(Beyond pesticides, 23 Feb 2023) A father’s exposure to occupational (work-related) chemicals, including pesticides, around the time of his partner’s pregnancy has an association with an increased risk of birth defects congenital heart disease (CHD), according to a published Japanese study. in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. The prevalence of childhood CHD is one of the most common genetic (congenital) diseases worldwide. However, the etiology of CHD includes both genetic and environmental factors. Heart disease is among the leading causes of death worldwide, and heart disease is one of the leading causes of disability in the US. Research, including this study, shows that exposure to environmental pollutants can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack, heart failure. , atrial fibrillation and cardiac arrest. Given that exposure to chemicals exacerbates the adverse effects of disease, reviews such as these highlight the importance of assessing the synergy between disease and toxic chemicals to safeguard human health. Therefore, the researchers “suggest the importance of managing paternal occupational exposures for the prevention of childhood CHDs. Further studies using biomarkers of occupational exposure are warranted.”
To investigate the risk of CHD in infants, the researchers in this study examine parental occupational exposure to toxic chemical compounds, frequency of pesticide use, and synergistic mixtures of chemical compounds. Using data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS), the researchers examined 28,866 participants and estimated an odds ratio in a logistic regression to demonstrate the association with paternal occupational exposures during the three months leading up to pregnancy. The researchers collected CHD diagnoses for infants from medical records.
There are 175 diagnoses of CHD in infants with the number of parents exposed to the following substances at least once a month: “11,533 for copier/laser printer, 10,326 for permanent markers, 8,226 for soluble paint/jet printer ink, 6,188 for kerosene/petroleum/benzene/gasoline, 4,173 for organic solvents, 3,433 for chlorine bleach/germicide, 2,962 for motor oil, 2,931 for insecticide, 2,460 for medical sterilizer disinfectant, 1,786 for welding fumes, 1,614 for lead-like products, 1,647 for lead-like products. solder, 986 for herbicide, 919 for radiation/radioactive substances/isotopes, 837 for lead-free solder, 341 for microbes, 319 for formalin/formaldehyde, 301 for an agricultural chemical not listed above or unidentified, 196 for general anesthesia for surgery a hospital, 171 for an anti-cancer drug, 147 for chromium/arsenic/cadmium, 88 for mercury and 833 for other chemicals”. Therefore, paternal exposure to occupational compounds may increase the risk of childhood CHD.
Numerous occupational hazards are associated with exposure to chemicals, especially among people in occupations that involve regular exposure to xenobiotic compounds (foreign substances). For example, the agricultural sector has a long history of using synthetic chemicals, which disproportionately affects the health of farm workers. In addition, children of agricultural workers are at greater risk, as their immune system response is immature and especially vulnerable to the stressors of pesticide exposure. The synthetic chemicals present in pesticides can accumulate in the body, causing an amalgam of health effects. These effects can range from higher risks of various cancers (prostate, liver, liver, etc.) and endocrine disruption to mental health problems (i.e. depression), respiratory diseases (asthma), and many other diseases induced by pesticides However, pesticide exposure is ubiquitous and not limited to where it is applied. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals can enter homes from the workplace through clothing, shoes and household personal protective equipment (PPE) and build up residues in laundry, carpets and dust art/home Some cases demonstrate that when levels of chemicals carried into the home are high enough to cause an adverse health effect in a resident child or spouse. Although exposure to pesticides through the skin or inhalation is more common among people who work around these toxic chemicals, the general population also experiences exposure to pesticides through residues in water resources and alimentary
This study is one of the few studies investigating the association between paternal occupational exposures and risk of childhood CHD and adds to the growing body of research demonstrating occupational exposure and disease risk. Additionally, this study reinforces concepts around “critical windows of exposure,” suggesting that in addition to prenatal and early exposure to environmental toxicants, even the period just before pregnancy can increase susceptibility to adverse health impacts. Therefore, exposure of parents to pesticides during these critical periods is indicative of an increased risk of childhood diseases. The etiology or cause of childhood diseases involves the interaction of multiple components, including lifestyle and genetics. However, emerging evidence indicates that environmental pollutants such as pesticides (eg, occupational exposures, air pollution, pesticides, solvents, diet, etc.) play a role in the etiology of the disease. Pesticide pollution is widespread in all ecosystems and chemical compounds can accumulate in human tissues causing chronic health effects.
Although occupational and environmental factors, such as pesticides, adversely affect human health, there are several limitations in defining real-world poisoning. Heart disease is on the rise and will be the leading cause of death in the US by 2022, followed by cancer. Therefore, understanding the risk that exposure to pesticides plays in the development of disease is essential to consider, as these chemicals can cause disproportionate health effects in people working in occupations such as firefighters, agricultural workers and the landscapers. With numerous diseases in the United States associated with pesticide exposure, reducing pesticide use is critically important to safeguarding public health and addressing cost burdens to local communities.
Policies should enforce stricter pesticide regulations and increase research on the long-term impacts of pesticide exposure. Beyond Pesticides tracks the most recent studies on pesticide exposure through our Pesticide Induced Disease (PIDD) database. This database supports the clear need for strategic action to move away from reliance on pesticides. For more information on pesticide-related diseases, see the PIDD pages on birth/fetal effects and cardiovascular (heart) disease, among others. Solutions like buying, growing and supporting organic can help eliminate the extensive use of pesticides in the environment. Ecological land management and regenerative organic farming eliminate the need for toxic agricultural pesticides. In addition, given the wide availability of alternative non-pesticide strategies, families and the occupational chemical industry can apply these methods to promote a safe and healthy environment, especially among chemically vulnerable people. To learn more about how organic is the right choice for both consumers and the farmworkers who grow our food, see Beyond Pesticides’ Health Benefits of Organic Farming webpage.
All positions and opinions not attributed in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Source: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
