Strategies for assessing children's organophosphorus pesticide exposures in agricultural communities.

Children can be exposed to pesticides from multiple sources and through multiple pathways. In addition to the standard pathways of diet, drinking water and residential pesticide use, children in agricultural communities can be exposed to pesticides used in agricultural production. A research program on children and pesticides was established at the University of Washington (UW) in 1991 and has focused on two major exposure pathway issues: residential proximity to pesticide-treated farmland and transfer of pesticides from the workplace to the home (paraoccupational or take-home exposure).

Biological monitoring of organophosphorus pesticide exposure among children of agricultural workers in central Washington State.

Children up to 6 years of age who lived with pesticide applicators were monitored for increased risk of pesticide exposure: 48 pesticide applicator and 14 reference families were recruited from an agricultural region of Washington State in June 1995. A total of 160 spot urine samples were collected from 88 children, including repeated measures 3-7 days apart. Samples were assayed by gas chromatography flame photometric detector for dimethylphosphate metabolites.