Residential Proximity to Greenhouse Agriculture and Neurobehavioral Performance in Ecuadorian Children

Details

• Personal Author:
  Friedman E ; Hazlehurst MF ; Karr C ; Loftus C ; McDonald KN ; Suarez-Lopez JR
• Description:
  Background: Children living near greenhouse agriculture may have an increased risk of pesticide exposure due to drift or direct contact with pesticide-treated areas. However, little is known about whether this increased potential for chronic exposure may impair their neurodevelopment. Methods: We examined 307 children aged 4-9 years, living in agricultural communities in Ecuador (ESPINA study). The two exposures calculated were residential distance from the nearest flower plantation perimeter and flower plantation surface area within 100 m of homes. Five neurobehavioral domains were assessed: Attention/Inhibitory Control, Memory/Learning, Visuospatial processing and Sensorimotor (higher values reflect better performance). Low scores were defined according to the test's cut-offs. Models were adjusted for demographic, socio-economic and growth variables. Results: The mean (SD) residential distance to the nearest flower plantation was 446 m (344). Living 100 m closer to crops was associated with increased odds (OR [95% CI]) of low scores in the domains of Memory/Learning (1.24 [1.05, 1.46]) and Language (1.09 [1.00, 1.19]). Associations were strongest among children living within 50 m, having significantly lower scores in Language (-1.28 which is approx. 50% of a SD [-2.50, -0.06]), Attention/Inhibitory Control (-1.24 units, [-2.45, -0.04]), and Memory/Learning (-0.91, [-1.99, 0.17]), compared to children living farther than 500 m. Analyses of areas of flower crops near homes concurred with these findings. Conclusions: Close residential proximity to greenhouse floricultural crops was associated with adverse neurobehavioral performance in Attention/Inhibitory Control, Language and Memory/Learning among children. This highlights the importance of reducing pesticide drift from plantations to nearby homes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Behavior Insecticides Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Pesticides Behavioral Testing Children Drift Mental Health Neurodevelopment Neurological System Pesticides And Agricultural Chemicals Psychological Effects Residential Proximity
• ISSN:
  1438-4639
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Minnesota ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  220-227
• Volume:
  223
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058182
• Citation:
  Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020 Jan; 223(1):220-227
• Contact Point Address:
  Elizabeth Friedman, NW Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington -DEOHS, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE Suite 301, Campus Box 354695, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
• Email:
  efhealth@uw.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070930
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
• End Date:
  20090531
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8d6f5d3b29e6b2c30432a1d293d7385c2f497cb7f39d1f99f8169e46fc3ca3fa51612972e92520e579e7ebabffb21be80feb7f07ec09af6a373ec4e9f6a347bb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221319/cdc_221319_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.41 MB ]