Grantee Research Project Results
Ingestion of Pesticides by Children in an Agricultural Community on the U.S./Mexico Border
EPA Grant Number: R827440Title: Ingestion of Pesticides by Children in an Agricultural Community on the U.S./Mexico Border
Investigators: Shalat, Stuart L. , Calvin, James A. , Donnelly, Kirby C. , Freeman, Natalie C.G. , Buckley, Brian T. , Garcia, Deliana , Robson, Mark
Current Investigators: Shalat, Stuart L. , Donnelly, Kirby C. , Freeman, Natalie C.G.
Institution: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey , Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute , Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Current Institution: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: October 1, 1999 through September 30, 2002 (Extended to March 31, 2003)
Project Amount: $710,231
RFA: Children's Vulnerability to Toxic Substances in the Environment (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health
Description:
1) Develop an observational model of pesticide exposure in children ( ages 18 to 48 months)living in a rural agricultural setting utilizing objective measures of pesticides on children's hands, characterization of frequency and sequencing of 4 behaviors (hand to mouth, hand to object, hand to surface, and object to mouth). 2) Identify, measure and quantify the age-related differences in behaviors of rural children that may contribute to exposure. 3) Compare use of objective levels of pesticides on hands with objective levels of pesticides in house dust as estimator of exposure as both are compared to objective measures of pesticide metabolites in urine. 4) Determine the possible influence of hygiene practices and nutritional status on uptake of the pesticides found in their environment. 5) Reevaluation of existing dermal and ingestion models of pesticide exposure with models developed in this study.Approach:
An environmental measurement and correlation study will be conducted in the area of Laredo, Texas on the Rio Grande River. Subjects will be recruited from residents of colonias in the Laredo area. A total of 60 children from 30 residences between the ages of 18 and 48 months will be recruited for participation in the study. Hand rinses of the children and house dust will be assayed for pesticides and urine samples of the children will assay for pesticides and their metabolites. Observations of children's behavior will be made and quantified in order to evaluate the possible ingestion of pesticides from environmental sources.Expected Results:
The proposed observational and environmental assessment study will identify behaviors leading to children's exposure to pesticides present in their environments. It will examine the factors that contribute to that exposure. The information obtained in this study will be used to reduce the uncertainty in risk assessments for children and improve exposure factor metrics for children of different ages. The results will identify the magnitude of potential environmental risks to an underserved minority population.Improvements in Risk Assessment or Risk Management: By providing improved information on children's exposure to pesticides in the home in an agricultural community a better understanding of risks can be identified. In addition, by refining ingestion estimates for children in risk estimation of numerous chemicals in the home and general environment can be more precisely estimated.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Minority, Hispanic, farming, herbicides, organo-phosphates., RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Geographic Area, Waste, Toxics, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Health Risk Assessment, Fate & Transport, pesticides, Risk Assessments, genetic susceptability, Environmental Chemistry, Children's Health, Bioavailability, US Mexico Boarder, Ecology and Ecosystems, sensitive populations, organophosphate pesticides, pesticide exposure, exposure factor metrics, hispanics, behavioral assessment, human exposure, agricultural community, dermal contact, U.S. Mexico Border, fate and transport, exposure, children, children's vulnerablity, air pollution, assessment of exposure, hygiene practicesRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
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.