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A pilot study of global positioning system/geographical information system measurement of residential proximity to agricultural fields and urinary organophosphate metabolite concentrations in toddlers

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 12, pages 433–440 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

This pilot study enrolled 20 children between the ages of 11 and 17 months in Imperial County, California to assess children's pesticide exposure and residential proximity to agricultural fields. We compared parental self-report of residential proximity to agricultural fields to measurements using global positioning system/geographical information system (GPS/GIS) technology, and we assessed the relationship between residential proximity to agricultural fields and a biomarker of organophosphate (OP) pesticide exposure. Questionnaires were administered twice, 4 weeks apart, to determine self-reported residential proximity to agricultural fields. Urine samples were collected at each contact to measure OP metabolites. Actual residential proximity to the closest agricultural field and number of fields was within 1 mile to the west were measured using GPS/GIS. Self-report of living proximity to agricultural fields agreed with GPS/GIS measurement 75% of the time during the initial interview, compared to 66% agreement during the second interview. Presence of urinary metabolites suggests that OP exposure was ubiquitous: creatinine-adjusted total urinary dimethyl values ranged from 1.60 to 516.00 μg/g creatinine, and total diethyl ranged from 2.70 to 134.84 μg/g creatinine. No association was found between urinary OP metabolites and residential to field proximity. These results suggest that initial self-report of living proximity to agricultural fields may be more accurate than follow-up self-report. Limitations in this pilot study prevent determination of whether self-report is an accurate measure of proximity.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Richard Kwok, a doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for GPS/GIS consultation; James Ellis of the Pediatric Medical Group, El Centro, CA for his contributions to study design and community access; Larry Needham of the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia for analytic collaboration in urinary analysis and interpretation; and the staff of the County of Imperial Public Health Services for support in study implementation. Grant info: Parts of this study were conducted with support from Westat, Inc. (contract 68-D-98-115). Urinary OP metabolite analysis was performed under IAGDW 75938440. Institutional review board approval: IRB approval from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine was obtained. Approval number: 99-EPA-97.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, 27711, North Carolina, USA

    MICHAEL O ROYSTER, ELIZABETH D HILBORN, CARA L CARTY, SCOTT RHONEY & DEBRA WALSH

  2. National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    DANA BARR

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  1. MICHAEL O ROYSTER
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  2. ELIZABETH D HILBORN
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Correspondence to ELIZABETH D HILBORN.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

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ROYSTER, M., HILBORN, E., BARR, D. et al. A pilot study of global positioning system/geographical information system measurement of residential proximity to agricultural fields and urinary organophosphate metabolite concentrations in toddlers. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 12, 433–440 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500247

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