Olfactory Function in Latino Farmworkers Over 2 Years

Quandt, Sara A.; Walker, Francis O.; Talton, Jennifer W.; Chen, Haiying; Arcury, Thomas A.

doi:10.1097/jom.0000000000001123

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The best evidence to date comes from a recent study (Quandt et al. 2016, 2017) that compared the sense of smell of 304 Latino farmworkers and 247 non-farmworkers in North Carolina, 18–70 y of age (78% younger than 45 y of age). This study found that farmworkers were not significantly different from controls in smell identification, but they had higher olfactory thresholds that persisted throughout a 2-y follow-up period (Quandt et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Pesticide Exposure Events and Olfactory Impairment among U.S. Farmers

Shrestha

Kamel

Umbach

et al. 2019

Environ Health Perspect

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Background: Olfactory impairment (OI) is common among older adults and independently predicts all-cause mortality and the risk of several major neurodegenerative diseases. Pesticide exposure may impair olfaction, but empirical evidence is lacking. Objective: We aimed to examine high pesticide exposure events (HPEEs) in relation to self-reported OI in participants in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS). Methods: We conducted multivariable logistic regression to examine the associations between HPEEs reported at enrollment (1993–1997) and self-reported OI at the latest AHS follow-up (2013–2015) among 11,232 farmers, using farmers without HPEEs as the reference or unexposed group. Results: A total of 1,186 (10.6%) farmers reported OI. A history of HPEEs reported at enrollment was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting OI two decades later {odds ratio [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.28, 1.73]}. In the analyses on the HPEE involving the highest exposure, the association appears to be stronger when there was a delay between HPEE and washing with soap and water [e.g., (95% CI: 1.48, 2.89) for 4–6 h vs. (95% CI: 1.11, 1.75) for ]. Further, significant associations were observed both for HPEEs involving the respiratory or digestive tract [ (95% CI: 1.22, 1.92)] and dermal contact [ (95% CI: 1.22, 1.78)]. Finally, we found significant associations with several specific pesticides involved in the highest exposed HPEEs, including two organochlorine insecticides (DDT and lindane) and four herbicides (alachlor, metolachlor, 2,4-D, and pendimethalin). HPEEs that occurred after enrollment were also associated with OI development. Conclusions: HPEEs may cause long-lasting olfactory deficit. Future studies should confirm these findings with objectively assessed OI and also investigate potential mechanisms. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3713

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Pesticide Exposure Events and Olfactory Impairment among U.S. Farmers

Shrestha

Kamel

Umbach

et al. 2019

Environ Health Perspect

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“…Olfactory and hearing loss were studied by Quandt et al 33 and França et al 8 , respectively. In a study of Latino workers exposed to pesticides in the United States, Quandt et al 33 found that pesticides can significantly affect olfactory function even when inhaled at low doses. The study also found that olfactory impairment occurs earlier than other symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health problems in agricultural workers occupationally exposed to pesticides

de-Assis¹,

Barcella²,

Padilha³

et al. 2020

Rev Bras Med Trab

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Agricultural workers are susceptible to several health problems as a result of occupational exposure to toxic substances, especially pesticides. The aim of this review was to describe the health issues associated with occupational exposure to pesticides in agricultural workers. A descriptive study, in the form of an integrative literature review, was conducted based on articles retrieved from the LILACS, SciELO and PubMed databases, published between January 2015 and October 2018. The searches were conducted using the keywords “pesticides,” “workers’ health,” “occupational exposure” and “agricultural workers.” The study was guided by the following research question: what health problems do agricultural workers experience as a result of occupational exposure to pesticides? The screening process led to the selection of 35 studies performed in several countries and continents, all of which shed light on the vulnerability of agricultural workers, especially due to the misuse of personal protective equipment and lack of knowledge about the correct use of these devices. The studies investigated a variety of health issues, and most reported a positive association between these conditions, which include cancer, and the use of pesticides. Educational and preventive measures must be implemented to promote the health of rural workers. Furthermore, it is crucial that governments play an active role in these initiatives and provide alternatives to pesticides for pest control.

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“…Nineteen studies measured the changes in olfactory function due to occupational exposure to air pollution (e.g., metals and volatile organic compounds VOCs), among which 16 assessed the long-term exposure. Twelve studies used both the odor threshold test and the odor identi cation test [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33], and three studies found no decline in the olfactory function measured by either test type (25%) [22][23][24]. Many studies assessed participants' exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e.g., phenyl-ethyl alcohol, n-butanol, styrene, and formaldehyde), and these tests tend to have good reliability and validity.…”

Section: Odor Threshold Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air Pollution Exposure and Olfactory Health: A Systematic Review

Shehab,

Xia,

Chan

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Exposure to air pollution can affect the olfactory system, causing disorders such as anosmia (partial or total loss of smell) and hypogeusia (reduced ability to taste). The objective of this study is to systematically review air pollution exposure and associated olfactory health disorders. The systematic review included air pollutant types, types of exposure, testing methods, and study limitations. Specific keywords related to air pollution and olfactory and/or gustatory functions were employed to search electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Highwire, ResearchGate, and the Cochrane Library) for studies and reviews on exposure to air pollution that assess and measure smell and taste and published up to the year 2021. Non-English studies, studies on animals, plants, and exposure to pollutants other than air pollutants were excluded. Out of 1,100 identified studies, only 52 studies met the selection criteria. Forty-nine studies were related to olfactory health (sense of smell) associated with air pollution exposure, and three studies were related to gustatory health (sense of taste). Most studies reviewed had a small sample size and were subject to substantial confounding, making it implausible to determine a significant association between air pollution exposure and olfactory health. The review shows the study limitations and gaps that should be considered in future research related to olfactory/gustatory health and air pollution. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review of the olfactory health studies related to air pollution exposure.

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Olfactory Function in Latino Farmworkers Over 2 Years

Cited by 12 publications

References 20 publications

High Pesticide Exposure Events and Olfactory Impairment among U.S. Farmers

High Pesticide Exposure Events and Olfactory Impairment among U.S. Farmers

Health problems in agricultural workers occupationally exposed to pesticides

Air Pollution Exposure and Olfactory Health: A Systematic Review

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