Peer-reviewed article
Beyond the Take-Home Pathway: Community-Level Pesticide Exposure Among Children Living in an Intensively Cultivated Agricultural Landscape.
González H ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study measured pesticide exposure in children living in an agricultural region of western Mexico by testing their urine samples at two points during the farming year. Multiple pesticides were detected in nearly all children, with levels increasing between March and December in line with seasonal farming activities. Importantly, pesticide exposure was found to be a community-wide problem affecting all children in the area, not just those from farming families, indicating that living near intensively cultivated fields poses a health risk regardless of direct occupational involvement.
Key points
- Multiple pesticides were detected in children's urine samples with near-universal presence across both sampling periods
- Significant increases in urinary pesticide concentrations were observed between March and December sampling periods
- No systematic differences were found between children from agricultural and non-agricultural households, indicating community-level exposure
- Pesticide exposure operates as a structurally produced and territorially embedded condition extending beyond occupational boundaries
- Current risk models focused on individual or occupational exposure alone are insufficient to address this public health challenge
Limitations
This study measured pesticide exposure through biomarkers but did not assess clinical health outcomes or long-term effects on child development. The research was conducted in one specific agricultural region in western Mexico and may not be generalizable to other agricultural contexts or regions.
Abstract
Children living in agricultural regions are exposed to pesticides through multiple environmental and occupational exposure processes; however, the relative contribution of these processes remains insufficiently characterised in many rural contexts of the Global South. This study assessed pesticide exposure among children residing in an agricultural community in western Mexico characterised by close spatial proximity between residential areas and intensively cultivated fields. Urine samples were collected from children at two points in the agricultural cycle (March and December 2018). Pesticide concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Paired longitudinal analyses were conducted to evaluate intra-individual changes in detection frequencies and urinary concentrations across sampling periods. Multiple pesticides were detected, including compounds with near-universal presence across both sampling periods. Significant increases in urinary concentrations were observed between March and December for several pesticides, consistent with seasonal agricultural dynamics, while no systematic differences were identified between children from agricultural and non-agricultural households. These findings indicate that pesticide exposure in this setting operates as a community-level exposure regime that is both structurally produced and territorially embedded. Exposure patterns reflect the convergence of agricultural practices, environmental dispersion processes, and spatial configurations that extend beyond occupational boundaries. The results highlight the limitations of risk models focused exclusively on individual or occupational exposure and underscore the need for public health strategies that address pesticide exposure as a structurally produced and territorially embedded condition.