Organophosphate pesticide exposure in children in Israel: Dietary associations and implications for risk assessment. 2020

Tamar Berman, and Zohar Barnett-Itzhaki, and Thomas Göen, and Ziva Hamama, and Rachel Axelrod, and Lital Keinan-Boker, and Tal Shimony, and Rebecca Goldsmith
Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, 39 Yirmiyahu Street, Jerusalem, 9446724, Israel; Department of Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Human biomonitoring (HBM) data is increasingly being compared to risk-based screening values to assess human health risk. However, as screening values have not been established for assessing biomarker concentrations of organophosphate (OP) pesticide metabolites, there are few studies using HBM data on urinary OP concentrations to assess human health risk. The purpose of the current study was to measure OP exposure in a sample of children in Israel; to explore associations between dietary patterns and OP exposure; and to assess risk of OP pesticides using urinary metabolite concentrations. We recruited 103 children in Israel and collected demographic and dietary data and urinary samples, and measured creatinine and dialkyl phosphate (DAP) concentrations. We compared urinary DAP concentrations to international populations and analysed associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and urinary DAP concentrations. Using urinary DAP concentrations, we calculated estimated daily intakes (EDI) of OP pesticides in each child and compared those to the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Concentrations of several dialkyl phosphate metabolites (dimethylphosphate (DMP) and dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP)) were higher in our study population of Israeli children (geometric mean concentrations of DMP and DMTP were 6.6 μg/L and 7.6 μg/L, respectively) compared to children in the US, Canada, Spain, and Denmark. We found positive correlations between total fruit consumption and creatinine adjusted log transformed urinary DMP, DMTP, diethylthiophopshate (DETP), total dimethyl (DM) and total DAP concentrations (p < 0.05), positive correlations between cucumber consumption and diethylphosphate (DEP), DETP and diethyl (DE) concentrations (p < 0.05), and positive correlations between apple consumption and DETP concentrations (p = 0.02). Based on urinary DAP concentrations, we found that a portion of the children in our study had EDIs above the ADI, ranging from 2.9% to 79.4% of the children, depending on the active OP ingredient. We found that Israeli children in our study are widely exposed to OP pesticides; that levels of dimethyl metabolites were high compared to other international populations; and that fruit consumption was associated with higher urinary DAP levels. Using urinary DAP concentration data, we found that a portion of the children in our study may be exposed to OP pesticides at levels above those considered safe.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007557 Israel A country in the Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon. The capital is Jerusalem.
D009943 Organophosphorus Compounds Organic compounds that contain phosphorus as an integral part of the molecule. Included under this heading is broad array of synthetic compounds that are used as PESTICIDES and DRUGS. Organophosphorus Compound,Organopyrophosphorus Compound,Organopyrophosphorus Compounds,Compound, Organophosphorus,Compound, Organopyrophosphorus,Compounds, Organophosphorus,Compounds, Organopyrophosphorus
D010575 Pesticides Chemicals used to destroy pests of any sort. The concept includes fungicides (FUNGICIDES, INDUSTRIAL); INSECTICIDES; RODENTICIDES; etc. Pesticide
D010755 Organophosphates Carbon-containing phosphoric acid derivatives. Included under this heading are compounds that have CARBON atoms bound to one or more OXYGEN atoms of the P( Organophosphate,Phosphates, Organic,Phosphoric Acid Esters,Organopyrophosphates,Acid Esters, Phosphoric,Esters, Phosphoric Acid,Organic Phosphates
D002170 Canada The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D004032 Diet Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal. Diets
D004781 Environmental Exposure The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals. Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013030 Spain Country located between France on the northeast and Portugal on the west and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The capital is Madrid. Balearic Islands,Canary Islands

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