1. ^aHarvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
2. ^bUniversity of California, Davis, California, USA
3. ^cBattelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Correspondence: Dr. R. Julien, 64 Beaumont Street, Dorchester, MA 02124, USA. Tel.: +1 617 918-1782; Fax: +1 617 918-0782; E-mail: julien.rhona@epa.gov

Received 4 December 2006; Accepted 4 February 2007; Published online 9 May 2007.

Abstract

We investigated the magnitude and distribution of pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide loadings within public housing dwellings in Boston, Massachusetts and compared the results using various sampling methods. We collected dust matrices from living room and kitchen in 42 apartments and analyzed for eleven pyrethoids (e.g., permethrin and cyfluthrin) and two organophosphates (chlorpyrifos and diazinon) in house dust using GC/MS. Agreement between sampling methods were evaluated using Spearman correlations and Kappa statistics. Permethrin and chlorpyrifos were detected in kitchen floor wipes in all homes, followed in frequency of detects by diazinon (98%), cypermethrin (90%) and cyfluthrin (71%). At least six pesticides were detected in kitchen floor wipes in the majority of the homes (range 3–8). Positive and statistically significant correlations among dust matrices were observed between kitchen floor wipes and living room vacuum dust, including for diazinon (r=0.62) and cyfluthrin (r=0.69). Detection of several pesticides including banned or restricted use products in some public housing units, underscore the need for alternative pest management strategies that embrace the safe and judicious use of pest control products.