Exposure to pesticides and time to pregnancy among female greenhouse workers

doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2005.12.011

Reproductive Toxicology

Volume 22, Issue 3, October 2006, Pages 425-430

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2005.12.011 Get rights and content

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible effect of maternal work in greenhouses, as characterised by potentially high exposure to pesticides, on female fertility. Nine hundred and ten women active in 34 greenhouse flower growing enterprises in 1998–2000, with at least one pregnancy, and aged less than 50 years were identified. Seven hundred and seventeen (79%) agreed to be interviewed and reported 1699 pregnancies, of which 713 had complete information on time to pregnancy and occupation. These pregnancies were classified as exposed or non-exposed according to the maternal occupation in greenhouses at the moment of conception and analysed using logistic regression and survival analysis methods. We found a slightly higher proportion of pregnancies with delayed conception (more than 6 months) in the exposed group. However, after adjustment for confounding variables, the estimated hazard ratio for reduced fertility among the exposed was not significantly different to that of the non-exposed pregnancies (HR = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.81, 1.13). A significant reduction in fecundability was observed in older women and with a daily consumption of one or more alcoholic beverages or cups of tea.

Section snippets

Study population

This study is based on the data obtained from women working in 34 enterprises that cultivated flowers in greenhouses in 2000–2001. These enterprises were located in the province of Ragusa (3 large enterprises), in a small municipality in the province of Rome (1 enterprise), and in the province of Lucca (30 family-run enterprises). The enterprises located in the province of Ragusa and in the province of Rome were the only large enterprises with employees active in those areas, while the

Results

Table 2 shows selected maternal and paternal characteristics by the length of TTP (less or more than 6 months). The last column of the Table shows the crude ORs for delay beyond 6 months in association with the work of the mother in greenhouse at the time of conception, mother's and father's age, parity, father's work in agriculture, and mother's consumption of tobacco, alcohol, wine, coffee and tea. Among women not working in greenhouses in the relevant period, 82% conceived within 6 months

Discussion

The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the possible role of women's work in greenhouses on time to conception. Women working in greenhouses waited on average about 1.4 months longer than women working in other jobs. In further analysis, using survival methods and taking into account the confounding variables (i.e. age of both parents, parity, smoking, drinking of alcohol and tea, and fathers work in agriculture) for the estimation of the hazard ratio, work in greenhouses was not found

Acknowledgements

This study was made possible by the financial support of the Italian National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (ISPESL) No. 66-P/DML/05.

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Whereas greenspace workers have often been included with other pesticide applicators in epidemiological studies, our analyses highlighted the differences between these two populations. They demonstrate the need to study them separately and to investigate more thoroughly the role of specific occupational exposures such as pesticides as well as the effect on women.
A review on pesticides in flower production: A push to reduce human exposure and environmental contamination
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Among 201 pesticides identified in the present review, 94 were banned by the EU, a very restrictive economic block regarding the use of pesticides (Abdullah et al., 2005; Aguirre, 2003; Berenstein et al., 2014; Breilh et al., 2012; Castillo-Cadena et al., 2006; Del Prado-Lu, 2007; Flores et al., 2011; Gasparini and De Freitas, 2013; Gómez-Arroyo et al., 2000; Harari et al., 2004; Hogenkamp et al., 2004; Ieromina et al., 2014; Jansen and Harmsen, 2011; Lauria et al., 2006; Lesmes-Fabian and Binder, 2013; Mejia-Sanchez et al., 2018; Paz-y-Miño et al., 2002; Ribeiro et al., 2012; Schilmann et al., 2010; Settimi et al., 2008; Tascone et al., 2014; Toumi et al., 2017, 2016a; 2016b; Wilhelm et al., 2015). Among the banned pesticides, 35 were identified in studies carried out in Belgium (Toumi et al., 2016b, 2016a) and Italy (Lauria et al., 2006) and, two of which (dinotefuran and isocarbophos) were never allowed in the EU. Lauria et al. (2006) identified, through interviews with farmers, 15 pesticides used in flower production in Italy, 6 of which are banned in the EU.
In several countries, flower import regulations are restricted to food security, by establishing maximum residue limits (MRL) for pesticides in flower-based food products and biosafety, in order to limit the circulation of vectors, pests and exotic species across borders. In this context, the lack of limits on pesticides in flower-products for ornamental purposes can influence the pesticide overuse in production areas, as well as the transfer of contaminated products between countries. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to discuss possible adverse effects on human and environmental health of pesticides used in floriculture, evaluating regulations on the use of these pesticides in the main importing and flower-producing countries. This review included 92 documents. The use of 201 compounds was identified by interviews and analytical measurements. Among them, 93 are banned by the European Union (EU), although 46.3 % of these compounds have been identified in samples from European countries. Latin American countries have a large number of scientific publications on pesticides in flower production (n = 51), while the EU and China have less studies (n = 24) and the United States and Japan have no studies. Regarding adverse health effects, poorer neurobehavioral development, reproductive disorders, congenital malformations and genotoxicity have been reported for residents of flower production areas and workers throughout the flower production cycle. Studies including water samples show overuse of pesticides, while environmental impacts are related to water and air contamination, soil degradation and adverse effects on the reproduction and development of non-target organisms. This review points out that the absence of MRL for non-edible flowers can be crucial for the trade of contaminated products across borders, including pesticides banned in importing countries. Furthermore, setting limits on flowers could reduce the use of pesticides in producing countries.
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This chapter describes the epidemiological studies on the reproductive and developmental effects of occupational exposure to chemical agents. Chemicals covered in this chapter are organic solvents, metals, CO, pesticides, anesthetic gases, antineoplastic agents and some other drugs. An increased risk of miscarriage has been observed in industrial populations usually exposed to high levels of solvents. These include employees in manufacturing, dry cleaning, painting, shoe, pharmaceutical, audio speaker, semiconductor and laboratory industries. Occupational health personnel utilize the classification and the warning signs in the risk assessment, but often toxicological consultations are also needed. The recognition of a chemical as a reproductive or developmental toxicant is based on experimental studies or human studies, mainly epidemiological but sometimes case series-type studies. Epidemiological studies provide information on possible effects of occupational exposure to working populations. The reproductive toxicity of some metals has been known for a long time, but not all common metals in occupational use have been thoroughly investigated in epidemiological studies. Here, the main findings are summarized. Carbon monoxide is transported through the placenta; in the fetus, the concentration of blood carboxyhemoglobin is 10–15% higher than in the mother's blood. Occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs has been associated with menstrual dysfunction, infertility and adverse pregnancy outcome.
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Exposure to pesticides and time to pregnancy among female greenhouse workers

Abstract

Section snippets

Study population

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Lancet

Ann Epidemiol

Lancet

Environ Res

Organophosphorous pesticide exposure increases the frequency of sperm sex null aneuploidy

Environ Health Perspect

Semen quality and sexual hormones in greenhouse workers

Scand J Work Environ Health

Time to pregnancy and occupational exposure to pesticides in fruit growers in The Netherlands

Occup Environ Med

Male pesticide exposure and pregnancy outcome

Am J Epidemiol

Spontaneous abortion in spouses of greenhouse workers exposed to pesticides

Environ Health Prevent Med

Maternal pesticide exposure and pregnancy outcome

J Occup Environ Med

An exploratory analysis of the effect of pesticide exposure on the risk of spontaneous abortion in an Ontario farm population

Environ Health Perspect

Occupational exposure associated with reproductive dysfunction

J Occup Health

Prevalence of adverse reproductive outcomes in a population occupationally exposed to pesticides in Colombia

Scand J Work Environ Health