Rhinitis Associated with Pesticide Use Among Private Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study

Abstract

Farmers commonly experience rhinitis but the risk factors are not well characterized. The aim of this study was to analyze cross-sectional data on rhinitis in the past year and pesticide use from 21,958 Iowa and North Carolina farmers in the Agricultural Health Study, enrolled 1993–1997, to evaluate pesticide predictors of rhinitis. Polytomous and logistic regression models were used to assess association between pesticide use and rhinitis while controlling for demographics and farm-related exposures. Sixty-seven percent of farmers reported current rhinitis and 39% reported 3 or more rhinitis episodes. The herbicides glyphosate [odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.05–1.13] and petroleum oil (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.05–1.19) were associated with current rhinitis and increased rhinitis episodes. Of the insecticides, four organophosphates (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dichlorvos, and malathion), carbaryl, and use of permethrin on animals were predictors of current rhinitis. Diazinon was significant in the overall polytomous model and was associated with an elevated OR of 13+ rhinitis episodes (13+ episodes OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.09–1.38). The fungicide captan was also a significant predictor of rhinitis. Use of petroleum oil, use of malathion, use of permethrin, and use of the herbicide metolachlor were significant in exposure-response polytomous models. Specific pesticides may contribute to rhinitis in farmers; agricultural activities did not explain these findings.

This work is supported by intramural research funds (for the AHS) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z01-ES049030) and the National Cancer Institute (Z01-CP010119), National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. RES is supported by the National Institutes of Health and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute K12 Scholars' Program in the Genetics and Genomics of Lung Disease, Principal Investigator Deborah A. Meyers, PhD (K12 HL89992). at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. We thank Stuart Long for preparation of the AHS data set.