Prenatal pesticide exposure in women residing in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Background/Aims: The current and past use of pesticides in agriculture and for malaria vector control in South Africa increases the risk of exposure to these persistent contaminants in general and susceptible populations with developing foetus and the infants being at the highest risk. DDT and other alternatives used to control malaria are not the only potential sources of human exposure to pesticides. Pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates among others, have now taken over as  major crop protection chemicals. Increasing development in rural regions resulted in change from subsistence, to a mixture of subsistence, cash crop and commercial farming. These substances are widely used also at household level for insect and pest control.  The objective of this study is to obtain an exposure assessment by investigating levels of current-use pesticides in blood of delivering women.  

Methods: The study included a total of 275 women from three study areas, a malaria endemic area, a peri-urban area and an industrial area along the coastal region in KwaZulu Natal.  The delivering women donated blood samples and answered socio-economic questionnaire that included information on the use of current-use pesticides at household  level. Each blood sample was analysed for pyrethroids (cypermethrin, cyfluthrin, permethrin and deltamethrin), chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, and endosulfans using solid phase extraction, clean-up using silica, followed by analyses on the GC-MSD.  

Results: The endosulfans, HCHs, HCB, chlorpyrifos and pyrethroids were detected in all the study areas.  The endosulfans and Lindane were highly elevated in the industrial area, compared to the other areas.      

Conclusion: Although use of DDT for malaria control may pose health risks, little is known about health risks of use of new CUPs and synergistic health effects of both.