Summary
This prospective cohort study, drawing on the CHAMACOS birth cohort in California's Salinas Valley, examined whether prenatal exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides was associated with lower intellectual functioning in children at age 7. Higher concentrations of urinary dialkyl phosphate metabolites during pregnancy were associated with poorer scores on several IQ domains, with each tenfold increase in metabolite concentration associated with an estimated reduction of approximately 5–7 IQ points. The findings add to a body of epidemiological evidence linking OP pesticide exposure during critical neurodevelopmental windows to measurable cognitive deficits in childhood.
UK applicability
The study was conducted in a predominantly Latino farmworker population in California with relatively high occupational and residential OP exposure levels; while direct comparability to the UK is limited, the findings are relevant to UK regulatory assessments of OP pesticide safety thresholds, particularly regarding maternal and foetal exposure, and align with concerns that have informed UK and EU restrictions on several OP compounds.
Key measures
Urinary dialkyl phosphate metabolite concentrations (nmol/L) in pregnancy; Full Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory and Processing Speed subscales (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, WISC-IV) at age 7
Outcomes reported
The study measured IQ scores in 7-year-old children in relation to prenatal urinary concentrations of organophosphate pesticide metabolites (dialkyl phosphates) in their mothers. It reported associations between higher prenatal exposure and lower Full Scale and Perceptual Reasoning IQ scores.
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