Search

Objective: In 2016, North Carolina blood lead level (BLL) surveillance activities identified elevated BLLs among 3 children exposed to take-home lead by household members employed at a lead oxide manufacturing facility. We characterized BLLs among employees and associated children and identified risk factors for occupational and take-home lead exposure. Methods: We reviewed BLL surveillance data for 2012-2016 to identify facility employees and associated children. We considered a BLL ≥5 μg/dL elevated for adults and children and compared adult BLLs with regulatory limits and recommended health-based thresholds. We also conducted an environmental investigation and interviewed current employees about exposure controls and cleanup procedures. Results: During 2012-2016, 5 children associated with facility employees had a confirmed BLL ≥5 μg/dL. Among 77 people employed during 2012-2016, median BLLs increased from 22 μg/dL (range, 4-45 μg/dL) in 2012 to 37 μg/dL (range, 16-54 μg/dL) in 2016. All employee BLLs were <60 μg/dL, the national regulatory threshold for immediate medical removal from lead exposure; however, 55 (71%) had a BLL ≥20 μg/dL, a recommended health-based threshold for removal from lead exposure. Because of inadequate controls in the facility, areas considered clean were visibly contaminated with lead dust. Employees reported bringing personal items to work and then into their cars and homes, resulting in take-home lead exposure. Conclusions: Integration of child and adult BLL surveillance activities identified an occupational source of lead exposure among workers and associated children. Our findings support recent recommendations that implementation of updated lead standards will support better control of lead in the workplace and prevent lead from being carried home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming is among the most dangerous industries for fatal and nonfatal injuries. A comprehensive agricultural injury surveillance system is absent in North Carolina (NC), and data sets traditionally used to provide estimates of nonfatal farm injuries surveillance in the United States are relatively incomplete. In the absence of a comprehensive farm injury surveillance system, individual local administrative data sources can provide a useful profile of the epidemiology of injuries in a population. The objective of this study was to use emergency department data to help describe the burden of farm-related injuries in NC and explore its usefulness in conducting work-related injury surveillance. Emergency department data from the North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiologic Collection Tool (NC DETECT) was utilized to identify farm injury cases. The study sample included all farm injury cases for the period of 2008–2012 that contained International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) E code 919.0 (agricultural machinery) or 849.1 (place of occurrence = farm; this E code excludes farm house and home premises of farm). Results indicated that an average of 459 cases of farm injury occurred annually from 2008 to 2012, with no significant change between years. Among the patients, 79.7% were male, 74.7% were between 18 and 64 years old, and 28.1% had no form of insurance coverage. Injuries were more heavily concentrated in the Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions (41.3% and 42.2%, respectively). Of farm-coded incidents, 73.2% were given injury- or poisoning-related primary diagnosis codes, and of these, the most frequent specific codes were related to open wounds of upper limbs (16.2%), contusions (12.0%), and sprains and strains (9.3%). Some significant relationships between diagnoses and sex, region, and age are also identified. Injuries occurring on a farm have been well documented and constitute a significant public health problem. Exploring emergency department data provides an opportunity to better characterize nonfatal farm-related injuries in NC for prevention purposes. The data provided by this study may serve to direct prevention programs, whereas the methods used offer a potential farm-related injury surveillance tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total release foggers (TRFs) (also known as "bug bombs") are pesticide products often used indoors to kill insects. After an earlier report found that TRFs pose a risk for acute illness (1), the Environmental Protection Agency required improved labels on TRFs manufactured after September 2012 (2). To examine the early impact of relabeling, the magnitude and characteristics of acute TRF-related illness were evaluated for the period 2007-2015. A total of 3,222 TRF-related illnesses were identified in 10 participating states, based on three data sources: Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk-Pesticides (SENSOR) programs, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) program, and poison control centers (PCCs) in Florida, Texas, and Washington. No statistically significant decline in the overall TRF-illness incidence rate was found. Failure to vacate treated premises during application was the most commonly reported cause of exposure. To reduce TRF-related illness, integrated pest management strategies (3) need to be adopted, as well as better communication about the hazards and proper uses of TRFs. Redesigning TRFs to prevent sudden, unexpected activation might also be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collects data on acute pesticide-related illness and injury reported by 12 states (California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington). This report summarizes the data on illnesses and injuries arising from nonoccupational exposure to conventional pesticides that were reported during 2007-2011. Conventional pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fumigants. They exclude disinfectants (e.g., chlorine and hypochlorites) and biological pesticides (1). This report is a part of the Summary of Notifiable Noninfectious Conditions and Disease Outbreaks - United States, which encompasses various surveillance years but is being published in 2016 (2). The Summary of Notifiable Noninfectious Conditions and Disease Outbreaks appears in the same volume of MMWR as the annual Summary of Notifiable Infectious Diseases (3). In a separate report, data on illnesses and injuries from occupational exposure to conventional pesticides during 2007-2011 are summarized (4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collects data on acute pesticide-related illness and injury reported by 12 states (California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington). This report summarizes the data on illnesses and injuries arising from occupational exposure to conventional pesticides from 2007 through 2011. This report is a part of the Summary of Notifiable Noninfectious Conditions and Disease Outbreaks - United States, which encompasses various surveillance years but is being published in 2016 (1). The Summary of Notifiable Noninfectious Conditions and Disease Outbreaks appears in the same volume of MMWR as the annual Summary of Notifiable Infectious Diseases (2). In a separate report, data on illnesses and injuries from nonoccupational exposure to pesticides during 2007-2011 are summarized (3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Paraquat and diquat are among the most commonly used herbicides in the world. Objectives Determine the magnitude, characteristics, and root causes for acute paraquat- and diquat-related illnesses in the US Methods Illnesses associated with paraquat or diquat exposure occurring from 1998 through 2011 were identified from the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR)-Pesticides Program, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) Pesticide Illness Surveillance Program (PISP), and the Incident Data System (IDS). Cases identified by the National Poison Data System (NPDS) were reviewed for the years 1998–2003 and 2006–2013. Results A total of 300 paraquat- and 144 diquat-related acute illnesses were identified by SENSOR, PISP, and IDS. NPDS identified 693 paraquat- and 2128 diquat-related acute illnesses. In SENSOR/PISP/IDS, illnesses were commonly low severity (paraquat=41%; diquat=81%); however, SENSOR/PISP/IDS identified 24 deaths caused by paraquat and 5 deaths associated with diquat. Nineteen paraquat-related deaths were due to ingestion, seven of which were unintentional, often due to improper storage in beverage bottles. In SENSOR/PISP/IDS, paraquat and diquat-related acute illnesses were work-related in 68% ( n =203) and 29% ( n =42) of cases, respectively. When herbicide application site was known, the vast majority of acute paraquat-related illnesses (81%) arose from agricultural applications. Common root causes of illness were failure to use adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), application equipment failure, and spill/splash of herbicide. Conclusions Although the magnitude of acute paraquat/diquat-related illnesses was relatively low, several fatalities were identified. Many illnesses could be prevented through stricter compliance with label requirements (e.g. ensuring proper herbicide storage and PPE use), and through enhanced training of certified applicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the summary of the acute occupational pesticide-related injury and illnesses in the U.S. from 2007-2011. Topics mention including the conventional pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, benefits of pesticides and vital societal role of the acute occupational pesticide-related injury and illnesses surveillance.

The article presents the summary of the acute nonoccupational pesticide-related injury and illnesses in the U.S. from 2007-2011. Topics mention including the used of pesticides such as in agriculture, recreational and residential, different types of pesticides and exposure to pesticides which causes acute of chronic adverse health effects.

The article discusses the injuries and illnesses that arise from occupational exposure to pesticides in the U.S. from 2007 to 2010. Topics mentioned include the occurrence of acute pesticide-related illness and injury due to lack of compliance with pesticide regulations, categorization of illness and injury severity using standardized criteria for state-based surveillance programs, and measurement of incidence rates of such illness and injury.

The article presents a report by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which assesses frequency of illness and injury related to pool chemicals. Swimming pools need chemicals to maintain water quality, and when chemicals are stored or used improperly, illness or injury can result. Analyzed by CDC were data from six states that took part in Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk-Pesticides surveillance program and from National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

Introduction. Fipronil is a broad-spectrum phenylpyrazole insecticide widely used to control residential pests and is also commonly used for flea and tick treatment on pets. It is a relatively new insecticide and few human toxicity data exist on fipronil. Objective. This paper describes the magnitude and characteristics of acute illnesses associated with fipronil exposure. Methods. Illness cases associated with exposure to fipronil-containing products from 2001 to 2007 were identified from the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR)-Pesticides Program and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Results. A total of 103 cases were identified in 11 states. Annual case counts increased from 5 in 2001 to 30 in 2007. Of the cases, 55% were female, the median age was 37 years, and 11% were <15 years old. The majority (76%) had exposure in a private residence, 37% involved the use of pet-care products, and 26% had work-related exposures. Most cases (89%) had mild, temporary health effects. Neurological symptoms (50%) such as headache, dizziness, and paresthesia were the most common, followed by ocular (44%), gastrointestinal (28%), respiratory (27%), and dermal (21%) symptoms/signs. Exposures usually occurred from inadvertent spray/splash/spill of products or inadequate ventilation of the treated area before re entry. Conclusions. Our findings indicate that exposure to fipronil can pose a risk for mild, temporary health effects in various body systems. Precautionary actions should be reinforced to prevent fipronil exposure to product users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: There is little evidence linking adverse reproductive effects to exposure to specific pesticides during pregnancy. CASE PRESENTATION: In February 2005, three infants with congenital anomalies were identified in Collier County, Florida, who were born within 8 weeks of one another and whose mothers worked for the same tomato grower. The mothers worked on the grower's Florida farms in 2004 before transferring to its North Carolina farms. All three worked during the period of organogenesis in fields recently treated with several pesticides. The Florida and North Carolina farms were inspected by regulatory agencies, and in each state a large number of violations were identified and record fines were levied. DISCUSSION: Despite the suggestive evidence, a causal link could not be established between pesticide exposures and the birth defects in the three infants. Nonetheless, the prenatal pesticide exposures experienced by the mothers of the three infants is cause for concern. Farmworkers need greater protections against pesticides. These include increased efforts to publicize and comply with both the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency's Worker Protection Standard and pesticide label requirements, enhanced procedures to ensure pesticide applicator competency, and recommendations to growers to adopt work practices to reduce pesticide exposures. RELEVANCE TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: The findings from this report reinforce the need to reduce pesticide exposures among farmworkers. In addition, they support the need for epidemiologic studies to examine the role of pesticide exposure in the etiology of congenital anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]