PESTICIDES IN HOUSEHOLD DUST AND SOIL - EXPOSURE PATHWAYS FOR CHILDREN OF AGRICULTURAL FAMILIES

Children of agricultural families are likely to be exposed to agricult ural chemicals, even if they are not involved in farm activities. This study was designed to determine whether such children are exposed to higher levels of pesticides than children whose parents are not involv ed in agriculture and whose homes are not close to farms. Household du st and soil samples were collected in children's play areas from 59 re sidences in eastern Washington State (26 farming, 22 farmworker, and 1 1 nonfarming families). The majority of the farm families lived within 200 feet of an operating apple or pear orchard, whereas all reference homes were located at least a quarter of a mile from an orchard. Four organophosphorous (OF) insecticides commonly used on tree fruit were targeted for analysis: azinphosmethyl, chlorpyrifos, parathion, and ph osmet. Samples were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass selective detection. Pesticide concentrations in household dust were s ignificantly higher than in soil for all groups. OP levels for farmer/ farmworker families ranged from nondetectable to 930 ng/g in soil (0.9 3 ppm) and from nondetectable to 17,000 ng/g in dust (17 ppm); all fou r OP compounds were found in 62% of household dust samples, and two-th irds of the farm homes contained at least one OP above 1000 ng/g. Resi dues were found less frequently in reference homes, and all levels wer e below 1000 ng/g. Household dust concentrations for all four target c ompounds were significantly lower in reference homes when compared to farmer/farmworker homes (Mann-Whitney U test; P<0.05). These results d emonstrate that children of agricultural families have a higher potent ial for exposure to OP pesticides than children of nonfarm families in this region. Measureable residues of a toxicity I compound registered exclusively for agricultural use (azinphosmethyl) were found in house hold dust samples from all study homes, suggesting that low-level expo sure to such chemicals occurs throughout the region. Children's total and cumulative exposure to this pesticide class from household dust, s oil, and other sources warrants further investigation.