Search

Background: We previously reported associations of prenatal exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides with poorer neurodevelopment in early childhood and at school age, including poorer cognitive function and more behavioral problems, in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS), a birth cohort study in an agriculture community. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the extent to which early-life exposure to OP pesticides is associated with behavioral problems, including mental health, in youth during adolescence and early adulthood. Methods: We measured urinary dialkylphosphates (DAPs), nonspecific OP metabolites, in urine samples collected from mothers twice during pregnancy (13 and 26 wk) and at five different times in their children (ages 6 months to 5 y). We assessed maternal report and youth report of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2), when the youth were ages 14, 16, and 18 y. Because there was evidence of nonlinearity, we estimated associations across quartiles of DAPs and modeled repeated outcome measures using generalized estimating equations. Results: There were 335 youths with prenatal maternal DAP measures and 14-. 16-, or 18-y BASC-2 scores. Prenatal maternal DAP concentrations (specific gravity-adjusted median, Q1-Q3 = 159.4, 78.7-350.4nmol/L) were associated with higher T-scores (more behavior problems) from maternal report, including more hyperactivity [fourth vs. first quartile of exposure [beta] = 2.32; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18, 4.45], aggression ([beta] = 1.90; 95% CI: 0.15, 3.66), attention problems ([beta] = 2.78; 95% CI: 0.26, 5.30), and depression ([beta] = 2.66; 95% CI: 0.08, 5.24). Associations with youth report of externalizing problems were null, and associations with depression were suggestive (fourth vs. first quartile of exposure [beta] = 2.15; 95% CI: -0.36, 4.67). Childhood DAP metabolites were not associated with behavioral problems. Discussion: We found associations of prenatal, but not childhood, urinary DAP concentrations with adolescent/young adult externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. These findings are consistent with prior associations we have reported with neurodevelopmental outcomes measured earlier in childhood in CHAMACOS participants and suggests that prenatal exposure to OP pesticides may have lasting effects on the behavioral health of youth as they mature into adulthood, including their mental health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11380, Introduction Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are widely used agricultural pesticides. Although their use has declined in the last two decades, OP metabolites are universally detected in representative samples of the general [...]

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of liver disorders and metabolic syndrome has increased among youth. Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide worldwide, could contribute to the development of these conditions. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess whether lifetime exposure to glyphosate and its degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), is associated with elevated liver transaminases and metabolic syndrome among young adults. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study (n = 480 mother-child dyads) and a nested case-control study (n = 60 cases with elevated liver transaminases and 91 controls) using data from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS). We measured glyphosate and AMPA concentrations in urine samples collected during pregnancy and at child ages 5, 14, and 18 y from cases and controls. We calculated glyphosate residue concentrations: [glyphosate + (1.5 X AMPA)]. We estimated the amount of agricultural-use glyphosate applied within a 1-km radius of every residence from pregnancy to age 5 y for the full cohort using California Pesticide Use Reporting data. We assessed liver transaminases and metabolic syndrome at 18 y of age. RESULTS: Urinary AMPA at age 5 y was associated with elevated transaminases [relative risk (RR) per 2-fold increase = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 1.53] and metabolic syndrome (RR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.38, 3.11). Urinary AMPA and glyphosate residues at age 14 y were associated with metabolic syndrome [RR= 1.80 (95% CI: 1.10, 2.93) and RR = 1.88 (95% CI: 1.03, 3.42), respectively]. Overall, a 2- fold increase in urinary AMPA during childhood was associated with a 14% and a 55% increased risk of elevated liver transaminases and metabolic syndrome, respectively. Living near agricultural glyphosate applications during early childhood (birth to 5 y of age) was also associated with metabolic syndrome at age 18 y in the case-control group (RR= 1.53, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.02). DISCUSSION: Childhood exposure to glyphosate and AMPA may increase risk of liver and cardiometabolic disorders in early adulthood, which could lead to more serious diseases later in life. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11721, Introduction The prevalence of childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome has increased at an alarming rate in the United States, (1,2) particularly among populations of color. (1-3) Accompanying this, has been [...]

Background: Because fine particulate matter [PM, with aerodynamic diameter [less than or equal to]2.5 [micro]m (P[M.sub.2.5])] is a ubiquitous environmental exposure, small changes in cognition associated with P[M.sub.2.5] exposure could have great societal costs. Prior studies have demonstrated a relationship between in utero P[M.sub.2.5] exposure and cognitive development in urban populations, but it is not known whether these effects are similar in rural populations and whether they persist into late childhood. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we tested for associations between prenatal P[M.sub.2.5] exposure and both full-scale and subscale measures of IQ among a longitudinal cohort at age 10.5 y. Methods: This analysis used data from 568 children enrolled in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS), a birth cohort study in California's agricultural Salinas Valley. Exposures were estimated at residential addresses during pregnancy using state of the art, modeled P[M.sub.2.5] surfaces. IQ testing was performed by bilingual psychometricians in the dominant language of the child. Results: A 3-[micro]g/[m.sup.3] higher average P[M.sub.2.5] over pregnancy was associated with -1.79 full-scale IQ points [95% confidence interval (CI): -2.98, -0.58], with decrements specifically in Working Memory IQ (WMIQ) and Processing Speed IQ (PSIQ) subscales [WMIQ -1.72 (95% CI: -2.98, -0.45) and PSIQ -1.19 (95% CI: -2.54,0.16)]. Flexible modeling over the course of pregnancy illustrated mid-to-late pregnancy (months 5-7) as particularly susceptible times, with sex differences in the timing of susceptible windows and in which subscales were most affected [Verbal Comprehension IQ (VCIQ) and WMIQ in males; and PSIQ in females]. Discussion: We found that small increases in outdoor P[M.sub.2.5] exposure in utero were associated with slightly lower IQ in late childhood, robust to many sensitivity analyses. In this cohort there was a larger effect of P[M.sub.2.5] on childhood IQ than has previously been observed, perhaps due to differences in PM composition or because developmental disruption could alter the cognitive trajectory and thus appear more pronounced as children get older. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10812, Introduction Particulate matter (PM) exposure is ubiquitous in the United States, and newly available estimates of PM that combine ground-based measurements with remotely sensed data (1) allow for characterization of [...]

Residential exposure to pesticides has been linked to several adverse health outcomes, including adult cancers, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Colt et al. 2006; Ward et al. 2009) and prostate cancer [...]

BACKGROUND: Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide applications has been used as a surrogate for exposure in epidemiologic studies, although little is known about the relationship with levels of pesticides in [...]

BACKGROUND: Incidence of childhood leukemia in industrialized countries rose significantly during 1975-2004, and the reasons for the increase are not understood. OBJECTIVES: We used carpet dust as an exposure indicator [...]

Background: Elemental sulfur, 'the oldest of all pesticides,' is the most heavily used agricultural pesticide in California and Europe. Sulfur is considered relatively safe and is used in both conventional and organic farming systems. Adverse respiratory effects have been reported in applicators and animals, but the effect on residential populations, and especially on children living in proximity to fields treated with elemental sulfur, is not known. Objectives: We evaluated associations between residential proximity to elemental sulfur applications and respiratory symptoms and spirometry of children living in an agricultural community. Methods: Participants were enrolled in the CHAMACOS longitudinal birth cohort. We collected respiratory symptomatology for 347 children at 7 y of age and measured spirometry on a subset of 279. Of these, estimations of proximity to sulfur application and relevant covariate data were available for 237 and 205 children for whom we had symptomatology information and [FEV.sub.1] measurements, respectively. Data from the California Pesticide Use Reporting System were used to estimate the amount of elemental sulfur applied within 0.5, 1, and 3 km of a child's residence during the week, month, and 12 mo prior to pulmonary evaluation. Regression models controlled for maternal smoking during pregnancy; season of birth; [PM.sub.2.5] (particulate matter [less than or equal to] 2.5 mm in aerodynamic diameter); breast feeding duration; child's sex, age, and height; technician; and other covariates. Results: Adverse associations with respiratory outcomes were found for sulfur applications within 0.5- and 1-km radii. Specifically, asthma medication usage and respiratory symptoms increased [OR = 3.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.50, 8.23, p = 0.004; OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.27, 3.46, p = 0.004, respectively] and [FEV.sub.1] decreased ([beta] = -0.143; 95% CI: -0.248, -0.039, p = 0.008) per 10-fold increase in the estimated amount of sulfur used within 1 km of child residence during the year prior to pulmonary evaluation. Conclusions: This study suggests that elemental sulfur use, allowed in both organic and conventional farming, in close proximity to residential areas, may adversely affect children's respiratory health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP528, Introduction Elemental sulfur, 'the oldest of all pesticides' (Klaassen 2013; Kuklinska et al. 2013), is permitted on both conventional as well as organic crops (U.S. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, [...]

BACKGROUND: The State of California maintains a comprehensive Pesticide Use Reporting Database (CPUR). The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) maps all crops in agricultural counties in California about once [...]

California is the largest agricultural state in the United States and home to some of the world's highest breast cancer rates. The objective of our study was to evaluate whether [...]

Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are compounds shown to cause cancer or other adverse health effects. We analyzed population-based childhood cancer incidence rates in California (USA) from 1988 to 1994, by [...]

The potential etiologic role of household pesticide exposures was examined in the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study. A total of 162 patients (0-14 years old) with newly diagnosed leukemia were [...]

We analyzed population-based childhood cancer incidence rates throughout California in relation to agricultural pesticide use. During 1988-1994, a total of 7,143 cases of invasive cancer were diagnosed among children under [...]

Several studies have suggested an association between childhood cancer and pesticide exposure. California leads the nation in agricultural pesticide use. A mandatory reporting system for all agricultural pesticide use in [...]

Background: House dust is a major source of exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are found at high levels in U.S. homes. Methods: We studied 167 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases 0-7 years of age and 214 birth certificate controls matched on date of birth, sex, and race/ethnicity from the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study. In 2001-2007, we sampled carpets in the room where the child spent the most time while awake; we used a high-volume small-surface sampler or we took dust from the home vacuum. We measured concentrations of 14 PBDE congeners including penta (28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154), octa (183, 196, 197, 203), and decaBDEs (206-209). Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression, adjusting for demographics, income, year of dust collection, and sampling method. Results: BDE-47, BDE-99, and BDE-209 were found at the highest concentrations (medians, 1,173, 1,579, and 938 ng/g, respectively). Comparing the highest to lowest quartile, we found no association with ALL for summed pentaBDEs (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4, 1.3), octaBDEs (OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 0.7, 2.3), or decaBDEs (OR = 1.0; 95% CI: 0.6, 1.8). Comparing homes in the highest concentration (nanograms per gram) tertile to those with no detections, we observed significantly increased ALL risk for BDE-196 (OR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.8), BDE-203 (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.6), BDE-206 (OR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.9), and BDE-207 (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.03, 3.8). Conclusion: We found no association with ALL for common PBDEs, but we observed positive associations for specific octa and nonaBDEs. Additional studies with repeated sampling and biological measures would be informative. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307602, Introduction Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer, accounting for about 80% of childhood leukemia in most Western countries (Ross and Spector 2006). Incidence peaks [...]

Environ Health Perspect 126(4):047012 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2580 In this article, a competing financial interests disclosure was omitted. The disclosure should read as follows: A.B. is a volunteer member of the Board [...]

Background: Prenatal exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides has been linked with poorer neurodevelopment and behaviors related to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in previous studies, including in the Center for Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study, a birth cohort living in the agricultural Salinas Valley in California. Objectives: To investigate the association of prenatal exposure to OP pesticides with traits related to ASD, in childhood and adolescents in CHAMACOS. Methods: We assessed OP exposure during pregnancy with measurements of dialkyl phosphates (DAP) metabolites in urine, and residential proximity to OP use during pregnancy using California's Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) data and estimated associations with ASD- related traits using linear regression models. We measured traits reported by parents and teachers as well as the child's performance on tests that evaluate the ability to use facial expressions to recognize the mental state of others at 7, 10 1/2, and 14 years of age. Results: Prenatal DAPs were associated with poorer parent and teacher reported social behavior [e.g., a 10-fold DAP increase was associated with a 2.7-point increase (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9, 4.5) in parent-reported Social Responsiveness Scale, Version 2, T-scores at age 14]. We did not find clear evidence of associations between residential proximity to OP use during pregnancy and ASD-related traits. Conclusions: These findings contribute mixed evidence linking OP pesticide exposures with traits related to developmental disorders like ASD. Subtle pesticide-related effects on ASD-related traits among a population with ubiquitous exposure could result in a rise in cases of clinically diagnosed disorders like ASD. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2580, Introduction There is increasing recognition that modifiable environmental factors play an important role in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (Hallmayer et al. 2011). Traits [...]

BACKGROUND: Methyl bromide, a fungicide often used in strawberry cultivation, is of concern for residents who live near agricultural applications because of its toxicity and potential for drift. Little is known about the effects of methyl bromide exposure during pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationship between residential proximity to methyl bromide use and birth outcomes. METHODS: Participants were from the CHAMACOS (Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas) study (n = 442), a longitudinal cohort study examining the health effects of environmental exposures on pregnant women and their children in an agricultural community in northern California. Using data from the California Pesticide Use Reporting system, we employed a geographic information system to estimate the amount of methyl bromide applied within 5 km of a woman's residence during pregnancy. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate associations between trimester-specific proximity to use and birth weight, length, head circumference, and gestational age. RESULTS: High methyl bromide use (vs. no use) within 5 km of the home during the second trimester was negatively associated with birth weight (β = -113.1 g; CI: -218.1, -8.1), birth length (β = -0.85 cm; CI: -1.44, -0.27), and head circumference (β = -0.33 cm; CI: -0.67, 0.01). These outcomes were also associated with moderate methyl bromide use during the second trimester. Negative associations with fetal growth parameters were stronger when larger (5 km and 8 km) versus smaller (1 km and 3 km) buffer zones were used to estimate exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Residential proximity to methyl bromide use during the second trimester was associated with markers of restricted fetal growth in our study. KEY WORDS: birth outcomes, birth weight, fumigants, methyl bromide, pesticides, residential proximity. Environ Health Perspect 121:737-743 (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1205682 [Online 19 April 2013], Methyl bromide is a fumigant used for pre-planting soil preparation. Because of concerns about its effect on the ozone layer, methyl bromide was banned in 2005 under the Montreal Protocol [...]

BACKGROUND: Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Urinary Cd (U-Cd) concentration is considered a biomarker of long-term exposure. OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to evaluate the within-person correlation among repeat samples and to identify predictors of U-Cd concentrations. METHODS: U-Cd concentrations (micrograms per liter) were measured in 24-hr urine samples collected from 296 women enrolled in the California Teachers Study in 2000 and a second 24-hr sample collected 3-9 months later from 141 of the participants. Lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained via questionnaires. The Total Diet Study database was used to quantify dietary cadmium intake based on a food frequency questionnaire. We estimated environmental cadmium emissions near participants' residences using a geographic information system. RESULTS: The geometric mean U-Cd concentration was 0.27 [micro]g/L and the range was 0.1-3.6 [micro]g/L. The intraclass correlation among repeat samples from an individual was 0.50. The use of a single 24-hr urine specimen to characterize Cd exposure in a case-control study would result in an observed odds ratio of 1.4 for a true odds ratio of 2.0. U-Cd concentration increased with creatinine, age, and lifetime pack-years of smoking among ever smokers or lifetime intensity-years of passive smoking among nonsmokers, whereas it decreased with greater alcohol consumption and number of previous pregnancies. These factors explained 42-44% of the variability in U-Cd concentrations. CONCLUSION: U-Cd levels varied with several individual characteristics, and a single measurement of U-Cd in a 24-hr sample did not accurately reflect medium- to long-term body burden. KEY WORDS: cadmium, biomarkers, diet, exposure science, GIS. Environ Health Perspect 121:643-649 (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1205524 [Online 3 April 2013], Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic, bioaccumulating, and somewhat persistent metal released into the environment during mining operations and industrial processes and as a by-product of oil combustion [Agency for Toxic [...]

BACKGROUND: Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use has been associated with neural tube defects and autism, but more subtle outcomes such as cognition have not been studied. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the relationship between prenatal residential proximity to agricultural use of potentially neurotoxic pesticides and neurodevelopment in 7-year-old children. METHODS: Participants included mothers and children (n = 283) living in the agricultural Salinas Valley of California enrolled in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) study. We estimated agricultural pesticide use within 1 km of maternal residences during pregnancy using a geographic information system, residential location, and California's comprehensive agricultural Pesticide Use Report data. We used regression models to evaluate prenatal residential proximity to agricultural use of five potentially neurotoxic pesticide groups (organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and manganese fungicides) and five individual organophosphates (acephate, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion, and oxydemeton-methyl) and cognition in 7-year-old children. All models included prenatal urinary dialkyl phosphate metabolite concentrations. RESULTS: We observed a decrease of 2.2 points [95% confidence interval (CI): -3.9, -0.5] in Full-Scale IQ and 2.9 points (95% CI: -4.4, -1.3) in Verbal Comprehension for each standard deviation increase in toxicity-weighted use of organophosphate pesticides. In separate models, we observed similar decrements in Full-Scale IQ with each standard deviation increase of use for two organophosphates (acephate and oxydemeton-methyl) and three neurotoxic pesticide groups (pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and manganese fungicides). CONCLUSIONS: This study identified potential relationships between maternal residential proximity to agricultural use of neurotoxic pesticides and poorer neurodevelopment in children. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP504, Introduction In 2007, 311 million kg (684 million pounds) of pesticide active ingredients were used in agriculture in the United States (Grube et al. 2011). California, the state with the [...]

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic bottles, food and beverage can linings, thermal receipts, and dental sealants. Animal and human studies suggest that BPA may disrupt thyroid function. Although thyroid hormones play a determinant role in human growth and brain development, no studies have investigated relations between BPA exposure and thyroid function in pregnant women or neonates. Objective: Our goal was to evaluate whether exposure to BPA during pregnancy is related to thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women and neonates. Methods: We measured BPA concentration in urine samples collected during the first and second half of pregnancy in 476 women participating in the CHAMACOS (Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas) study. We also measured free thyroxine (T4), total T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in women during pregnancy, and TSH in neonates. Results: Associations between the average of the two BPA measurements and maternal thyroid hormone levels were not statistically significant. Of the two BPA measurements, only the one taken closest in time to the TH measurement was significantly associated with a reduction in total T4 (β = -0.13 μg/dL per log2 unit; 95% CI: -0.25, 0.00). The average of the maternal BPA concentrations was associated with reduced TSH in boys (-9.9% per log2 unit; 95% CI: -15.9%, -3.5%) but not in girls. Among boys, the relation was stronger when BPA was measured in the third trimester of pregnancy and decreased with time between BPA and TH measurements. Conclusion: Results suggest that exposure to BPA during pregnancy is related to reduced total T4 in pregnant women and decreased TSH in male neonates. Findings may have implications for fetal and neonatal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the etiologic role of household pesticide exposures and risk of childhood leukemia in California. Increase in the risk of childhood leukemia due to the use of pest control services; Observation of highest risk for pesticide exposure during pregnancy; Absence of correlation between herbicides and leukemia.

A table is presented that contains data collected during a research work titled "Maternal Urinary Bisphenol A during Pregnancy and Material and Neonatal Thyroid Function in the CHAMACOS Study," which also serves as a supplemental study material for students studying about environmental health.