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Environmental pesticide exposure in Honduras following hurricane Mitch

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Environmental pesticide exposure in Honduras following hurricane Mitch
Authors: Lina S. Balluz, Deborah Moll, Julio Enrique Merida Colindres, Maria Georgina Diaz Martinez, Josephine Malilay
Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol 79, Iss 4, Pp 288-295 (2001)
Publisher Information: The World Health Organization, 2001.
Publication Year: 2001
Subject Terms: Male, Insecticides, Adolescent, Drinking water/chemistry, Chemical, 01 natural sciences, Water pollutants, Disasters, Water Supply, Surveys and Questionnaires, Natural disasters, Humans, Pesticides, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Family Characteristics, Environmental monitoring, Environmental Exposure, 6. Clean water, 3. Good health, Households, Cross-Sectional Studies, Honduras, 13. Climate action, Cross-sectional studies, Female, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Environmental Monitoring
Description: To investigate whether environmental contamination occurred in the wake of hurricane Mitch (30-31 October 1998), we conducted a population-based cross-sectional household survey in the barrio of Istoca, Department of Choluteca, Honduras. The goals were to evaluate chemical contamination of potable water and the extent of human exposure to chemicals as a result of extensive flooding.The survey consisted of an environmental exposure assessment, which included assaying water and soil samples for contaminants, and taking blood and urine samples from 45 adolescents aged 15-18 years. We also made a subjective questionnaire assessment of 155 households.There was significant contamination of the soil in Istoca, but no water contamination in the aftermath of hurricane Mitch. The soil levels of chlopyrifos and parathion were 30- and 1000-times higher, respectively, than the Environmental Data Quality Level. However, the most striking finding was the detection of elevated levels of chlorinated and organophosphate pesticides in adolescents. Toxicological analyses of serum specimens showed that 51% of the samples had elevated levels of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p-DDE) (range, 1.16-96.9 ng/ml) (US reference mean = 3.5 ng/ml) in adults). Dieldrin levels > 0.2 ng/ml were also present in 23% of the serum specimens (serum levels of this analyte in US adolescents are < 0.2 ng/ml). Of 43 urine samples analysed for organophosphate metabolites, 18.6% contained diethyl phosphate (DEP) at levels which were greater that the reference mean of 6.45 micrograms/g creatinine. We also detected elevated levels of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) and of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (3,5,6-TCPY) in 91% and 42% of the samples, respectively.The elevated levels of chlorinated pesticides were surprising, since although these substances were banned in Honduras 15 years ago it appears that they are still being used in the country. Moreover, elevated levels of organophosphates were detected in the study adolescents even three weeks after the hurricane. Since these chemicals are usually cleared from the body quickly, our data suggest that the adolescents face an ongoing threat from pesticide exposure.
Document Type: Article
Language: English
ISSN: 0042-9686
DOI: 10.1590/s0042-96862001000400004
Access URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11357206
https://doaj.org/article/6b9b356c4c174dddbcd39d213cd0fe79
https://www.safetylit.org/citations/index.php?fuseaction=citations.viewdetails&citationIds[]=citjournalarticle_335379_38
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2566408
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11357206
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/58153/1/vol79.no.4.288-295.pdf
https://www.scielosp.org/pdf/bwho/2001.v79n4/288-295/en
https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-75119794/environmental-pesticide-exposure-in-honduras-following
Accession Number: edsair.pmid.dedup....8c6f58fab1503f0393489cc43e0fff93
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:To investigate whether environmental contamination occurred in the wake of hurricane Mitch (30-31 October 1998), we conducted a population-based cross-sectional household survey in the barrio of Istoca, Department of Choluteca, Honduras. The goals were to evaluate chemical contamination of potable water and the extent of human exposure to chemicals as a result of extensive flooding.The survey consisted of an environmental exposure assessment, which included assaying water and soil samples for contaminants, and taking blood and urine samples from 45 adolescents aged 15-18 years. We also made a subjective questionnaire assessment of 155 households.There was significant contamination of the soil in Istoca, but no water contamination in the aftermath of hurricane Mitch. The soil levels of chlopyrifos and parathion were 30- and 1000-times higher, respectively, than the Environmental Data Quality Level. However, the most striking finding was the detection of elevated levels of chlorinated and organophosphate pesticides in adolescents. Toxicological analyses of serum specimens showed that 51% of the samples had elevated levels of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p-DDE) (range, 1.16-96.9 ng/ml) (US reference mean = 3.5 ng/ml) in adults). Dieldrin levels > 0.2 ng/ml were also present in 23% of the serum specimens (serum levels of this analyte in US adolescents are < 0.2 ng/ml). Of 43 urine samples analysed for organophosphate metabolites, 18.6% contained diethyl phosphate (DEP) at levels which were greater that the reference mean of 6.45 micrograms/g creatinine. We also detected elevated levels of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) and of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (3,5,6-TCPY) in 91% and 42% of the samples, respectively.The elevated levels of chlorinated pesticides were surprising, since although these substances were banned in Honduras 15 years ago it appears that they are still being used in the country. Moreover, elevated levels of organophosphates were detected in the study adolescents even three weeks after the hurricane. Since these chemicals are usually cleared from the body quickly, our data suggest that the adolescents face an ongoing threat from pesticide exposure.
ISSN:00429686
DOI:10.1590/s0042-96862001000400004