Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer
Abstract Nebraska's age‐adjusted incidence rates for childhood cancers are among the highest in the US. Previous studies indicated associations between agrichemical exposures (atrazine and nitrates) and pediatric cancer rate, assuming single pollutant exposure. We evaluated the joint associatio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2025-02-01
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| Series: | GeoHealth |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GH001236 |
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| author | Jabeen Taiba Cheryl Beseler Muhammad Zahid Shannon Bartelt‐Hunt Alan Kolok Eleanor Rogan |
| author_facet | Jabeen Taiba Cheryl Beseler Muhammad Zahid Shannon Bartelt‐Hunt Alan Kolok Eleanor Rogan |
| author_sort | Jabeen Taiba |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Nebraska's age‐adjusted incidence rates for childhood cancers are among the highest in the US. Previous studies indicated associations between agrichemical exposures (atrazine and nitrates) and pediatric cancer rate, assuming single pollutant exposure. We evaluated the joint association between the agricultural mixture and pediatric cancer. Agrichemical exposures at a county scale were quantified using the USGS Pesticide National Synthesis Project for frequently applied pesticides from 1992 to 2014 in 93 Nebraska counties. Outcomes were quantified using pediatric cancer diagnosed among children <20 years of age (1992–2014) from the Nebraska cancer registry. We adjusted for social vulnerability factors such as race, income, employment, and access to care. The associations between 32 agrichemicals and cancer subtypes were assessed using the Generalized Weighted Quantile Sum Regression (gWQS) model. The model was fit assuming a Poisson distribution and using the pediatric population as an offset‐term and social vulnerability factors as covariates. We observed a statistically significant positive association between the 32 agrichemicals and overall pediatric cancer and subtypes. The strength of associations was slightly stronger among brain and CNS cancers (β = 0.36, CI = 0.14, 0.57) compared to overall cancer (β = 0.30, CI = 0.16, 0.44) and leukemia (β = 0.23, CI = 0.09, 0.38). Dicamba, glyphosate, paraquat, quizalofop, triasulfuron, and tefluthrin largely contributed to the joint association. These findings may explain the joint associations of the agrichemical mixture on childhood cancer. Alternative biomarker‐based approaches to measuring human exposure are worth investigating for chemicals of concern, particularly in counties with high agrichemical and cancer rates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0cb28cdcecc3425d8555c87f7d5c0423 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2471-1403 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GeoHealth |
| spelling | doaj-art-0cb28cdcecc3425d8555c87f7d5c04232025-08-20T01:54:15ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)GeoHealth2471-14032025-02-0192n/an/a10.1029/2024GH001236Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric CancerJabeen Taiba0Cheryl Beseler1Muhammad Zahid2Shannon Bartelt‐Hunt3Alan Kolok4Eleanor Rogan5Department of Environmental Agricultural and Occupational Health College of Public Health University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha NE USADepartment of Environmental Agricultural and Occupational Health College of Public Health University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha NE USADepartment of Environmental Agricultural and Occupational Health College of Public Health University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha NE USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering College of Engineering University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Omaha NE USADepartment of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID USADepartment of Environmental Agricultural and Occupational Health College of Public Health University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha NE USAAbstract Nebraska's age‐adjusted incidence rates for childhood cancers are among the highest in the US. Previous studies indicated associations between agrichemical exposures (atrazine and nitrates) and pediatric cancer rate, assuming single pollutant exposure. We evaluated the joint association between the agricultural mixture and pediatric cancer. Agrichemical exposures at a county scale were quantified using the USGS Pesticide National Synthesis Project for frequently applied pesticides from 1992 to 2014 in 93 Nebraska counties. Outcomes were quantified using pediatric cancer diagnosed among children <20 years of age (1992–2014) from the Nebraska cancer registry. We adjusted for social vulnerability factors such as race, income, employment, and access to care. The associations between 32 agrichemicals and cancer subtypes were assessed using the Generalized Weighted Quantile Sum Regression (gWQS) model. The model was fit assuming a Poisson distribution and using the pediatric population as an offset‐term and social vulnerability factors as covariates. We observed a statistically significant positive association between the 32 agrichemicals and overall pediatric cancer and subtypes. The strength of associations was slightly stronger among brain and CNS cancers (β = 0.36, CI = 0.14, 0.57) compared to overall cancer (β = 0.30, CI = 0.16, 0.44) and leukemia (β = 0.23, CI = 0.09, 0.38). Dicamba, glyphosate, paraquat, quizalofop, triasulfuron, and tefluthrin largely contributed to the joint association. These findings may explain the joint associations of the agrichemical mixture on childhood cancer. Alternative biomarker‐based approaches to measuring human exposure are worth investigating for chemicals of concern, particularly in counties with high agrichemical and cancer rates.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GH001236pesticidesenvironmental mixturespediatric cancerrural health |
| spellingShingle | Jabeen Taiba Cheryl Beseler Muhammad Zahid Shannon Bartelt‐Hunt Alan Kolok Eleanor Rogan Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer GeoHealth pesticides environmental mixtures pediatric cancer rural health |
| title | Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer |
| title_full | Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer |
| title_short | Exploring the Joint Association Between Agrichemical Mixtures and Pediatric Cancer |
| title_sort | exploring the joint association between agrichemical mixtures and pediatric cancer |
| topic | pesticides environmental mixtures pediatric cancer rural health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GH001236 |
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