Pesticide exposure among Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina

Abstract

Background Although pesticides have adverse effects on child health and development, little research has examined pesticide exposure among child farmworkers. This analysis addresses two specific aims: (1) describes pesticide exposure among Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina, and (2) delineates factors associated with this pesticide exposure. Methods In 2018 (n = 173) and 2019 (n = 156) Latinx child farmworkers completed interviews and wore silicone wristbands for a single day to measure pesticide exposure. Wristbands were analyzed for 70 pesticides. Results Most Latinx child farmworkers were exposed to multiple pesticides; the most frequent were pyrethroids (69.9% in 2018, 67.9% in 2019), organochlorines (51.4% in 2018, 55.1% in 2019), and organophosphates (51.4% in 2018, 34.0% in 2019). Children were exposed to a mean of 2.15 pesticide classes in 2018 and 1.91 in 2019, and to a mean of 4.06 pesticides in 2018 and 3.34 in 2019. Younger children (≤15 years) had more detections than older children; children not currently engaged in farm work had more detections than children currently engaged in farm work. Migrant child farmworkers had more detections than nonmigrants. For specific pesticides with at least 20 detections, detections and concentrations were generally greater among children not currently engaged in farm work than children currently engaged. Conclusions Children who live in farmworker communities are exposed to a plethora of pesticides. Although further research is needed to document the extent of pesticide exposure and its health consequences, sufficient information is available to inform the policy needed to eliminate this pesticide exposure in agricultural communities.

Child exposure to organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides measured in urine, wristbands, and household dust and its implications for child health in South Africa: A panel study

“…Of all the OPs and PYRs analyzed across matrices, 83% were detected at least once, with chlorpyrifos showing the highest concentrations in both wristbands and household dust samples. This is in line with recent research showing a high detection frequency of multiple OPs and PYRs measured in silicone wristbands of children and adolescents living in Latina farm-worker communities in California 38 , 71 and North Carolina 67 , 72 , 73 but also in several Peruvian agricultural communities, 74 suggesting the broad use of these insecticides in agriculture. For both OPs and PYRs, the urinary levels observed in this study were lower than those previously reported for farm workers in the Western Cape region, 9 , 35 but the same order of magnitude as those reported for other children living in the same study areas 10 years previous to our study, 21 likely a result of the similar exposure pathways throughout the years.…”

Pesticide Exposure among Latinx Children in Rural Farmworker and Urban Non-Farmworker Communities: Associations with Locality and Season

“…The analyses by Harley et al [23] and Arcury et al [51] allow a more direct comparison of the measures of pesticide exposure from this current study with those for Latinx children and adolescents living in California and North Carolina agricultural communities (Table 11). These two studies used the same type of wristbands and laboratory analysis to measure pesticide exposure as in the current study.…”

Understanding Latinx Child Farmworkers’ Reasons for Working: A Mixed Methods Approach

“…Across diverse US regions, with various crops, tasks, and work environments, agricultural injuries are common among Latinx child farmworkers (Arcury, Arnold, Quandt, et al, 2019; Arnold et al, 2021; Bonauto et al, 2003; McCurdy et al, 2003; Quandt, Arnold, Talton, et al, 2021; Shipp et al, 2007, 2013). Children living and working in agricultural communities are exposed to a variety of pesticides (Arcury, Chen, Arnold, et al, 2021; Arcury, Chen, Quandt, et al, 2021; Castillo et al, 2021; Eskenazi et al, 1999; Harley et al, 2019; Hyland & Laribi, 2017), which can adversely affect health during critical periods of development (Pascale & Laborde, 2020; Roberts et al, 2012). Agriculture is characterized by an unsafe work safety culture, and safety training for Latinx child farmworkers is limited and often informal (Arcury, Arnold, Mora, et al, 2019; Arcury et al, 2020).…”