Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women
Background: Introduction of an organic diet can significantly reduce exposure to some classes of pesticides in children and adults, but no long-term trials have been conducted. Objectives: To assess the effect of a long-term (24-week) organic produce intervention on pesticide exposure among pregnant...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-11-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019306853 |
| _version_ | 1819152364563595264 |
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| author | Cynthia L. Curl Jessica Porter Ian Penwell Rachel Phinney Maria Ospina Antonia M. Calafat |
| author_facet | Cynthia L. Curl Jessica Porter Ian Penwell Rachel Phinney Maria Ospina Antonia M. Calafat |
| author_sort | Cynthia L. Curl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Introduction of an organic diet can significantly reduce exposure to some classes of pesticides in children and adults, but no long-term trials have been conducted. Objectives: To assess the effect of a long-term (24-week) organic produce intervention on pesticide exposure among pregnant women. Methods: We recruited 20 women from the Idaho Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program during their first trimester of pregnancy. Eligible women were nonsmokers aged 18–35 years who reported eating exclusively conventionally grown food. We randomly assigned participants to receive weekly deliveries of either organic or conventional fruits and vegetables throughout their second or third trimesters and collected weekly spot urine samples. Urine samples, which were pooled to represent monthly exposures, were analyzed for biomarkers of organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid insecticides. Results: Food diary data demonstrated that 66% of all servings of fruits and vegetables consumed by participants in the “organic produce” group were organic, compared to <3% in the “conventional produce” group. We collected an average of 23 spot samples per participant (461 samples total), which were combined to yield 116 monthly composites. 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA, a non-specific biomarker of several pyrethroids) was detected in 75% of the composite samples, and 3-PBA concentrations were significantly higher in samples collected from women in the conventional produce group compared to the organic produce group (0.95 vs 0.27 μg/L, p = 0.03). Another pyrethroid biomarker, trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid, was detected more frequently in women in the conventional compared to the organic produce groups (16% vs 4%, p = 0.05). In contrast, we observed no statistically significant differences in detection frequency or concentrations for any of the four biomarkers of OP exposure quantified in this trial. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first long-term organic diet intervention study, and the first to include pregnant women. These results suggest that addition of organic produce to an individual's diet, as compared to conventional produce, significantly reduces exposure to pyrethroid insecticides. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:48:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6c1766a70a847b5861210683b9596ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:48:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6c1766a70a847b5861210683b9596ec2022-12-21T18:22:23ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202019-11-01132Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant womenCynthia L. Curl0Jessica Porter1Ian Penwell2Rachel Phinney3Maria Ospina4Antonia M. Calafat5Department of Community and Environmental Health, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA; Corresponding author at: 1910 University Dr., Boise, ID 83725, USA.Department of Community and Environmental Health, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USADepartment of Community and Environmental Health, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USADepartment of Community and Environmental Health, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USADivision of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USADivision of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USABackground: Introduction of an organic diet can significantly reduce exposure to some classes of pesticides in children and adults, but no long-term trials have been conducted. Objectives: To assess the effect of a long-term (24-week) organic produce intervention on pesticide exposure among pregnant women. Methods: We recruited 20 women from the Idaho Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program during their first trimester of pregnancy. Eligible women were nonsmokers aged 18–35 years who reported eating exclusively conventionally grown food. We randomly assigned participants to receive weekly deliveries of either organic or conventional fruits and vegetables throughout their second or third trimesters and collected weekly spot urine samples. Urine samples, which were pooled to represent monthly exposures, were analyzed for biomarkers of organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid insecticides. Results: Food diary data demonstrated that 66% of all servings of fruits and vegetables consumed by participants in the “organic produce” group were organic, compared to <3% in the “conventional produce” group. We collected an average of 23 spot samples per participant (461 samples total), which were combined to yield 116 monthly composites. 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA, a non-specific biomarker of several pyrethroids) was detected in 75% of the composite samples, and 3-PBA concentrations were significantly higher in samples collected from women in the conventional produce group compared to the organic produce group (0.95 vs 0.27 μg/L, p = 0.03). Another pyrethroid biomarker, trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid, was detected more frequently in women in the conventional compared to the organic produce groups (16% vs 4%, p = 0.05). In contrast, we observed no statistically significant differences in detection frequency or concentrations for any of the four biomarkers of OP exposure quantified in this trial. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first long-term organic diet intervention study, and the first to include pregnant women. These results suggest that addition of organic produce to an individual's diet, as compared to conventional produce, significantly reduces exposure to pyrethroid insecticides.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019306853 |
| spellingShingle | Cynthia L. Curl Jessica Porter Ian Penwell Rachel Phinney Maria Ospina Antonia M. Calafat Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women Environment International |
| title | Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women |
| title_full | Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women |
| title_fullStr | Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women |
| title_short | Effect of a 24-week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women |
| title_sort | effect of a 24 week randomized trial of an organic produce intervention on pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide exposure among pregnant women |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019306853 |
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