American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access originally published online on April 12, 2006
American Journal of Epidemiology 2006 163(12):1129-1137; doi:10.1093/aje/kwj138
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Original Contribution |
Pesticides associated with Wheeze among Commercial Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study
1 Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC
2 Biostatistics Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC
3 Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
4 Occupational Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD
Correspondence to Dr. Jane A. Hoppin, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, MD A3-05, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233 (e-mail: hoppin1{at}niehs.nih.gov).
Pesticides are potential risk factors for respiratory disease among farmers, but farmers are also exposed to other respiratory toxicants. To explore the association of pesticides with wheeze in a population without other farming exposures, the authors analyzed data from 2,255 Iowa commercial pesticide applicators enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. Controlling for age, smoking status, asthma and atopy history, and body mass index, the authors calculated odds ratios for the relationship between wheeze and 36 individual pesticides participants had used during the year before enrollment (1993–1997). Eight of 16 herbicides were associated with wheeze in single-agent models; however, the risk was almost exclusively associated with the herbicide chlorimuron-ethyl (odds ratio (OR) = 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 2.10). Inclusion of chlorimuron-ethyl in models for the other herbicides virtually eliminated the associations. The odds ratios for four organophosphate insecticides (terbufos, fonofos, chlorpyrifos, and phorate) were elevated when these chemicals were modeled individually and remained elevated, though attenuated somewhat, when chlorimuron-ethyl was included. The association for dichlorvos, another organophosphate insecticide, was not attenuated by chlorimuron-ethyl (OR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.08, 5.66). Dose-response trends were observed for chlorimuron-ethyl, chlorpyrifos, and phorate; the strongest odds ratio was for applying chlorpyrifos on more than 40 days per year (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.24, 4.65). These results add to the emerging literature linking organophosphate insecticides and respiratory health and suggest a role for chlorimuron-ethyl.
agriculture; insecticides; occupational exposure; organophosphates; pesticides; signs and symptoms, respiratory; sulfonylurea compounds
Abbreviations: AHS, Agricultural Health Study; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio
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