Human pesticide exposure can occur both occupationally and
environmentally during manufacture and after the application of indoor and
outdoor pesticides, as well as through consumption via residues in food and
water. There is evidence from experimental studies that numerous pesticides,
either in isolation or in combination, act as endocrine disruptors,
neurodevelopmental toxicants, immunotoxicants, and carcinogens. We reviewed the
international literature on this subject for the years between 1990 and 2017.
The studies were considered in this review through MEDLINE and WHO resources.
Out of the n = 1817 studies identified,
n = 94 were reviewed because they fulfilled
criteria of validity and addressed associations of interest. Epidemiological
studies have provided limited evidence linking pre- and post-natal exposure to
pesticides with cancers in childhood, neurological deficits, fetal death,
intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, and congenital abnormalities
(CAs). In this review, the potential association between pesticide exposure and
the appearance of some human CAs (including among others musculoskeletal
abnormalities; neural tube defects; urogenital and cardiovascular abnormalities)
was investigated. A trend towards a positive association between environmental
or occupational exposure to some pesticides and some CAs was detected, but this
association remains to be substantiated. Main limitations of the review include
inadequate exposure assessment and limited sample size. Adequately powered
studies with precise exposure assessments such as biomonitoring, are warranted
to clarify with certainty the potential association between pesticide exposure
and human CAs.