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Environmental Health Perspectives Jun 2011Evidence suggests that there is widespread decline in male reproductive health and that antiandrogenic pollutants may play a significant role. There is also a clear...
BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests that there is widespread decline in male reproductive health and that antiandrogenic pollutants may play a significant role. There is also a clear disparity between pesticide exposure and data on endocrine disruption, with most of the published literature focused on pesticides that are no longer registered for use in developed countries.
OBJECTIVE
We used estimated human exposure data to select pesticides to test for antiandrogenic activity, focusing on highest use pesticides.
METHODS
We used European databases to select 134 candidate pesticides based on highest exposure, followed by a filtering step according to known or predicted receptor-mediated antiandrogenic potency, based on a previously published quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model. In total, 37 pesticides were tested for in vitro androgen receptor (AR) antagonism. Of these, 14 were previously reported to be AR antagonists ("active"), 4 were predicted AR antagonists using the QSAR, 6 were predicted to not be AR antagonists ("inactive"), and 13 had unknown activity, which were "out of domain" and therefore could not be classified with the QSAR ("unknown").
RESULTS
All 14 pesticides with previous evidence of AR antagonism were confirmed as antiandrogenic in our assay, and 9 previously untested pesticides were identified as antiandrogenic (dimethomorph, fenhexamid, quinoxyfen, cyprodinil, λ-cyhalothrin, pyrimethanil, fludioxonil, azinphos-methyl, pirimiphos-methyl). In addition, we classified 7 compounds as androgenic.
CONCLUSIONS
Due to estimated antiandrogenic potency, current use, estimated exposure, and lack of previous data, we strongly recommend that dimethomorph, fludioxonil, fenhexamid, imazalil, ortho-phenylphenol, and pirimiphos-methyl be tested for antiandrogenic effects in vivo. The lack of human biomonitoring data for environmentally relevant pesticides presents a barrier to current risk assessment of pesticides on humans.
Topics: Androgen Antagonists; Androgens; Cell Line, Tumor; Environmental Monitoring; Europe; Humans; Male; Pesticides; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Stem Cell Assay; Yeasts
PubMed: 21310686
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1002895 -
Environmental Health : a Global Access... Mar 2003In South Africa there is little data on environmental pollution of rural water sources by agrochemicals.
BACKGROUND
In South Africa there is little data on environmental pollution of rural water sources by agrochemicals.
METHODS
This study investigated pesticide contamination of ground and surface water in three intensive agricultural areas in the Western Cape: the Hex River Valley, Grabouw and Piketberg. Monitoring for endosulfan and chlorpyrifos at low levels was conducted as well as screening for other pesticides.
RESULTS
The quantification limit for endosulfan was 0.1 microg/L. Endosulfan was found to be widespread in ground water, surface water and drinking water. The contamination was mostly at low levels, but regularly exceeded the European Drinking Water Standard of 0.1 microg/L. The two most contaminated sites were a sub-surface drain in the Hex River Valley and a dam in Grabouw, with 0.83 +/- 1.0 microg/L (n = 21) and 3.16 +/- 3.5 microg/L (n = 13) average endosulfan levels respectively. Other pesticides including chlorpyrifos, azinphos-methyl, fenarimol, iprodione, deltamethrin, penconazole and prothiofos were detected. Endosulfan was most frequently detected in Grabouw (69%) followed by Hex River (46%) and Piketberg (39%). Detections were more frequent in surface water (47%) than in groundwater (32%) and coincided with irrigation, and to a lesser extent, to spraying and trigger rains. Total dietary endosulfan intake calculated from levels found in drinking water did not exceed the Joint WHO/FAO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) criteria.
CONCLUSION
The study has shown the need for monitoring of pesticide contamination in surface and groundwater, and the development of drinking water quality standards for specific pesticides in South Africa.
Topics: Agriculture; Azinphosmethyl; Chlorpyrifos; Endosulfan; Fresh Water; Geologic Sediments; Humans; Insecticides; Organothiophosphates; Pesticides; Rain; Risk Assessment; South Africa; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Supply
PubMed: 12689341
DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-2-1 -
Journal of Occupational and... Dec 2010Organophosphate pesticides are commonly used in the United States, and farmworkers are at risk for chronic exposure. Using data from a community randomized trial to...
Organophosphate pesticides are commonly used in the United States, and farmworkers are at risk for chronic exposure. Using data from a community randomized trial to interrupt the take-home pathway of pesticide exposure, we examined the association between floor surface type (smooth floor, thin carpet, and thick carpet) and rooms in which dust samples were collected (living room vs. non-living room) and concentrations of azinphos-methyl residues in home environments. We also examined the association between vehicle type (truck, auto, or other) and footwell floor surfaces (carpeted, smooth surface, or no mat) and concentrations of azinphos-methyl in vehicle dust samples. Dust samples were collected from 203 and 179 households and vehicles, respectively. All households had at least one child aged 2-6. Vehicle dust samples were collected from footwells of the vehicle used for commuting to and from work. A total of 183 samples were collected from living rooms, and 20 were collected from other rooms in the home. Forty-two samples were collected from thick carpets, 130 from thin carpets, and 27 from smooth floor surfaces. Thick and thin carpets had a significantly greater dust mass than smooth floor surfaces (6.0 g/m(2) for thick carpets, 7.8 g/m(2) for thin carpets, and 1.5 g/m(2) for smooth surfaces). Of the 179 vehicle samples, 113 were from cars, 34 from trucks, and 32 from other vehicles. Vehicles with no mats had a significantly higher mass of dust (21.3 g) than those with hard mats (9.3 g) but did not differ from vehicles with plush mats (12.0 g). Further research is needed to characterize the environment in which children may be exposed to pesticides.
Topics: Agriculture; Air Pollution, Indoor; Azinphosmethyl; Child; Child, Preschool; Dust; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Family Health; Floors and Floorcoverings; Housing; Humans; Insecticides; Motor Vehicles; Pesticide Residues
PubMed: 20945243
DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2010.521028 -
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Dec 2021We analyzed the reproductive success of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) nesting in apple orchards and non-orchard nest-boxes in southern Ontario, Canada, from 1988 to...
We analyzed the reproductive success of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) nesting in apple orchards and non-orchard nest-boxes in southern Ontario, Canada, from 1988 to 2018. Using data from 2397 nest-boxes monitored at 20 orchard sites and 52 non-orchard sites, we first modeled phenological parameters typically linked to climate change across both site types. We found that the first egg of each brood was laid significantly earlier in the season each year over our 31-year study. Clutch initiation occurred 4 days earlier in the spring in 2018 compared to 1988. Average clutch size in the first or second brood did not change significantly during our 31-year study; however, clutches were significantly smaller in orchards compared to non-orchards (0.10 ± 0.03 fewer eggs between sites). Nests built in orchards were also at 6.1-fold greater risk of parasitism and 2.1-fold greater risk of depredation than nests in non-orchards. After accounting for depredation and nest parasitism, hatching success was still significantly lower in orchards than in non-orchards. Overall, hatching success was 4%-5% lower in orchards. The probability of successfully fledging did not differ significantly between site types. In 2012, a ban on use of the organophosphate insecticide azinphos-methyl in orchards was enacted in Canada. We did not find a difference in hatching or fledging success in orchards after the ban. In our assessment of available data, we conclude that any pesticide effect on hatching success of eastern bluebirds in sprayed orchards is most likely the consequence of long-term exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) compounds in orchard soils and bioaccumulation in eggs rather than pesticides in use since regulation of DDT in the 1970s. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:3369-3378. © 2021 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Topics: Animals; Ecosystem; Female; Malus; Ontario; Pesticides; Songbirds
PubMed: 34551148
DOI: 10.1002/etc.5218 -
PloS One 2013Analysis of pollen trapped from honey bees as they return to their hives provides a method of monitoring fluctuations in one route of pesticide exposure over location...
Analysis of pollen trapped from honey bees as they return to their hives provides a method of monitoring fluctuations in one route of pesticide exposure over location and time. We collected pollen from apiaries in five locations in Connecticut, including urban, rural, and mixed agricultural sites, for periods from two to five years. Pollen was analyzed for pesticide residues using a standard extraction method widely used for pesticides (QuEChERS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis. Sixty pesticides or metabolites were detected. Because the dose lethal to 50% of adult worker honey bees (LD50) is the only toxicity parameter available for a wide range of pesticides, and among our pesticides there were contact LD50 values ranging from 0.006 to >1000 μg per bee (range 166,000X), and even among insecticides LD50 values ranged from 0.006 to 59.8 μg/bee (10,000X); therefore we propose that in studies of honey bee exposure to pesticides that concentrations be reported as Hazard Quotients as well as in standard concentrations such as parts per billion. We used both contact and oral LD50 values to calculate Pollen Hazard Quotients (PHQ = concentration in ppb ÷ LD50 as μg/bee) when both were available. In this study, pesticide Pollen Hazard Quotients ranged from over 75,000 to 0.01. The pesticides with the greatest Pollen Hazard Quotients at the maximum concentrations found in our study were (in descending order): phosmet, Imidacloprid, indoxacarb, chlorpyrifos, fipronil, thiamethoxam, azinphos-methyl, and fenthion, all with at least one Pollen Hazard Quotient (using contact or oral LD50) over 500. At the maximum rate of pollen consumption by nurse bees, a Pollen Hazard Quotient of 500 would be approximately equivalent to consuming 0.5% of the LD50 per day. We also present an example of a Nectar Hazard Quotient and the percentage of LD50 per day at the maximum nectar consumption rate.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Connecticut; Pesticide Residues; Pollen; Pollination
PubMed: 24143241
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077550 -
RSC Advances Oct 2019A new bacterial genotoxicity detection strain was constructed, in which the cell lysis gene of from a lambda phage was controlled by a new designed SOS responsive...
A new bacterial genotoxicity detection strain was constructed, in which the cell lysis gene of from a lambda phage was controlled by a new designed SOS responsive element, designated as BL21/pUC-PST. The biosensor responded only after 0.5 h contact with mutagens and the changes in cell culture turbidity could be easily differentiated with the naked eyes from the control sample. This SOS/ system presented a dose-dependent manner to five model DNA-damaging agents with an improved detection sensitivity. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.026 μM for mitomycin C, 320.4 μM for azinphos-methyl, 34.4 μM for methyl methanesulfonate, 4.6 μM for dithianone and 6.0 μM for dichlofluanid, which were much lower than previously reported. By performing binary and ternary mixture experiments, the toxic equivalency concept was validated in the SOS/ system by comparison with bioanalytical equivalent concentrations (BEQ) and overall toxic equivalent concentration (TEQ) using Cr(vi) as the reference compound. Pearson analysis indicated that a strong correlation existed between the TEQ and BEQ values. Thus the TEQ could be presented as the Cr(vi) equivalent concentration from its dose-effect lysis profiles for the environmental sample. The proposed genotoxicity reporter strain allows for easier qualitative characterization and quantitative interpretation of the TEQ values using Cr(vi) as the reference for environmental water samples.
PubMed: 35528065
DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06202e -
Environmental Health Perspectives Feb 2004Little is known about pesticide exposure among farmworkers, and even less is known about the exposure associated with performing specific farm tasks. Using a random...
Little is known about pesticide exposure among farmworkers, and even less is known about the exposure associated with performing specific farm tasks. Using a random sample of 213 farmworkers in 24 communities and labor camps in eastern Washington State, we examined the association between occupational task and organophosphate (OP) pesticide residues in dust and OP metabolite concentrations in urine samples of adult farmworkers and their children. The data are from a larger study that sought to test a culturally appropriate intervention to break the take-home pathway of pesticide exposure. Commonly reported farm tasks were harvesting or picking (79.2%), thinning (64.2%), loading plants or produce (42.2%), planting or transplanting (37.6%), and pruning (37.2%). Mixing, loading, or applying pesticide formulations was reported by 20% of our sample. Workers who thinned were more likely than those who did not to have detectable levels of azinphos-methyl in their house dust (92.1% vs. 72.7%; p = 0.001) and vehicle dust (92.6% vs. 76.5%; p = 0.002). Thinning was associated with higher urinary pesticide metabolite concentrations in children (91.9% detectable vs. 81.3%; p = 0.02) but not in adults. Contrary to expectation, workers who reported mixing, loading, or applying pesticide formulations had lower detectable levels of pesticide residues in their house or vehicle dust, compared with those who did not perform these job tasks, though the differences were not significant. Future research should evaluate workplace protective practices of fieldworkers and the adequacy of reentry intervals for pesticides used during thinning.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Agriculture; Data Collection; Female; Humans; Insecticides; Job Description; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Organophosphorus Compounds
PubMed: 14754567
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.6412 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Jun 2000Current pesticide health risk assessments in the United States require the characterization of aggregate exposure and cumulative risk in the setting of food tolerances....
Current pesticide health risk assessments in the United States require the characterization of aggregate exposure and cumulative risk in the setting of food tolerances. Biologic monitoring can aggregate exposures from all sources and routes, and can integrate exposures for chemicals with a common mechanism of action. Its value was demonstrated in a recent study of organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposure among 109 children in an agricultural community in Washington State; 91 of the children had parents working in agriculture. We estimated individual OP pesticide doses from urinary metabolite concentrations with a deterministic steady state model, and compared them to toxicologic reference values. We evaluated doses by assuming that metabolites were attributable entirely to either azinphos-methyl or phosmet, the two OP pesticides used most frequently in the region. Creatinine-adjusted average dose estimates during the 6- to 8-week spraying season ranged from 0 to 36 microg/kg/day. For children whose parents worked in agriculture as either orchard applicators or as fieldworkers, 56% of the doses estimated for the spray season exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chronic dietary reference dose, and 19% exceeded the World Health Organization acceptable daily intake values for azinphos-methyl. The corresponding values for children whose parents did not work in agriculture were 44 and 22%, respectively. The percentage of children exceeding the relevant reference values for phosmet was substantially lower (< 10%). Single-day dose estimates ranged from 0 to 72 microg/kg/day, and 26% of these exceeded the EPA acute reference dose for azinphos-methyl. We also generated dose estimates by adjustment for total daily urine volume, and these estimates were consistently higher than the creatinine-adjusted estimates. None of the dose estimates exceeded the empirically derived no-observable-adverse-effect levels for these compounds. The study took place in an agricultural region during a period of active spraying, so the dose estimates for this population should not be considered representative of exposures in the general population. The findings indicate that children living in agricultural regions represent an important subpopulation for public health evaluation, and that their exposures fall within a range of regulatory concern. They also demonstrate that biologically based exposure measures can provide data for health risk evaluations in such populations.
Topics: Agriculture; Child; Child Welfare; Child, Preschool; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Pesticides; Reference Values; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 10856024
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.00108515 -
Journal of Occupational and... Sep 2012To assess associations of protective workplace and home practices with pesticide exposure levels.
OBJECTIVE
To assess associations of protective workplace and home practices with pesticide exposure levels.
METHODS
Using data from orchard workers in the Yakima Valley, Washington, we examined associations of workplace and home protective practices with (1) urinary metabolite concentrations of dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP) in adults and children aged 2 to 6 years and (2) azinphos-methyl levels in house and vehicle dust.
RESULTS
Data were collected from 95 orchard workers and 94 children. Contrary to expectation, adult farm workers who wore boots or washed hands using hand sanitizer had higher concentrations of DMTP than those who did not. Children who attended daycare had higher DMTP concentrations than children who did not.
CONCLUSIONS
Few workplace or home practices were associated with pesticide exposure levels; workers who used hand sanitizer had higher concentrations of DMTP, as did children who attended daycare.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Agriculture; Azinphosmethyl; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Female; Hand Disinfection; Humans; Insecticides; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Phosphates; Protective Clothing; Risk Reduction Behavior; Washington; Workplace; Young Adult
PubMed: 22772953
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31825902f5 -
Journal of Insect Science (Online) 2005Three neonicotinyl insecticides, acetamiprid, thiacloprid and clothianidin, were evaluated for their impact on four species of lepidopteran pests of apple in Washington,... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Three neonicotinyl insecticides, acetamiprid, thiacloprid and clothianidin, were evaluated for their impact on four species of lepidopteran pests of apple in Washington, the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), the Pandemis leafroller, Pandemis pyrusana Kearfott, and the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), and Lacanobia subjuncta (Grote & Robinson). None of the neonicotinyl insecticides demonstrated sufficient activity against P. pyrusana, C. rosaceana, or L. subjuncta to warrant field trials. Conversely, all had some activity against one or more stages of C. pomonella. Acetamiprid was highly toxic to larvae in laboratory bioassays, and had relatively long activity of field-aged residues (21 days). It also showed some toxicity to C. pomonella eggs (via topical exposure) and adults. Acetamiprid provided the highest level of fruit protection from C. pomonella attack in field trials conducted over five years in experimental orchards with extremely high codling moth pressure. Thiacloprid performed similarly in bioassays, but fruit protection in field trials was slightly lower than acetamiprid. Clothianidin showed moderate to high toxicity in bioassays, depending on the C. pomonella stage tested, but poor fruit protection from attack in field trials. None of the neonicotinyl insecticides were as toxic to larvae or effective in protecting fruit as the current standard organophosphate insecticide used for C. pomonella control, azinphosmethyl. However, both acetamiprid and thiacloprid should provide acceptable levels of C. pomonella control in commercial orchards where densities are much lower than in the experimental orchards used for our trials. The advantages and disadvantages of the neonicotinyl insecticides as replacements for the organophosphate insecticides and their role in a pest management system for Washington apple orchards are discussed.
Topics: Agriculture; Animals; Azinphosmethyl; Biological Assay; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Guanidines; Insect Control; Insecticides; Larva; Lepidoptera; Lethal Dose 50; Malus; Neonicotinoids; Ovum; Pyridines; Thiazines; Thiazoles; Time Factors; Washington
PubMed: 16341246
DOI: 10.1093/jis/5.1.14