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Page 1: Medicine Neurotoxicity pesticide applicators exposed to organophosphates · Neurotoxicity amongpesticide applicators exposedto organophosphates targetedforthestudy. Applicatorswereeligible

Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1995;52:648-653

Neurotoxicity among pesticide applicatorsexposed to organophosphatesLynette Stokes, Alice Stark, Elizabeth Marshall, Amarjit Narang

Epidemiology andSurveillance Branch,Division ofHealthStudies, Centers forDisease Control,Agency for ToxicSubstances andDisease Registry,Atlanta, GeorgiaLynette StokesBureau ofEnvironmental andOccupationalEpidemiology, NewYork StateDepartment ofPublicHealth, Albany, NewYorkAlice StarkElizabeth MarshallWadsworth Center forLaboratory Research,New York StateDepartment ofPublicHealth, Albany, NewYorkAmarjit NarangCorrespondence to:Dr L Stokes, Division ofHealth Studies, Centers forDisease Control, Agency forToxic Substances andDisease Registry, 1600Clifton Road, MS-E31,Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA.

Accepted 19 June 1995

AbstractObjectives-An epidemiological study of90 male pesticide applicators licensed inNew York was conducted to investigatethe effect ofexposure to organophosphatepesticides on the peripheral nervoussystem.Methods-A cohort of farmers and pesti-cide applicators from New York Statewere questioned off season (November1988-February 1989) and again duringthe spraying season (April 1989-August1989) about the presence of several acutesigns and symptoms. Short term expo-sure was validated by measuring theconcentration of dimethylthiophosphate(DMTP), a metabolite of guthion, inurine. Chronic signs of subtle peripheralnerve damage were determined by vibra-tion threshold sensitivity of the farmersand applicators tested during November1988-February 1989 and compared withcontrols drawn from the general popula-tion who were tested during the sametime period the next year (November1989-February 1990). Vibration thresholdsensitivity was determined for both thehands and feet. Long term exposure topesticides was determined by question-naire.Results-Paired t tests show that meanvibration threshold scores were signifi-cantly higher for the dominant (P < 0.00)and non-dominant (P < 0.04) handsamong pesticide applicators when com-pared with scores for population basedcontrols individually matched on age,sex, and county ofresidence.Conclusions-A significant increase inmean vibration threshold sensitivity forthe dominant and non-dominant handsuggests previous organophosphate expo-sure among pesticide applicators wasassociated with a loss of peripheral nervefunction.

(Occup Environ Med 1995;52:648-653)

Keywords: vibration sensitivity; method of limits;guthion

Among agricultural pesticides used both inthe United States and elsewhere organophos-phates are replacing many products becausethey are effective and less persistent than

compounds such as DDT and lead arsenate.With the increase in production and use oforganophosphates, the number of peopleexposed to these compounds has increased.Symptoms of acute poisoning are well

known. These develop within 12 hours ofcontact. Headache, dizziness, weakness, lackof coordination, muscle twitching, tremor,nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, andsweating are common early signs and symp-toms.'The effects of repeated low dose exposure

to organophosphates have not been as wellestablished. There have been some reports ofdelayed onset of neurological problems,including numbness, pain, and weakness inthe arms and legs.2 In some people recoveryhas been complete, whereas others have beenleft with continuing problems.3 Specifically,what is not known is whether long term, lowconcentration exposure can produce delayedsubclinical damage to the peripheral nervoussystem.

This study examined two related but sepa-rate questions.The first question was whethercurrent, short term exposure to guthion wasproducing acute health effects. The secondquestion was whether subtle damage toperipheral nerves resulted from long term, lowconcentration exposure to organophosphates.To answer these questions, a cohort ofpesticide applicators from New York Statewere questioned off season (November1988-February 1989) and again during thespraying season (April 1989-August 1989)about the presence of several acute signs andsymptoms. Short term exposure was validatedby measuring concentrations of dimethylthio-phosphate (DMTP), a metabolite of guthion,in urine.89 Chronic signs of peripheral nervedamage were determined by vibration sensi-tivity thresholds of farmers and applicatorstested during November 1988-February 1989and compared with controls drawn from thegeneral population and tested during thesame time period the next year (November1989-February 1990). Long term exposure topesticides was determined by questionnaire.

MethodsThe source population for this study was theroster of 554 male pesticide applicatorslicensed to apply pesticides in New York bythe New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation. Farms from 11south eastern counties of New York were

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targeted for the study. Applicators were eligiblefor the study if they had a current pesticideapplicator licence, were scheduled to spray inthe next growing season, and were located inthe 11 south eastern counties.

Pesticide applicators were recruited insouth eastern New York by post, announce-ments in the Cornell University extensionnewsletter, visits to area farms, and duringhorticultural and agricultural meetings.

Population based controls individuallymatched to applicators on age (±1 year), sex,and county of residence were identifiedthrough the Department of Motor Vehicle(DMV) records and were recruited by post.Among the 554 licensed pesticide applica-

tors in south eastern New York, a total of 90participated. Also, among the 450 potentialpopulation based controls 68 agreed to partic-ipate. For each of the 90 pesticide applicators,five potential matched controls were identifiedfrom the DMV records. Letters from the NewYork State Department of Public Health weresent to potential control subjects requestingtheir participation. Telephone numbers wereobtained from directory assistance and eachname was called until one of the five potentialcontrol subjects agreed to participate.Potential control subjects without workingtelephone numbers were eliminated from thestudy. Once the pesticide applicators andcontrols agreed to participate in the study, allsubjects signed informed consent forms.

Chronic signs of peripheral nerve damagewere determined by testing vibration sensitivitythresholds of farmers and applicators duringNovember 1988-February 1989 and com-pared with controls drawn from the generalpopulation who were tested during the sametime period the next year (November1989-February 1990). Long term exposure topesticides was determined by questionnaire.Also, information was collected on sociode-mographic characteristics, medical andlifestyle factors, work history, and potentialconfounders such as diabetes, alcoholism,carpal tunnel syndrome, and exposure toheavy metals.

Also, pesticide applicators were questionedboth off season (November 1988-February1989) and again during the spraying season(April 1989-August 1989) about the presenceof several acute signs and symptoms. Shortterm exposure was validated by measuringconcentrations of dimethylthiophosphate(DMTP), a metabolite of guthion, in urine89during the spraying season (April 1989-August 1989).

CHRONIC EFFECTSVibration threshold sensitivity was used as anindicator of chronic neurotoxicity. The relia-bility of this measurement has been describedelsewhere by Gerr and Letz.'0 Vibrationthresholds were determined with a VibratronII for both upper and lower extremities of thedistal volar pad of the right and left index fin-gers and great toes. The vibration sensitivityfrequency was 120 Hz. The method of limitsprocedure began with the delivery of a stimulus

greater than the threshold that the subjectcould easily detect.'0 The intensity of thestimulus was gradually reduced at a constantrate. The complete testing sequence consistedof five trials (three descending and twoascending).

ACUTE EFFECTSAcute symptoms of exposure to organophos-phate pesticides were identified from answersto questions about 22 signs and symptomssuch as blurred vision, headache, diarrhoea,dizziness, and unexplained sweating. For eachsymptom, it was asked whether the subjecthad ever experienced that symptom, whenthe symptom was first noticed (year), andwhether he was currently bothered or affectedby that symptom. These questions were askedboth on season and off season. The totalnumber of symptoms reported among pesti-cide applicators both on and off seasonwere compared. The number of symptomsreported by pesticide applicators on seasonwas also correlated with the concentration ofurinary metabolite collected during the sameon season time period.

STATISTICAL METHODSStatistical tests performed compared 68 pesti-cide applicators with 68 individually matchedpopulation based controls for vibrationthreshold sensitivity for all extremities (rightand left index finger and right and left greattoe). The mean (SD) vibration thresholdsensitivity was determined for all extremities.Pairwise (one tailed) t tests, with a = 0 05,were used to test whether there was a signifi-cant difference in vibration threshold." 12None of the vibration scores were normallydistributed. Therefore, the scores were trans-formed to log microns.'0The second separate hypothesis tested

determined whether there was a significantdifference in the number of reported symp-toms among pesticide applicators off seasonand on season. McNemar's tests were per-formed on the individual on and off seasonresponses of 81 pesticide applicator pairs."Twenty two acute symptoms related toorganophosphates were tested. The discor-dant pairs provide the point estimate and 95%confidence interval (95% CI).

ResultsNinety male pesticide applicators licensed inNew York State who spray apple orchardsand 68 population based controls agreed toparticipate in the study. Table 1 shows theage distribution and other demographiccharacteristics of the 68 applicators and 68individually matched population based con-trols. The sociodemographic characteristicsand current alcohol consumption were similaramong applicators and controls (table 2).Controls reported significantly more neuro-logical disorders and alcoholism than applica-tors (table 2). Applicators reported morekidney disease than controls but these differ-ences were not significant.

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Table 1 Age distribution and sociodemographiccharacteristics of applicators and matched population basedcontrols

Pesticide Populationapplicators controlsn = 68(%) n = 68(%)

20-29 10 (14-7) 9 (13-2)30-39 17 (25.0) 18 (26.5)40-49 17 (25 0) 16 (23 5)50-59 15 (22 0) 15 (22-1)60-69 7 (10-2) 8 (11-8)70-79 2 (2 9) 2 (2.9)Total 68 (100-0) 68 (100-0)Household income:<$10 000 3 (4-4) 2 (2-9)

10 000-20 000 19 (27-9) 3 (4 4)20 000-40 000 30 (44-1) 25 (36 8)

> 40 000 16 (23-5) 38 (55-9)Education:<12 years 9 (13-2) 7 (10-3)12 + some college 38 (55-8) 35 (51-5)college degree 21 (30-8) 26 (38-2)

Marital state:Ever married 62 (91-1) 54 (79-4)Never married 6 (8-8) 14 (20 6)

Race:White 65 (95 5) 67 (98-5)Black 2 (2-9) 1 (1-5)Other 1 (1-4) 0 (0 0)

Table 2 Prevalence of self-reported chronic conditions,smoking and alcohol consumption among applicators andmatched controls

Pesticide Populationapplicators controlsn = 68 (%) n = 68 (%)

Neurological disorder 2 (2 9) 11 (16-2)Carpal tunnel syndrome 0 (0 0) 2 (2-9)Neck or back problems 18 (26 4) 19 (27-9)Injury to arms or legs 6 (8.8) 13 (19-1)Alcoholism 0 (0-0) 6 (8 8)Diabetes 0 (0 0) 3 (4 4)Kidney problems 6 (8 8) 1 (1-5)Numbness or tingling or

Weakness in arms or legs 8 (11-7) 17 (25 0)Ever smoked cigarettes 29 (42 6) 41 (60 3)Ever smoked marijuana 10 (14-7) 17 (25 0)Alcohol consumption

Current drinker 61 (89 7) 60 (88 2)Current alcohol*

consumption<1 Drink/day 41 (67-2) 37 (61-7)1-2 Drinks/day 16 (26-2) 15 (25 0)3 Drinks/day 3 (4-9) 8 (13-3)

*Missing one among current drinkers

Table 3 Number ofyears applicators have sprayed topfive organophosphates (OP) on apples

Pesticide Pesticideapplicators applicatorsn = 90 (%/0) n = 81 (%)

Guthion:0-9 27 (300) 20 (294)10-19 30 (33-3) 22 (32 3)20-29 30 (33-3) 21 (30-9)>30 3 (3-3) 5 (73)Mean 14 14

Phosphamidon:0-9 63 (70-0) 47 (69-1)10-19 16(17-8) 12(17-6)20-29 9 (10-0) 7 (10-3)>30 2 (2-2) 2 (2-9)Mean 7 7

Chlorpyrifos:0-9 83 (92-2) 61 (89-7)10-20 7 (78) 7 (10-3)Mean 4 4

Phosmet:0-9 74 (82 2) 52 (76 5)10-19 14 (15-6) 11 (16-2)20-30 2 (2-2) 5 (7 3)Mean 4 5

Diazinon:0-9 88 (97 8) 67 (98 5)10-20 2 (2-2) 1 (1-5)Mean 1 1

USE OF ORGANOPHOSPHATE PESTICIDES BYAPPLICATORSPesticides had been sprayed for a mean of 20(range 1-52) years by applicators. Twentyseven (30%) of the applicators had sprayedpesticides for 30 years or more. Thirteen(14%) had sprayed for between 20 and 30years, and 27 (30%) had sprayed for between10 and 19 years. Also, 22 (24%) had sprayedfor between one and nine years. Of the 11most frequently used organophosphates,guthion was predominantly used by 78 (86%)applicators during the previous two growingseasons.

Table 3 shows that the mean number ofyears the top five organophosphates hadbeen used by 90 pesticide applicators and thesubset of 68 applicators matched with popula-tion based controls. Guthion had beensprayed for a mean of 14 (range 1-39) yearsby the applicators. Guthion was alsothe predominant organophosphate sprayedduring the growing season. On average, theorganophosphate was sprayed five times a sea-son or more by 55 of the 90 (61%) applicatorsduring a normal growing season.

Protective clothing and devices were usedby some pesticide applicators, 93% of theapplicators used some type of head coveringmore than half the time; at least 60% of theapplicators used overalls and rubber glovesmore than half the time; about 35% usedrespirators or rubber boots, or both, andabout 35% have tractor cabs. Tractor cabs areenclosed quarters on the tops of tractors;some are air conditioned enclosures and someare not.

Table 4 shows the total number of tanksloaded, acres and hours sprayed, and theaverage amount of DMTP recovered in partsper million (ppm) from urine samples. Asexpected, DMTP recovered from on seasonurine samples increased with increasing num-ber of hours sprayed, acres sprayed, and tanksloaded.

CHRONIC EFFECTSThe mean difference for the paired dominantand non-dominant hands was significant withthe applicators having higher vibration thresh-old sensitivity scores than population basedcontrols (table 5). The mean difference forpaired dominant and non-dominant feet wasnot significantly different between applicatorsand controls. Pesticide applicators had highervibration sensitivity scores than controls indi-cating poorer performance.The paired t tests were repeated after elim-

inating applicators and controls who reporteddiabetes and carpal tunnel syndrome andresults were essentially the same.

ACUTE EFFECTSTable 6 presents the symptoms related toorganophosphates reported by applicators offseason and on season and odds ratios (ORs)and 95% CIs for matched pairs. Of allsymptoms related to organophosphates, onlyfrequent headaches (22-2% v 8 8%) werereported significantly more on season than off

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Table 4 Number of tanks loaded, acres sprayed, hours sprayed, and DMTP recoveredfrom urine samples

Pesticide DMTPapplicators recovered(n = 53) (n = 53)n (Yo) mean (range)

Total tanks loaded (1-4 days):0-5-5 16 (30-1) 40-5 (3-7-143-0)6-12 21 (39 6) 75-4 (2-0-396-1)13-53 16 (30-1) 96-8 (6-3-298-3)

Total acres sprayed (1-4 days):0-5-20 17 (32-0) 56-2 (2-0-396-1)

21-85 22 (41-5) 62-2 (3 7-274.3)86-265 14 (26 4) 103-9 (6 3-298 3)

Total hours sprayed (1-4 days):0-5-8 21 (39-6) 39-0 (2-0-143-0)9-18 19 (35 8) 72-5 (3 7-274 3)19-61 13 (24-5) 121-8 (7-5-396-1)

Table 5 Mean (SD) vibration threshold scores and paired t tests in applicators andmatched controls

Pesticide Population Applicator/controlapplicators controls pairs(n = 68) (n = 68) (n = 68)

Variable log microns log microns t value P value

Dominant hand 0 534 (0-71) 0-134 (0 79) 3-27 0 00Non-dominant hand 0-340 (0.76) 0-080 (0 80) 2-06 0-04Dominant foot 2-25 (1 19) 1-96 (1-20) 1-77 0-08Non-dominant foot 2-13 (1-14) 1-97 (1-34) 0-99 0-32

Log microns= log(0-356 x vibration unit2s0)

Table 6 Organophosphate symptoms reported offand on season in 81 pesticide applicatorpairs

Off season On season(n = 81) (n = 81) Discordant

Symptom n (%) n (%) pairs OR (95%CI)

Blurred vision 7 (8 6) 5 (6-1) 2/4 0-5 (0 03-4 3)Slurred speech 5 (6-1) 2 (2-5) 2/5 0-4 (0 02-2-9)Difficulty swallowing 4 (4 9) 4 (4-9) 3/3 1.0 (0-10-9-3)Sick stomach 4 (4 9) 7 (8-6) 5/2 2-5 (0 33-37-9)Muscle weakness 4 (4 9) 3 (3 7) 3/4 0-7 (0-08-5 3)Frequent headache 8 (9 8) 18 (22-2) 12/2 6-0 (1-01-77-6)Balance problems 7 (8 6) 3 (3-7) 3/7 0-4 (0-06-2- 1)Dizziness 14 (17-2) 10 (12-3) 7/11 0-6 (0-19-1-9)Sleep problems 13 (16-0) 16 (19-7) 10/7 1-4 (0 44-4-7)Frequently tired 13 (16-0) 10 (12-3) 7/11 0-6 (0 19-1-9)Excessive sweating 4 (4-9) 5 (6-1) 3/2 1-5 (0-13-26-6)Coordination problems 1 (1-2) 3 (3-7) 3/1 30 -Numbness or tingling 15 (18-5) 12 (14-8) 7/10 0 7 (0 20-2 2)Weight loss or gain 1 (1-2) 9 (11 1) 9/1 9 0Musclepain 5 (6-1) 9 (11-1) 7/3 2-3 (0-45-16-6)Diarrhoea 3 (3-7) 8 (9 9) 5/0 - -Tension or nervousness 10 (12-3) 18 (22-2) 12/4 3-0 (0-79-14-1)Depression 9 (11 1) 11 (13-6) 7/5 1-4 (0 34-6 2)Irritability 18 (22 2) 18 (22 2) 8/8 1.0 (0 30-3-3)Nightmares 3 (3 7) 8 (9 9) 6/1 6-0 -Memory problems 17 (20 9) 15 (18-5) 8/10 0-8 (0-25-2 4)Sense of smell 11 (13-5) 11 (13-6) 8/8 1 0 (0 30-3 3)

season (OR 6, 95% CI 1-01-77-6). Also,increased point estimates were found formany of the symptoms related to organophos-phates. Small numbers of discordant pairswere found for each of the symptoms.

DiscussionPesticide application was associated with a

significant increase in mean (SD) vibrationthreshold among applicators compared withpopulation based controls for the dominant(0-534(0-71) v 0-134(0-79)) and non-domi-nant hand (0-340(0 76) v 0 080(0 80)). Theeffects were not significant for feet, but meanvibration sensitivity scores were higher forpesticide applicators than for controls indicat-ing poorer performance. Subjects with a

history of diabetes and carpal tunnel syn-drome were removed in the analysis, and

results remained the same. It was importantto remove cases of diabetes and carpal tunnelsyndrome from the sample because bothchronic disorders adversely affect vibrationsensitivity threshold."3'5The difference among applicators and

controls may have resulted from long termexposure to pesticides by farmers. This isa biologically plausible explanation. Theperipheral nerves are accessible to toxinsthrough the bloodstream; the blood nerve bar-rier does not protect the peripheral nerves.'4Two studies in the scientific literature

support the findings of our study.Svendsgaard et al investigated 229 maleorganophosphate production workers inEgypt and compared their vibration thresholdscores with those of workers in nearby textile(n = 180) and fertiliser (n = 167) plants.4After controlling for covariates, vibrationthreshold scores measured in the non-domi-nant hand were significantly higher amongpesticide formulation workers than workers inthe other two plants. The vibration thresholdscores of workers exposed to pesticidesincreased dramatically with increasing age butdid not similarly increase among the compari-son workers. The authors suggest that expo-sure to organophosphate pesticidesaccelerates the aging process of the nervoussystem.

In another study conducted by McConnellet al,5 vibration threshold in the hands andfeet was evaluated in 36 subjects poisonedby organophosphates in Leon, Nicaragua.Results showed that the workers poisoned hadsignificantly higher vibration threshold scoresfor all extremities than controls. Furthermore,vibration threshold significantly increasedwith increasing organophosphate exposure. Inour study, mean vibration threshold scoresfor the upper extremities were comparablewith the "poisoned" exposure category butwere not as high as the "severely poisoned"category.

There are other explanations for theassociation between long term pesticide expo-sure and increased mean vibration thresholdsensitivity, but these seem less plausible.Inadequate control of confounders mayexplain the significant differences betweenapplicators and controls. Alcoholics amongpesticide applicators may not have reportedtheir alcoholism. Underreporting of alco-holism, however, may underestimate theeffect of vibration sensitivity in pesticideapplicators. It seems unlikely that pesticideapplicators would underreport alcoholism at ahigher rate than population based controls.The small number of applicators and controlswho reported alcoholism may not provide suf-ficient power to determine the relationbetween the effect of alcohol and pesticideson vibration threshold sensitivity.The significant difference between applica-

tors and controls in the upper extremitiescould be the result of differences in height.Height was not measured in our study. Recentstudies by Gerr et al13 have shown that heightsignificantly predicts vibration threshold in

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the hands and feet, and these effects were sub-stantially larger in the lower extremities,which had much higher variability than theupper extremities. In our study, vibrationthreshold scores in the feet were not statisti-cally different. The lack of significant differ-ence could result from a lack of sample sizenecessary to detect small differences in ahighly variable measurement. In our study,sample size calculations for vibration sensitivityshowed that 68 controls were required todetect (with 80% power) a 20% significantchange (5 = 20%) in vibration sensitivitybetween the pesticide applicators and popula-tion based controls for a one sided signifi-cance test. If the true difference betweenapplicators and controls in the lower extremi-ties was less than 20%, then the current studymay not have been able to detect it.

Increased use of machinery that vibratesmay explain the difference found in the upperextremities between applicators and controls.Pesticide applicators use several vibratingmachines such as tractors, loading cars, andlifting apparatus for pruning trees. Studies bySvendsgaard et al suggested that vibrationthreshold scores of workers who used vibrat-ing tools in an organophosphate pesticide for-mulation plant were not significantly differentfrom those of controls.4 The total number oforganophosphate pesticide formulation work-ers studied was 229, and about half of thesample had worked at the plant for more than12 years. Consequently, it does not seemlikely that increased exposure to vibratingmachinery among applicators comparedwith controls could explain the significantdifference found in the upper extremities.

Finally, the difference between applicatorsand controls could have resulted frompesticide exposure to many different pesti-cides over several years of application. Otherclasses of pesticides, such as carbamates, havebeen used by the sample of pesticide applica-tors. Many of these compounds are neurotox-ins and may have produced a significantreduction in nerve function.The evaluation of short term exposure and

acute effects showed that growers wereexposed to guthion but did not show acutesymptoms of organophosphate poisoning.Applicators reported headaches more fre-quently on than off season. Because severalsymptoms were investigated, it is highly possi-ble that significant associations and increasedpoint estimates have occurred by chance. In amore recent study by Ciesielski et al,'6 farm-workers (acetylcholinesterase concentrations<25-28 U/g) were three times more likely thannon-farmworkers to report symptoms of diar-rhoea after exposure to organophosphates. Inour study, short term exposure was verified byrecovery of the urinary metabolite DMTP.Among the 53 urine samples from applicatorswho had been exposed to guthion during the1989 growing season, DMTP did not increasewith increasing number of symptomsreported. The results suggest that the DMTPurinary metabolite concentrations we recov-ered do not have a dose-dependent relation

with acute symptoms of organophosphate poi-soning. Concentrations of exposure may nothave been high enough to produce acuteeffects in pesticide applicators. The results ofacute effects should be interpreted withcaution because of potential reporting biasamong pesticide applicators and the relativelylow concentrations of exposure. Studies inves-tigating the concentration of DMTP recov-ered in the urine that correlate with acuteorganophosphate symptoms need to be con-ducted.

There are several limitations in our study.We evaluated a small sample of pesticideapplicators who sprayed organophosphates onapples during a particular growing season andtime period. Our results from the small pro-portion of all licensed applicators may not berepresentative of the population of all licensedpesticide applicators in south eastern NewYork. Possible bias could have occurred ifapplicators who did not participate were morelikely to have had neurological impairment,but the opposite scenario is also possible.Height was not included in our study and hasbeen shown to primarily effect vibration sensi-tivity measurements in the lower extremities.'3This may represent the lack of a significantassociation in vibration sensitivity from ourstudy in the lower extremities. History ofacute pesticide poisoning was not included inthe study but has been shown to effect vibra-tion sensitivity.'7 Licensed applicators whohave been trained in the appropriate methodsof mixing and spraying pesticides most likelyhave not been poisoned. Our study cannotdetermine whether past poisoning has effectedvibration sensitivity.The current study measured acute symp-

toms and chronic effects from loss of periph-eral nerve function in licensed pesticideapplicators. Loss of peripheral nerve functionmay not represent permanent nerve damage.Vibration threshold scores estimate thesomatosensory function of the peripheralnervous system; this function can be affectedby many factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic.It should be noted that pesticide applicatorsare also exposed to other classes of insecti-cides, such as carbamates and pyrethroids.Many fungicides are also used by apple grow-ers during the early growing season. Theseconditions of exposure may be unique and notrepresented elsewhere in other occupationalgroups. Furthermore, the concentration oforganophosphate exposure in the past is notknown. Consequently, it is difficult to deter-mine whether high enough levels of exposurehave occurred over time to contribute to theapparent loss of peripheral nerve function.The validity of the study results are supportedby the biological plausibility and significanceof the effects. More studies are needed ofpesticide applicators to further evaluate therelation between nervous system function andorganophosphate exposure.We thank Drs Bailus Walker Jr, David Martin, and Jim Meliusfor their helpful advice throughout the project.This study wasconducted in and supported by the Bureau of Environmentaland Occupational Epidemiology, New York State HealthDepartment, Albany, New York.

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