Abstract
Objective
To determine if aerially spraying a biological pesticide was associated with an increase in the symptoms or change in the Peak Expiratory Flow Rate of children with asthma.
Methods
A pre/post matched pairs cohort design was used. Children living in the spray zone were matched with children outside of the spray zone. Peak Expiratory Flow Rates, asthma symptoms and non-asthma symptoms were recorded in diaries.
Results
There were no differences in asthma symptom scores between subjects and controls, neither before nor after the spray; nor were there significant changes in Peak Expiratory Flow Rates for subjects after the spray period.
Conclusions
No evidence of adverse effects from the use of the biological pesticide was found. We believe that this is the first paper to address the issue of whether or not aerial spraying with Btk has a harmful effect on children with asthma.
Résumé
Objectif
Nous avons cherché à déterminer si l’épandage aérien d’un pesticide biologique était associé à une hausse des symptômes ou à un changement du débit maximal expiratoire chez les enfants asthmatiques.
Méthode
Au moyen de cohortes avant-après en paires appariées, nous avons comparé des enfants vivant dans la zone d’épandage à des enfants vivant hors de la zone et consigné par écrit leurs débits maximaux expiratoires et leurs symptômes asthmatiques et non asthmatiques.
Résultats
Les cas et les témoins ont obtenu les mêmes scores en ce qui a trait aux symptômes de l’asthme avant et après l’épandage; nous n’avons pas non plus constaté de changements importants dans le débit maximal expiratoire des cas après l’épandage.
Conclusions
Nous n’avons relevé aucune preuve d’effets indésirables de l’emploi du pesticide biologique Btk. Selon nous, cette étude est la première sur d’éventuels effets néfastes, pour les enfants asthmatiques, de l’épandage aérien au Btk.
Footnotes
The Research Review and Ethics Committee of the Capital Health Region granted approval for this research.
Acknowledgements: The British Columbia Ministries of Forests, Agriculture, and Environment, Lands and Parks provided funding for this research through the Capital Health Region. The authors acknowledge the following people for their significant contributions: the children who participated and their parents; the research assistants including Jane Wismer, Cathy Lambrick, Diana Brown, Kathleen Fong, Maureen Johnson, Sandy Stewart, and Simon Ting; and Dr. A. Senthilselvan (University of Saskatchewan) for statistical consultation.
References
- 1.van Netten C, Teschke K, Leung V, Chow Y, Bartlett K. The measurement of volatile constituents in Foray 48B, an insecticide prepared from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. The Science of the Total Environment. 2000;263:.155–60. doi: 10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00696-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Green M, Heumann M, Sokolow R, Foster L, Bryant R, Skeels M. Public health implications of the microbial pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis: An epidemiological study. Am J Public Health. 1990;80(7):.848–52. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.80.7.848. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 3.Noble MA, Riben PD, Cook GJ. Microbiological and epidemiological surveillance programme to monitor the health effects of Foray 48B Btk spray. 1992. [Google Scholar]
- 4.Noble MA, Kandola P, Amos M, Riben P, Cook G, Shaw C. Cluster analysis of community retrieved isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki (BTK) 1994. [Google Scholar]
- 5.Anon. Report of health surveillance activities: Gypsy Moth control program. 1993. [Google Scholar]
- 6.Anon. Health risk assessment of the proposed 1997-98-control program for White-Spotted Tussock Moth in eastern suburbs of Auckland. 1997. [Google Scholar]
- 7.Anon. Reregistration Eligibility Decision: Bacillus thuringiensis. 1998. [Google Scholar]
- 8.Bernstein IL, Berstein JA, Miller M, Tierzieva S, Berstein DI, Lummus Z, et al. Immune response in farm workers after exposure to Bacillus thuringiensis pesticides. Environ Health Perspect. 1999;107(7):.575–82. doi: 10.1289/ehp.99107575. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 9.Damgaard PH, Larsen HD, Bresciani J, Jorgensen K. Enterotoxin-producing strains of Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from food. Letters in Appl Micro. 1996;23:.146–50. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-765X.1996.tb00051.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 10.Drobniewski FA. The safety of Bacillus species as insect vector control agents. J Appl Bacteriology. 1994;76:.101–9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1994.tb01604.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 11.McClintock JT, Schaffer CR, Sjoblad RD. A comparative review of the mammalian toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis-based pesticides. Pestic Sci. 1995;45:.95–105. doi: 10.1002/ps.2780450202. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
- 12.Durkin PR, Fanfarillo PA, Campbell R, Meylan W, Gray DA, Diamond G. Human health risk assessment for the Gypsy Moth control and eradication program. 1995. [Google Scholar]
- 13.The Mammalian Safety of Bacillus thuringiensis Based Insecticides. J Invert Pathog. 2001;77(1):.13–21. doi: 10.1006/jipa.2000.5000. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 14.Alberta Asthma Centre, 11402 University Avenue, Aberhart Centre, 3rd Floor, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6E 6K2. Tel: 780-407-3175. https://doi.org/www.asthmacentre.org
- 15.Kennedy DT, Chang Z, Small R. Selection of peak flow meters in ambulatory asthma patients. Chest. 1998;114:.587–92. doi: 10.1378/chest.114.2.587. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 16.Teschke K, Chow Y, Bartlett K, van Ross A, Netten C. Spatial and temporal distribution of airborne Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki during an aerial spray program for gypsy moth eradication. Environ Health Perspect. 2001;109(1):.47–54. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0110947. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 17.de Valadares Amorim G, Whittome B, Shore B, Levin D. Identification of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Strain HD1-Like Bacteria from Environmental and Human Samples after Aerial Spraying of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, with Foray 48B. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001;67(3):.1035–43. doi: 10.1128/AEM.67.3.1035-1043.2001. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 18.Hospital for Sick Children. Handbook of Pediatrics, 8th edition, Shefler AG (Ed.). St Louis: Mosby Year Book Inc., 1992.
- 19.Jain P, Kavuru MS, Emerman CL, Ahmad M. Utility of peak expiratory flow monitoring. Chest. 1998;114:.861–76. doi: 10.1378/chest.114.3.861. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 20.Ernst P, Fitzgerald JM, Speir S. Canadian Asthma Consensus Conference Summary of Recommendations. Can Respir J. 1996;3(2):.89–100. doi: 10.1155/1996/314657. [DOI] [Google Scholar]