RESUMEN
Objective Large quantities of pesticides are used in rice crops. The aim of this study is to characterize how farmers are exposed to pesticides and subsequent poisoning. Materials and Methods A multilevel (individual and community) multi-method study, which included ethnographic and survey methods, as well as measurement of pesticides in water and human samples, was performed. Results The production process is described and the main risk factors are presented. Pesticides are considered the greatest danger at work and at their homes. Workers have poor working conditions and are not protected by the system of occupational risks. Azinphos-methyl, endosulfan, ß-BHC, bromophos-methyl, bromophos-ethyl and 2,4- DDT were found in water samples. The survey included 381 workers with mild (12.86 %), moderate (67.98 %) and severe (5.51 %) poisonings respectively. Severe cases presented lower levels of education, lower levels of health care access to the contributory regimen of the Colombian social security system and higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, herpes or other viral infections. Conclusion There are precarious working conditions that favor exposure to pesticides correlated to the exclusion of farmers from the occupational risk system, to poverty and to poor education. It is urgent to include these workers to the system of occupational risk system and to improve their living conditions, thus reducing unsafe practices when handling pesticides.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades de los Trabajadores Agrícolas/inducido químicamente , Productos Agrícolas , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Oryza , Plaguicidas/envenenamiento , Agricultura , Colombia , Agricultores , Humanos , Plaguicidas/análisis , Plaguicidas/sangre , Investigación Cualitativa , Factores Socioeconómicos , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamientoRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Evidence suggests that arsenic in drinking water causes non-malignant lung disease, but nearly all data concern exposed adults. The desert city of Antofagasta (population 257,976) in northern Chile had high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water (>800 µg/l) from 1958 until 1970, when a new treatment plant was installed. This scenario, with its large population, distinct period of high exposure, and accurate data on past exposure, is virtually unprecedented in environmental epidemiology. We conducted a pilot study on early-life arsenic exposure and long-term lung function. We present these preliminary findings because of the magnitude of the effects observed. METHODS: We recruited a convenience sample consisting primarily of nursing school employees in Antofagasta and Arica, a city with low drinking water arsenic. Lung function and respiratory symptoms in 32 adults exposed to >800 µg/l arsenic before age 10 were compared to 65 adults without high early-life exposure. RESULTS: Early-life arsenic exposure was associated with 11.5% lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) (P = 0.04), 12.2% lower forced vital capacity (FVC) (P = 0.04), and increased breathlessness (prevalence odds ratio = 5.94, 95% confidence interval 1.36-26.0). Exposure-response relationships between early-life arsenic concentration and adult FEV(1) and FVC were also identified (P trend = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Early-life exposure to arsenic in drinking water may have irreversible respiratory effects of a magnitude similar to smoking throughout adulthood. Given the small study size and non-random recruitment methods, further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Asunto(s)
Intoxicación por Arsénico/epidemiología , Agua Potable/efectos adversos , Enfermedades Pulmonares/inducido químicamente , Efectos Tardíos de la Exposición Prenatal/inducido químicamente , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Adulto , Anciano , Contaminación del Aire Interior , Chile , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedades Profesionales/inducido químicamente , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Proyectos Piloto , Embarazo , Pruebas de Función Respiratoria , Fumar/efectos adversos , Abastecimiento de AguaRESUMEN
High altitude creates unique challenging conditions to biota that limit the diversity of benthic communities. Because environmental pollution may add further stress to life at high altitude, the present study explored the effect of metal pollution on the macroinvertebrate community composition in Andean streams between 3,500 to 4,500 meters above sea level (masl) during wet and dry seasons. At polluted sites, showing a high conductivity and a low pH, metal concentrations (e.g., Al, 13.07 mg/L; As, 3.49 mg/L; Mn, 19.65 mg/L; Pb, 0.876 mg/L; Zn, 16.08 mg/L) ranged from 8-fold up to 3,500-fold higher than at reference sites. The cumulative criterion unit allowed quantifying the potential toxicity of metal mixtures at the contaminated sites. Principal component analysis of physical chemical variables showed that reference sites were more likely to be structured by transparency, water discharge, and current velocity, while polluted sites appeared to be determined by metals and conductivity. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated a strong influence of highly correlated metals in structuring invertebrate communities, which were dominated by dipterans, coleopterans, collembolans, and mites at polluted sites. At reference sites crustaceans, ephemeropterans, plecopterans, and trichopterans were the most representative taxa. We concluded that severe metal pollution induced changes in macroinvertebrate community composition in high-altitude Andean streams, with a replacement of sensitive taxa by more tolerant taxa. Yet relatively species-rich communities persisted under harsh conditions.
Asunto(s)
Altitud , Ecosistema , Invertebrados/efectos de los fármacos , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Animales , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Sedimentos Geológicos/química , Invertebrados/crecimiento & desarrollo , Invertebrados/metabolismo , Metales , Ríos/química , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/químicaRESUMEN
Arsenic (As) is a semimetal that is widely distributed in nature, in water and soil. In Argentine, the contamination of both waterways and groundwater represents the main environmental problem caused by this element. Chronic As poisoning is known as Chronic endemic regional hydroarsenicism (C.E.R.HA.). Long-term exposure to low concentrations of the element from the prenatal period onward results in the well-known symptoms of chronic As poisoning. CERHA develops progressively, compromising different organs and systems, most importantly the skin. One of the most important complications of CERHA is de development of neoplasias, mainly skin tumors. Childhood environmental health is a challenge in the new millennium and health care professionals play a fundamental role in the protection against environmental hazards such as chronic arsenic poisoning.
Asunto(s)
Intoxicación por Arsénico/diagnóstico , Intoxicación por Arsénico/prevención & control , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Argentina , Intoxicación por Arsénico/epidemiología , Intoxicación por Arsénico/terapia , Niño , Enfermedad Crónica , HumanosRESUMEN
In 1996, an extensive exposure of Brazilian hemodialysis patients at a dialysis center, using a municipal water supply water contaminated with cyanotoxins, provided the first evidence for acute lethal human poisoning from the cyclic peptide hepatotoxins called microcystins. During this outbreak, 100 of 131 patients developed acute liver failure and 52 of these victims were confirmed to have been exposed to lethal levels of microcystins. Detection and quantitation of microcystins in these biological samples posed some analytical challenges since there were no well-established and routine analytic methods to measure total microcystins in tissue or sera samples. At the time of the 1996 exposure we used analytic methods that combined the use of enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), analytical high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectroscopy (ES-ITMS) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF). In the intervening years these methods have been improved and others developed that allow a more quantitative and critical analysis of microcystin contaminated tissue and sera. For these reasons, and to see how storage with time might effect the detection and stability of microcystins in these matrices, we reanalyzed selected liver tissues and sera from the Caruaru victims in Brazil. We developed and validated a procedure to measure total microcystins in Caruaru human sera and liver tissue using a combination of ELISA, liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS), GC/MS and MS/MS techniques. GC/MS and LC/MS were followed by MS/MS to obtain a fingerprint fragment spectra for the microcystins. The validity of the extraction procedure for free microcystins was confirmed by recovery experiments with blood sera spiked with microcystin-LR. We removed proteins with the Microcon Centrifugal Filter prior to LC/MS and ELISA analysis. A solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure was used for analysis of protein bound microcystins by conversion of ADDA to erythro-2-methyl-3-methoxy-4-phenylbutyric acid (MMPB) combined with GC/MS. We found that the GC/MS method yielded a higher concentration of microcystin than that obtained by ELISA and LC/MS. We hypothesize that this difference is due to better GC/MS detection of the covalently bound form of microcystins in human liver tissue. We also concluded that microcystins are very stable when stored under these conditions for periods of almost 10 years.
Asunto(s)
Toxinas Bacterianas/análisis , Toxinas Bacterianas/envenenamiento , Hígado/química , Microcistinas/análisis , Microcistinas/envenenamiento , Microbiología del Agua , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Toxinas Bacterianas/sangre , Brasil/epidemiología , Cromatografía Liquida/métodos , Brotes de Enfermedades , Estudios Epidemiológicos , Cromatografía de Gases y Espectrometría de Masas/métodos , Humanos , Fallo Hepático Agudo/epidemiología , Fallo Hepático Agudo/mortalidad , Espectrometría de Masas/métodos , Microcistinas/sangre , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/sangre , Abastecimiento de AguaRESUMEN
Schroederichthys chilensis is a common shark that lives in Chilean coastal environments. In this work, the relationship between liver 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase dealkylation (EROD) activity and Fluorescent Aromatic Compounds (FAC) in bile of S. chilensis sampled in three bays with different degrees of pollution were performed including a reference area. Sixty individuals were collected, 20 for each site; (10 males and 10 females per site) livers and bile samples were obtained and immediately frozen. EROD activity and FAC were measured according to three standard methods. EROD activity and FAC were higher in polluted areas than in the reference area. Synchronous Fluorescence Spectra of the bile from the fish collected at the most polluted area showed a peak at 347nm representing a metabolite corresponding to 1-hydroxypyrene. The low EROD activity in the reference area is likely related to the low level of PAH in sediments. We propose that this species is a good indicator of exposure to FACs, since it presents a series of characteristics that make it suitable for monitoring PAH exposure in coastal zones.
Asunto(s)
Biomarcadores/análisis , Citocromo P-450 CYP1A1/metabolismo , Hidrocarburos Policíclicos Aromáticos/envenenamiento , Tiburones/fisiología , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Animales , Femenino , Fluorescencia , Masculino , Océano PacíficoRESUMEN
An ecotoxicologic study was performed to assess the environmental status of the Lujan River. It is an important freshwater system in the northeast of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Surface waters (SWs) and liquids effluents (LEs), before they reached the river, and sediments were assessed via acute toxicity screening using a battery of tests with native species. Additionally, the presence, in each LE and SW sample, of bioaccumulatable compounds was checked by SPME extraction and gas chromatograph-MS determination. An environmental risk assessment of each LE was carried out via toxic units and assessment factors approach and through extrapolation methods. Hazardous concentrations for each LE were compared with their river effluent concentrations. Ninety-one percent (91%) of the total toxic load of the river was due to 4 of 11 LEs (37%) evaluated. Although SW samples were not toxic, a real environmental risk was found for this freshwater environment. Sediment toxicity was found to be related to the proximity to pipe discharges. Bioaccumulatable compounds were found in SWs and in LEs. Esters of phthalic acids, morpholine, hydroquinone, and nonylphenol were found throughout the river at different sample sites and in different months during the 1-year sampling program.
Asunto(s)
Residuos Industriales , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Animales , Argentina , Disponibilidad Biológica , Ecosistema , Cadena Alimentaria , Agua Dulce , Medición de Riesgo , Ríos , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisisRESUMEN
An integrated biological-chemical survey of organotin compounds was carried out in Guanabara Bay, the second most important Brazilian harbor complex. The biological survey revealed high levels of imposex in Stramonita haemastoma populations. Inside the bay values of relative penis length index from 42.7 to 107.6 and vas deferens sequence index from III to VI were found, while organisms collected outside the bay had values ranging from <0.1 to 35.2 and from 0 to II. None of the females sampled inside the bay were normal and imposex was found in all stations. Surface sediments in the bay are contaminated by tributyltin (10-522 ng/g d.w.) and triphenyltin (<3.9-39.4 ng/g d.w.) with greater concentrations close to shipyards and marinas. The observed predominance of parent compounds (TBT and TPT) is commonly found when recent inputs occur, but may also indicate slow degradation processes in the anoxic conditions of these sediments. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a combined imposex-sediment approach to evaluate organotin contamination in marine environments of South America, and also the first report of TPT detection in environmental matrices in this region.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos del Desarrollo Sexual/inducido químicamente , Trastornos del Desarrollo Sexual/veterinaria , Compuestos Orgánicos de Estaño/envenenamiento , Caracoles/anatomía & histología , Compuestos de Trialquiltina/envenenamiento , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Animales , Brasil , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Femenino , Sedimentos Geológicos/química , Masculino , Caracoles/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Livers of catfish (Ariopsis assimilis) from the Bay of Chetumal were analyzed for organochlorine compounds and hydrocarbons as part of a study to diagnose the environmental health of the Bay after a catfish mass mortality that occurred in 1996. The presence of histological lesions in several organs of the fish as result of chemical exposure was also evaluated. The concentrations of organic pollutants found in the Bay may be considered high if compared to the levels reported for sites affected by chemical pollution. High prevalences of cellular alteration histopathologies were found in liver, including hepatic tumors. The presence of some lesions may be related statistically to environmental pollution in the Bay, specially with chlorinated compounds.
Asunto(s)
Bagres , Hidrocarburos/envenenamiento , Insecticidas/envenenamiento , Neoplasias Hepáticas/inducido químicamente , Neoplasias Hepáticas/veterinaria , Hígado/patología , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Animales , Monitoreo del Ambiente , MéxicoRESUMEN
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the trophic structure of polychaete assemblages were studied in sediments at 28 stations in Todos os Santos Bay. Total PAH concentrations varied from 8 to 4163 ng g(-1) dry weight. The indexes used for the determination of PAH origin suggested both pyrolytic and petrogenic sources. A total of 397 individuals of polychaetes was recorded which were classified in three trophic groups. The PCA ordination resulted in the formation of three groups of stations, Group I characterised by sandy sediments, low organic content, low total PAH concentration and percentage of potentially harmful PAH was dominated by subsurface deposit-feeders. The other two groups (IIa and IIb), showed similar percentages of silt and clay, however, Group IIb formed by those stations with high total organic carbon, total nitrogen, sulphur contents, high total PAH concentration and percentage of potentially harmful PAH was dominated by carnivores. Trophic changes could be explained by the level of exposure to PAH effects relative to differences in the life style and feeding strategies between deposit-feeders and carnivores.
Asunto(s)
Cadena Alimentaria , Poliquetos , Hidrocarburos Policíclicos Aromáticos/envenenamiento , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Silicatos de Aluminio , Animales , Brasil , Arcilla , Dieta , Sedimentos Geológicos , Dinámica PoblacionalRESUMEN
Densities of fishes, invertebrates and plants at rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal sites were censused 1-2 days prior to the Jessica oil spill and compared with information obtained for the same sites one month after the spill, both for sites impacted by oil and unaffected reference sites. While the availability of pre-spill data made this analysis one of the most powerful to date for testing impacts of oil on shoreline environments, no clear changes attributable to oiling could be identified. Discharged oil appeared to cause very little impact in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, with such impacts lying within the range of natural spatial and temporal variation at sites investigated. Factors considered to minimize impact in Galápagos included paucity of fully sheltered shores in spill path, moderate wave action, warm temperature, high levels of sunlight, and mixing of bunker oil with diesel.
Asunto(s)
Ecosistema , Petróleo/envenenamiento , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Accidentes , Animales , Desastres , Ecuador , Peces/crecimiento & desarrollo , Sedimentos Geológicos , Invertebrados/crecimiento & desarrollo , Desarrollo de la Planta , Dinámica Poblacional , NavíosRESUMEN
Impacts of the grounding of the oil tanker Jessica off San Cristóbal island, Galápagos, included both effects of oil on biota and also mechanical effects associated with a shallow furrow 50 m x 30 m gouged across the rocky seafloor and wreckage strewn over 7500 m(2). The wreckage represented a minor but potentially chronic source of pollution to the surrounding environment through delayed releases of oil, antifouling compounds and other toxic chemicals, and a possible source of exotic marine taxa. Investigation at the wreck site indicated that impacts on subtidal plant and macro-invertebrate communities were largely confined within 100 m of the wreck site itself. Observed population effects included significant increases in cover of opportunistic algae (filamentous green algae, filamentous red algae and Ulva sp.) and the hydroid Ectopleura media adjacent to the wreck, while densities of the green sea urchin Lytechinus semituberculatus significantly decreased from 0.3 m(-2) adjacent to the wreck to 11 m(-2) at 100 m distance.
Asunto(s)
Ecosistema , Eucariontes/crecimiento & desarrollo , Petróleo/envenenamiento , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Accidentes , Animales , Desastres , Ecuador , Contaminación Ambiental , Invertebrados/crecimiento & desarrollo , Desarrollo de la Planta , Dinámica Poblacional , NavíosRESUMEN
The grounding of the oil tanker Jessica off San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, resulted in generally elevated rather than depressed densities of fishes adjacent to the wreck site 15 weeks post spill. Species richness of fishes declined along transects out from the wreck; however, patterns were inconsistent for different depth strata, with the most clearly defined decline evident for the intermediate 5-7 m depth stratum. Fish species attracted to the immediate wreck site, most notably the surgeonfish Prionurus laticlavius, the damselfish Microspathodon dorsalis and the angelfish Holacanthus passer, were considered to be responding either to the heterogeneity provided by the wreck structure or elevated densities of macroalgae. The fish community at the wreck site lay outside the range of variation for other sites investigated in the region; however, contrary to predictions of grounding impacts, the fish assemblage immediately adjacent to the wreckage showed greater faunal similarity to reference sites than did fish assemblage at 60-90 m distance from the grounding.
Asunto(s)
Antozoos/crecimiento & desarrollo , Ecosistema , Peces , Petróleo/envenenamiento , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Accidentes , Animales , Desastres , Ecuador , Densidad de Población , Dinámica Poblacional , NavíosRESUMEN
Following the Jessica oil spill, a total of 79 oiled Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) were recorded around the islands of San Cristóbal, Santa Fé, Isabela and Floreana. Almost half of these animals required washing and other treatment. One sea lion death and a high incidence of conjunctivitis and burns were detected during the period of the oil spill. Sea lion populations exhibited a tendency for decline in the first months following the spill at all three colonies monitored close to the grounding site on San Cristóbal. By comparison, declines of similar magnitude occurred at only one of six sea lion colonies monitored on islands more distant from the spill. However, no significant decreases in population numbers were detected for any colony in the year following the spill. Galápagos sea lion populations were partially recovering from the much more catastrophic impact of the 1997/98 El Niño.
Asunto(s)
Ecosistema , Petróleo/envenenamiento , Leones Marinos/crecimiento & desarrollo , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Accidentes , Animales , Desastres , Ecuador , Femenino , Masculino , Dinámica Poblacional , NavíosRESUMEN
In contrast to local perceptions, the impact on the local Galápagos artisanal fishery of the 16 January 2001 grounding of the Jessica and subsequent oil spill was relatively minor. No significant changes in fishing effort, total fishing catches or catch-per-unit effort were detected after the spill based on analyses of fisheries monitoring data. Nevertheless, large boats tended to move away from sites near the path of the spill following the grounding in 2001, with no fishing recorded from the oil-affected regions of Floreana and southern Isabela in February 2001. The total fishing effort of small boats operating from the Jessica-grounding island of San Cristóbal also declined immediately after the spill, probably in part because such boats were used in clean up operations. During 2001, prices paid to fishers remained stable at levels higher than in 2000, with the notable anomaly that prices fell precipitously to 30% of previous levels during a 1-2 week period in early February 2001. Fish exports remained at similar levels for the years 2000 and 2001; however, as in the previous year, little fish product was exported from Galápagos in the month following the spill, with most fish product dried and stored for up to two months prior to transport to the continent.
Asunto(s)
Ecosistema , Explotaciones Pesqueras , Peces/crecimiento & desarrollo , Petróleo/envenenamiento , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamiento , Accidentes , Animales , Comercio , Desastres , Ecuador , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Dinámica Poblacional , NavíosRESUMEN
Fish is an important food resource in Amazonian aquatic ecosystems. There is a strong cultural background regarding fish consumption (fish lore) among indigenous people in the Amazon. Mercury (Hg) ingestion through fish consumption has been a major route of Hg exposure among the riverside people along the Upper Madeira River. In this paper a diet questionnaire was used to identify patterns of fish consumption. The amount of fish consumed during the dry season and Hg levels in fish were combined to estimate Hg ingestion. Using as guidance hair Hg levels below 5 and 10 ppm as acceptable to protect the fetus and adult, respectively, along with an average daily fish consumption of 243 g per capita, we estimated the maximum acceptable number of fish meals per week for different fish species. Based on this analysis, it is suggested that there is a need to address risk communication for this exposed population in the context of health in terms of a fish advisory. For the fish advisory it is necessary to recommend to fish consumers, fishermen, and fish sellers an acceptable number of fish meals to be consumed according to species.
Asunto(s)
Dieta/estadística & datos numéricos , Etnicidad/estadística & datos numéricos , Peces/clasificación , Compuestos de Mercurio/análisis , Intoxicación por Mercurio/prevención & control , Alimentos Marinos/análisis , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribución por Edad , Animales , Brasil/epidemiología , Niño , Preescolar , Comunicación , Femenino , Cabello/química , Humanos , Masculino , Compuestos de Mercurio/envenenamiento , Medición de Riesgo , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/envenenamientoRESUMEN
We have studied hepatic function in individuals chronically exposed to arsenic (As) via drinking water in Region Lagunera, Mexico. We studied 51 individuals living in three villages exposed to As in water. Nazareno (0.014 mgAs/l), Santa Ana (0.1 mgAs/l) and Benito Juárez (0.3 mgAs/l). We determined the serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase (SAT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as indicators of hepatocellular injury and that of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as indicators of cholestasic injury. Serum bilirubin was used as an indicator of organic conjugated anion transport. Total proteins, albumin and globulin fraction in serum were used as indicators of biosynthetic liver capacity. The main findings of this study were the predominantly conjugated hyperbilirubinemia and increased serum ALP activity which were related to the concentration of total arsenic (TAs) in urine, suggesting the presence of cholestasis in As-exposed individuals. No significant changes were observed in the other parameters studied.