The Effects of Pesticides on the Health of Children Living in the Salinas Valley of California
EPA Grant Number: U915893Title: The Effects of Pesticides on the Health of Children Living in the Salinas Valley of California
Investigators: Hernandez, Rosana A.
Institution: University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Cobbs, Gladys M.
Project Period: January 1, 2001 through January 1, 2002
Project Amount: $53,270
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (2001)
Research Category: Fellowship - Public Health Sciences , Health Effects , Academic Fellowships
Description:
Objective:The Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) project is a 5-year, longitudinal research study to investigate the potential adverse health effects of children's daily exposure to pesticides and allergens such as pollens, molds, and dusts. This project is jointly funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Approximately 550 women were enrolled during pregnancy, and these women and their infants will be followed until the child reaches 2 years of age. The study population is primarily Latino families and most families have at least one farmworker in the household. For the past 2 years, the CHAMACOS staff has been following this cohort collecting exposure data, medical history data, and biological samples including blood, urine, and breast milk. The objectives of this research project are to: (1) uncover the level of dietary pesticide exposure to infants; and (2) provide another facet to the existing exposure assessment efforts.
Approach:Control breast milk samples will be obtained and used to develop a multiresidue method of extraction and analysis of pesticide residues. Once a reliable laboratory method is established, a subgroup of 176 breast milk samples collected from lactating CHAMACOS participants with 6-month-old children will be analyzed to determine the levels of pesticide residues.
Supplemental Keywords:fellowship, pesticides, pesticide residues, allergens, Salinas Valley, California, CA, Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas, CHAMACOS, Latino farmworkers, dietary pesticide exposure, childrens health effects, children, infants, exposure, exposure assessment, exposure assessment effects. , HUMAN HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Scientific Discipline, Health, RFA, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Risk Assessment, Biology, Risk Assessments, Disease & Cumulative Effects, genetic susceptability, Health Risk Assessment, Physical Processes, Chemistry, Children's Health, Exposure, exposure assessment, multi-pathway study, metabolism, perinatal exposure, human health risk, longitudinal study, dietary exposure, exposure pathways, latino community, children, pesticides, body dosimeter, long term exposure, functional relationships, allergic airway disease, human exposure, farm worker, permethrin