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Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides in a Mexican Agricultural Community

EPA Grant Number: U915659
Title: Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides in a Mexican Agricultural Community
Investigators: Chapa, Guadalupe
Institution: University of California - Los Angeles
EPA Project Officer: Manty, Dale
Project Period: August 1, 1999 through August 1, 2002
Project Amount: $80,621
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1999)
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Fellowship - Ecological Risk Assessment , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration

Description:

Objective:

The main objective of this research project is to quantitatively assess exposure to organophosphate pesticide (OP) residues in farm workers and their families. Specific hypotheses are: (1) children of agricultural workers living in close proximity to fields where their fathers work will be exposed to higher OP residue levels from environmental media in their homes than those living further away; (2) the OP residue levels attributed to the pesticide applicator's use in the fields will be correlated with the OP pesticide urinary metabolite levels in other family members; and (3) work, hygiene practices, pesticide use, and storage practices in the field and home will affect the levels of OP urinary metabolites in agricultural workers and their families.

Approach:

A sampling strategy that integrated the target OP pesticides, multi-media, and multiple exposure pathways was implemented to determine the contribution of environmental and occupational exposures to the total OP pesticide exposures for pesticide applicators and their families. From May 1999 to February 2000, 36 families participated in a multimedia exposure assessment study. These families participated in three 24-hour sampling periods throughout the season. Participants from each family included a pesticide applicator, a female adult or spouse, and at least two children. During each sampling period, micro-environmental (indoor air, outdoor soil, and house dust), biological (urine), personal dermal (hand wipes), and occupational samples (personal air and dermal wipes during an application event) were collected from pesticide applicators and their families.

Expected Results:

The sampling strategy will provide a means for assessing exposure to organophosphate pesticide residues in farm workers and their families.

Supplemental Keywords:

organophosphate pesticides, exposure assessment, multimedia. , Scientific Discipline, Health, Risk Assessments, Health Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, Biochemistry, exposure assessment, Mexican workers, blood samples, human health risk, field workers, agricultural community, dietary exposure, minorities, pesticides, exposure, human exposure, farm worker

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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