Exposure to atrazine and selected non-persistent pesticides among corn farmers during a growing season

Berit Bakke; Anneclaire J De Roos; Dana B Barr; Patricia A Stewart; Aaron Blair; Laura Beane Freeman; Charles F Lynch; Ruth H Allen; Michael C R Alavanja; Roel Vermeulen

doi:10.1038/jes.2008.53

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Exposure to atrazine and selected non-persistent pesticides among corn farmers during a growing season

Journal article

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Exposure to atrazine and selected non-persistent pesticides among corn farmers during a growing season

Berit Bakke, Anneclaire J De Roos, Dana B Barr, Patricia A Stewart, Aaron Blair, Laura Beane Freeman, Charles F Lynch, Ruth H Allen, Michael C R Alavanja and Roel Vermeulen

Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, Vol.19(6), pp.544-554

09/2009

DOI: 10.1038/jes.2008.53

PMCID: PMC3048843

PMID: 19052531

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Abstract

The aim was to develop quantitative estimates of farmers' pesticide exposure to atrazine and to provide an overview of background levels of selected non-persistent pesticides among corn farmers in a longitudinal molecular epidemiologic study. The study population consisted of 30 Agricultural Health Study farmers from Iowa and 10 non-farming controls. Farmers completed daily and weekly diaries from March to November in 2002 and 2003 on pesticide use and other exposure determinants. Urine samples were collected at 10 time points relative to atrazine application and other farming activities. Pesticide exposure was assessed using urinary metabolites and diaries. The analytical limit of detection (LOD) ranged between 0.1 and 0.2 microg/l for all pesticide analytes except for isazaphos (1.5 microg/l) and diazinon (0.7 microg/l). Farmers had higher geometric mean urinary atrazine mercapturate (AZM) values than controls during planting (1.1 vs <LOD microg/g creatinine; P<0.05). AZM levels among farmers were significantly related to the amount of atrazine applied (P=0.015). Interestingly, farmers had a larger proportion of samples above the LOD than controls even after exclusion of observations with an atrazine application within 7 days before urine collection (38% vs 6%, P<0.0001). A similar pattern was observed for 2,4-D and acetochlor (92% vs 47%, P<0.0001 and 45% vs 4%, P<0.0001, respectively). Urinary AZM levels in farmers were largely driven by recent application of atrazine. Therefore, the amount of atrazine applied is likely to provide valid surrogates of atrazine exposure in epidemiologic studies. Elevated background levels of non-persistent pesticides, especially 2,4-D, indicate importance in epidemiologic studies of capturing pesticide exposures that might not be directly related to the actual application.

Agriculture

Iowa

Pesticides - urine

Zea mays

Pesticides - toxicity

Humans

Occupational Exposure

Atrazine - urine

Longitudinal Studies

Case-Control Studies

Quality Control

Details

Title: Subtitle: Exposure to atrazine and selected non-persistent pesticides among corn farmers during a growing season
Creators: Berit Bakke - Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Rockville, Maryland 20852-7240, USA
Anneclaire J De Roos
Dana B Barr
Patricia A Stewart
Aaron Blair
Laura Beane Freeman
Charles F Lynch
Ruth H Allen
Michael C R Alavanja
Roel Vermeulen
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, Vol.19(6), pp.544-554
DOI: 10.1038/jes.2008.53
PMID: 19052531
PMCID: PMC3048843
NLM abbreviation: J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol
ISSN: 1559-064X
eISSN: 1559-064X
Publisher: United States
Grant note: ZIA CP010119-15 / Intramural NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 09/2009
Academic Unit: Epidemiology
Record Identifier: 9983995152902771

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