Child’s Play: Exposure to household pesticide use amongst children in rural, urban and informal areas of South Africa

Background. As part of a larger dermatological investigation undertaken in 1999-2001 involving the Dermatology Department, Groote Schuur Hospital (Cape Town, RSA) and Nottingham University (UK)1, household pesticide use was investigated amongst Xhosa-speaking families living within three areas in South Africa (i.e. rural area, urban township and informal settlement). Objectives. The aim was to characterise pesticide use patterns and potential exposures through skin absorption, ingestion and inhalation for this group of South African children. Methods. A standardized questionnaire, which included a section investigating household pesticide use, was administered by four trained fieldworkers to the parents/guardians of the 740 children (25%) aged between 3-11 years identified as having atopic dermatitis either by clinical examination or according to the UK criteria (rural n=387; urban n=292; informal n=61). Results. Results indicate that 539 (73%) children were exposed to household pesticides. Most childhood exposure (89%) occurred in the informal settlements, followed by 78% in the urban township and 63% in the rural area. Conclusions. This research highlighted the considerable home environment pesticide exposure of South African children in lower socio-economic groups in rural, urban and informal areas. As children are particularly vulnerable to the short and long term health effects of pesticide exposure, further in-depth investigation is needed to ascertain and document the health effects associated with South African children exposed to pesticides in the home