Design strategy for assessing multi-pathway exposure for children: the Minnesota Children's Pesticide Exposure Study (MNCPES)

Abstract

Although children are exposed to a variety of environmental hazards, including pesticides, there is a scarcity of information available to estimate exposures realistically. This article reports on one of the first attempts to measure multi -pathway pesticide exposures in a population -based sample of urban and nonurban children. A design strategy was developed to assess multi -pathway pesticide exposures in children using personal exposure measurements in combination with complimentary measurements of biological markers of exposure, concentrations in relevant environmental media, and time spent in important microenvironments and participating in exposure -related activities. Sample collection and analysis emphasized measurement of three insecticides ( i.e., chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion ) and one herbicide ( i.e., atrazine ) . These compounds were selected because of their frequent use, presence in multiple environmental media, expected population exposures, and related hazard / toxicity. The study was conducted during the summer of 1997 in Minnesota and involved a stratified sample of households with children ages 3 ± 12 years. Participants resided in either ( a ) the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul ( urban households ) , or ( b ) Rice and Goodhue Counties just south of the metropolitan area ( non -urban households ) . Results from a residential inventory documenting storage and use of products containing the target pesticides were used to preferentially select households where children were likely to have higher exposures. The study successfully obtained pesticide exposure data for 102 children, including measurements of personal exposures ( air, hand rinse, duplicate diet ) , environmental concentrations ( residential indoor / outdoor air, drinking water, residential surfaces, soil ) , activity patterns ( obtained by questionnaire, diary, videotaping ) , and internal dose ( metabolites in urine ) . Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology ( 2000 ) 10, 145 ± 158.

Personal, Indoor, and Outdoor VOC Exposures in a Probability Sample of Children

“…A detailed description of the MNCPES study design, eligibility criteria, sample selection, field sampling methods, and the development and application of statistical weights has been published (Adgate et al, 2000a;Quackenboss et al, 2000), and is briefly summarized here. During the study a probability sample of households with children was obtained through a systematic process occurring over three phases: identification, household screening, and intensive monitoring.…”

Development and application of a robust speciation method for determination of six arsenic compounds present in human urine.

“…The samples were collected from 300 homes from different individuals as part of the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey study, conducted in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region V from July 1995 to May 1997 (16)(17)(18). Region V consists of the Great Lakes area (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan), in which the demographic characteristics of the population (e.g., races, ethnic groups, socioeconomic distribution) are similar to the national profile (18).…”

Assessment of organophosphorous pesticide exposures in the diets of preschool children in Washington State

“…No previous duplicate diet sampling studies have focused on children in this age range: the Agricultural Health Study pilot project included several young children ( Melnyk et al, 1997 ); the Minnesota Children's Pesticide Exposure Study design includes collection of duplicate diets, but results from this study have not yet been reported (Quackenboss et al, 2000 ). In each of these studies only a limited number of OP pesticides have been targeted for analysis.…”

“…Duplicate diet sampling allows calculation of the quantity of contaminants actually ingested by an individual (WHO, 1985 ), accounts for the effects of food production, storage, and preparation (Thomas et al, 1997;Tomerlin et al, 1997;Akland et al, 2000), and can characterize the diets of specific subpopulations that do not adhere to population norms ( Hubal et al, 2000 ). Studies investigating total individual exposures to pesticides via multiple pathways often employ personal monitoring including duplicate diet sampling ( Melnyk et al, 1997;Gordon et al, 1999;Quackenboss et al, 2000;MacIntosh et al, 2001 ), and the World Health Organization recommends this method for measuring dietary exposure to contaminants within restricted subpopulations ( WHO, 1985 ).…”