Identifying and managing adverse environmental health effects: 4. Pesticides (original) (raw)
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Farahat et al: Indoor pesticide and children
2020
Taghreed M Farahat, Hala M Shaheen, Fatma A EL Esrigy, Dina M Elmatbaagy Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menofoufia University Abstract: Background: Children’s exposure to neurotoxic compounds as pesticide poses a major problem for child health.Objective: To assess the prevalence of indoor pesticide use and the effect of its use on the neurobehavior test battery of Basic School Children aged 9-13 years. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 260 school age children (9-13) years old in Munshaat Sultan primary and preparatory schools during the period of data collection. All studied children were evaluated through history taking, general and neurological examination. Five neurobehavioral test batteries measure cognitive domain were used to assess the neurobehavioral development. Results: Most of the study participants reported indoor pesticide use (89%). It was found that indoor pesticide use was significantly higher among participant whose mothers didn’t wo...
Pesticide exposure in children
Pediatrics, 2012
This statement presents the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics on pesticides. Pesticides are a collective term for chemicals intended to kill unwanted insects, plants, molds, and rodents. Children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity. Acute poisoning risks are clear, and understanding of chronic health implications from both acute and chronic exposure are emerging. Epidemiologic evidence demonstrates associations between early life exposure to pesticides and pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems. Related animal toxicology studies provide supportive biological plausibility for these findings.
Toxics, 2016
Between 2007 and 2013, there were 685 events with evidence of a relationship between pesticide exposure and acute illness/injury among persons less than 18 years old in North Carolina (United States). Median age of children affected was 4.3 years (range: 0.2-17.9). Distribution by gender was similar across all age groups. One fatality and four high severity events were observed. The greatest proportion (42%) of events had ocular exposures, followed by dermal (25%) and inhalation (18%) exposures. When more than one route of exposure occurred, dermal and ocular routes were the most common (46%). Almost all events took place indoors and 32 events involved contact with pets. Insecticides (53%) and insect repellants (31%) were the most frequent agents contributing to these events. Manual application of pesticides contributed to the greatest number of events (25%), while application through a pressurized can and use of a trigger pump were involved in 21% and 15% of events, respectively. Additional contributors were due to inappropriate storage of pesticides and improper use of the pesticide. These contributing factors can be removed or minimized if pesticides are stored outside the residence or out of the reach of children and pets, and adequate ventilation is ensured whenever pesticides are applied.
Acute hazards to young children from residential pesticide exposures
American Journal of Public Health, 2000
OBJECTIVES: This study assessed acute hazards to young children from pesticides toxic enough to require child-resistant packaging. METHODS: The names of pesticides meeting acute toxicity criteria were ascertained from the Environmental Protection Agency. Poison Control Center reports identified children younger than 6 years who were exposed to these pesticides. Toxicity category, medical outcome, sex, and age were examined. RESULTS: A higher proportion of children with exposure to the more toxic products had serious medical outcomes. Children 2 years and younger were the predominant age group exposed. CONCLUSIONS: Protective measures--substituting less lethal pesticides, reducing the concentration of the active ingredients, and improving packaging and storage--are recommended.
UK childhood exposures to pesticides 2004-2007: a TOXBASE toxicovigilance study
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2009
Objective: There are no systematic methods for toxicovigilance of non-medicinal products in the UK. This is particularly relevant for pesticides, where there is significant public concern about potential adverse effects. This study describes a prospective toxicovigilance scheme based on follow-up of enquiries to the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) through its online poisons information system TOXBASE. These enquiries reflect acute exposures and the patterns of acute illness that result. Results: A total of 10 061 pesticide-related enquiries were identified. After follow-up, data were gathered on 2364 suspected exposures, of which 1162 involved children. After exclusions, 1147 exposures are reported here. No deaths were reported and only 37 children were admitted to hospital. The majority were considered to have either minimal or no features (925, 80.6%). Symptoms for 38 children were unknown. Symptoms reported in the other 184 children included nausea or vomiting (58), eye irritation, pain or conjunctivitis (29), skin irritation (28), abdominal pain (24), mouth or throat irritation (18) and diarrhoea (15). Where age was recorded, 60.5% (680) of children involved in suspected pesticide exposures were aged 2 years or less. The most common scenario for acute accidental exposure to pesticide in children was exposure after application (329, 28.7%) or due to poor storage (228, 19.9%). Conclusions: Areas of potential concern identified included storage, access of young children to ''laid'' baits and pesticides, and exposures as a result of medication errors, with liquid head lice preparations being confused with other medicines. Use of NPIS systems provides a potentially useful method of toxicovigilance.
Chronic Pesticide Poisoning from Persistent Low-dose Exposures-IJOEH Jan12
Chronic pesticide poisoning is difficult to detect. We sought to develop a low-cost test battery for settings such as Ecuador's floriculture industry. First we had to develop a case definition; as with all occupational diseases a case had to have both sufficient effective dose and associated health effects. For the former, using canonical discriminant analysis we found that adding measures of protection and overall environmental stressors to occupational category and duration of exposure was useful. For the latter, factor analysis suggested three distinct manifestations of pesticide poisoning. We then determined sensitivity and specificity of various combinations of symptoms and simple neurotoxicity tests from the Pentox questionnaire, and found that doing so increased sensitivity and specificity compared to use of acethylcholinesterase alone-the current screening standard. While sensitivity and specificity varied with different case definitions, our results support the development of a low-cost test battery for screening in such settings. Key words: pesticide poisoning; chronic exposure; Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES2); biomarker indices of toxicity; Ecuador; floriculture; validity of acetylcholine esterase; environmental stressors INT J OCCUP ENVIRON HEALTH 2012;18:11-24