Elizabeth Friedman1, Marnie F Hazlehurst2, Christine Loftus3, Catherine Karr4, Kelsey N McDonald5, Jose Ricardo Suarez-Lopez6. 1. School of Medicine, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States. Electronic address: efhealth@uw.edu. 2. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, United States. Electronic address: marnieh@uw.edu. 3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, United States. Electronic address: cloftus@uw.edu. 4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, United States. Electronic address: ckarr@uw.edu. 5. Department of Geography, Macalester College, United States. Electronic address: mcdon560@gmail.com. 6. Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, United States. Electronic address: jrsuarez@ucsd.edu.
Abstract
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 ~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.
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 ~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.
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