Grantee Research Project Results

Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research – Pesticide Exposure Assessment Project

EPA Grant Number: R831710C002
Subproject: this is subproject number 002 , 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 – Pesticide Exposure Assessment Project
Investigators: McKone, Thomas , Barr, Dana Boyd , Bradman, Asa , Harnly, Martha
Institution: University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: May 1, 2004 through October 31, 2008 (Extended to October 31, 2010)
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health

Objective:

Recent studies demonstrate widespread pesticide exposures to pregnant women, fetuses, and young children. The Centers CHAMACOS Exposure Assessment study addresses key data gaps about how pesticides are metabolized and excreted during pregnancy, how children are exposed to pesticides, and what are the best ways to measure exposure. These data are needed to improve risk assessment of pesticide exposures and improving the accuracy of exposure classification for epidemiological studies. The specific aims of the Exposure Assessment component of the Center are: (1) to evaluate changes in pre- and postpartum maternal pesticide excretion and to develop PBPK models describing the peripartum period; (2) to identify the best and most convenient biological media for assessing exposure to (organophosphate) OP pesticides in children; (3) to quantify the relative contribution of diet to children’s OP pesticide exposures in agricultural and urban communities; and (4) to characterize urinary OP metabolite levels in preschool and school-aged children and identify correlates of exposure.

Approach:

To meet Aim 1, we will enroll 30 women planning delivery by Cesarean section and measure organophosphate pesticides or metabolites in urine, blood, and breastmilk collected in the peripartum period. We will develop pregnancy-parturition-neonate PBPK models. To meet Aim 2, we will measure pesticides metabolites in 24-hour, first morning void, and random spot urine and saliva samples from 25 children and determine how well OP metabolite levels in the 24-hour “gold standard” measure are represented by alternative matrices. To meet Aim 3, we will conduct a two-phase cross-over trial, randomly assigning 20 children in an urban community and 20 children in an agricultural community to an organic or conventional diet for one week each. To meet Aim 4, we will measure OP pesticide exposure to children at ages 42 and 60 months and determine which factors, such as child age, home or agricultural pesticide use, season, or occupation of household members best predict these exposures.

Expected Results:

This study will increase understanding of pesticide exposure and metabolism during pregnancy and birth and thereby improve exposure and risk assessment of fetal and early post-natal pesticide exposure. Data on the correlation between pesticide metabolite levels in spot and 24 hour urine samples combined with our findings on the intra- and inter-individual variability in urinary pesticide metabolites levels in children will enable us to identify the best sampling strategies for epidemiological studies like the proposed National Children’s Study. The cross-over randomized trial of organic and conventional food will directly evaluate the contribution of diet to child pesticide exposures, a key data gap needed for implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act. Finally, prospective evaluation of pesticide exposure risk-factors to our cohort of primarily Latino children will identify the most important pesticide exposure pathways to young children so that effective and age-appropriate interventions and policies can be designed and implemented

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 14 publications for this subproject | View all 170 publications for this center

Journal Articles:

Journal Articles have been submitted on this subproject: View all 14 journal articles for this subproject | View all 136 journal articles for this center

Supplemental Keywords:

FQPA, NCS, dialkyl phosphate,, RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, PESTICIDES, Health Risk Assessment, Children's Health, Pesticide Types, Risk Assessment, health effects, 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

Progress and Final Reports:

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

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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.