Salinas Valley, located in Monterey County, California, is one of the most important agricultural hubs of the nation. Known as the “salad bowl” of America, Salinas produces more than half of all lettuce and celery that is eaten across the country, as well as a substantial portion of other crops, including broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and strawberries. With these bountiful harvests, however, also comes the liberal use of pesticides, which can have harmful impacts on human health.
Agricultural workers and those who live near farms are particularly at risk for pesticide-related health issues due to their proximity to the chemicals. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, some pesticides can cause problems with the nervous system and may even be cancerous. However, little is known about how pesticides impact the cardiovascular system.
A recent study published by University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley researchers in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that certain pesticides were linked to higher blood pressure and pulse pressure in women who lived near agricultural fields, which could increase their risk of cardiovascular disease in the future.
“This was a snapshot into the potential cardiovascular health impacts for those who live and work near agricultural pesticide applications,” said Jacqueline Torres, PhD, MA, MPH, senior author of the paper and associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics.
Pesticides in Salinas Impossible to Escape
In Salinas, pesticides are nearly impossible to escape. Homes, schools and hospitals sit amid agricultural fields, and farming operations apply pesticides frequently. According to California’s Pesticide Use Reporting Database, millions of pounds of pesticides are applied in Monterey County annually.
Torres, along with UCSF first author Lucia Calderon, MPH, MCP, examined 484 Latina women who lived in the Salinas Valley. They found that women exposed to a pesticide named paraquat were more likely to have a high diastolic blood pressure, while women exposed to the pesticide glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, were more likely to have a high pulse pressure. Both health issues are associated with cardiovascular disease, as well as other diseases.
“In addition to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure is also a risk factor for diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia,” said Calderon. “These are some of the leading causes of death worldwide.”
Future Studies Could Show Evidence of More Risks
One of the study's limitations was that it only looked at two years of pesticide exposure, so the researchers couldn’t get a good look at what chronic pesticide exposure can do over time. Torres said that’s what they’re hoping to tackle in future studies.
“We are currently expanding the window of pesticide exposure that we look at to get a more comprehensive picture of how these pesticides influence health over time,” she said.
Pesticide Exposure Can Impact Us All
Pesticide exposure isn’t only a problem for people who live in Salinas Valley. It can impact anyone who eats non-organic produce. Additionally, people are often exposed to pesticides in residential and commercial settings through lawn and garden care products. That’s just one of the reasons it’s important to accurately understand the impact that pesticides have on our health.
The authors also emphasize equity concerns, highlighting the high levels of pesticide exposure among agricultural workers, who are often socioeconomically disadvantaged. “We should all be concerned about the health and well-being of those facing multiple social and environmental burdens in our state,” said Torres.