Journal or Publishing Institution: American Journal of Epidemiology
Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16495467
Author(s): Rull, R.P., Ritz, B. and Shaw, G.M.
Article Type: Peer Reviewed Study
Record ID: 2122
Abstract: Residential proximity to applications of agricultural pesticides may be an important source of exposure to agents that have been classified as developmental toxins. Data on two case-control study populations of infants with neural tube defects (NTDs) and nonmalformed controls delivered in California between 1987 and 1991 were pooled to investigate whether maternal residential proximity to applications of specific pesticides or physicochemical groups of pesticides during early gestation increases the risk of these malformations. Maternal residential proximity within 1,000 m of pesticide applications was ascertained by linking mothers’ addresses with agricultural pesticide use reports and crop maps. Odds ratios were computed by using conventional single- and multiple-pesticide and hierarchical multiple-pesticide logistic regression. In single-pesticide models, several pesticides were associated with NTDs after adjustment for study population, maternal ethnicity, educational level, cigarette smoking, and vitamin use. In a hierarchical multiple-pesticide model, effect estimates for only benomyl and methomyl suggested a possible association. Elevated risks of NTDs and anencephaly or spina bifida subtypes were also associated with exposures to chemicals classified as amide, benzimidazole, methyl carbamate, or organophosphorus pesticides and with increasing numbers of pesticides. These results suggest that ambient exposure to certain categories of agricultural pesticides may increase the risk of NTDs.
Keywords: anencephaly, crops, agricultural, environmental exposure, geographic information systems, neural tube defects, maternal exposure, pesticides, spina dysraphism, CI, confidence interval, NTD, neural tube defect, OR, odds ratio, Adult, California, Case-Control Studies, Environmental Exposure, Female, Humans, Newborn Infant, Logistic Models, Male, Maternal Exposure, Neural Tube Defects, Pesticides, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Outcome, Residence Characteristics, Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, Adverse Effects, Statistics & Numerical Data, Chemically Induced, Toxicity
Citation: Rull, R.P., Ritz, B. and Shaw, G.M., 2006. Neural tube defects and maternal residential proximity to agricultural pesticide applications. American Journal of Epidemiology, 163(8), pp.743-753.
