Prostate cancer risk and exposure to pesticides in British Columbia Farmers

Abstract

The significant association between prostate cancer risk and exposure to DDT (OR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.04-2.70 for high exposure), simazine (OR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.08-3.33 for high exposure), and lindane (OR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.15-3.55 for high exposure) is in keeping with those previously reported in the literature. We also observed a significant excess risk for several active ingredients that have not been previously reported in the literature such as dichlone, dinoseb amine, malathion, endosulfan, 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, and carbaryl. Some findings in our study were not consistent with those reported in the literature, including captan, dicamba, and diazinon. It is possible that these findings showed a real association and the inconsistencies reflected differences of characteristics between study populations.

Increased cancer burden among pesticide applicators and others due to pesticide exposure

“…Collectively, these studies seem to show that subpopulations with specific genetic characteristics may be particularly vulnerable to the carcinogenic effects of certain OC and OP insecticides. A recent study from Canada also found a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer caused by malathion, 102 and a recent study from the AHS found an excess risk of prostate cancer among occupational users of terbufos. 103 OPs, such as malathion, parathion, and terbufos, can be bioactivated by cytochrome P450-mediated monooxygenation reactions to yield the oxon metabolites (see Figure 2 for example of bioactivation of parathion).…”

“…A significant association between prostate cancer risk and exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane (DDT), a chlorinated insecticide (1.68-fold excess risk for those highly exposed compared with those not exposed); simazine, a triazine herbicide (1.89-fold excess risk for those highly exposed compared with those not exposed); and lindane, a chlorinated insecticide (2.02-fold excess risk for those highly exposed compared with those not exposed) was observed among 1516 prostate cancer cases and 4994 age-matched controls in a population-based case-control study in British Columbia, Canada. 102 Atrazine, a triazine herbicide, was previously suspected of being associated with prostate cancer in a small study of pesticide manufacturing workers, 33 but was not associated with prostate cancer in a much larger evaluation done in the AHS study. 105 Atrazine is one of the most heavily used pesticides in the United States and concerns have been raised about the high levels detected in groundwater.…”

Pest management through tropical tree conservation

“…In spite of these alternatives, a large share of small-scale fruit growers in the Neotropics still rely on calendar-based applications of broad-spectrum insecticides such as malathion sprayed singly or in combination with hydrolyzed protein used as a bait (Aluja 1994;Moreno and Mangan 2002;Mangan and Moreno 2007) or more recently, the bacteriaderived insecticide spinosad (McQuate et al 2005). Despite their effectiveness, resistance (Wang et al 2005;Hsu and Feng 2006), negative impact on natural enemies or on other non-target organisms (Stark et al 2004), as well as water and soil pollution (Favari et al 2002;Murray et al 2010), and deleterious effects on human health (Band et al 2011;Hernández et al 2013;Kjeldsen et al 2013), call for more environmentally-friendly alternatives such as the one proposed here. Classical biological control projects targeting Anastrepha species resulted in the establishment of exotic larval-pupal and pupal fruit fly parasitoids in Mexico .…”

Cancer incidence and mortality in rural workers in the Brazilian Western Amazon

“…Agricultural health studies also recount epidemiological evidence of increased risk of LNH by exposure to pesticides and solvents with increasing exposure 25,26 . Several epidemiological studies have reported an increased risk of prostate cancer among farmers 19,27 . A case-control study conducted in Canada found a significant association between the risk of prostate cancer and exposure to DDT (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.04 -2.70 for high exposure), simazine (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.08 -3.33 in high exposure) and lindane (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.15 -3.55 for high exposure) 27 .…”

“…Several epidemiological studies have reported an increased risk of prostate cancer among farmers 19,27 . A case-control study conducted in Canada found a significant association between the risk of prostate cancer and exposure to DDT (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.04 -2.70 for high exposure), simazine (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.08 -3.33 in high exposure) and lindane (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.15 -3.55 for high exposure) 27 . In this study, conducted with the population of Belém, rural workers showed a significant increase in the risk of prostate cancer.…”