Transcript Pesticide Poisoning Symptoms and Other Health Issues

Pesticide Poisoning
Symptoms and Other Health
Issues
Joanne Kick-Raack
State Coordinator, Pesticide
Education Programs
The Ohio State University Extension
Objectives

Briefly review acute and chronic effects
 Highlight some common pesticides and
their effects on health
 Share early results of National Agricultural
Health Study
 Answer your questions/concerns
Acute or Chronic?
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Acute Effects
– Immediate “poisoning” or harm
– Based on LD50 values
– Most sensitive route determines Signal Word
Acute or Chronic Effects?
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Chronic Effects
– Long-term effects from small doses over time
– Not necessarily on label
– Some information on MSDS
Chronic Effects
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Carcinogenicity-cancer
Mutagenicity-genetic changes
Teratogenicity- birth defects
Oncogenicity-tumor growth (not necessarily
cancers)
Liver damage
Reproductive disorders-sperm count, sterility,
miscarriage
Nerve damage
Allergenic sensitization
Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS)

Provides information on chronic toxicity
 Refers to the concentrate rather than dilute
product
Pesticides and Health Effects
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Insecticides
 Fungicides
 Herbicides
Organophosphates and
Carbamates
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Examples: Lorsban, Diazinon, Sevin,
Malathion, Furadan and many others
 Cause of most acute pesticide poisonings
 Inhibit cholinesterase, affect the nervous
system
 Effect is reversible
 Monitor with blood tests
Signs and Sypmtoms of
Cholinesterase Inhibition
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Affects the nervous system
 Can be confused with flu, or heat exhaustion
 Mild poisoning symptoms
– Headache, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea,
cramps, diarrhea
– Blurred vision, excessive tearing, contracted pupils
– Excessive sweating and salivation (this is not true for
heat stress)
– Slowed heartbeat
Cholinesterase cont’d
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Moderately severe
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Unable to walk
Chest discomfort and tightness
Pinpoint pupils
Muscle twitching
Involuntary urination and bowel movement
Severe
– Seizures, incontinence, unconsciousness,
Aggregate and Cumulative
Exposure
Food Quality Protection Act –in
reexamining pesticides EPA adds all
exposures from all pesticides in a group
(ex.organophosphates) together to estimate
public health risks.
 Organophosphates will be reviewed
together after reviewed individually
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Natural Pyrethrum/Pyrethrins
and Rotenone
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Crude pyrethrum is a dermal and respiratory
irritant
 Asthma has occurred after exposures
 Refined pyrethrins less allergenic but some
irritant and sensitizing properties
 Rotenone has little human hazard
– Hazardous to fish, birds,
Synthetic Pyrethroids
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Examples: Baythroid, Pounce
 Synthetic mimics of natural pyrethrins
 Systemic toxicity by inhalation or skin
absorption is low—few human poisonings
 Dermal and respiratory irritation
– Stinging, itching, tingling progressing to
numbness
Natural Inorganic Insecticides
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Boric Acid and Borates
– Irritating to skin
– Infants- “boiled lobster appearance” –redness,
followed by peeling of skin
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Sulfur
– Dermatitis-skin irritation
– Irritation of eyes and respiratory tract
Fungicides

Most are unlikely to cause severe or
frequent poisonings
 Cause irritant injuries to skin and mucous
membranes, dermal sensitization
Fungicides
Chlorothalonil’s (Daconil) potential to
cause cancer is unclear
 EBDC’s under FQPA review as group
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– Can degrade to ETU which can produce cancer
in mice
– However, do not appear to be carcinogenic
Herbicides
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Many can irritate skin, eyes and respiratory
track
 Low systemic toxicity
 Ex. Some Round-up calls for eye protection
Diquat/Paraquat
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Paraquat more toxic (orally)
– Large doses (6-8oz.) produces fatal lung changes.
– Fluid accumulation in lungs can occur in 24 to 72 hrs.
Respiratory failure.
– Exposure may cause blackening and abnormal growth
of nails
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Diquat affects eye lens and intestinal tract lining—
vomiting.
 Both cause skin irritation and burning
2,4-D and MCPA

Moderately irritating to skin and mucous
membranes
 May cause burning sensations in nose,
sinuses and chest, dizziness
 Not “agent orange”
 Agent orange issue was from dioxin
contaminant in the manufacture of 2,4,5-T
2,4-D and Cancer
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There are no reports that indicate a direct
link between 2,4-D exposure and cancer in
humans.
 Some concern about higher rates of a type
of cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, among
farmers, ag workers and pesticide
applicators but different studies are not
consistent.
2,4-D and Cancer
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Most studies have not found a relationship
between exposure to chlorophenoxy
herbicides and soft sarcoma.
 Current evidence does not indicate that
exposures to 2,4-D are linked with an
increased incidence of breast cancer in
humans or experimental animals.
Atrazine and Cancer
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Found in drinking water
 Under special review
 Based on scientific evidence presented, EPA
reclassified atrazine as “not likely to be a
human carcinogen”
 Will be evaluating endocrine disruption
– Controversial “frog deformity” studies
Organochlorines and Cancer
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DDT/DDE, dieldrin, chlordane
 Accumulate in fatty tissues
 No conclusive evidence
 Infertile alligators and reduced sperm
counts
Chronic Effects and
Controversy
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Cancer
 Endocrine disruption
– Infertility and sperm counts
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Multiple chemical sensitivity
Endocrine Disruption
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Hormones, alter bodily functions, development,
and growth
 We are only starting to gather information on
which chemicals are endocrine disruptors and at
what level they have an effect.
 FQPA mandates testing of pesticides for endocrine
disruption
 New screening tests must be developed—very
difficult
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
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More frequent in women
 Very controversial whether it is really a
disease
Food Quality Protection Act
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All older pesticides must be reevaluated
based on new standards
 Evaluating risk based on cumulative and
aggregate exposure
 New testing for endocrine disruption
 Higher protection factor for children
Agricultural Health Study
A Landmark Study of Agricultural
Workers and Their Families
Agricultural Health
Study
A large, prospective
cohort study
Goal: Establish a large group of people
associated with pesticide application and
follow them for many years to evaluate the
relationship between agricultural exposures
and disease
What is the Ag Health Study?
 Long-term study
to investigate effects
of several factors on the health of the
agricultural population. These factors
include
• Environmental  Dietary
• Occupational  Genetic factors
Exposures Experienced by
Farmers
 PESTICIDES/
 Engine
Fertilizers
 Fuels and oils
 Animal viruses
 Organic solvents
exhausts
 Paints
 Grain dusts
 Welding
fumes
Who are they studying?
 Participants are
commercial &
private pesticide applicators
(& spouses, if married) in Iowa &
North Carolina
 89,658 subjects in first 5 years
(58,564 from IA & 31,094 from NC)
Questionnaires
Occupational Factors
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Pesticides used
 Pesticide application
methods used
 PPE use (current and
10 years ago)
 Other farm activities
& exposures
Questionnaires
Lifestyle & Dietary Factors
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Diet
Cooking practices
Physical activity
Smoking
Alcohol consumption
Hair dye use
Mortality Followup (1994-1998) for Iowa
Private Applicators
Cause of Death
SMR
Obs/Exp
All Causes
All Cancer
Colon
Pancreas
Lung
Prostate
Brain
Lymphoma
Leukemia
Cardiovascular Disease
COPD
Accidents
0.4
0.4
0.7
1.0
0.2
0.3
0.6
0.9
0.7
0.4
0.2
1.0
333/848
111/259
16/23
12/13
21/95
6/19
6/10
11/13
7/10
115/277
7/43
46/48
Non-motor vehicle
1.2
30/25
N = 31,877; person-years = 109,630
Early Findings

Farmers are healthier and live longer than
the general population
 Overall they have less cancer
 There are a few cancers that appear to be
slightly higher in occurrence
Malignant Cancer Incidence Follow-up
(1994-1998) for Iowa Members
Cancer Site
SIR
Obs/Exp*
All Sites
0.81
850/1050.3
Buccal cavity & pharynx
0.56
18/32.2
Digestive system
0.77
143/186.8
Respiratory system
0.27
49/184.1
Skin melanomas
1.28
48/37.4
FEMALE BREAST
1.19
134/112.2
Female genital system
0.68
35/51.4
PROSTATE
1.25
245/196.7
Urinary system
0.58
28/48.4
Brain & CNS
0.91
15/16.5
Lymphoma
0.73
64/87.7
* Expected based on rates for entire state of Iowa, 1995-98
Retinal Degeneration
 Also
called macular degeneration
 Leading cause of blindness in older
adults
 Damage or breakdown of the retina of
the eye, causing loss of central vision
Retinal degeneration & pesticide use
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Incidence related to fungicide use
 Fungicide applications to orchard fruits
(apples or peaches), Christmas trees, or
peanuts were involved
 Association was more pronounced with
increasing lifetime days of fungicide use
 Association with prior organochlorine
(aldrin, DDT) pesticide use was noted
Retinal degeneration & pesticide use
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Results similar in Iowa & North Carolina
applicators
 Based on 154 applicators reporting
doctor’s diagnosis of this condition &
17,804 applicators who did not
 More work needed to determine whether
this relationship will be true for all data
sets
How is the study funded?
 Primary
funding provided by the
National Cancer Institute
 Additional funding from the
– National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
– U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
– National Institute for Occupational
Safety & Health
For more information…
Visit the Ag Health Study’s Web site
www.aghealth.org
Toxicity Information

National Pesticide Telecommunication
Network
1-800-858-7378
 Extoxnet
ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/
 Poison Control Centers 1-800-222-1222
Ohio State University Extension, Pesticide
Education Program pested.osu.edu