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Occupational exposure to ethylenebisdithiocarbamates in agriculture and allergy: results from the EUROPIT field study

Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands;

LGPM van Amelsvoort

Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

D Boers

Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Division of Environmental and occupational Health, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

E Corsini

Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

S Fustinoni

Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Università di Milano and Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena, Milan, Italy

T Vergieva

National Centre of Public Health Protection, Sofia, Bulgaria

C Bosetti

Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy

S Pennanen

Department of Pharmacology, Drug Development and Therapeutics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Turku, Finland

J Liesivuori

Department of Pharmacology, Drug Development and Therapeutics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Turku, Finland

C Colosio

Department of Occupational Health, San Paolo Hospital Unit, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

H van Loveren

National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

This epidemiological study was carried out to evaluate the possible association between occupational exposure to ethylenebisdithiocarbamates (EDBC) and allergy. The study was conducted in four countries in the European Union: The Netherlands, Finland, Italy and Bulgaria. A total of 248 workers exposed to EDBC and 231 non-occupationally exposed subjects entered the study. Exposure to EDBC was measured as urinary ethylenethiourea (ETU) in urinary samples collected at baseline and after 30 days of exposure. Several effect parameters were evaluated including questionnaire data on allergy, Phadiatop, a general allergy test, and specific IgE parameters. These data were also collected at baseline and after 30 days of exposure. Cross-sectional as well as longitudinal comparisons were made, adjusted for potential confounding factors. No association was found between exposure status, EDBC levels and allergic contact dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, food allergy or atopy as measured by the Phadiatop. The prevalence of skin irritation was elevated in the Dutch field study only and is more likely a result of plant contact rather than EDBC exposure. Occupational exposure to sunlight was noted to have a protective effect on atopy in terms of IgE positivity. We conclude that the EDBC exposure levels experienced in our field study are not associated with increased prevalence of allergic symptoms or allergy.

Key Words: allergy • epidemiology • ethylenebisdithiocarbamate pesticides • fungicides • immunotoxicity • occupational exposure

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 27, No. 9, 715-720 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0960327108097433


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