Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition
Abstract Background Previous biomonitoring studies have shown that people in the rural population of Coquimbo, the major agricultural area in northern Chile are being occupationally and environmentally exposed to organophosphate/carbamate (OP/CB) pesticides. Given their harmful effects, this study h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Environmental Health |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-020-00634-6 |
| _version_ | 1818296076823691264 |
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| author | Muriel Ramírez-Santana Liliana Zúñiga-Venegas Sebastián Corral Nel Roeleveld Hans Groenewoud Koos Van der Velden Paul T. J. Scheepers Floria Pancetti |
| author_facet | Muriel Ramírez-Santana Liliana Zúñiga-Venegas Sebastián Corral Nel Roeleveld Hans Groenewoud Koos Van der Velden Paul T. J. Scheepers Floria Pancetti |
| author_sort | Muriel Ramírez-Santana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Previous biomonitoring studies have shown that people in the rural population of Coquimbo, the major agricultural area in northern Chile are being occupationally and environmentally exposed to organophosphate/carbamate (OP/CB) pesticides. Given their harmful effects, this study had two aims; first, to evaluate the effect of cumulative or chronic exposure to OP/CB pesticides on the neurobehavioral performance of agricultural workers and rural inhabitants; second, to determine if changes in the neurobehavioral performance are associated to changes in blood biomarkers of OP/CB pesticides during the spray season, when exposure is higher. Methods For the first aim, a cross sectional study of neurobehavioral performance in adult volunteers (men and women, 18–50 years-old, right-handed) was carried out in the pre-spray season. Sampling was done by convenience and a questionnaire was used to categorize participants depending on their level of chronic exposure, as either: occupationally exposed (OE, n = 87), environmentally exposed (EE, n = 81), or non-exposed controls or reference group (RG, n = 100). A neurobehavioral test battery consisting of 21 tests to measure cognitive, motor and emotional state was applied. For the second aim, neurobehavioral measures were taken a second time from EE and OE groups during the spray season, and their exposure corroborated by blood-based biomarker inhibition. Results Lower neurobehavioral performance was observed in the pre-spray evaluation of EE and OE groups compared to the non-exposed, OE being the worst performing group. Seasonal exposure impaired performance in both exposure groups on all tests except those on attention and mood. Data modeling of the basal (pre-spray) measurements showed that the level of exposure was the best predictor of performance. During spraying, inhibition of BChE activity in the EE group was the best predictor of low performance in tests measuring logical, auditory and visual memory, inhibitory control of cognitive interference, constructional and planning abilities, executive functions, and motor speed and coordination. Conclusion Long-term occupational or environmental exposure to pesticides caused impairment in neurobehavioral functioning, which worsened during the spraying season, mainly in EE. BChE inhibition was the best predictor for seasonal neurobehavioral changes in EE. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:57:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c546be7b76fd4fbdbc8b2be178cb2a41 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-069X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:57:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c546be7b76fd4fbdbc8b2be178cb2a412022-12-22T00:00:35ZengBMCEnvironmental Health1476-069X2020-07-0119111310.1186/s12940-020-00634-6Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibitionMuriel Ramírez-Santana0Liliana Zúñiga-Venegas1Sebastián Corral2Nel Roeleveld3Hans Groenewoud4Koos Van der Velden5Paul T. J. Scheepers6Floria Pancetti7Departemento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del NorteCentro de Investigaciones y Estudios Avanzados de Maule (CIEAM), Universidad Católica del MauleLaboratorio de Neurotoxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del NorteDepartment for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud university medical centerDepartment for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud university medical centerDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboud university medical centerDepartment for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud university medical centerLaboratorio de Neurotoxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del NorteAbstract Background Previous biomonitoring studies have shown that people in the rural population of Coquimbo, the major agricultural area in northern Chile are being occupationally and environmentally exposed to organophosphate/carbamate (OP/CB) pesticides. Given their harmful effects, this study had two aims; first, to evaluate the effect of cumulative or chronic exposure to OP/CB pesticides on the neurobehavioral performance of agricultural workers and rural inhabitants; second, to determine if changes in the neurobehavioral performance are associated to changes in blood biomarkers of OP/CB pesticides during the spray season, when exposure is higher. Methods For the first aim, a cross sectional study of neurobehavioral performance in adult volunteers (men and women, 18–50 years-old, right-handed) was carried out in the pre-spray season. Sampling was done by convenience and a questionnaire was used to categorize participants depending on their level of chronic exposure, as either: occupationally exposed (OE, n = 87), environmentally exposed (EE, n = 81), or non-exposed controls or reference group (RG, n = 100). A neurobehavioral test battery consisting of 21 tests to measure cognitive, motor and emotional state was applied. For the second aim, neurobehavioral measures were taken a second time from EE and OE groups during the spray season, and their exposure corroborated by blood-based biomarker inhibition. Results Lower neurobehavioral performance was observed in the pre-spray evaluation of EE and OE groups compared to the non-exposed, OE being the worst performing group. Seasonal exposure impaired performance in both exposure groups on all tests except those on attention and mood. Data modeling of the basal (pre-spray) measurements showed that the level of exposure was the best predictor of performance. During spraying, inhibition of BChE activity in the EE group was the best predictor of low performance in tests measuring logical, auditory and visual memory, inhibitory control of cognitive interference, constructional and planning abilities, executive functions, and motor speed and coordination. Conclusion Long-term occupational or environmental exposure to pesticides caused impairment in neurobehavioral functioning, which worsened during the spraying season, mainly in EE. BChE inhibition was the best predictor for seasonal neurobehavioral changes in EE.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-020-00634-6Neurobehavioral performanceOrganophosphatePesticideOccupational healthEnvironmental healthAgricultural work |
| spellingShingle | Muriel Ramírez-Santana Liliana Zúñiga-Venegas Sebastián Corral Nel Roeleveld Hans Groenewoud Koos Van der Velden Paul T. J. Scheepers Floria Pancetti Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition Environmental Health Neurobehavioral performance Organophosphate Pesticide Occupational health Environmental health Agricultural work |
| title | Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition |
| title_full | Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition |
| title_fullStr | Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition |
| title_short | Reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern Chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition |
| title_sort | reduced neurobehavioral functioning in agricultural workers and rural inhabitants exposed to pesticides in northern chile and its association with blood biomarkers inhibition |
| topic | Neurobehavioral performance Organophosphate Pesticide Occupational health Environmental health Agricultural work |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-020-00634-6 |
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