Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110227

Ruth Allen, PhD, MPH¹, Anuradha Kodali, MBBS, MPH², Hans Allender³, Carol Christensen, MPH⁴, and David T. Mage, PhD². (1) EPA, 2039 Durand Dr, Reston, VA 20191-1340, 703-305-7191, allen.ruth@epa.gov, (2) Institute for Survey Research, Temple University, 9451 Lee Highway, Apt. 1013, Fairfax, VA 22031, (3) Health Effects Division, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 7509-C, Washingotn, DC 20460, (4) Health Effects Division, US EPA 7509-C, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave Nw, Washington, DC 20460

Purpose for this paper is to analyze the prevalence of biomarkers of pesticide exposures among sub-samples in Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III), Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES), and NHANES 1999-2000 (NHANES 99+). Several environmental epidemiology issues and cautions for comparative use and data interpretation over time are outlined. For example, not all pesticide metabolites measured may be derived from ingested parent pesticides -- the metabolites may be ingested; not all NHANES analytes are measured in Hispanic HANES; improvements in analytic methods for certain chemicals need to be noted; use patterns changed; regulatory actions removed some domestic uses; and sample designs differed by region and season. HHANES was designed to provide national estimates of the health and nutritional status of three Hispanic groups: Mexican-Americans from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California [total n=9,894]; Cuban-Americans from Dade County, Florida [total n=2,244]; and Puerto Ricans from the New York metropolitan area, including parts of New Jersey and Connecticut [n=3,786]. There were (n=2008) with pesticide urinary metabolites, all from the Mexican-American sub-sample. The numbers of Hispanics with pesticide urinary analytes sampled in two subsequent NHANES surveys are (n=243) for NHANES-III [total n= 978] and (n=697) for NHANES 99+ [total n=1998], respectively. These pesticide biomonitoring data can provide the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)with reliable and valid information so that risk managers and assessors can make data-driven decisions supporting environmental justice e.g., they can identify segments of the U.S.population that have benefited or might need protective action).

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish three different National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) pesticide biomonitoring data,
• Describe the strengths and limitations of NHANES comparative data analysis, and
• Understand the issues and caveats for regulatory use of human pesticide biomonitoring data from complex national surveys completed across two decades.

Keywords: Surveillance, Environmental Exposures

Related Web page: www.epa.gov

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.