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Suzanne M. Snedeker
Cornell University
PALS Slide #41
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- What are some of our unanswered questions?
- We still lack human studies evaluating the cancer-causing potential of atrazine.
- We still need more information on whether the risk of breast or ovarian cancer is increased in women, or whether the risk of stomach cancer or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is increased in men exposed to atrazine.
PALS Slide #42
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- We need more information on whether low levels of atrazine commonly found in surface and groundwater can have an impact on wildlife ecology and declining amphibian populations.
- Whether atrazine can increase levels of the aromatase enzyme and affect sex hormone levels in humans is still an unanswered question. Whether this has implications for human breast cancer risk is not known at this time.
PALS Slide #43
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- What are the trends in water levels of atrazine and its breakdown products?
- We need to continue to monitor water supplies for atrazine and its breakdown products in surface water, rural drinking water wells, and rainfall.
- One of the needs that still has not been adequately addressed is whether atrazine breakdown products can affect human health. No Maximum Contaminant Levels in drinking water have been set for atrazine breakdown products.
- There is still concern that seasonably high levels of atrazine in water supplies could affect sensitive populations, including children and developing wildlife.
PALS Slide #44
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- Where will we be able to find more answers?
- The Agricultural Health study is one of the largest studies ever designed to evaluate whether exposure to agrochemicals, including pesticides, diesel exhaust, etc. affects the health of farm families.
- This long-term ten-year study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, has over 57,000 men and 32,000 farm women enrolled from the states of Iowa and North Carolina.
PALS Slide #45
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- A variety of health endpoints, including whether exposure to pesticides affect breast and prostate cancer risk, Parkinson's disease, thyroid disease, reproduction, asthma, osteoperosis or childhood diabetes, will be evaluated.
- For more information on this study you can go to http://www.aghealth.org/
PALS Slide #46
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- Breast cancer is a complex disease and environmental factors may play a role in determining its risk.
- Atrazine is widely used in agriculture for crop protection especially for corn, sorghum, sugarcane, and hay crops, and on turf in the Southeastern US.
PALS Slide #47
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- Atrazine causes mammary tumors in some types of laboratory animals.
- We do not have strong evidence that atrazine affects the risk of cancer in humans.
- The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that atrazine is not a human carcinogen.
- Low levels of atrazine in water can cause harmful effects on the sexual development of frogs.
PALS Slide #48
Text of Script
- There are exposures of concern to atrazine in both workplace and residential settings.
- Atrazine is widely detected at low levels in water supplies, and there is some concern that levels above drinking water standards persist in some agricultural areas.
- More research is needed to monitor levels in water supplies, determine human health risks including cancer risk, and effects on wildlife.
PALS Slide #49
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- Where can you find other resources on the health risks of pesticides and cancer risk from environmental chemicals?
- Visit our web site at http://envirocancer.cornell.edu
- We provide:
- Color-coded breast cancer maps
- Fact sheets on the cancer risk of agrochemicals and other environmental chemicals
- Detailed bibliographies on environmental risk factors
- A searchable on-line bibliography
- An electronic version of our newsletter, "The Ribbon"
- And extensive links to information on pesticides, policy and legislation, and new research studies
PALS Slide #50
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PALS Slide #51
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This material is based upon work supported by Smith Lever funds from the
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, US Department
of Agriculture and a grant from the New York State Departments of
Health and Environmental Conservation.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this
module are those of the author and do not reflect the view of the grantors.
PALS Slide #52
Text of Script
Graphics & Animation:
Mari Stewart,
Sean Gardner and,
Jason Hernandez
Narration:
Mari Stewart
Guidebook
Formatting:
Neil Rotach,
Carin Rundle, and
Mari Stewart
Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 08/2004
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