Grantee Research Project Results

Organophosphate pesticide exposure among pome and non-pome farmworkers: a subgroup analysis of a community randomized trial.

Citation:

Coronado GD, Vigoren EM, Griffith WC, Faustman EM, Thompson B. Organophosphate pesticide exposure among pome and non-pome farmworkers:a subgroup analysis of a community randomized trial. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;51(4):500-509.

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: We examined the effectiveness of a community randomized intervention among farmworkers who did and did not work in pome fruit (apples and pears). METHODS: Urine samples were collected from two cross-sectional groups of farmworkers and analyzed for the presence of dimethylthiophosphate. RESULTS: There was no significant time by crop interaction for changes in urinary metabolite concentrations among adult farmworkers (P = 0.79 pome fruit workers; P = 0.83 non-pome fruit workers) or their children (P = 0.25 children of pome fruit workers; P = 0.91 children of non-pome fruit workers). We found greater urinary metabolite concentrations of dimethylthiophosphate among pome fruit workers (compared with non-pome fruit workers) and among workers at final data collection (compared with baseline). CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to identify effective interventions to reduce pesticide exposure in farmworkers and their children.