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Aerial Application of Mancozeb and Urinary Ethylene Thiourea (ETU) Concentrations among Pregnant Women in Costa Rica: The Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA).

van Wendel de Joode, Berna ; Mora, Ana M ; Córdoba, Leonel ; Cano, Juan C ; Quesada, Rosario ; Faniband, Moosa LU ; Wesseling, Catharina ; Ruepert, Clemens ; Oberg, Mattias and Eskenazi, Brenda , et al. (2014) In Environmental Health Perspectives 122(12). p.1321-1328
Abstract
Background: Mancozeb and its main metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU) may alter thyroid function; thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development. In Costa Rica, mancozeb is aerially sprayed at large-scale banana plantations on a weekly basis. Objectives: (1) evaluate urinary ETU concentrations in pregnant women living nearby large-scale banana plantations; (2) compare their estimated daily intake (EDI) with established Reference Doses (RfDs); and (3) identify factors that predict their urinary ETU concentrations. Methods: We enrolled 451 pregnant women from Matina County, Costa Rica, with large-scale banana production. We visited 445 women up to three times during pregnancy to obtain urine samples (n = 872) and information on... (More)
Background: Mancozeb and its main metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU) may alter thyroid function; thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development. In Costa Rica, mancozeb is aerially sprayed at large-scale banana plantations on a weekly basis. Objectives: (1) evaluate urinary ETU concentrations in pregnant women living nearby large-scale banana plantations; (2) compare their estimated daily intake (EDI) with established Reference Doses (RfDs); and (3) identify factors that predict their urinary ETU concentrations. Methods: We enrolled 451 pregnant women from Matina County, Costa Rica, with large-scale banana production. We visited 445 women up to three times during pregnancy to obtain urine samples (n = 872) and information on factors that possibly influence exposure. We determined urinary ETU concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). Results: Pregnant women's median urinary ETU concentrations were more than five times higher than reported for other general populations. Seventy-two percent of the women had EDIs above the RfD. Women who lived closest (1st quartile, < 48 meters) to banana plantations on average had a 45% (95% CI: 23, 72%) higher urinary ETU compared with women who lived farthest away (4th quartile, ≥ 565 meter). Compared with the other women, ETU was also higher in women who washed agricultural work clothes on day before sampling (11%; 95% CI; 4.9, 17%), worked in agriculture during pregnancy (19%; 95% CI: 9.3, 29), and immigrant women (6.2%; 95% CI: 1.0, 13%). Conclusions: The pregnant women's urinary ETU concentrations are of concern, and the principal source of exposure is likely to be aerial spraying of mancozeb. The factors predicting ETU provide insight into possibilities for exposure reduction. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Health Perspectives
volume
122
issue
12
pages
1321 - 1328
publisher
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
external identifiers
  • pmid:25198283
  • wos:000347384600020
  • scopus:84936802576
  • pmid:25198283
ISSN
1552-9924
DOI
10.1289/ehp.1307679
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bce2a232-de60-4708-9854-be6cc381bd5f (old id 4692078)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25198283?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:59:09
date last changed
2022-04-04 23:15:13
@article{bce2a232-de60-4708-9854-be6cc381bd5f,
  abstract     = {{Background: Mancozeb and its main metabolite ethylene thiourea (ETU) may alter thyroid function; thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development. In Costa Rica, mancozeb is aerially sprayed at large-scale banana plantations on a weekly basis. Objectives: (1) evaluate urinary ETU concentrations in pregnant women living nearby large-scale banana plantations; (2) compare their estimated daily intake (EDI) with established Reference Doses (RfDs); and (3) identify factors that predict their urinary ETU concentrations. Methods: We enrolled 451 pregnant women from Matina County, Costa Rica, with large-scale banana production. We visited 445 women up to three times during pregnancy to obtain urine samples (n = 872) and information on factors that possibly influence exposure. We determined urinary ETU concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). Results: Pregnant women's median urinary ETU concentrations were more than five times higher than reported for other general populations. Seventy-two percent of the women had EDIs above the RfD. Women who lived closest (1st quartile, &lt; 48 meters) to banana plantations on average had a 45% (95% CI: 23, 72%) higher urinary ETU compared with women who lived farthest away (4th quartile, ≥ 565 meter). Compared with the other women, ETU was also higher in women who washed agricultural work clothes on day before sampling (11%; 95% CI; 4.9, 17%), worked in agriculture during pregnancy (19%; 95% CI: 9.3, 29), and immigrant women (6.2%; 95% CI: 1.0, 13%). Conclusions: The pregnant women's urinary ETU concentrations are of concern, and the principal source of exposure is likely to be aerial spraying of mancozeb. The factors predicting ETU provide insight into possibilities for exposure reduction.}},
  author       = {{van Wendel de Joode, Berna and Mora, Ana M and Córdoba, Leonel and Cano, Juan C and Quesada, Rosario and Faniband, Moosa and Wesseling, Catharina and Ruepert, Clemens and Oberg, Mattias and Eskenazi, Brenda and Mergler, Donna and Lindh, Christian}},
  issn         = {{1552-9924}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1321--1328}},
  publisher    = {{National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences}},
  series       = {{Environmental Health Perspectives}},
  title        = {{Aerial Application of Mancozeb and Urinary Ethylene Thiourea (ETU) Concentrations among Pregnant Women in Costa Rica: The Infants' Environmental Health Study (ISA).}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/2285674/5305729}},
  doi          = {{10.1289/ehp.1307679}},
  volume       = {{122}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}