Residential insecticide usage in northern California homes with young children

Abstract

Residential insecticide usage and actual application details were collected in a population-based sample of 477 households residing within 22 counties in northern California with at least one child of age p5 years between January 2006 and August 2008. Structured telephone interviews were conducted collecting information on residential use of insecticides, including outdoor sprays, indoor sprays, indoor foggers, applications by professionals, and pet flea/tick control during the previous year. Interviews also covered post-treatment behaviors, which influence post-application exposure levels. Altogether, 80% of the households applied some type of insecticide in the previous year, with half of this population using two or more application methods. Of the households using insecticides, half reported applying insecticides relatively infrequently (o4 times per year), whereas 11-13% reported high frequency of use (424 times per year). Application frequency was temperature dependent, with significantly more applications during the warmer months from May through October. Spot treatments appeared to be the most prevalent application pattern for sprays. For one out of three of the indoor applications, children played in the treated rooms on the day of the application, and for 40% of the outdoor applications, pets played in the treated area on the day of the application. These findings describing the intensity of insecticide use and accompanying behaviors in families with young children may inform future insecticide exposure modeling efforts, and ultimately, risk assessments.

Residential Pesticide Usage in Older Adults Residing in Central California

“…Ventilation after treatment may reduce the concentration of chemical in the treated room and reduce dispersal [26], yet, our findings suggest that less than half of all individuals using indoor sprays are ventilating rooms during and after applying the sprays. These results are slightly different than the findings from the Northern California SUPERB survey of families with young children, in which 58% reported opening one or more windows during or after application of indoor sprays [16]. This difference could be due to age related factors, or could also be due to the difference in climate between Northern and Central California group.…”

“…Indoor insecticides used in the kitchen were most often applied on surfaces less than one square foot (35%) and in several specific areas ranging in size between one and five square feet (30%), only 22% of participants applied product in cracks and crevices. Similar results were seen in Wu et al .’s [16] analysis of SUPERB data for Northern California homes with young children. Keenan et al .…”

“…We recently reported on pesticide application methods and behaviors in households with young children [16]. Here we instead focus on current and lifetime residential pesticide use in older adults, an age group that may also be especially vulnerable to toxins, such as the nervous system’s greater sensitivity to neurotoxins [17], and other age-related factors.…”

Spatial Variability in ADHD-Related Behaviors Among Children Born to Mothers Residing Near the New Bedford Harbor Superfund Site

“…Indeed, household pesticide use and exposure vary by sociodemographic factors such as race/ethnicity and education (35, 36). Similarly, exposure to other substances correlated with adverse child behavioral development, such as bisphenol A or phthalates, can vary by income, with generally higher exposures being seen among lower-income households (37, 38).…”

Home Use of a Pyrethroid-Containing Pesticide and Facial Paresthesia in a Toddler: A Case Report

“…A population-based survey of households with young children found that over 80% reported applying some type of insecticide in the previous year [2]. Children have been identified as particularly vulnerable to uptake of pesticides from their environment due to frequent hand-to-mouth behavior, ingestion of soil and dust, mouthing of nonfood items, increased contact with soil, floors and carpets where spray residues settle, and higher concentrations of pesticide residues close to the floor in their breathing zone [3,4,5].…”