Levels of Organochlorine Pesticides in Blood Plasma from Residents of Malaria-Endemic Communities in Chiapas, Mexico

Luz E. Ruiz-Suárez, Ricardo A. Castro-Chan, Norma E. Rivero-Pérez, Antonio Trejo-Acevedo, Griselda K. Guillén-Navarro, Violette Geissen and Ricardo Bello-Mendoza
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Luz E. Ruiz-Suárez: El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km. 2.5, C.P. 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
Ricardo A. Castro-Chan: El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km. 2.5, C.P. 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
Norma E. Rivero-Pérez: Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 19 Poniente y 4ª Norte S/N, C.P. 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
Antonio Trejo-Acevedo: Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 19 Poniente y 4ª Norte S/N, C.P. 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
Griselda K. Guillén-Navarro: El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km. 2.5, C.P. 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
Violette Geissen: Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Center, P.O. Box 47, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Ricardo Bello-Mendoza: El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km. 2.5, C.P. 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: Organochlorine (OC) pesticides have been extensively used for pest control in agriculture and against malaria vectors in the region of Soconusco, Chiapas, in southern Mexico. Our study aimed to identify whether the inhabitants of four Soconusco communities at different locations ( i.e. , altitudes) and with different history of use of OC pesticides, have been similarly exposed to residues of these pesticides. In particular, we analyzed the potential relationship between levels of OC pesticides in plasma and the age, gender, and residence of the study population ( n = 60). We detected seven pesticides in total (?-HCH, ?-HCH, heptachlor, p,p?-DDE, p,p'-DDT, ?-endosulfan, endrin aldehyde). Of these, p,p?-DDE and ?-endosulfan were the most frequently found (in 98% and 38% of the samples, respectively). The low-altitude (<20 m above sea level; masl) and mid-altitude (520 masl) locations had the highest levels of p,p?-DDE, with geometric means of 50.6 µg/L and 44.46 µg/L, respectively. The oldest subjects (>60 years) had the highest p,p?-DDE level (56.94 ± 57.81 µg/L) of all age groups, while men had higher p,p?-DDE (34.00 ± 46.76 µg/L) than women. Our results demonstrate that residents of the Soconusco region are exposed to p,p?-DDE because of high exposure to DDT in the past and current environmental exposure to this DDT-breakdown product.

Keywords: environmental exposure; malaria; organochlorine pesticides; p,p?-DDE; ?-endosulfan; Soconusco (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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