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A French crop-exposure matrix for use in epidemiological studies on pesticides: PESTIMAT

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 27, pages 56–63 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Pesticide exposure assessment is a key methodological issue for epidemiological studies. The history of pesticide has proven difficult to obtain from individuals’ report because of the wide range of active ingredients (AIs). We developed a crop-exposure matrix, which intends to reconstitute parameters of pesticide exposure in France since 1950. PESTIMAT is composed of tables crossing crops and AIs by year and providing the following metrics: (1) probability (proportion of farmers having used the AIs); (2) frequency (number of treatment days); and (3) intensity (application rate of the AIs in kg/ha). Metrics were obtained by the combination of six sources: (i) registration information from the Agriculture Ministry; (ii) information from agricultural bodies on products marketed; (iii) agricultural recommendations by the Plant Health Protection body; (iv) treatment calendars provided by farmers; (v) data from associations of farmers; and (vi) data from the industry. To date, 529 AIs usable between 1950 and 2010 are included in PESTIMAT: 160 fungicides; 160 herbicides; and 209 insecticides. When combined with duration and determinants of intensity, the metrics in PESTIMAT will make it possible to calculate exposure scores and to search for dose–effect relationships, an important criterion for causality judgment in epidemiology.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by grants from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), and the Institut National du Cancer (INCA, Cancéropôle Grand Sud-Ouest). We thank R Cooke for his helpful collaboration, all farmers who accepted to provide treatment calendars, the Union des Industries de la Protection des Plantes (UIPP) that provided information on pesticide use from its farmers’ panel, Laurent Thibault and Thierry Mercier (Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire, de l’Alimentation, and de l’Environnement et du travail) who helped to get information on registration dates.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Marie Barrau, Lorraine Creppy, Clement LarvinCardo, Yennick Lecluse, Elodie Niez, Elise Parent, Nathzlie Rabier and Xavier Schwall: The PESTIMAT Group is listed before the References.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equipe Santé Travail Environnement, Centre de Recherche INSERM U897, University Bordeaux Segalen, ISPED Case 11, Bordeaux, France

    Isabelle Baldi, Camille Carles, Audrey Blanc-Lapierre & Ghislaine Bouvier

  2. INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France

    Isabelle Baldi, Camille Carles, Audrey Blanc-Lapierre & Ghislaine Bouvier

  3. CHU de Bordeaux, Service de Médecine du Travail, Bordeaux, France

    Isabelle Baldi & Camille Carles

  4. Nîmes University Hospital, BESPIM, Nîmes, France

    Pascale Fabbro-Peray

  5. INSERM, UMR 1094, NeuroEpidémiologie Tropicale, Limoges, France

    Michel Druet-Cabanac

  6. INRA, UMR1331, Toxalim, Research Centre in Food Toxicology, Toulouse, France

    Elisa Boutet-Robinet

  7. Université de Toulouse, UPS, UMR1331, Toxalim, Toulouse, France

    Elisa Boutet-Robinet

  8. CHU de Toulouse Purpan, Service de Médecine du Travail, Toulouse, France

    Jean-Marc Soulat

  9. INSERM, UMR1086-Cancers et Préventions, Caen, France

    Pierre Lebailly

  10. University Caen Basse-Normandie, Caen, France

    Pierre Lebailly

  11. Centre François Baclesse, Caen, France

    Pierre Lebailly

Authors
  1. Isabelle Baldi
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  2. Camille Carles
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  3. Audrey Blanc-Lapierre
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  4. Pascale Fabbro-Peray
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  5. Michel Druet-Cabanac
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  6. Elisa Boutet-Robinet
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  7. Jean-Marc Soulat
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  8. Ghislaine Bouvier
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  9. Pierre Lebailly
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Consortia

The PESTIMAT Group

  • Marie Barrau
  • , Lorraine Creppy
  • , Clement LarvinCardo
  • , Yennick Lecluse
  • , Elodie Niez
  • , Elise Parent
  • , Nathzlie Rabier
  •  & Xavier Schwall

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isabelle Baldi.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Marie Barrau, Lorraine Creppy, Clement Larvin-Cardo, Yennick Lecluse, Elodie Niez, Elise Parent, Nathzlie Rabier and Xavier Schwall.

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Baldi, I., Carles, C., Blanc-Lapierre, A. et al. A French crop-exposure matrix for use in epidemiological studies on pesticides: PESTIMAT. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 27, 56–63 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2015.72

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2015.72

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