Pesticide Exposure, Intelligence and Children: Preliminary ResultsPatricia Moulton, Ph.D.

National Pesticide Forum

Washington, D.C.

May 19, 2006

Funding provided by the National Institute of Environmental and Health Science

RCHCenter for Rural Health • Established in 1980, at the University of

North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Grand Forks, ND

• Focuses on:– Education, Training, & Resource Awareness– Community Development & Technical

Assistance– Native American Health– Rural Health Workforce– Rural Health Research– Rural Health Policy

• Web site: http://medicine.nodak.edu/crh

RCH Pesticide Research TeamUND Faculty CDC Pesticide Laboratory PhlebotomistsThomas Petros Dana Barr Sandie AntonsonPatricia Moulton Charles Dodson Kristi GroveRic Ferraro Ralph Whitehead Tara JohnsoSally Pyle Dawn KoryntaSue Offutt Naomi SterfSteve Hawthorne Tara WaldalRuth Paur

Graduate Students Undergraduate StudentsHolly Dannewitz Cassandra LeeMatt Garlinghouse Silje LynneShyla Muse Ashley OlsonMatthew Myrvik Bethany ReuterAnna Marie Carlson Christine WegnerJason Douglas Catherine WoellPatrick KerrKaryn PlummKristi SatherCaitlin SchultzJen Short

RCH What are Pesticides?• Herbicides• Insecticides• Rodenticides• Fungicides

RCH Pesticide Exposure and Children

RCHPesticide Exposure and

Cognitive Ability in Children

RCH Objectives of Current Study

1. Examine the impact of chronic routine exposure to pesticides on cognitive and motor performance in children between 7 and 12 years of age, including memory performance, executive function performance, motor performance, and performance on school-related achievement tests.

2. Measure the concentration of several pesticides and cholinesterase in the blood or urine in children between 7 and 12 years of age and examine associations between pesticide and cholinesterase concentration and cognitive and motor performance.

RCH Red River Valley

RCH Pesticides in North Dakota

RCH Participants

Pesticide Group= 64 children and their parents living on or next to an active farm or field

Control Group= 68 Children and their parents living at least one mile from an active farm or field

RCHPhysiological

Height and WeightBlood and Urine- pesticides, cholinesterase, trace minerals

Motor Cognitive

Grooved Pegboard Test Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IVBenton Visual Retention Test California Verbal Learning Test for ChildrenFinger Tapping Test Verbal Fluency TestHand-eye Coordination Test Continuous Performance Test

Wisconsin Card Sorting TestWechsler Individual Achievement Test- 2nd

ed- Reading & Listening Comprehension

Measurements- Children

RCH Measurements- Parents

Cognitive Behavioral

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Child Behavior ChecklistVocabulary & Block Design ADHD Rating Scale-IV

Nutritional Status Developmental

NIH Diet History Questionnaire Tanner Pubertal Development TestFood Security module Developmental Milestones24-Hour Dietary Recall

Environmental

Pesticide use and exposure questionnaireSurveys on family and child medical history, sleep, occupation, income, education level

RCH Measurements- Teachers

Behavioral

Teacher Report Form for Child Behavior ChecklistTeacher Report Form for ADHD Rating Scale-IV

RCHPreliminary Intelligence Test Results

RCHChild Demographics

9.68 9.24

3.39 3.56

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Aver

a

Age Grade

Pesticide Control

RCH Child Full-Scale IQ

98.37103.65

859095

100105110115

Full Scale IQ*

Pesticide Control

RCH Child IQ Composite Scores

97.87105.23

103.68105.66

97.36100.07

94.1797.53

85 90 95 100 105 110 115

Verbal Comprehension Index**

Perceptual Reasoning Index

Working Memory Index

Processing Speed Index

Pesticide Control

RCH Verbal Comprehension Scores

9.6711.18

9.7510.71

9.8611.01

5 7 9 11 13 15

Scaled Score

Similarities*

Vocabulary

Comprehension*

Pesticide Control

RCH Perceptual Reasoning Scores

10.6410.96

11.0310.88

10.4710.97

5 7 9 11 13 15

Scaled Scores

Block Design

Picture Concepts

Matrix Reasoning

Pesticide Control

RCH Working Memory Scores

9.669.69

9.710.54

5 7 9 11 13 15

Scaled Scores

Digit Span

Letter-NumberSequence

Pesticide Control

RCHProcessing Speed Scores

8.558.72

9.6110.54

5 7 9 11 13 15

Scaled Scores

Coding

Symbol Search

Pesticide Control

RCHParents Estimated Full Scale IQ

107.71

33.46

108.19

32.44

020406080

100120

Pesticide Control

Estimated FSIQ SES

RCHPreliminary Biological Measurements

RCH Cholinesterase Concentrations

4.38 4.253.68

2.57 2.942.03

0

1

2

3

4

5

U/m

AChE PChE*

Pesticide Control Adult Blood Bank Donors

RCHAcute Pesticide Analysis (Means)

0 5 10 15 20 25

ng/ml

2,4,5-T2,4D

3,PBAIsazaphos

CoumaphosPrimphosDiazinonMalathion

MetolachlorParathion

ChloropyrifosAcetochlor

AtrazineDeet

Pesticide Control

RCH

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3

ng/mL

2,4,5-T2,4D

3,PBA*/Isazaphos

CoumaphosPrimphos Methyl

DiazinonMalathion*/

Metolachlor**Parathion*/

Chloropyrifos*/Acetochlor

AtrazineDeet**

Pesticide Control

Acute Pesticide Analysis (Corrected Means)

RCH Preliminary Conclusions

• A decrease in IQ was found in children living in areas of a great amount of pesticide use.

• This decrease was independent of parents IQ and their socio-economic status.

• There is evidence of exposure to pesticides based on acute urine measurements.

• Once the chronic blood pesticide measurements are available we will have a clearer picture.

RCH

For more information contact:

Center for Rural HealthUniversity of North Dakota

School of Medicine and Health SciencesGrand Forks, ND 58202-9037

Tel: (701) 777-3848Fax: (701) 777-6779

http://medicine.nodak.edu/crh