%0 Journal Article %J Neurotoxicol Teratol %D 2022 %T Comparing impact of pesticide exposure on cognitive abilities of Latinx children from rural farmworker and urban non-farmworker families in North Carolina. %A Dobbins, Dorothy L %A Haiying Chen %A Milton J. Cepeda %A Berenson, Lesley %A Jennifer W Talton %A Kim A Anderson %A Jonathan H Burdette %A Sara A Quandt %A Thomas A Arcury %A Paul J Laurienti %K Agriculture %K Child %K Child, Preschool %K Cognition %K Environmental Exposure %K Farmers %K Female %K Humans %K North Carolina %K Occupational Exposure %K Pesticides %K Pregnancy %X

Pesticide exposure remains a health hazard despite extensive study into adverse effects. Children in vulnerable populations, such as Latinx children in farmworker families, are particularly at risk for exposure. Several studies have demonstrated the detrimental cognitive effects of prenatal exposure to pesticides, particularly organophosphates (OPs) within this high-risk group. However, results from studies investigating the cognitive effects of early childhood pesticide exposure are equivocal. Most studies examining the effects of pesticide exposure have used correlative analyses rather than examining populations with expected high and low exposure. The current study compares 8-year-old children from rural families of farmworkers and urban, non-farmworker families. We used the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V) to assess cognitive performance in these children. We designed this study with the expectation that children from farmworker families would have greater exposure to agricultural pesticides than urban, non-farmworker children. This assumption of exposure to agricultural pesticides was confirmed in a recent report that assessed exposure probabilities using life history calendars. However, data from passive wristband sampling of acute (1-week) pesticide exposure from these same children indicate that both study populations have considerable pesticide exposure but to different chemicals. As expected the children of farmworkers had greater OP exposure than non-farmworker children, but the non-farmworker children had greater exposure to two other classes of insecticides (organochlorines [OCs] and pyrethroids). Our analyses considered these findings. A comparison of the cognitive scores between groups revealed that children from farmworker families had slightly higher performance on the Visual-Spatial Index (VSI) and Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) when compared to children from non-farmworker families. Regression analyses where pesticide exposure was included as covariates revealed that OC exposure accounted for the largest portion of the group differences for both VSI and VCI. However, a post-hoc moderation analysis did not find significant interactions. The main study outcome was that the non-farmworker children exhibited lower WISC-V scores than the children from farmworker families, and the analyses incorporating pesticide exposure measures raise the hypothesis the that pervasive and persistent nature of a variety of pesticides may have adverse effects on the neurodevelopment of young Latinx children whether living in rural or non-farmworker environments.

%B Neurotoxicol Teratol %V 92 %P 107106 %8 2022 Jul-Aug %G eng %R 10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107106 %0 Journal Article %J Chemosphere %D 2019 %T Differential exposure to organophosphate flame retardants in mother-child pairs. %A Gibson, Elizabeth A %A Heather M Stapleton %A Lehyla Calero %A Darrell Holmes %A Burke, Kimberly %A Martinez, Rodney %A Cortes, Boris %A Nematollahi, Amy %A Evans, David %A Kim A Anderson %A Julie Herbstman %K Adult %K Child %K Child Development %K Child, Preschool %K Cohort Studies %K Dust %K Environmental Exposure %K Female %K Flame Retardants %K Humans %K Male %K Mothers %K Organophosphates %K Young Adult %X

BACKGROUND: Humans are ubiquitously exposed to flame retardants, including organophosphate esters (OPEs), through direct contact with consumer products or exposure through household dust. Children are at increased risk because of their proximity to dust, hand-to-mouth activity, and the importance of childhood as a critical period in neurodevelopment.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify differences in exposure levels between mothers and children (three to six years of age), we analyzed urinary metabolites of OPEs. We additionally assessed the ability of silicone wristbands (measuring ambient exposure) to predict urinary metabolite concentrations.

METHODS: We selected 32 mother and child dyads from an existing cohort. Participants provided baseline urine samples and wore wristbands for one week. After the first week, they returned their wristbands and provided a second urine sample. During the second week, participants wore a second wristband that they returned at the end of week two with a third and final urine sample.

RESULTS: We found significantly higher levels of bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP) (p < 0.001) and lower levels of bis(1-chloro-2-isopropyl) 1-hydroxy-2-propyl phosphate (BCIPHIPP) (p < 0.001) in children's urine samples compared to mothers' samples at baseline. We found that triphenylphosphate (TPHP), tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) measured in wristbands predicted their respective metabolite levels in urine.

CONCLUSION: Children had higher levels than mothers for two of six flame retardant metabolites measured in urine. Generally, wristband measurements positively predicted internal dose. As little is known about the health effects of OPEs on child development, future research is needed to determine the impact of differential exposure.

%B Chemosphere %V 219 %P 567-573 %8 2019 Mar %G eng %R 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.008 %0 Journal Article %J Environ Health %D 2017 %T Cross-sectional study of social behaviors in preschool children and exposure to flame retardants. %A Shannon T Lipscomb %A Megan McClelland %A MacDonald, Megan %A Cardenas, Andres %A Kim A Anderson %A Molly Kile %K Child, Preschool %K Environmental Exposure %K Environmental Pollutants %K Female %K Flame Retardants %K Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers %K Humans %K Male %K Organophosphates %K Social Behavior %X

BACKGROUND: Children are exposed to flame retardants from the built environment. Brominated diphenyl ethers (BDE) and organophosphate-based flame retardants (OPFRs) are associated with poorer neurocognitive functioning in children. Less is known, however, about the association between these classes of compounds and children's emotional and social behaviors. The objective of this study was to determine if flame retardant exposure was associated with measurable differences in social behaviors among children ages 3-5 years.

METHODS: We examined teacher-rated social behaviors measured using the Social Skills Improvement Rating Scale (SSIS) and personal exposure to flame retardants in children aged 3-5 years who attended preschool (n = 72). Silicone passive samplers worn for 7 days were used to assess personal exposure to 41 compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometer. These concentrations were then summed into total BDE and total OPFR exposure prior to natural log transformation. Separate generalized additive models were used to evaluate the relationship between seven subscales of the SSIS and lnΣBDE or lnΣOPFR adjusting for other age, sex, adverse social experiences, and family context.

RESULTS: All children were exposed to a mixture of flame retardant compounds. We observed a dose dependent relationship between lnΣOPFR and two subscales where children with higher exposures were rated by their preschool teachers as having less responsible behavior (p = 0.07) and more externalizing behavior problems (p = 0.03). Additionally, children with higher lnΣBDE exposure were rated by teachers as less assertive (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS: We observed a cross-sectional association between children's exposure to flame retardant compounds and teacher-rated social behaviors among preschool-aged children. Children with higher flame retardant exposures exhibited poorer social skills in three domains that play an important role in a child's ability to succeed academically and socially.

%B Environ Health %V 16 %P 23 %8 2017 03 09 %G eng %N 1 %R 10.1186/s12940-017-0224-6