IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v14y2017i4p354-d94416.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Urinary Concentrations of Insecticide and Herbicide Metabolites among Pregnant Women in Rural Ghana: A Pilot Study

Author

Listed:
  • Blair J. Wylie

    (Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
    Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Kenneth A. Ae-Ngibise

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, P.O. Box 200, Brong Ahafo Region, Kintampo 00233, Ghana)

  • Ellen A. Boamah

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, P.O. Box 200, Brong Ahafo Region, Kintampo 00233, Ghana)

  • Mohammed Mujtaba

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, P.O. Box 200, Brong Ahafo Region, Kintampo 00233, Ghana)

  • Carmen Messerlian

    (Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Russ Hauser

    (Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Brent Coull

    (Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
    Department of Statistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Antonia M. Calafat

    (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA)

  • Darby Jack

    (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Patrick L. Kinney

    (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Robin Whyatt

    (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Seth Owusu-Agyei

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, P.O. Box 200, Brong Ahafo Region, Kintampo 00233, Ghana)

  • Kwaku P. Asante

    (Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, P.O. Box 200, Brong Ahafo Region, Kintampo 00233, Ghana)

Abstract

Use of pesticides by households in rural Ghana is common for residential pest control, agricultural use, and for the reduction of vectors carrying disease. However, few data are available about exposure to pesticides among this population. Our objective was to quantify urinary concentrations of metabolites of organophosphate (OP), pyrethroid, and select herbicides during pregnancy, and to explore exposure determinants. In 2014, 17 pregnant women from rural Ghana were surveyed about household pesticide use and provided weekly first morning urine voids during three visits ( n = 51 samples). A total of 90.1% (46/51) of samples had detectable OP metabolites [geometric mean, GM (95% CI): 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol 0.54 µg/L (0.36–0.81), para-nitrophenol 0.71 µg/L (0.51–1.00)], 75.5% (37/49) had detectable pyrethroid metabolites [GM: 3-phenoxybenzoic acid 0.23 µg/L (0.17, 0.32)], and 70.5% (36/51) had detectable 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid levels, a herbicide [GM: 0.46 µg/L (0.29–0.73)]. Concentrations of para-nitrophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in Ghanaian pregnant women appear higher when compared to nonpregnant reproductive-aged women in a reference U.S. population. Larger studies are necessary to more fully explore predictors of exposure in this population.

Suggested Citation

  • Blair J. Wylie & Kenneth A. Ae-Ngibise & Ellen A. Boamah & Mohammed Mujtaba & Carmen Messerlian & Russ Hauser & Brent Coull & Antonia M. Calafat & Darby Jack & Patrick L. Kinney & Robin Whyatt & Seth , 2017. "Urinary Concentrations of Insecticide and Herbicide Metabolites among Pregnant Women in Rural Ghana: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:4:p:354-:d:94416
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/4/354/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/4/354/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Portia M. Motsoeneng & Mohamed A. Dalvie, 2015. "Relationship between Urinary Pesticide Residue Levels and Neurotoxic Symptoms among Women on Farms in the Western Cape, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-19, June.
    2. Horna, J. Daniela & Smale, Melinda & Al-Hassan, Ramatu M. & Falck-Zepeda, Jose Benjamin & Timpo, Samuel E., 2008. "Insecticide Use on Vegetables in Ghana: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6506, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Falck-Zepeda, Jose Benjamin & Gruère, Guillaume P. & Sithole-Niang, Idah (ed.), 2013. "Genetically modified crops in Africa: Economic and policy lessons from countries south of the Sahara," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 978-0-89629-795-1, June.
    2. Ma, Xingliang & Smale, Melinda & Spielman, David J. & Zambrano, Patricia & Nazli, Hina & Zaidi, Fatima, 2016. "Varietal integrity, damage abatement, and productivity: Evidence from the cultivation of Bt cotton in Pakistan:," IFPRI discussion papers 1520, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Hussein H. Mwanga & Mohamed Aqiel Dalvie & Tanusha S. Singh & Kalavati Channa & Mohamed F. Jeebhay, 2016. "Relationship between Pesticide Metabolites, Cytokine Patterns, and Asthma-Related Outcomes in Rural Women Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-14, September.
    4. Martin Röösli & Samuel Fuhrimann & Aggrey Atuhaire & Hanna-Andrea Rother & James Dabrowski & Brenda Eskenazi & Erik Jørs & Paul C. Jepson & Leslie London & Saloshni Naidoo & Diane S. Rohlman & Ivy Sau, 2022. "Interventions to Reduce Pesticide Exposure from the Agricultural Sector in Africa: A Workshop Report," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.
    5. Honest Machekano & Brighton M. Mvumi & Casper Nyamukondiwa, 2017. "Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) in Southern Africa: Research Trends, Challenges and Insights on Sustainable Management Options," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-23, February.
    6. Kergna, Alpha & Smale, Melinda & Assima, Amidou & Diallo, Abdoulaye & Weltzien, Eva & Rattunde, Fred, 2017. "The potential economic impact of Guinea-race sorghum hybrids in Mali: A comparison of research and development paradigms," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 12(1), March.
    7. Maria Christie & Emily Houweling & Laura Zseleczky, 2015. "Mapping gendered pest management knowledge, practices, and pesticide exposure pathways in Ghana and Mali," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(4), pages 761-775, December.
    8. Xingliang Ma & Melinda Smale & David J. Spielman & Patricia Zambrano & Hina Nazli & Fatima Zaidi, 2017. "A Question of Integrity: Variants of Bt Cotton, Pesticides and Productivity in Pakistan," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(2), pages 366-385, June.
    9. Horna, Daniela & Zambrano, Patricia & Falck-Zepeda, Jose Benjamin & Sengooba, Theresa & Kyotalimye, Miriam, 2013. "Genetically modified cotton in Uganda: An ex ante evaluation," IFPRI book chapters, in: Falck-Zepeda, Jose Benjamin & Gruère, Guillaume P. & Sithole-Niang, Idah (ed.), Genetically modified crops in Africa: Economic and policy lessons from countries south of the Sahara, chapter 3, pages 61-97, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:4:p:354-:d:94416. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.