Validation of exposure indexes to pesticides through the analysis of exposure and effect biomarkers in ground pesticide applicators from Argentina

Iohanna Filippi; Patricia Lucero; Rocio I Bonansea; Daniel Lerda; Mariana Butinof; Ricardo A Fernandez; Daniel A Wunderlin; María V Amé; Sonia E Muñoz

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07921

Validation of exposure indexes to pesticides through the analysis of exposure and effect biomarkers in ground pesticide applicators from Argentina

Heliyon. 2021 Sep 3;7(9):e07921. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07921. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Authors

Iohanna Filippi¹, Patricia Lucero², Rocio I Bonansea³, Daniel Lerda⁴, Mariana Butinof⁵, Ricardo A Fernandez⁴, Daniel A Wunderlin³, María V Amé¹, Sonia E Muñoz⁶

Affiliations

¹ CIBICI: Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Dpto. Bioquímica Clínica, Ciudad Universitaria, Medina Allende esq. Haya de La Torre, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.
² Centro de Excelencia en Productos y Procesos de Córdoba (CEPROCOR), X5164, Córdoba, Argentina.
³ ICYTAC: Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba, CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Dpto. Química Orgánica, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.
⁴ Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.
⁵ Escuela de Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.
⁶ INICSA: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.

Abstract

The characterization of the population exposed to pesticides and the use of effective biomarkers to evaluate potential health effects are determinant to identify vulnerable groups, understanding the causality of diverse pathologies and propose prevention policies. This is particularly important in countries where intensive agricultural practices had an explosive expansion in last decades. The aim of this study was assessing the usefulness of two exposure indexes questionnaire-based: Intensity Level of the pesticide Exposure (ILE) and Cumulative Exposure Index (CEI) and their scales, in terrestrial applicators of pesticide from the Province of Córdoba (Argentina). The analysis was performed contrasting ILE and CEI results with perceived symptomatology, in addition to effect and exposure biomarkers. A cross-sectional study was designed to compare pesticides body burdens and effect biomarkers between subjects occupationally (OE) and non-occupationally exposed (NOE) to pesticides. Prevalence of perceived symptomatology and genotoxicity damage was higher in the OE group. The exposure condition was the only variable explaining these differences. Significant associations were found between CEI and neurologic symptomatology (p < 0.05) and between ILE and plasmatic cholinesterase (p < 0.1). However, residues of HCB, β-HCH, α-endosulfan, pp'DDE, endrin, β-endosulfan, pp'DDT, endosulfan sulfate and mirex were found in blood samples from both groups. To our knowledge, this is the first report on pesticides body burdens in occupational exposure settings in Argentina. So far, our current results indicate that the occupational condition affects the health of the workers. Significant associations found between symptomatology and biomarkers with scales of CEI and ILE suggest their usefulness to verify different levels of exposure. Further research is necessary to propose these indexes as an affordable tool for occupational health surveillance in areas with difficult access to health care centres.

Keywords: Biomonitoring; Cholinesterases biomarkers; Exposure indexes; Genotoxicity biomarkers; Occupational health.