Pyrethroid and Chlorpyrifos Pesticide Exposure, General Intellectual Abilities, and Executive Functions of School Children from Montevideo, Uruguay

Danelly Rodríguez, Gabriel Barg, Elena I. Queirolo, James R. Olson, Nelly Mañay and Katarzyna Kordas ()
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Danelly Rodríguez: Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Gabriel Barg: Department of Neuroscience and Learning, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
Elena I. Queirolo: Department of Neuroscience and Learning, Catholic University of Uruguay, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
James R. Olson: Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Nelly Mañay: Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Republic of Uruguay (UDELAR), Montevideo 11200, Uruguay
Katarzyna Kordas: Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Children’s developing brains are susceptible to pesticides. Less is known about the effect of exposure to chlorpyrifos and pyrethroids on executive functions (EF). We measured urinary 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), a metabolite of chlorpyrifos, and urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), a general, nonspecific metabolite of pyrethroids in first-grade children from Montevideo, Uruguay ( n = 241, age 80.6 ± 6.4 months, 58.1% boys). EFs were assessed with the Intra-dimensional/Extra-dimensional shift (IED), Spatial Span (SSP), and Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated (CANTAB) Battery. General intellectual ability (GIA) was assessed using the Woodcock–Muñoz Cognitive battery. Median (range) urinary TCPy and 3-PBA levels were 16.7 (1.9, 356.9) ng/mg of creatinine and 3.3 (0.3, 110.6) ng/mg of creatinine, respectively. In multivariable generalized linear models, urinary TCPy was inversely associated with postdimensional errors on the IED task β [95% CI]: −0.11 [−0.17, −0.06]. Urinary 3-PBA was inversely associated with the total number of trials −0.07 [−0.10, −0.04], and the total number of errors −0.12 [−0.18, −0.07] on the IED task. When TCPy and 3-PBA were modeled together, the associations did not differ from single-metabolite models. We found no evidence of effect modification by blood lead level (BLL). Pesticide exposure may affect EF performance in urban children.

Keywords: pyrethroids; chlorpyrifos; pesticide exposure; cognition; child health; executive function (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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