Samuel Fuhrimann|Andrea Farnham|Philipp Staudacher|Aggrey Atuhaire|Tiziana Manfioletti|Charles B. Niwagaba|Sarah Namirembe|Jonathan Mugweri|Mirko S. Winkler|Lützen Portengen|Hans Kromhout|Ana María Mora
Exposure to multiple pesticides and neurobehavioral outcomes among smallholder farmers in Uganda
Utrecht University|Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute|University of Basel|Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology|ETH Zurich|Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute|University of Basel|Makerere University|Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute|University of Basel|Utrecht University|Utrecht University|Center for Environmental Health|Universidad Nacional|University of California, Berkeley
multiple epidemiological studies shown exposure single pesticide active ingredients chemical groups associated adverse neurobehavioral outcomes farmers agriculture exposure multiple pesticide active ingredients rule rather exception therefore occupational studies neurobehavioral effects pesticides account potential coexposure confounding conducted crosssectional study 288 ugandan smallholder farmers september december 2017 collected data selfreported use pesticide products 12 months prior survey estimated yearly exposureintensity scores 14 pesticide active ingredients using semiquantitative exposure algorithm administered 11 neurobehavioral tests assess five neurobehavioral domains implemented bayesian modelaveraging bma approach examine association exposure multiple pesticides neurobehavioral outcomes accounting multiple testing applied two levels inference determine 1 neurobehavioral outcomes associated overall pesticide exposure marginal inclusion probability mip covariateonly models 05 2 specific pesticide active ingredients associated outcomes mip models active ingredient included 05 seventytwo percent farmers reported use pesticide products contained least one 14 active ingredients applicators used median three different active ingredients interquartile range iqr 4 12 months prior study widely used active ingredients glyphosate 79 cypermethrin 60 mancozeb 55 found overall pesticide exposure associated impaired visual memory benton visual retention test bvrt language semantic verbal fluency test perceptualmotor function finger tapping test complex attention problems trail making test digit symbol test however looked associations individual active ingredients observed positive association glyphosate exposure impaired visual memory 0103 95 bayesian credible interval bci 024 0 units bvrt scores per interquartile range iqr increase annual exposure glyphosate relative median iqr 6 3 units bvrt across entire study population found overall pesticide exposure associated several neurobehavioral outcome variables however examined individual pesticide active ingredients observed predominantly null associations except positive association glyphosate exposure impaired visual memory additional epidemiologic studies needed evaluate glyphosates neurotoxicity accounting copollutant confounding