Here is an extremely informative article about Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.  Learn some of its possible causes, how common it's becoming, and how devastating it can be:

Consider the trappings of modern life: Calvin Klein Eternity, gasoline, Gore-Tex, Aveda hairspray, paint, particle board, polyurethane iPod cases.

Now imagine that you're allergic to virtually all of them.

****************************

This website offers a look into toxic body burden, the phenomenon of the new century.  What chemicals are contaminating your body and what can you do about it?  http://www.insidebayarea.com/bodyburden

****************************

Here is a good article (from November 6, 2005) about the hazards of travelling when one is afflicted by MCS, and some recent improvements in the availability of safe accomodations.

Is plastic killing us?  Read this article from the Globe and Mail about Bisphenol A.  Chances are, if you've had a recent filling, you've got this in your mouth.

****************************

From the OEM Listserv, December 23, 2004

The Children of the 90s studies is a phenomenal project which has followed
1400 children from the time their mothers were pregnant. It gathers detailed
information on exposures of these children and their mothers. The latest
data from this study indicates pre-natal exposure to cleaning products is
linked to wheezing in children.

Read the The Children of the 90s press release by ALSPAC or this BBC article.

****************************

Frequent use of chemical household products is associated with persistent
wheezing in pre-school age children. (Thorax 2005;60:45-49).

Betty Bridges, RN
Fragranced Products Information Network http://www.fpinva.org

****************************

The next three resources were forwarded to us from Diana Buckland in Australia: Global Recognition Campaign/Multiple Chemical Sensitivity/Chemically Induced Illnesses, Diseases & Injury affecting civilians & military personnel

Hello everyone, Please circulate that I have received from Environmental Research Foundation – Buffalo, New York, a copy of Dr. Doris Rapp’s book

OUR TOXIC WORLD A WAKE UP CALL
CHEMICALS DAMAGE YOUR BODY, BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND SEX
DORIS J. RAPP MD

Anyone wanting to order go to www.drrapp.com ($24.95 each) but if purchased by the case (l8 books) get 50% discount so that's only $12.50 each plus shipping and handling.

**********************

ALSO: HELKE FERRIE website www.kospublishing.com

For Helke’s books there is also bulk discounts. Please note that Helke has been formally requested to design a course teaching Canadian Civil Servants appropriate protocol for Disability Applicants presenting with an MCS diagnosis.

**********************

The MCS emblem above is from Crafty Delights http://www.craftydelights.com/mcs.html

I have no financial interest - I only wish to share and distribute important information regarding MCS. Kindest regards to you all and thanks, Diana

**********************

Despite their role as places that promote health and healing, hospitals and other health care institutions use a surprising number of highly toxic chemicals on their premises, including pesticides, cleaners and disinfectants, and fragrance chemicals. These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contribute to poor overall indoor air quality (IAQ) and are associated with a host of health problems. Read more: Health Care Without Harm.

Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Independent Living by Pamela Reed Gibson, Ph.D., James Madison University

Learn more about pesticides in our bodies at this Toxic Legacy Conference, October 18th, Montreal

Chemical Sensitivities Manitoba has prepared an extensive review.
CSM: Overview of Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.

This brochure by MCS Taskforce in the Workplace is also an excellent resource and very thorough.

***************************

The following documents and resource pages were also prepared by CSM. Thanks for all your hard work!

CSM
Chemical Sensitivities Manitoba
(204) 261 - 8591 or madray@mts.net

August 2004

The following lists some websites that give information on job accommodation for individuals affected by Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS).

MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES JOB ACCOMMODATION WEBSITES

" Accommodating Employees with Environmental Sensitivities - A Guide for the Workplace. Employee Awareness Kit.
www.environmentalhealth.ca
(Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia {EHANS} website - formerly the Nova Scotia Allergy and Environmental Health Association {NSAEHA}).

" Accommodating Employees with Environmental Sensitivities - A Guide for the Workplace.
www.environmentalhealth.ca
(Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia {EHANS} website - formerly the Nova Scotia Allergy and Environmental Health Association {NSAEHA}).

" Accommodating Employees with Environmental Sensitivities - A Guide for Building Managers.
www.environmentalhealth.ca
(Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia {EHANS} website - formerly the Nova Scotia Allergy and Environmental Health Association {NSAEHA}).

" The Fragrance Products Information Network: A Partial Listing of Facilities and Organizations with Policy Statements Recognizing the Negative Impact of Scented Products on Health or that have SCENT-FREE Facilities or Meetings.
www.fpinva.org/Access%20Issues/policies_wordage.htm

" HEAL of Southern Arizona: MCS Accommodation Guideline.
www.healsoaz.org/mcs%20accommodation%20guidelines.htm

" Job Accommodation Network: Work-Site Accommodation Ideas for Individuals who Experience Limitations Due to Chemical Sensitivity or Environmental Illness (EI). Office of Disability Policy, U.S. Department of Labor.
www.jan.wvu.edu/media/MCS/html

" Job Accommodation Network's Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR): Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.
www.jan.wvu.edu/soar/mcs.html

" Job Accommodation Network: Work-site Accommodation Ideas for Individuals with Fragrance Sensitivities.
www.jan.wvu.edu/media/fragrance.html

" Job Accommodation Network: Work-site Accommodation Ideas: Respiratory Impairment.
www.jan.wvu.edu/media/respiratory.html

" MCS Booklet - includes information on job accommodation
www.ncchem.com/mcsbookl.htm

" MCS Referrals & Resources: Warning Signs of Sick Building Syndrome and MCS.
www.mcsrr.org/factsheets/sbs.html

" Northern Arizona University, Institute for Human Development. Some information on MCS job accommodation.
www.nau.edu/~ihd/aztap/mcs.html

" Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Independent Living by Pamela Reed Gibson.
www.ilru.org/ilnet/files/bookshelf/mcs/mcs1.html

" University of Minnesota: Internal Guidelines regarding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity/Environmental Illness (MCS/EI) for Disability Services at the University of Minnesota.
www.geocites.com/fragranceallergy/MCSGuidelinesMinnesotaUniversity.html

May 30, 2003

The following abstracts were taken from PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine (USA). Many of the citations were referenced in Dr. Kapil Khatter's presentation titled 'Weighing the Risk - Pesticides and Human Health', May 22, 2003, Winnipeg. This was sponsored by the City of Winnipeg.

Website for PubMed: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/

If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me - e-mail address and telephone number are listed below.

Sandra Madray

Research and Education
Chemical Sensitivities Manitoba (CSM)
Phone: (204) 256 - 9390
E-mail: madray@mts.net

: Environ Health Perspect 2001 Aug;109(8):851-7 Related Articles, Links
An exploratory analysis of the effect of pesticide exposure on the risk of spontaneous abortion in an Ontario farm population.

Arbuckle TE, Lin Z, Mery LS.

Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health, Population and Public Health Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tye_Arbuckle@hc-sc.gc.ca

The toxicity of pesticides on human reproduction is largely unknown--particularly how mixtures of pesticide products might affect fetal toxicity. The Ontario Farm Family Health Study collected data by questionnaire on the identity and timing of pesticide use on the farm, lifestyle factors, and a complete reproductive history from the farm operator and eligible couples living on the farm. A total of 2,110 women provided information on 3,936 pregnancies, including 395 spontaneous abortions. To explore critical windows of exposure and target sites for toxicity, we examined exposures separately for preconception (3 months before and up to month of conception) and postconception (first trimester) windows and for early (< 12 weeks) and late (12-19 weeks) spontaneous abortions. We observed moderate increases in risk of early abortions for preconception exposures to phenoxy acetic acid herbicides [odds ratio (OR) = 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-2.1], triazines (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0-2.0), and any herbicide (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9). For late abortions, preconception exposure to glyphosate (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9), thiocarbamates (OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0), and the miscellaneous class of pesticides (OR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.4) was associated with elevated risks. Postconception exposures were generally associated with late spontaneous abortions. Older maternal age (> 34 years of age) was the strongest risk factor for spontaneous abortions, and we observed several interactions between pesticides in the older age group using Classification and Regression Tree analysis. This study shows that timing of exposure and restricting analyses to more homogeneous endpoints are important in characterizing the reproductive toxicity of pesticides.

1: Environ Health Perspect 2001 Aug;109(8):839-44 Related Articles, Links
Neuropsychologic effects of long-term exposure to pesticides: results from the French Phytoner study.

Baldi I, Filleul L, Mohammed-Brahim B, Fabrigoule C, Dartigues JF, Schwall S, Drevet JP, Salamon R, Brochard P.

Laboratoire Sante Travail Environnement-Institut de Sante Publique d'Epidemiologie et de Developpement, Bordeaux, France. Isabelle.Baldi@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr

The Phytoner study investigated a possible association between neuropsychologic performances and long-term exposure to pesticides in Bordeaux vineyard workers, most of whom use fungicides. Among the 917 subjects interviewed from February 1997 to August 1998, 528 were directly exposed to pesticides through mixing and/or spraying (mean exposure duration: 22 years), 173 were indirectly exposed through contact with treated plants, and 216 were never exposed. All subjects performed neuropsychologic tests administered at home by trained psychologists. The risk of scoring a low performance on the tests was constantly higher in exposed subjects. When taking into account educational level, age, sex, alcohol consumption, smoking, environmental exposures, and depressive symptoms and when restricting analysis to subgroups, results remained significant for most tests, with odds ratios (OR) exceeding 2. These results point to long-term cognitive effects of low-level exposure to pesticides in occupational conditions. Given the frequency of pesticide use and the potential disabilities resulting from cognitive impairments, further toxicologic and epidemiologic research is needed to confirm these results and assess the impact on public health.

1: Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 1998 Mar;46(2):134-42 Related Articles, Links
Delayed health effects of pesticides: review of current epidemiological knowledge

[Article in French]

Baldi I, Mohammed-Brahim B, Brochard P, Dartigues JF, Salamon R.

Laboratoire Sante Travail Environnement, Institut de Sante Publique, d'Epidemiologie et de Development, Universite Victor-Segalen, Bordeaux.

The use of pesticides has extensively grown in the last decades, regardless of the economic level of the countries. This led to great improvements in agriculture but also a threat for human health. Short term effects are quite well known through approval procedures for pesticides. On the other hand, long term effects are not properly assessed. A review of epidemiologic knowledge is presented here. Epidemiologic studies on pesticides have found associations with long-term effects on health mainly in three fields: cancer (especially hematological cancer), neurotoxic effects (polyneuropathy, neuro-behavioral hazards, Parkinson's disease), and reproductive disorders (infertility, birth defects, adverse pregnancy outcomes, perinatal mortality). These conclusions have been obtained despite difficulties in exposition assessment due to the retrospective nature of the studies. But the continuous development of pesticide use in agriculture, and also in domestic environment, emphasizes the need for epidemiologic studies on long-term effects of pesticides relying on accurate exposure assessment.

1: Int J Occup Environ Health 2002 Oct-Dec;8(4):346-53 Related Articles, Links
Occupational histories of cancer patients in a Canadian cancer treatment center and the generated hypothesis regarding breast cancer and farming.

Brophy JT, Keith MM, Gorey KM, Laukkanen E, Hellyer D, Watterson A, Reinhartz A, Gilberston M.

Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. jimbrophy@sympatico.ca

Occupational exposures increase cancer risks. The Windsor Regional Cancer Centre in Windsor, Ontario, was the first Canadian cancer treatment center to collect the work histories of its patients, which were recorded using a computer-based questionnaire. Breast cancer cases represented the largest respondent group. The lifetime occupational histories of 299 women with newly diagnosed breast cancers were compared with those of 237 women with other cancers. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression, adjusting for age, social class, and education. The OR for women < or = 55 years of age with breast cancer who had ever farmed, compared with women of the same age with other cancers, was 9.05 (95% CI 1.06, 77.43). Patients' occupational histories can help to inform understanding of cancer etiology and prevention. This effort points to a need for investigation of the possible association between breast cancer and agricultural hazards such as pesticides.

1: J Epidemiol Community Health 2002 Feb;56(2):148-52 Related Articles, Links
Educational campaign versus malathion spraying for the control of Aedes aegypti in Colima, Mexico.

Espinoza-Gomez F, Hernandez-Suarez CM, Coll-Cardenas R.

Faculty of Medicine, University of Colima, Colima, Mexico. fespin@cgic.ucol.mx

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of an educational campaign for reducing the breeding places of Aedes aegypti, the principal vector of dengue; and to compare its effects with the ones obtained by spraying of malathion at ultralow volume. DESIGN: Randomised community trial. SETTING: Colima city, in the State of Colima, Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: Householders of 187 houses, randomly selected from the west sector of the city. DATA: In each house, an entomological survey was done, as well as one for knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP), before the intervention and six months after. The intervention consisted of educational campaign alone (47 houses); malathion spraying at ultra low volume alone (46 houses); both treatments simultaneously (49 houses) and no intervention, or control group (45 houses). MAIN RESULTS: The global average of the positive containers by house (C+/C) was reduced from 0.97 to 0.77. A two way analysis of variance showed that this reduction was more apparent in the houses that received educational campaign (F=8.4, p<0.005) with relation to the ones that received malathion spraying (F=0.38, p>0.5), while the combination of both treatments demonstrated a discrete negative interaction (F=6.52, p<0.05). These effects were independent of climatic changes and level of knowledge about dengue, as the KAP indicator did not show any significant changes in any group (F=1.14, p>0.1). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the educational campaign reduced the A aegypti breeding places more effectively than the use of chemicals spraying, and that the combination of both treatments can reduce its efficiency, possibly because of the false expectancy of protection that spraying creates. The KAP surveys seemed to have very limited value in evaluating quantitatively the programmes of eradication of the dengue vector.

1: Occup Environ Med 1999 Jan;56(1):14-21 Related Articles, Links
Mortality in a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators in Florida.

Fleming LE, Bean JA, Rudolph M, Hamilton K.

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101, USA. lfleming@mednet.med.miami.edu

OBJECTIVES: Although the primary hazard to humans associated with pesticide exposure is acute poisoning, there has been considerable concern surrounding the possibility of cancer and other chronic health effects in humans. Given the huge volume of pesticides now used throughout the world, as well as environmental and food residue contamination leading to chronic low level exposure, the study of possible chronic human health effects is important. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study, analysed by general standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of licensed pesticide applicators in Florida compared with the general population of Florida. A cohort of 33,658 (10% female) licensed pesticide applicators assembled through extensive data linkages yielded 1874 deaths with 320,250 person-years from 1 January 1975 to 31 December 1993. RESULTS: The pesticide applicators were consistently and significantly healthier than the general population of Florida. As with many occupational cohorts, the risks of cardiovascular disease and of diseases associated with alcohol and tobacco use were significantly lower, even in the subpopulations--for example, men, women, and licence subcategories. Among male applicators, prostate cancer mortality (SMR 2.38 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.83 to 3.04) was significantly increased. No cases of soft tissue sarcoma were confirmed in this cohort, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was not increased. The number of female applicators was small, as were the numbers of deaths. Mortality from cervical cancer and breast cancer was not increased. Additional subcohort and exposure analyses were performed. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous publications on farmers but at odds with current theories about the protective effects of vitamin D, prostate cancer was increased in these pesticide applicators. Female breast cancer was not increased despite theories linking risk of breast cancer with exposure to oestrogen disruptors--such as the organochlorines. The lack of cases of soft tissue sarcoma is at odds with previous publications associating the use of the phenoxy herbicides with an increased risk of these cancers.

: J Occup Environ Med 1999 Apr;41(4):279-88 Related Articles, Links
Cancer incidence in a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators in Florida.

Fleming LE, Bean JA, Rudolph M, Hamilton K.

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101, USA.

This study is a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) analysis of cancer incidence of licensed pesticide applicators in Florida, compared with that of Florida's general population. Through extensive data linkages, 33,658 applicators were assembled who had 1266 incident cancers and 279,397 person-years from January 1, 1975, to December 31, 1993. Disease risk from ethanol and tobacco use were significantly decreased. Among males, prostate cancer (SIR = 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72-2.13) and testicular cancer (SIR = 2.48; 95% CI, 1.57-3.72) were significantly elevated. No confirmed cases of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) were found, and the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was not increased. There were few female applicators; nevertheless, cervical cancer incidence (SIR = 3.69; 95% CI, 1.84-6.61) was significantly increased, while the incidence of breast cancer was significantly decreased. Cancers that have been associated with estrogen disrupters were found in male, but not female, pesticide applicators. The lack of soft tissue sarcoma is at odds with prior literature associated with the use of phenoxy herbicides.

: Am J Ind Med 2003 Feb;43(2):227-33 Related Articles, Links
National Health Interview Survey mortality among US farmers and pesticide applicators.

Fleming LE, Gomez-Marin O, Zheng D, Ma F, Lee D.

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA. lfleming@med.miami.edu

BACKGROUND: The mortality experience of pesticide-exposed workers across the US has not been thoroughly studied. METHODS: Cox regression mortality analyses adjusted for the complex sample survey design were performed on mortality-linked 1986-1994 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. RESULTS: Nine thousand four hundred seventy-one farmers and pesticide applicators with 571 deaths were compared to 438,228 other US workers with 11,992 deaths. Age-adjusted risk of accidental death, as well as cancers of the nervous and lymphatic/hematopoietic systems, was significantly elevated in male and female pesticide-exposed workers; breast, prostate, and testicular cancer mortality risks were not elevated. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to all other workers, farmers and pesticide applicators were at greater risk of accidental mortality. These pesticide-exposed workers were not at an increased risk of cancers possibly associated with exposure to estrogen analogue compounds, but were at an increased risk of hematopoietic and nervous system cancers. NHIS mortality follow-up represents an important occupational health surveillance instrument. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

J Toxicol Environ Health A 2002 Jun 14;65(11):769-86 Related Articles, Links
Reproductive outcomes in the women of the Red River Valley of the north. I. The spouses of pesticide applicators: pregnancy loss, age at menarche, and exposures to pesticides.

Garry VF, Harkins M, Lyubimov A, Erickson L, Long L.

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, USA. garry001@tc.umn.edu

In the current study, there was a modest but significant increase in risk (1.6- to 2-fold) for miscarriages and/or fetal loss occurring throughout the year in the spouses of applicators who use fungicides. There is a surprisingly significant deficit in the number of male children born to the spouses of fungicide applicators. First-trimester miscarriages occur most frequently in the spring, during the time when herbicides are applied. Use of sulfonylurea (odds ratio OR = 2.1), imidizolinone (OR = 2.6) containing herbicides, and the herbicide combination Cheyenne (OR = 2.9) by male applicators was statistically associated with increased miscarriage risk in the spring. Limited survey data from women who are the spouses of applicators did not show major alterations of long-term endocrinologic status (menarche, menopause, endometriosis). With regard to personal pesticide exposures, only women who engaged in pesticide application where there is direct exposure to these products are at demonstrable risk (OR = 1.8) for miscarriage. It was hypothesized that the overall reproductive toxicity observed in this population is, for the greater part, a male-mediated event. Clarification of exposure events leading to reproductive toxicity through direct measurements of exposure in both men and women is needed to resolve this issue.

1: Environ Health Perspect 1998 Jun;106(6):347-53 Related Articles, Links
An anthropological approach to the evaluation of preschool children exposed to pesticides in Mexico.

Guillette EA, Meza MM, Aquilar MG, Soto AD, Garcia IE.

Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.

In this comparative study, we compensated for many of the known variables that influence children's growth and development by selecting two groups of 4-5-year-old Yaqui children who reside in the Yaqui Valley of northwestern Mexico. These children share similar genetic backgrounds, diets, water mineral contents, cultural patterns, and social behaviors. The major difference was their exposure to pesticides. Pesticides have been applied to the agricultural area of the valley since the late 1940s. In 1990, high levels of multiple pesticides were found in the cord blood of newborns and in breast milk. Building on anthropological methods for rapid rural appraisal of problems within the environment, a Rapid Assessment Tool for Preschool Children (RATPC) was developed to measure growth and development. The children of the agrarian region were compared to children living in the foothills, where pesticide use is avoided. The RATPC measured varied aspects of physical growth and abilities to perform, or function in, normal childhood activities. No differences were found in growth patterns. Functionally, the exposed children demonstrated decreases in stamina, gross and fine eye-hand coordination, 30-minute memory, and the ability to draw a person. The RATPC also pointed out areas in which more in-depth research on the toxicology of pesticides would be valuable.

PMID: 9618351 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Cent Eur J Public Health 2000 Jul;8 Suppl:58-9 Related Articles, Links
A broad-based evaluation of pesticide-exposed children.

Guillette EA.

Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. guillette@zoo.ufl.edu

Research tends to center on the individual exposed to endocrine disruptors, frequently using a disease centered medical model for evaluative purposes. Pesticides, like many other contaminants, disrupt the endocrine system. A normative growth and developmental model was used to evaluate four- and five-year-old Mexican children living in agricultural areas relying on the use of pesticides and compared the children to those living in a non-agricultural community. The purpose was to determine if the children of any given community were at risk from exposure, in contrast to identifying specific children with multiple deficits. Anthropological methods were adapted to provide a rapid community assessment approach. Living conditions, social and cultural conditions and genetics were similar in all groups studied. Growth, in terms of height and weight were alike for children in both areas. Differences existed in developmental skills, as measured through play behaviors. Neuro-muscular deficits, in terms of coordination and stamina, were found with the children in the agricultural communities. The heavier exposed children also exhibited neuro-mental deficits, as measured through the use of drawing and memory problems. No child excelled or performed poorly on all activities. One important outcome of the study was that behavior standards designed for American children did not always apply to these children due to different expectations placed on the child. Future research needs to examine if other endocrine disrupting compounds create similar developmental deficits.

PMID: 10943468 [PubMed - indexed for ME

1: Am J Ind Med 1998 Sep;34(3):252-60 Related Articles, Links
Meta-analyses of brain cancer and farming.

Khuder SA, Mutgi AB, Schaub EA.

Medical College of Ohio, Toledo 43699-0008, USA. skhuder@vortex.mco.edu

BACKGROUND: A series of meta-analyses of peer-reviewed studies of brain cancer and farming were performed, using 33 studies published between 1981 and 1996. METHODS: Before the meta-analyses, all studies were reviewed and evaluated for heterogeneity and publication bias. A random-effect model was used to estimate the combined relative risk. RESULTS: A meta-analysis including all the studies yielded an estimator of relative risk equal to 1.30, with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of 1.09, 1.56. The estimator of relative risk obtained from a meta-analysis restricted to female farmers was 1.04 (95% CI = 0.84, 1.29). A third meta-analysis restricted to studies of farmers residing in the central United States resulted in an estimator of relative risk equal 1.25 (95% CI = 1.09, 1.44). These findings were not influenced by either a publication bias or a specific study design. CONCLUSION: The consistent significant positive findings suggests that there is a weak association between brain cancer and farming. Exposures commonly experienced by farmers including infectious microorganisms and pesticides may contribute to the increased risk of brain cancer.

1: Scand J Work Environ Health 1999 Oct;25(5):436-41 Related Articles, Links
Meta-analysis of Hodgkin's disease among farmers.

Khuder SA, Mutgi AB, Schaub EA, Tano BD.

Medical College of Ohio, Toledo 43699-0008, United States. skhuder@mco.edu

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between Hodgkin's disease and farming. METHODS: A series of meta-analyses of peer-reviewed studies was performed, using 30 studies published between 1981 and 1998. Prior to the meta-analyses, all the studies were reviewed and evaluated for heterogeneity and publication bias. Combined relative risks (RR) were calculated using the random effect model. RESULTS: The combined RR was 1.25 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.11-1.42] for all the studies, and 1.08 (95% CI 0.91-1.29) for the studies involving female farmers. Significant heterogeneity among the studies was detected, and a stratified analysis was carried out by study design, country of study, and time of publication. Significantly elevated RR values were obtained for the case-referent studies (odds ratio 1.53, 95% CI 1.18-1.98) and proportionate mortality studies (PMR)(PMR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.36). A decrease in risk was eminent in the more recent studies. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that male farmers have a slightly elevated risk of developing Hodgkin's disease. No specific etiologic exposure was identified, but exposures commonly experienced by farmers (infectious microorganisms, herbicides and insecticides) may contribute to the occurrence of the disease.

1: Environ Health Perspect 2001 Dec;109 Suppl 6:885-903 Related Articles, Links
Societal costs of exposure to toxic substances: economic and health costs of four case studies that are candidates for environmental causation.

Muir T, Zegarac M.

Great Lakes and Corporate Affairs, Environment Canada-Ontario Region, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. tom.muir@ec.gc.ca

Four outcomes that evidence suggests are candidates for "environmental causation" were chosen for analysis: diabetes, Parkinson's disease (PD), neurodevelopmental effects and hypothyroidism, and deficits in intelligence quotient (IQ). These are an enormous burden in the United States, Canada, and other industrial countries. We review findings on actual social and economic costs, construct estimates of some of the costs from pertinent sources, and provide several hypothetical examples consistent with published evidence. Many detailed costs are estimated, but these are fragmented and missing in coverage and jurisdiction. Nonetheless, the cumulative costs identified are very large, totaling $568 billion to $793 billion per year for Canada and the United States combined. Partial Canadian costs alone are $46 billion to $52 billion per year. Specifics include diabetes (United States and Canada), $128 billion per year; PD in the United States, $13 billion to $28.5 billion per year; neurodevelopmental deficits and hypothryoidism are endemic and, including estimates of costs of childhood disorders that evidence suggests are linked, amount to $81.5 billion to $167 billion per year for the United States and $2 billion per year in Ontario; loss of 5 IQ points cost $30 billion per year in Canada and $275 billion to $326 billion per year in the United States; and hypothetical dynamic economic impacts cost another $19 billion to $92 billion per year for the United States and Canada combined. Reasoned arguments based on the weight of evidence can support the hypothesis that at least 10%, up to 50% of these costs are environmentally induced--between $57 billion and $397 billion per year.

1: Environ Health Perspect 2003 Feb;111(2):201-5 Related Articles, Links
Effects of transplacental exposure to environmental pollutants on birth outcomes in a multiethnic population.

Perera FP, Rauh V, Tsai WY, Kinney P, Camann D, Barr D, Bernert T, Garfinkel R, Tu YH, Diaz D, Dietrich J, Whyatt RM.

Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. Fpp1@columbia.edu

Inner-city, minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also are more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides. In a sample of 263 nonsmoking African-American and Dominican women, we evaluated the effects on birth outcomes of prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs monitored during pregnancy by personal air sampling, along with ETS estimated by plasma cotinine, and an organophosphate pesticide (OP) estimated by plasma chlorpyrifos (CPF). Plasma CPF was used as a covariate because it was the most often detected in plasma and was highly correlated with other pesticides frequently detected in plasma. Among African Americans, high prenatal exposure to PAHs was associated with lower birth weight (p = 0.003) and smaller head circumference (p = 0.01) after adjusting for potential confounders. CPF was associated with decreased birth weight and birth length overall (p = 0.01 and p = 0.003, respectively) and with lower birth weight among African Americans (p = 0.04) and reduced birth length in Dominicans (p < 0.001), and was therefore included as a covariate in the model with PAH. After controlling for CPF, relationships between PAHs and birth outcomes were essentially unchanged. In this analysis, PAHs and CPF appear to be significant independent determinants of birth outcomes. Further analyses of pesticides will be carried out. Possible explanations of the failure to find a significant effect of PAHs in the Hispanic subsample are discussed. This study provides evidence that environmental pollutants at levels currently encountered in New York City adversely affect fetal development.

 
1: Neurotoxicology 2000 Aug;21(4):435-40 Related Articles, Links Press.
A meta-analysis of Parkinson's disease and exposure to pesticides.

Priyadarshi A, Khuder SA, Schaub EA, Shrivastava S.

Department of Public Health, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, USA.

This study examined the association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and exposure to pesticides. A series of meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies were performed, using 19 studies published between 1989 and 1999. Prior to the meta-analysis, all studies were reviewed and evaluated for heterogeneity and publication bias. Significant heterogeneity among studies was detected and combined odds ratio (OR) was calculated using the random effect model. The majority of the studies reported consistent elevation in the risk of PD with exposure to pesticides. The combined OR studies was 1.94 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.49-2.53] for all the studies, and 2.15 (95% CI 1.14-4.05) for studies performed in United States. Although the risk of PD increased with increased duration of exposure to pesticides, no significant dose-response relation was established, and no specific type of pesticide was identified. Our findings suggest that exposure to pesticides may be a significant risk factor for developing PD.

1: Environ Res 2001 Jun;86(2):122-7 Related Articles, Links
Environmental risk factors and Parkinson's disease: a metaanalysis.

Priyadarshi A, Khuder SA, Schaub EA, Priyadarshi SS.

Department of Public Health, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio 43614-5809, USA.

The study aim was to examine the association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and exposure to environmental factors such as living in a rural area, well water use, farming, exposure to farm animals, or living on a farm, and pesticides. A series of metaanalyses of peer-reviewed studies were performed, using 16 studies for living in rural area, 18 studies for well water drinking, 11 studies for farming, and 14 studies for pesticides. Prior to the metaanalyses, all studies were reviewed and evaluated for heterogeneity and publication bias. Significant heterogeneity among studies was detected and combined odds ratio (OR) was calculated using the random and the fixed-effect models. The majority of the studies reported consistent elevation in the risk of PD with exposure to environmental factors such as rural living and farming. The combined OR for rural residence was 1.56 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.18-2.07] for all the studies, and 2.17(95% CI 1.54-3.06) for studies performed in United States. The combined OR for well water use was 1.26 (95% CI 0.97-1.64) for all the studies, and 1.44(95% CI 0.92-2.24) for studies done in United States. The combined OR for farming, exposure to farm animals, or living on a farm was 1.42 (95% CI 1.05-1.91) for all studies, and 1.72(95% CI 1.20-2.46) for studies done in United States. The combined OR for pesticides exposure was 1.85(95% CI 1.31-2.60) for all studies, and 2.16(95% CI 1.95-2.39) for studies done in United States. Dose-response relationships could not be established due to the imprecise nature of the reported data. Our findings suggest that living in a rural area, drinking well water, farming, and exposure to pesticides may be a risk factor for developing PD. Copyright 2001 Academic

1: Environ Health Perspect 2001 Dec;109 Suppl 6:877-84 Related Articles, Links
Approaches to detecting immunotoxic effects of environmental contaminants in humans.

Tryphonas H.

Bureau of Chemical Safety, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. helen_tryphonas@hc-sc.gc.ca

Experimental animal studies indicate that environmental contaminants can have adverse effects on several organs and tissues of the immune system. Such effects are known to lead to increased host susceptibility to microbial infections and to compromised immunosurveillance mechanisms normally instrumental in the elimination of neoplastic cells and the prevention of autoimmune diseases. Evaluation of the potential risk environmental contaminants pose to the human immune system is currently accomplished via extrapolation of experimentally derived animal data to humans. Presently, this process requires that uncertainty factors such as interspecies differences and genetic variability be considered. Naturally, the process of risk assessment would be greatly facilitated if it were based on clinically relevant data derived from studying humans known to be exposed to environmental contaminants. However, the existing human data are scarce and often described as very limited in scope. To generate the much-needed human data we need to identify a set of clinically relevant immunologic end points that, when adequately standardized, can be incorporated easily into the design of prospective epidemiologic studies.

1: Rev Environ Health 2000 Oct-Dec;15(4):399-412 Related Articles, Links
Impact of pesticides use on human health in Mexico: a review.

Valdez Salas B, Garcia Duran EI, Wiener MS.

Instituto de Ingenieria, Area de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Blvd. Benito Juarez S/N, Mexicali, Baja California Mexico, 21280. Benval@iing.mxl.uabc.mx

Pesticides having a high adverse effect on the health and environment of inhabitants of the Mexican Republic were studied to establish the main parameters to bear in mind for their use and application. The investigation showed that Mexico is the agricultural zone with the highest health damage to its population from pesticides. The valid regulation norms for the use and application of these agrochemicals were analyzed. Case histories recorded by the public health sector in Mexico were reviewed. In this way, a strong relation was found between the health problems and the pesticides applied. Finally, the study concludes that the various Mexican States appear as a risk zone because of contamination by pesticides that are permitted by the regulation norms and by others whose use is prohibited in other countries and in Mexico. This situation causes a serious effect on the health deterioration of people who are exposed to these agro-chemicals and, in some cases, leads to death.

 
: Environ Health Perspect 2001 Dec;109 Suppl 6:905-8 Related Articles, Links
Ethics assessment as an adjunct to risk assessment in the evaluation of developmental neurotoxicants.

Weiss B.

Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA 14642, USA. bernard_weiss@urmc.rochester.edu

The conduct of experimental studies in humans is governed by a body of principles whose main precepts have evolved over the past few decades. Three of these provide the foundations for judging the ethical adequacy of such an experiment. One addresses the question of who receives the benefits of the research and who bears its burdens (justice). A second requires that the research maximize the potential benefits to the subjects and minimize the risk of harm (beneficence). The third, the source of guidelines for informed consent, requires that subjects enter into the research voluntarily and with adequate information (respect for persons). Unlike research conducted to evaluate drugs, however, environmental exposures to potentially toxic chemicals do not survey those exposed for their consent, nor do they provide an appropriate calculus for measuring risks and benefits, which typically involve two different populations. Especially for exposure to developmental neurotoxicants, where the risk-benefit incompatibility can be so striking, another element may need to be incorporated into risk characterization: a process of ethics assessment. A scheme for doing so can be derived from the procedures of fuzzy logic, which allow rules to be formulated that are applicable to ethical principles. Such an approach incorporates some of the tenets of the precautionary principle.

1: Neurotoxicology 2000 Feb-Apr;21(1-2):67-73 Related Articles, Links
Vulnerability to pesticide neurotoxicity is a lifetime issue.

Weiss B.

Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY 14642, USA. weiss@envmed.rochester.edu

Early development is not the only life stage during which which we see intensified responses to the adverse effects of chemicals. Vulnerability to toxic processes rises again late in life, and in many ways recapitulates the imperfect defenses deployed by the immature organism. One feature common to both early and late phases is a reduced capacity to compensate for impairment. In the first case, the functional mechanisms have yet to evolve. In the second, they have passed into what might be called a post-mature decline. Traced across the life cycle, this progression might be depicted as an inverted U. The developing brain, however, is equipped with immense plastic potential; the aging brain has lost much of its plasticity. The altered function of the aging brain, however, is not simply an outcome of how long the organism has lived. "Aging" is not a mechanistic explanation. Events occurring during life must account for the changes. Older brains are already high-maintenance properties, so that exposure to substances with neurotoxic properties, such as pesticides, may accelerate the process, or exploit its dwindling capacities to resist their effects. From this vantage point, toxicants can act in three ways to depress function during advanced age: they may interfere with brain development, leaving a legacy of diminished redundancy not apparent until it is further compromised during aging; they may hasten the progressive erosion of function observed with certain abilities; they may exert greater effects in the aging brain because the aging nervous system has already undergone a reduction in its ability to withstand toxic challenges.

1: Environ Health Perspect 2003 May;111(5):749-56 Related Articles, Links
Contemporary-Use Pesticides in Personal Air Samples during Pregnancy and Blood Samples at Delivery among Urban Minority Mothers and Newborns.

Whyatt RM, Barr DB, Camann DE, Kinney PL, Barr JR, Andrews HF, Hoepner LA, Garfinkel R, Hazi Y, Reyes A, Ramirez J, Cosme Y, Perera FP.

Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.

We have measured 29 pesticides in plasma samples collected at birth between 1998 and 2001 from 230 mother and newborn pairs enrolled in the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health prospective cohort study. Our prior research has shown widespread pesticide use during pregnancy among this urban minority cohort from New York City. We also measured eight pesticides in 48-hr personal air samples collected from the mothers during pregnancy. The following seven pesticides were detected in 48-83% of plasma samples (range, 1-270 pg/g): the organophosphates chlorpyrifos and diazinon, the carbamates bendiocarb and 2-isopropoxyphenol (metabolite of propoxur), and the fungicides dicloran, phthalimide (metabolite of folpet and captan), and tetrahydrophthalimide (metabolite of captan and captafol). Maternal and cord plasma levels were similar and, except for phthalimide, were highly correlated (p < 0.001). Chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and propoxur were detected in 100% of personal air samples (range, 0.7-6,010 ng/m(3)). Diazinon and propoxur levels were significantly higher in the personal air of women reporting use of an exterminator, can sprays, and/or pest bombs during pregnancy compared with women reporting no pesticide use or use of lower toxicity methods only. A significant correlation was seen between personal air level of chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and propoxur and levels of these insecticides or their metabolites in plasma samples (maternal and/or cord, p < 0.05). The fungicide ortho-phenylphenol was also detected in 100% of air samples but was not measured in plasma. The remaining 22 pesticides were detected in 0-45% of air or plasma samples. Chlorpyrifos, diazinon, propoxur, and bendiocarb levels in air and/or plasma decreased significantly between 1998 and 2001. Findings indicate that pesticide exposures are frequent but decreasing and that the pesticides are readily transferred to the developing fetus during pregnancy.

CD1 PEST PUBMED ABSTRTR 1