Association of pesticide exposure with respiratory health outcomes and rhinitis in avocado farmworkers from Michoacán, Mexico


Por: Alcalá C.S., Armendáriz-Arnez C., Mora A.M., Rodriguez-Zamora M.G., Bradman A., Fuhrimann S., Lindh C., Rosa M.J.

Publicada: 1 ene 2024
Resumen:
Background: A growing literature suggests associations between occupational pesticide exposure and respiratory health. In this study, we aimed to examine the association of exposure to insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, individually and as a mixture, with respiratory health outcomes and rhinitis in avocado farmworkers from Michoacán, Mexico. Material and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 105 avocado farmworkers between May and August 2021. We quantified 12 insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide metabolites in urine samples collected during two study visits (8–10 weeks apart). We collected survey data on self-reported pesticide use during the 12 months prior to the baseline survey and estimated annual exposure-intensity scores (EIS) using a semi-quantitative exposure algorithm. We also assessed respiratory symptoms, including wheezing, chest tightness, wheezing after exercise, and night cough. We used generalized linear regression models to examine associations of individual urinary metabolite concentrations and annual EIS with respiratory health outcomes and rhinitis. Mixture effects were assessed using Bayesian Weighted Quantile Sum (BWQS) regression. Results: After adjusting for multiple comparisons, we observed mostly null associations of individual pesticide metabolite concentrations and annual EIS with the outcomes of interest. However, in BWQS analyses, we found evidence of a mixture association of urinary pesticide metabolites with increased odds of night cough (OR: 5.34, 95 % CrI: 1.67, 20.62). Pyrethroid metabolites 3-phenoxybenzoic acid and cis- and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid were the main contributors to this association (43 %). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that exposure to a mixture of pesticides, particularly pyrethroid insecticides, may be associated with night cough in avocado farmworkers. © 2024 The Authors

Filiaciones:
Alcalá C.S.:
 Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States

Armendáriz-Arnez C.:
 Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (ENES) Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Michoacán, Mexico

Mora A.M.:
 Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States

Rodriguez-Zamora M.G.:
 Escuela de Ingeniería en Seguridad Laboral e Higiene Ambiental (EISLHA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica

Bradman A.:
 Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States

 Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, CA, United States

Fuhrimann S.:
 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Allschwil, Switzerland

 University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Lindh C.:
 Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Rosa M.J.:
 Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
ISSN: 00489697
Editorial
Elsevier, PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, Países Bajos
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 945 Número:
Páginas:
ID de PubMed: 38871332