Grantee Research Project Results

2005 Progress Report: Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research – CHAMACOS Community Based Research Project

EPA Grant Number: R831710C001
Subproject: this is subproject number 001 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R831710
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment - 2015
Center Director: Metayer, Catherine
Title: Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research – CHAMACOS Community Based Research Project
Investigators: Eskenazi, Brenda
Current Investigators: Eskenazi, Brenda , Tager, Ira , Lipsett, Michael , Alkon, Abbey , Johnson, Caroline , Macher, Janet , Sedgwick, Jaqueline , Tunzi, Mark , Cuevas, Maximiliano , Minkler, Meredith , Boyce, Thomas
Institution: University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: May 1, 2004 through October 31, 2008 (Extended to October 31, 2010)
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2005 through October 31, 2006
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health

Objective:

The objectives of this research project are to: (1) determine whether organophosphate pesticide (OP) exposure in utero and/or during the postnatal period is associated with poorer neurodevelopment and behavioral performance of children at ages 42, 60, and 84 months; (2) determine whether OPs, as measured by urinary metabolites, are associated with poorer performance on neurodevelopmental tests of cognition, language, attention, motor skills, and memory, as well as on teacher and parent evaluation of behavior, emotion, and school readiness and performance; (3) determine whether OP exposure in utero and/or during the postnatal period is associated with slower somatic growth of preschool age children and whether OP exposure is associated with alterations in patterns of growth as measured by weight, body mass, height, and head circumference; (4) determine whether OP exposure in utero and/or during the postnatal period is associated with atopy, active asthma, or asthma-like symptoms of children and airway reactivity; (5) determine the independent effects of exposure to several different types of environmental antigens and endotoxin during the early childhood periods on these endpoints and how pesticide exposure may modify the association; (6) determine whether OP exposure is associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction and whether the state of the ANS modifies the association of OPs and respiratory health; and (7) determine whether OP exposure is related to ANS dysfunction and whether the ANS state (e.g., resting levels of parasympathetic tone) is related to airway reactivity and the occurrence of asthma at age 60 months.

Progress Summary:

Accomplishments and findings for this research project include:

Data were obtained on 363 children age 3-and-one-half years.
We found that higher levels of organophosphate (OP) pesticide metabolites in maternal urine during pregnancy were associated with shorter gestational duration. Lower levels of acetyl cholinesterase (suggesting higher OP exposure) in umbilical cord blood also were associated with significantly shorter length of gestation. No adverse associations were found between OP exposure and infant birth weight, length, or head circumference.
We found that hexachlorobenzene was associated with decreased length of gestation. No effect was seen on birth weight or length. No significant associations were found with any other organochlorine analyzed, including DDT and DDE.
OP pesticides metabolite levels in maternal urine samples were associated with a higher likelihood of abnormal reflexes in the neonatal period as assessed by the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (BNBAS). OP exposure was associated with both an increase in the number of abnormal reflexes and the proportion of infants with more than three abnormal reflexes. No detrimental associations were found with the other BNBAS clusters.
Preliminary analyses of DDT and DDE in maternal serum during pregnancy suggest an inverse association between DDT levels and psychomotor functioning at 12 and 24 months, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

Future Activities:

The investigators did not report any activities.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 25 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

endocrine disruptor, wheeze, neurodevelopment, organophosphate, environmental management, human health, health, pesticides, children’s health, health effects, health risk assessment, pesticide types, risk assessment, human health risk assessment, agricultural community, airway disease, allergen, assessment of exposure, asthma, childhood respiratory disease, children’s environmental health, community-based intervention, environmental health hazard, environmental risks, exposure assessment, insecticides, outreach and education, pesticide exposure,, RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, PESTICIDES, HUMAN HEALTH, Health Risk Assessment, Health Effects, Children's Health, Pesticide Types, Risk Assessment, asthma, pesticide exposure, community-based intervention, airway disease, environmental risks, respiratory problems, Human Health Risk Assessment, insecticides, assessment of exposure, childhood respiratory disease, environmental health hazard, children's environmental health, outreach and education, agricultural community, allergen

Relevant Websites:

http://ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/chamacos Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R831710 Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment - 2015

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R831710C001 Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research – CHAMACOS Community Based Research Project
R831710C002 Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research – Pesticide Exposure Assessment Project
R831710C003 Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research – Mechanisms of Pesticide Neuro- and Immunotoxicity
R831710C004 Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research – Community Outreach and Translation Core

Top of Page

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.