Dietary predictors of young children’s exposure to current-use pesticides using urinary biomonitoring

Few data exist on the association between dietary habits and urinary biomarker concentrations of pesticides in children. The objective was to examined the association between the weekly intake frequency of 65 food items and urinary biomarkers of exposure to chlorpyrifos (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol [TCP]), permethrin (3-phenoxybenzoic acid [3-PBA]), and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [2,4-D] in 135 preschool-aged children. TCP and 3-PBA are nonspecific biomarkers as they are also urinary metabolites of other pesticides. TCP, 3-PBA, and 2,4-D were detected in 99%, 64%, and 92% of the urine samples, respectively. Mean urinary TCP concentrations were statistically significantly higher in children consuming fresh apples (9.40 ± 15.5 ng/mL versus 5.76 ± 3.57 ng/mL, p = 0.040) and fruit juices (8.41 ± 11.5 ng/mL versus 4.11 ± 2.77 ng/mL, p = 0.020) ⩾3 times a week compared to <3 times a week. For 3-PBA, mean urinary metabolite concentrations were statistically significantly greater in children consuming chicken/turkey meats (0.79 ± 0.81 versus 0.41 ± 0.39, p = 0.013) ⩾3 times a week compared to <3 times a week. No association occurred between the consumption of any food item and children’s mean urinary 2,4-D concentrations by intake group. In conclusion, frequent consumption of fresh apples and fruit juices or chicken/turkey meats were significant dietary predictors of urinary levels of TCP or 3-PBA, respectively.