Lower acetylcholinesterase activity among children living with flower plantation workers

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• 作者：Jose R. Suarez-Lopez^a ; ^b ; ^{suarez@umn.edu} ; David R. Jacobs Jr.^a ; ^c ; John H. Himes^a ; Bruce H. Alexander^d ; DeAnn Lazovich^a ; Megan Gunnar^e
• 关键词：Acetylcholinesterase ; AChE ; Children ; Pesticide ; Organophosphate
• 刊名：Environmental Research
• 出版年：2012
• 期刊代码：78_00139351
• 类别：env
• 出版时间：April, 2012
• 卷：114
• 期：Complete
• 页码：53-59
• 文件大小：166 K

摘要

Background

Children of workers exposed to pesticides are at risk of secondary pesticide exposure. We evaluated the potential for lower acetylcholinesterase activity in children cohabiting with fresh-cut flower plantation workers, which would be expected from organophosphate and carbamate insecticide exposure. Parental home surveys were performed and acetylcholinesterase activity was measured in 277 children aged 4-9 years in the Secondary Exposure to Pesticides among Infants, Children and Adolescents (ESPINA) study. Participants lived in a rural county in Ecuador with substantial flower plantation activity.

RESULTS

Mean acetylcholinesterase activity was 3.14 U/ml, standard deviation (SD) of 0.49. It was lower by 0.09 U/ml (95%confidence interval (CI) 鈭?.19, 鈭?.001) in children of flower workers (57%of participants) than non-flower workers鈥?children, after adjustment for gender, age, height-for-age, hemoglobin concentration, income, pesticide use within household lot, pesticide use by contiguous neighbors, examination date and residence distance to nearest flower plantation. Using a 4 level polychotomous acetylcholinesterase activity dependent variable, flower worker cohabitation (vs. not) had odds ratio 3.39 (95%CI 1.19, 9.64) for being <15th percentile compared to the highest tertile. Children cohabitating for 鈮? years (vs. never) had OR of 4.11 (95%CI: 1.17, 14.38) of AChE activity within <15th percentile compared to the highest tertile.

Conclusions

Cohabitation with a flower worker was related to lower acetylcholinesterase activity in children. This supports the hypothesis that the amount of take-home pesticides from flower workers suffices to decrease acetylcholinesterase activity, with lower activity associated with longer exposure.