Pesticides linked to childhood kidney cancer in Brazil

Researchers estimate that about 18% of all new Wilms' tumours, affecting the kidneys of Brazilian children, are attributable to pesticide exposure of their parents. Wilms' tumour rates in Brazil are among the highest in the world. This prompted a hospital-based investigation into the possible environmental risk factors for the disease. Consistently elevated risks were seen among children whose father or mother carried out farm work which involved the frequent use of pesticides. Risk elevations were more pronounced among boys.
    Colin Sharpe and his colleagues have assessed pesticide active ingredients which may be causal agents. As elsewhere, many pesticides are used in Brazil, and researchers estimated that 73 insecticides, 42 fungicides and 59 herbicides are in use. Atrazine and dichlorvos are particularly widely used, and both are rated as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for the Research on Cancer. The conclusions of the study are limited by the small sample size (including 109 parents and 218 children).

Parental exposure to pesticides and risk of Wilms' Tumour in Brazil, Colin Sharpe, Eduado Franco, et. al., American Journal of Epidemiology, 1995, Vol 141 pp210-217.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 28, June 1995, page 25]