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A COMMUNITY-BASED CHILDREN'S PESTICIDE EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT STUDY IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: RESULTS FROM THE AGGREGATE EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
Citation:
Tulve, N S., R C. Fortmann, D A. Whitaker, C Croghan, A. Hilliard, AND L. P. Naeher. A COMMUNITY-BASED CHILDREN'S PESTICIDE EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT STUDY IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: RESULTS FROM THE AGGREGATE EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT. Presented at International Society of Exposure Analysis 14th Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, October 17-21, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
1. Identify and evaluate the factors that affect children's exposures as a function of age (for age bins proposed by EPA's Risk Assessment Forum).
2. Determine the impact of microenvironment and macroactivity on children's exposure to current-use pesticides and selected phthalates in residences.
3. Determine temporal variability of multimedia concentrations of selected pesticides and phthalates in the residences of very young children (0 to 3 years of age).
4. Perform aggregate exposure estimates for current-use pesticides (soon after application) and phthalates for very young children.
5. Evaluate the relationship between concentrations of biomarkers of exposure measured in urine and aggregate exposure estimates derived from diet and environmental measurements for pesticides and phthalates using the algorithms and approaches specified in the Draft Protocol for Measuring Children's Non-Occupational Exposure to Pesticides by all Relevant Pathways.
6. Evaluate and apportion exposure pathways for pesticides and phthalates.
7. Collect data for selected polybrominated diphenyl ethers (brominated flame retardants) and perfluorinated chemicals (PFOS and PFOA) in the diet and in environmental samples collected in the residences to assess spatial and temporal variability and the potential for children's exposure.
8. Evaluate the utility of the draft standardized protocol for performing exposure assessments for young children.
9. Develop critical inputs for the human exposure models (SHEDS, CARES, Lifeline, Calendex, and others).
10. Collect preliminary data on environmental concentrations of selected metals found in the outdoor residential environment.
11. Evaluate the utility of standardized data collection methods for future large scale studies.
Description:
Young children may be more susceptible to pesticides because they are undergoing rapid development and more likely to engage in activities in which they directly contact contaminated surfaces. As a result, children may be more exposed to pesticides through normal daily activities, as compared to adults, within the home. The EPA collaborated with the Duval County Health Department (DCHD, Jacksonville, FL) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a measurement study to characterize young children's (4 to 6 years) exposures to pesticides in residential environments in Jacksonville, FL.
The study examined potential exposures of young children to a large number of organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides. The three-tiered study design consisted of the following:
- Tier 1: Recruitment of 200 children from County health clinics, completion of a questionnaire, and collection of a urine sample from each participating child;
- Tier 2: Collection of environmental screening samples (surface wipe, transferable residue, pesticide inventory, time activity diary, urine) at the homes of approximately 25% of the enrolled children;
- Tier 3: A detailed aggregate exposure assessment (air, surface wipe, transferable residue, duplicate diet, socks, pesticide inventory, time activity diary, urine) for nine of the homes sampled in tier 2. DCHD staff collected samples in tiers 1 and 2. EPA staff performed the aggregate exposure assessment at the nine homes in tier 3.
Results from the aggregate exposure assessment will be presented. The pesticide inventories showed that pyrethroids were the most commonly applied pesticides. Environmental, personal, and biological samples, as well as activity pattern data, were collected and aggregate exposure estimates were calculated. Preliminary analyses suggest that there is a correlation between the environmental loadings of cypermethrin and the urinary metabolites, cis- and trans-DCCA. Further analysis will be presented.
Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.