Acute pesticide illnesses associated with off-target pesticide drift from agricultural applications: 11 states, 1998-2006

75Citations
Citations of this article
138Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Background: Pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and off-target pesticide drift exposes workers and the public to harmful chemicals. Objective: We estimated the incidence of acute illnesses from pesticide drift from outdoor agricultural applications and characterized drift exposure and illnesses. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks-Pesticides program and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Drift included off-target movement of pesticide spray, volatiles, and contaminated dust. Acute illness cases were characterized by demographics, pesticide and application variables, health effects, and contributing factors. Results: From 1998 through 2006, we identified 2,945 cases associated with agricultural pesticide drift from 11 states. Our findings indicate that 47% were exposed at work, 92% experienced lowseverity illness, and 14% were children (< 15 years). The annual incidence ranged from 1.39 to 5.32 per million persons over the 9-year period. The overall incidence (in million person-years) was 114.3 for agricultural workers, 0.79 for other workers, 1.56 for nonoccupational cases, and 42.2 for residents in five agriculture-intensive counties in California. Soil applications with fumigants were responsible for the largest percentage (45%) of cases. Aerial applications accounted for 24% of cases. Common factors contributing to drift cases included weather conditions, improper seal of the fumigation site, and applicator carelessness near nontarget areas. Conclusions: Agricultural workers and residents in agricultural regions had the highest rate of pesticide poisoning from drift exposure, and soil fumigations were a major hazard, causing large drift incidents. Our findings highlight areas where interventions to reduce off-target drift could be focused.

References Powered by Scopus

Agricultural and residential pesticides in wipe samples from farmworker family residences in North Carolina and Virginia

162Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Acute pesticide poisoning among agricultural workers in the United States, 1998-2005

155Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Pesticides in dust from homes in an agricultural area

101Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

The global distribution of acute unintentional pesticide poisoning: estimations based on a systematic review

312Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Pesticide-laden dust emission and drift from treated seeds during seed drilling: A review

125Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Organophosphate pesticides exposure among farmworkers: Pathways and risk of adverse health effects

76Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Lee, S. J., Mehler, L., Beckman, J., Diebolt-Brown, B., Prado, J., Lackovic, M., … Calvert, G. M. (2011). Acute pesticide illnesses associated with off-target pesticide drift from agricultural applications: 11 states, 1998-2006. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(8), 1162–1169. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1002843

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 45

57%

Researcher 19

24%

Professor / Associate Prof. 11

14%

Lecturer / Post doc 4

5%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 24

36%

Environmental Science 23

35%

Medicine and Dentistry 10

15%

Nursing and Health Professions 9

14%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Mentions
Blog Mentions: 1
News Mentions: 3
References: 2
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 86

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free