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Indigenous children living nearby plantations with chlorpyrifos-treated bags have elevated 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy) urinary concentrations

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Author

  • Berna van Wendel de Joode
  • Douglas Barraza
  • Clemens Ruepert
  • Ana Maria Mora
  • Leonel Cordoba
  • Mattias Oberg
  • Catharina Wesseling
  • Donna Mergler
  • Christian Lindh

Summary, in English

Background: The US Environmental Protection Agency voluntary phased-out residential use of chlorpyrifos in 2001. In contrast, in Costa Rica, chlorpyrifos-treated bags are increasingly used to protect banana and plantain fruits from insects and to fulfill product standards, even in populated areas. Objectives: To evaluate children's exposure to chlorpyrifos in villages situated nearby banana plantations and plantain farms in Costa Rica. Methods: The study targeted two villages with use of chlorpyrifos-treated bags in nearby banana plantations and plantain farms and one village with mainly organic production. For 140 children from these villages, mostly indigenous Ngabe and Bribri, parent-interviews and urine samples (n=207) were obtained. Urinary 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy) levels were measured as a biomarker for chlorpyrifos exposure. In the banana and plantain village also environmental contamination to chlorpyrifos was explored. Results: Children from the banana and plantain villages had statistically significant higher urinary TCPy concentrations than children from the referent village: 2.6 and 2.2 versus 1.3 mu g/g creatinine, respectively. Chlorpyrifos was detected in 30% of the environmental samples as well as in 92% of the hand/foot wash samples. For more than half of the children their estimated intake exceeded the US EPA chronic population adjusted dose. For some, the acute population adjusted dose and the chronic reference dose were also exceeded. Conclusions: Our results suggest that children living nearby plantations with chlorpyrifos-treated bags are exposed to chlorpyrifos levels that may affect their health. Interventions to reduce chlorpyrifos exposure are likely to improve children's health and environment in banana and plantain growing regions. Crown Copyright (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishing year

2012

Language

English

Pages

17-26

Publication/Series

Environmental Research

Volume

117

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Environmental Health and Occupational Health

Keywords

  • Children
  • Pesticides
  • Chlorpyrifos
  • Biomarkers
  • Banana
  • Developing
  • countries

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1096-0953