3243.1: Monday, November 13, 2000 - Board 2

Abstract #10296

The NHANES III/HHANES Pesticide Epidemiology (PEPI) Study: Examination of high end exposures

Ruth H. Allen, PhD, MPH1, Ellen M. Werner, PhD2, and Gauthami Gondy, MD2. (1) Health Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 2039 Durand St, Reston, VA 22091, 703-305-7191, allen.ruth@epamail.epa.gov, (2) Institute for Survey Research, Temple University, 4646 40th St, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20016

The NHANES III/Hispanic HANES Pesticide Epidemiology (PEPI) Study is designed to analyze the prevalence of pesticide biomarkers among samples of the survey populations from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES) and the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES). The distribution percentiles of urinary metabolites of more than 20 pesticides have been determined. These distributions enabled us to identify subjects with high serum and urinary levels of pesticide analytes who are at potential risk for pesticide-related illnesses. This analysis focuses a detailed examination of individuals at the high end of exposure both at the 95th and 99th percentiles. Among the 1,018 people in the NHANES III pesticide sample, six had high values for more than one analyte: two females, one aged 40-49 who is a non-Hispanic white, and one aged 20-29 who is Mexican-American. The four males include two non-Hispanic blacks between 40-49 years of age and two non-Hispanic whites between 30-39 years. The results are useful for efforts underway to use more real data in support of models for aggregate and cumulative risk assessments. The conclusions also contribute to comparisons across NHANES surveys, and with published biomonitoring data from other large population-based environmental epidemiology and environmental health studies.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Define cumulative risk. 2. Define aggregate risk. 3. Distinguish between aggregate and cumulative risk. 4. Discuss the implications and health effects of high level exposures to commonly used pesticides

Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Health Risks

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA