Building the case for residential herbicide exposure assessments in Iowa communities

Pesticide use has steadily increased in the United States and throughout the world since the development of more highly effective agrichemicals dating back to World War II. While many of these compounds are considered to have little to no detrimental environmental impact with relatively low toxicity and potential for causing adverse health effects in humans, many recent studies examining the toxicological properties and health outcomes associated with exposure to a variety of pesticides suggest otherwise.

In heavily agricultural-based regions, particularly where row crops predominate, large amounts of herbicides and insecticides are used in activities involving pest management annually. The high volume of chemical applications to agricultural fields is cause for concern due their potential for leaching into soil following application events and subsequent transport to water systems. Pesticide-contaminated ground and surface water systems may pose a threat to public health by the presence and persistent elevated concentrations of chemicals found in both public and private drinking water. The herbicides atrazine and glyphosate are and have been the two most heavily applied pesticides in the U.S. Many studies have examined occupational exposures to these compounds and related health outcomes, yet very few have evaluated low-level exposures to more susceptible rural populations. This thesis will examine state-of-the- science behind atrazine and glyphosate, evaluate drinking water quality measurements in relation to herbicide usage estimates in Iowa, and finally, make recommendations for future atrazine and glyphosate exposure assessment studies in rural Iowa populations.