TOPIC OF CONCERN - Agricultural Safety & Health

About Agricultural Safety & Health

Agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. Farmers are at high risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries, work-related lung diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, skin diseases, and certain cancers associated with chemical use and prolonged sun exposure. Farming is one of the few industries in which the families (who often share the work and live on the premises) are also at risk for injuries, illness, and death.
-National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health

Our Involvement

Faculty

Richard A. Fenske, PhD. Exposure assessment, occupational health and safety, pesticide exposure, children's health, environmental risk and policy, agricultural health and safety, sustainable agriculture.
Matthew Keifer, MD, MPH. Agricultural health and safety, community based participatory action research, environmental justice, occupational and environmental health issues in Asia and Latin America.

Centers and Institutes

Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center

Courses and Training

News Coverage

The UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine presented its first Community Service Award for Community Partners to Ofelio Borges and Flor Servin. They are pesticide educators from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and partners of our Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center.

Rich Fenske had an Editorial Opinion piece published in the Seattle P-I, Feb. 2, 2007:
"Misuse of science serves no one"

Environmental Health News, Autumn 2006, Farmworker Housing

Environmental Health News, Winter 2006, Agricultural Injuries and Illnesses

DEOHS Biennial Report 2003-2005, Preventing the injury

DEOHS Biennial Report 2003-2005, Keeping agricultural workers safe

Environmental Health News, Autumn 2004 -- Sustainable Agriculture Issues

AgConnections Newsletter

DEOHS Biennial Report 2001-2003, Tracking children's pesticide exposures

DEOHS Biennial Report 2003-2005, Keeping agricultural workers safe

Research

Graduate Students

Chris Ballew, MS (2006): An intervention aiding in the reduction of organophosphate pesticides from take-home pathways (Richard Fenske)

Heather Barr, MS (2005): Characterizing the performance of the 'smart' tripod orchard ladder (Matthew Keifer)

Ann Bradley, MPH (2004): Impact and policy implications of genetic information in regulation: A case study of organophosphate pesticides (Elaine Faustman)

Ingeborg Cox, MPH (2007): Testing validity of audio computer assisted self interview (ACASI) among illiterate and low literate pesticide handlers (Matt Keifer)

Jennifer Crowe, MPH (2005): Key informant perceptions of environmental and occupational risks for agricultural workers in yakima valley, washington as a part of El Proyecto Bienestar (Matt Keifer)

Kai Elgethun, PhD (2004): Global Positioning System (GPS) Tracking to Characterize Children's Exposure to Pesticides (Richard Fenske)

Katherine Himes, MS (2003): Investigation of orchard proximity effect on organophosphorous pesticide exposures among agricultural workers and their families (Richard Fenske)

Elizabeth Hom, MPH (2006): Analysis of environmental and occupational health concerns in key informant interviews with community advisory board (CAB) members of El Proyecto Bienestar (Matthew Keifer)

Karen L. Jansen, MS (2007): Role of PON1 in modulating the toxicity of mixtures of organophosphate pesticides (Lucio Costa)

Sinang Lee, MPH (2006): Translation of the fluorescent tracer technique from a research dermal exposure assessment method to a pesticide safety educational tool (Richard Fenske)

McKinley Rainey, MPH (2006): Evaluating training improvement and assessment tools in hands-on pesticide handler training (Richard Fenske)

Rene Showlund, MS (2002): Transfer of Pesticide Residue to Skin Following Contact with a Contaminated Surface (John Kissel)

Michelle M. Sommargren, MPH (2007): Reducing childhood pesticide exposure by targeting the clinician pesticide training gap: The design, implementation and evaluation of an online curriculum (Richard Fenske)

Kathryn Ann Toepel, MS (2004): Determination of the dietary contribution to pesticide exposure in suburban children (Richard Fenske)

Lisa A. Tolbert, MS (2007): Ambient concentrations of organophosphorus pesticides caused by volatilization during seasonal pesticide application (Micheael Yost/Richard Fenske)

Joyce Tseng, MPH (2007): Impact evaluation of a farmworker environmental and occupational health community-based participatory research course in the Yakima Valley, Washington (Matt Keifer)

Lisa R. Younglove, MPH (2004): Evaluation of exposure to chlorpyrifos and diazinon in pesticide applicators and their children in rural Nicaragua (Richard Fenske)

Wenjie Zhu, MS (2004): Application of GPS/GIS in Chinese farmers for assessment of potential organophosphate pesticide exposures from crop residues (Michael Yost)

Top

Peer-reviewed Publications

Battuello K, Furlong C, Fenske R, Austin M, Burke W. Paraoxonase mutations and susceptibility to organophosphate pesticides: implications for pesticide applicators. Chapter in: Human Genome Epidemiology: A Scientific Foundation for Using Genetic Information to Improve Health and Prevent Disease. MJ Khoury, J Little, W Burke, eds. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Delgado E, McConnell R, Miranda J, Keifer M, Lundberg I, Partanen T, Wesseling C. Central nervous system effects of acute organophosphate poisoning in a two-year follow-up. Scand J Work Environ Health 2004; 30(5):362-370.

Doran EM, Fenske RA, Kissel JC, Curl CL, Simcox NJ. Impact of dermal absorption factors in occupational exposure assessment: comparison of two models for agricultural reentry worker exposure to azinphosmethyl. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2003;18(9):669-677.

Elgethun K, Fenske RA, Yost MG, Palcisko GJ. Time-location analysis for exposure assessment studies of children using a novel global positioning system instrument. Environ Health Perspect. 2003;111:115-122.

Fenske RA. State-of-the-art measurement of agricultural pesticide exposures. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2005; 31 Suppl 1:67-73; discussion 63-65. Review.

Fenske RA. Incorporating health and ecological costs into agricultural production [editorial]. Environ Health Perspect. 2002;110(5):A228-229.

Fenske RA, Bradman A, Whyatt RM, Wolff MS, Barr DB. Lessons learned for the assessment of children's pesticide exposure: Critical sampling and analytical issues for future studies. Environ Health Perspect. 2005; 113(10):1455-1462.

Fenske RA, Curl CL, Kissel JC. The effect of the 14-day agricultural restricted entry interval on azinphosmethyl exposures in a group of apple thinners in Washington State. Regulatory Toxicol Pharmacol 2003; 38:91-97.

Fenske RA, Lu C, Curl CL, Shirai JH, Kissel JC. Biologic monitoring to characterize organophosphorus pesticide exposure among children and workers: an analysis of recent studies in Washington State. Environ Health Perspect. 2005; 113(11):1651-1657.

Foss CR, Allen EH, Fenske RA, Ramsey CA. Comparison of live skit and video delivery styles using presentations with and without fluorescent tracer dyes at pesticide applicator training for promotion of self-protection from dermal exposure. Journal of Pesticide Safety Education. 2003;4:1-9.

Hofmann J, Guardado J, Keifer M, Wesseling C. Mortality among a cohort of banana plantation workers in Costa Rica. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2006;12(4):321-328.

Hofmann J, Snyder K, Keifer M. A descriptive study of workers' compensation claims in Washington State orchards. Occupational Medicine-Oxford 2006; 56 (4): 251-257.

Lu C, Rodriguez T, Funez A, Irish RS, Fenske RA. The assessment of occupational exposure to diazinon in Nicaraguan plantation workers using saliva biomonitoring. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2006; 1076:355-365.

Lu C, Showlund-Irish R, Fenske RA. Biological monitoring of diazinon exposure using saliva in an animal model. J Toxicol Environ Health 2003; 66(24):2315-2325.

McCauley LA, Anger WK, Keifer M, Langley R, Robson MG, Rohlman D. Studying health outcomes in farmworker populations exposed to pesticides. Environmental Health Perspectives 2006; 114 (6): 953-960. Review.

Miranda J, McConnell R, Wesseling C, Cuadra R, Delgado E, Torres E, Keifer M, Lundberg I. Muscular strength and vibration thresholds during two years after acute poisoning with organophosphate insecticides. Occup Environ Med 2004; 61(1):e4.

Monge P, Wesseling C, Engel LS, Keifer M, Zuurbier M, Rojas M, Partanen T. An icon-based interview for the assessment of occupational pesticide exposure in a case-control study of childhood leukemia. Int J Occup Environ Health 2004; 10(1):72-8.

Rodriguez T, Younglove L, Lu C, Funez A, Weppner S, Barr DB, Fenske RA. Biological monitoring of pesticide exposures among applicators and their children in Nicaragua. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2006; 12(4):312-320.

Salazar MK, Keifer M, Negrete M, Estrada F, Snyder K. Occupational risk among orchard workers - a descriptive study. Family & Community Health 2005; 28(3): 239-252.

Snyder K. Risk perception and resource security for female agricultural workers. Socioeconomic Aspects of Human Behavioral Ecology Research in Economic Anthropology, 2004; (23) 271-292.

Takaro TK, Engel LS, Keifer M, Bigbee WL, Kavanagh TJ, Checkoway H. Glycophorin A is a potential biomarker for the mutagenic effects of pesticides. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2004; 10(3):256-261

Thetkathuek A, Keifer M, Fungladda W, Kaewkungwal J, Padungtod C, Wilson B, Mankhetkorn S. Spectrophotometric determination of plasma and red blood cell cholinesterase activity of 53 fruit farm workers pre- and post-exposed chlorpyrifos for one fruit crop. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2005;53(4):422-424.

Thompson B, Coronado GD, Grossman JE, Puschel K, Solomon CC, Islas I, Curl CL, Shirai JH, Kissel JC, Fenske RA. Pesticide take-home pathway among children of agricultural workers: study design, methods, and baseline findings. J Occup Environ Med. 2003;44(11):42-53.

Weppner S, Elgethun K, Lu C, Hebert V, Yost MG, Fenske RA. The Washington aerial spray drift study: Children's exposure to methamidophos in an agricultural community following fixed-wing aircraft applications. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2006; 16(5):387-396.

Weyrauch KF, Boiko PE, Keifer M. Building informed consent for cholinesterase monitoring among pesticide handlers in Washington State. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2005; 48 (3): 175-181.

Wolz S, Fenske RA, Simcox NJ, Palcisko GJ, Kissel JC. Residential arsenic and lead levels in an agricultural community with a history of lead arsenate use. Environ Research 2003; 93:293-300.

Top

Conference presentations

Ballew C, Galvin K, Tchong M, Fenske R. Determination of organophosphate pesticide exposure opportunity in cherry orchard workers, American Industrial Hygiene Conference, May 13-18, 2006, Chicago

Crowe J, Garcia R, Leber E, Ybarra V, Benavides M, James Birge J, Carlson M, Hom E, Postma J, Ricking J, Salazar M, Sanchez YA, Sotelo G, Wells S, Keifer M. Struggles and successes in El Proyecto Bienestar, a community-based participatory research project for environmental and occupational health, American Public Health Association, November 4â€“8, 2006, Boston

Crowe JL, Keifer M, Hofmann JN, El Proyecto Bienestar: A community health intervention with Yakima agricultural workers. American Public Health Association, Dec. 10â€“14, 2005, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Galvin K, Fenske R, Negrete M, Powers K, Lu C. Commute vehicle and workplace factors as predictors of pesticide take home residues for agricultural workers, American Industrial Hygiene Conference, May 13-18, 2006, Chicago

Galvin K, Fenske R, Tchong M, Servin F, Lewis K, Borges O. Fluorescent tracer as an enhancement to hands-on pesticide safety training for pesticide handlers, American Industrial Hygiene Conference, May 13-18, 2006, Chicago

Hofmann J, Keifer M. A computer-based survey instrument for exposure assessment among agricultural pesticide handlers, American Public Health Association, November 4â€“8, 2006, Boston

Hofmann JN, Guardado J, Keifer M, Wesseling C. Mortality among a cohort of DBCP-exposed banana plantation workers in Costa Rica. American Public Health Association, November 2004, Washington, DC

Hofmann JN, Snyder K, Keifer M, A descriptive study of workersâ€™ compensation claims in Washington state orchards. American Public Health Association, Dec. 10â€“14, 2005, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Keifer M, Snyder K, Hofmann JN, Negrete M, Salazar MK, Stockbridge H, Ladder-related accidents and injuries in Washington orchards: Case studies of worker compensation claims. American Public Health Association, Dec. 10â€“14, 2005, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Keifer M, Salazar MK, Snyder K, Hofmann JN, Barr HE, Identification and prevention of injuries in Northwest orchards: An overview of the Orchard Injury Project, American Public Health Association, Dec. 10â€“14, 2005, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Klintworth H, Xia Z. Signaling pathways of paraquat-induced apoptosis: A model for Parkinsonâ€™s disease, Society of Toxicology, March 6-10, 2005, New Orleans

Postma J, Leber E, Ybarra V, Garcia R, Keifer M, Salazar M, Crowe J, Sotelo G, Birge J, Ricking J, Hom E, Carlson M, Sanchez YA, Benavides M, Yanez M. Evaluating power and participation in community based participatory research: Evaluation results from El Proyecto Bienestar, American Public Health Association, November 4â€“8, 2006, Boston

Salazar MK, Keifer M, Hofmann JN, Orchard work: An examination of workersâ€™ perspectives of risks and hazards. American Public Health Association, Dec. 10â€“14, 2005, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tchong M, Galvin K, Ballew C, Fenske R. Portable work boot storage for agricultural workers, American Industrial Hygiene Conference, May 13-18, 2006, Chicago

Top

Other Resources

Top