Skip to main content
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 2000 Jun;108(6):521–525. doi: 10.1289/ehp.00108521

Biologic monitoring of exposure to organophosphorus pesticides in 195 Italian children.

C Aprea 1, M Strambi 1, M T Novelli 1, L Lunghini 1, N Bozzi 1
PMCID: PMC1638154  PMID: 10856025

Abstract

One hundred ninety-five 6- to 7-year-old children who lived in the municipality of Siena (Tuscany, Italy), underwent biologic monitoring to evaluate urinary excretion of several alkylphosphates that are metabolites of organophosphorus pesticides. We evaluated dimethylphosphate (DMP), dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP), dimethyldithiophosphate (DMDTP), diethylphosphate (DEP), diethylthiophosphate (DETP), and diethyldithiophosphate (DEDTP). We obtained urine samples taken in the children's schools, and each sample was accompanied by a questionnaire about lifestyle and dietary habits. We found DMP and DMTP in detectable concentrations in the greatest number of samples (96 and 94%, respectively). The DMP values were geometric mean (GM) 116.7, [geometric standard deviation (GSD) 2.5], and a range of 7.4-1,471.5 nmol/g creatinine. The corresponding DMTP values were GM 104.3 (GSD 2.8) and a range of 4.0-1,526.0 nmol/g creatinine. DMDTP, DEP, DETP, and DEDTP concentrations were GM 14.1, (GSD 3.0), and a range of 3.3-754.6 nmol/g creatinine in 34% of the children; GM 33.2, (GSD 2.4), and a range of 5.1-360.1 nmol/g creatinine in 75% of the children; GM 16.0, (GSD 2.9), and a range of 3.1-284.7 in 48% of the children; and GM 7.7, (GSD 2.1), and a range of 2.3-140.1 in 12% of the children, respectively. The significant variable for urinary excretion of these metabolites in children was pest control operations performed inside or outside the house in the preceding month; however, the presence of a vegetable garden near the house rarely emerged. The urinary excretion of alkylphosphates in children was significantly higher than in a group of the adult population resident in the same province.

Full text

PDF
521

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aprea C., Betta A., Catenacci G., Colli A., Lotti A., Minoia C., Olivieri P., Passini V., Pavan I., Roggi C. Urinary excretion of ethylenethiourea in five volunteers on a controlled diet (multicentric study). Sci Total Environ. 1997 Sep 6;203(2):167–179. doi: 10.1016/s0048-9697(97)00145-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aprea C., Betta A., Catenacci G., Lotti A., Magnaghi S., Barisano A., Passini V., Pavan I., Sciarra G., Vitalone V. Reference values of urinary 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol in the Italian population--validation of analytical method and preliminary results (multicentric study). J AOAC Int. 1999 Mar-Apr;82(2):305–312. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Aprea C., Betta A., Catenacci G., Lotti A., Minoia C., Passini W., Pavan I., Saverio Robustelli della Cuna F., Roggi C., Ruggeri R. Reference values of urinary ethylenethiourea in four regions of Italy (multicentric study). Sci Total Environ. 1996 Nov 29;192(1):83–93. doi: 10.1016/0048-9697(96)05300-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Aprea C., Sciarra G., Lunghini L. Analytical method for the determination of urinary alkylphosphates in subjects occupationally exposed to organophosphorus pesticides and in the general population. J Anal Toxicol. 1996 Nov-Dec;20(7):559–563. doi: 10.1093/jat/20.7.559. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Aprea C., Sciarra G., Orsi D., Boccalon P., Sartorelli P., Sartorelli E. Urinary excretion of alkylphosphates in the general population (Italy). Sci Total Environ. 1996 Jan 5;177(1-3):37–41. doi: 10.1016/0048-9697(95)04857-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Aprea C., Sciarra G., Sartorelli P., Ceccarelli F., Centi L. Multiroute exposure assessment and excretion of urinary metabolites of fenitrothion during manual operations on treated ornamental plants in greenhouses. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1999 May;36(4):490–497. doi: 10.1007/pl00006622. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Aprea C., Sciarra G., Sartorelli P., Ceccarelli F., Maiorano M., Savelli G. Valutazione dell'assorbimento di ometoato e fenitrothion durante lavorazioni eseguite con l'uso di mezzi personali di protezione in ambienti confinati. Med Lav. 1994 May-Jun;85(3):242–248. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Aprea C., Sciarra G., Sartorelli P., Desideri E., Amati R., Sartorelli E. Biological monitoring of exposure to organophosphorus insecticides by assay of urinary alkylphosphates: influence of protective measures during manual operations with treated plants. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1994;66(5):333–338. doi: 10.1007/BF00378366. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Aprea C., Sciarra G., Sartorelli P., Mancini R., Di Luca V. Environmental and biological monitoring of exposure to mancozeb, ethylenethiourea, and dimethoate during industrial formulation. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 1998 Feb 20;53(4):263–281. doi: 10.1080/009841098159277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Aprea C., Sciarra G., Sartorelli P., Sartorelli E., Strambi F., Farina G. A., Fattorini A. Biological monitoring of exposure to chlorpyrifos-methyl by assay of urinary alkylphosphates and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol. J Toxicol Environ Health. 1997 Apr 25;50(6):581–594. doi: 10.1080/15287399709532056. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Coye M. J., Lowe J. A., Maddy K. J. Biological monitoring of agricultural workers exposed to pesticides: II. Monitoring of intact pesticides and their metabolites. J Occup Med. 1986 Aug;28(8):628–636. doi: 10.1097/00043764-198608000-00019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gurunathan S., Robson M., Freeman N., Buckley B., Roy A., Meyer R., Bukowski J., Lioy P. J. Accumulation of chlorpyrifos on residential surfaces and toys accessible to children. Environ Health Perspect. 1998 Jan;106(1):9–16. doi: 10.1289/ehp.981069. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hayes A. L., Wise R. A., Weir F. W. Assessment of occupational exposure to organophosphates in pest control operators. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 1980 Aug;41(8):568–575. doi: 10.1080/15298668091425293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hill R. H., Jr, Head S. L., Baker S., Gregg M., Shealy D. B., Bailey S. L., Williams C. C., Sampson E. J., Needham L. L. Pesticide residues in urine of adults living in the United States: reference range concentrations. Environ Res. 1995 Nov;71(2):99–108. doi: 10.1006/enrs.1995.1071. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hill R. H., Jr, To T., Holler J. S., Fast D. M., Smith S. J., Needham L. L., Binder S. Residues of chlorinated phenols and phenoxy acid herbicides in the urine of Arkansas children. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1989 Jul-Aug;18(4):469–474. doi: 10.1007/BF01055011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kutz F. W., Cook B. T., Carter-Pokras O. D., Brody D., Murphy R. S. Selected pesticide residues and metabolites in urine from a survey of the U.S. general population. J Toxicol Environ Health. 1992 Oct;37(2):277–291. doi: 10.1080/15287399209531670. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Larsen K. Creatinine assay by a reaction-kinetic principle. Clin Chim Acta. 1972 Oct;41:209–217. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(72)90513-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Loewenherz C., Fenske R. A., Simcox N. J., Bellamy G., Kalman D. Biological monitoring of organophosphorus pesticide exposure among children of agricultural workers in central Washington State. Environ Health Perspect. 1997 Dec;105(12):1344–1353. doi: 10.1289/ehp.971051344. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. MacIntosh D. L., Spengler J. D., Ozkaynak H., Tsai L., Ryan P. B. Dietary exposures to selected metals and pesticides. Environ Health Perspect. 1996 Feb;104(2):202–209. doi: 10.1289/ehp.96104202. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Murphy R. S., Kutz F. W., Strassman S. C. Selected pesticide residues or metabolites in blood and urine specimens from a general population survey. Environ Health Perspect. 1983 Feb;48:81–86. doi: 10.1289/ehp.834881. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Simcox N. J., Fenske R. A., Wolz S. A., Lee I. C., Kalman D. A. Pesticides in household dust and soil: exposure pathways for children of agricultural families. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 Dec;103(12):1126–1134. doi: 10.1289/ehp.951031126. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Treble R. G., Thompson T. S. Normal values for pentachlorophenol in urine samples collected from a general population. J Anal Toxicol. 1996 Sep;20(5):313–317. doi: 10.1093/jat/20.5.313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES