farm and landscape-scale stewardship of pesticides to reduce exposure to pollinators during crop pollination.

DUSHI VISHA W.R.T. MODERN SLOW-ACTING POISON AND THEIR SKIN MANIFESTATION

According to Ayurveda, prevention of disease and maintenance of health are more important than the treatment of disease. As given in Ayurvedic Samhitas, a poison is a substance that vitiates the normal functioning of dosha, dhatu, mala. Thousands of harmful toxins are present in our atmosphere (Air, water and earth) that are ingested by human beings on daily basis. As described in our Ayurvedic Samhitas, Dushi Visha is an intake of toxic drugs which is less potent (Denatured) and remains in a dormant state within the body for years together without causing any major harm to the body. As we see in today's era workers working in the lead industry like enamel workers, glass blowers, printing works have typical chronic lead poisoning symptoms such as constipation, tremors, menstrual disarrangements etc. Due to chronic exposure to lead which accumulates in the body and produces its ill effect like Dushi Visha. Arsenic, copper, mercury chronic occupational poisoning also happened due to long exposure of poi- son working in the respective industry. In agriculture, chronic exposure to OPP, OCP, weed killers like parquet, chlorophenoxy acetates, chlorates used to prevent infection in plants, being sprayed by farmers on daily basis, leads to symptoms like dysphasia, oropharyngeal ulcers, coughing, pain in the abdomen, etc. These symptoms resemble Dushi Visha like symptoms. From this article, we may correlate the symptoms of Dushi Visha with the dermatolog- ical manifestation of chronic occupational poisoning and agricultural field exposure to weed killers, which may behelpful to understand the concept of Dushi Visha. We need to realize the health hazardous effects of cumulative poison and its proper time to time prevention as well as its proper treatment. Keywords: Dushi Visha, Skin manifestation, Slow acting poison

Firearm licenses associated with elevated pediatric blood lead levels in Massachusetts

ObjectiveTo determine the association between firearm-related lead exposure and pediatric blood lead levels. MethodsUsing data available through the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Criminal Justice Information Services, we examined the association between active class A firearm licenses in a community with the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in children aged 0–4. Correlational and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted with potential confounders and other exposures such as lead paint, lead in water, presence of firing ranges, and social, economic, and occupational variables. ResultsData from 351 Massachusetts sub-counties were examined. Sub-counties with higher rates of firearm licensure also report higher rates of lead exposure among children. Children in the highest quartile communities were 2.16 times more likely to have elevated BLLs when compared to their peers in the lower quartiles. A one standard deviation change in firearm licensure percentage was found to reflect a 0.96% increase in elevated pediatric blood lead levels. Regression analyses demonstrated that the inclusion of firearm licensure significantly improved the prediction of pediatric BLL. Models were adjusted for percent of a population employed in construction, agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining, income distribution, and potential lead paint exposure, which were found to be the primary predictors of elevated pediatric blood lead levels. DiscussionFirearm use and ownership remains one of the least researched areas in the public health sphere. While the risks of childhood lead exposure are widely understood, including the mechanisms of firearm-related lead exposure and tracking, to date no research has extensively examined it in children and on the community level. Our findings indicate a dire need for continued research on the risks associated with firearm use, ownership, and lead exposure.

Debate on the linkages between large-scale agriculture and farmers food security: Examples from Ethiopia

This article critically contributes to the debate on private large-scale agriculture for export crop production as a means to address the problem of food security in Ethiopia. The reviewed literature was identified by combining relevant keywords. The consumer price index and rainfall pattern, food gaps and affected population were calculated and presented using Microsoft Excel software. The paper argues that although private large-scale agriculture has opportunities in terms of employment generation, income and national-level growth, it poses risks to small-scale farmers’ food security. Loss of access to agricultural land and exposure to market risks endanger their food and livelihood security. The analysis suggests that both large-scale and small-scale agriculture is not a viable means to effectively reduce Ethiopia’s complex food insecurity and hunger. Improving food production for local consumption through transforming small-scale farms to medium-sized labour-intensive farms coupled with investment in manufacturing and building social protection through the adoption of well-intentioned state-directed development interventions that care about the well-being of individuals and households is needed.

Seasonality of agricultural exposure as an important predictor of seasonal yellow fever spillover in Brazil

Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a zoonotic arbovirus affecting both humans and non-human primates (NHP’s) in Africa and South America. Previous descriptions of YF’s seasonality have relied purely on climatic explanations, despite the high proportion of cases occurring in people involved in agriculture. We use a series of random forest classification models to predict the monthly occurrence of YF in humans and NHP’s across Brazil, by fitting four classes of covariates related to the seasonality of climate and agriculture (planting and harvesting), crop output and host demography. We find that models captured seasonal YF reporting in humans and NHPs when they considered seasonality of agriculture rather than climate, particularly for monthly aggregated reports. These findings illustrate the seasonality of exposure, through agriculture, as a component of zoonotic spillover. Additionally, by highlighting crop types and anthropogenic seasonality, these results could directly identify areas at highest risk of zoonotic spillover.

A high docosahexaenoic acid diet alters lung inflammation and recovery following repetitive exposure to aqueous organic dust extracts

Agricultural workers, especially those who work in swine confinement facilities, are at increased risk for developing pulmonary diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic bronchitis due to exposures to fumes, vapors, and organic dust. Repetitive exposure to agricultural dust leads to unresolved inflammation, a common underlying mechanism that worsens lung disease. Besides occupational exposure to dusts, diet also significantly contributes to inflammation and disease progression. Since DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid and its bioactive metabolites have key roles in inflammation resolution, we rationalized that individuals chronically exposed to organic dusts can benefit from dietary modifications. Here, we evaluated the role of DHA in modifying airway inflammation in a murine model of repetitive exposure to an aqueous extract of agricultural dust (three-week exposure to swine confinement dust extract, HDE) and after a one-week resolution/recovery period. We found that mice fed a high DHA diet had significantly increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) levels of DHA-derived resolvins and lower TNFα along with altered plasma levels of endocannabinoids and related lipid mediators. Following the one-week recovery we identified significantly reduced BALF cellularity and cytokine/chemokine release along with increased BALF amphiregulin and resolvins in DHA diet-fed versus control diet-fed mice challenged with HDE. We further report observations on the effects of repetitive HDE exposure on lung Ym1+ and Arg-1+ macrophages. Overall, our findings support a protective role for DHA and identify DHA-derived resolvins and endocannabinoids among the potential mediators of DHA in altering airway inflammation in chronic agricultural dust exposure.

Pesticide use and kidney function among farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture study

BackgroundPesticides have been reported to be associated with malignant and non-malignant kidney disease. Few studies have examined the relationship between individual pesticides and kidney dysfunction. ObjectiveWe evaluated the associations of pesticide use with measured kidney function among male pesticide applicators in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study, a subcohort in the Agricultural Health Study. MethodsSerum creatinine was measured in 1545 BEEA participants and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated with the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. Using reported information on lifetime use of 41 pesticides, multivariable linear and logistic regression was used to examine associations with eGFR modeled continuously and with CKD (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), respectively. Models were adjusted for possible confounding factors related to kidney function and correlated pesticides. ResultsLower eGFR was observed among pesticide applicators who ever used the herbicides pendimethalin (−3.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.8%, −1.5%), atrazine (−3.7%, 95% CI: 6.9%, −0.4%), and dicamba (−2.8%, 95% CI: 5.3%, −0.2%) compared with never users of each pesticide. Ever use of pendimethalin (odds ratio (OR)=1.6, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.2) and atrazine (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.0, 3.0) was also associated with elevated odds of CKD, with an exposure-response association between intensity-weighted lifetime days of pendimethalin use and CKD among active farmers (N=1302; ptrend=0.04). Atrazine use within the last year was associated with lower eGFR and elevated odds of CKD when compared with never users, and we observed exposure-response associations with intensity-weighted lifetime days among recent users. Use of several other pesticides was associated with higher eGFR. DiscussionThese results suggest that two widely used herbicides, pendimethalin and atrazine, may be associated with altered kidney function among pesticide applicators. Our findings for these herbicides are consistent with observed associations with end-stage renal disease in the Agricultural Health Study.

Occupational exposure to pesticides and central nervous system tumors: results from the CERENAT case–control study

The etiology of the central nervous system (CNS) tumors remains largely unknown. The role of pesticide exposure has been suggested by several epidemiological studies, but with no definitive conclusion. To analyze associations between occupational pesticide exposure and primary CNS tumors in adults in the CERENAT study. CERENAT is a multicenter case-control study conducted in France in 2004-2006. Data about occupational pesticide uses-in and outside agriculture-were collected during detailed face-to-face interviews and reviewed by experts for consistency and exposure assignment. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated with conditional logistic regression. A total of 596 cases (273 gliomas, 218 meningiomas, 105 others) and 1192 age- and sex-matched controls selected in the general population were analyzed. Direct and indirect exposures to pesticides in agriculture were respectively assigned to 125 (7.0%) and 629 (35.2%) individuals and exposure outside agriculture to 146 (8.2%) individuals. For overall agricultural exposure, we observed no increase in risk for all brain tumors (OR 1.04, 0.69-1.57) and a slight increase for gliomas (OR 1.37, 0.79-2.39). Risks for gliomas were higher when considering agricultural exposure for more than 10years (OR 2.22, 0.94-5.24) and significantly trebled in open field agriculture (OR 3.58, 1.20-10.70). Increases in risk were also observed in non-agricultural exposures, especially in green space workers who were directly exposed (OR 1.89, 0.82-4.39), and these were statistically significant for those exposed for over 10years (OR 2.84, 1.15-6.99). These data support some previous findings regarding the potential role of occupational exposures to pesticides in CNS tumors, both inside and outside agriculture.

A Narrative Review of Occupational Air Pollution and Respiratory Health in Farmworkers.

The agricultural crop sector in the United States depends on migrant, seasonal, and immigrant farmworkers. As an ethnic minority group in the U.S. with little access to health care and a high level of poverty, farmworkers face a combination of adverse living and workplace conditions, such as exposure to high levels of air pollution, that can place them at a higher risk for adverse health outcomes including respiratory infections. This narrative review summarizes peer-reviewed original epidemiology research articles (2000–2020) focused on respirable dust exposures in the workplace and respiratory illnesses among farmworkers. We found studies (n = 12) that assessed both air pollution and respiratory illnesses in farmworkers. Results showed that various air pollutants and respiratory illnesses have been assessed using appropriate methods (e.g., personal filter samplers and spirometry) and a consistent pattern of increased respiratory illness in relation to agricultural dust exposure. There were several gaps in the literature; most notably, no study coupled occupational air exposure and respiratory infection among migrant, seasonal and immigrant farmworkers in the United States. This review provides an important update to the literature regarding recent epidemiological findings on the links between occupational air pollution exposures and respiratory health among vulnerable farmworker populations.