Chlordecone in the Caribbean: From Assessing Food Contamination to Human Exposure. Results of the 2013–2014 Kannari Study
Chlordecone is a pesticide that was used between 1973 and 1993 in Martinique and Guadeloupe to control the banana weevil. Its use has led to persistent contamination of soil, river water, and sediments, as well as contamination of the food chain, which continues to pose a risk of exposure to the population, particularly through food. Considered neurotoxic, reprotoxic, an endocrine disruptor, and likely carcinogenic, chlordecone is a major source of local and national concern. For this reason, the Kannari study was launched in 2013–2014 to update knowledge on dietary exposure to chlordecone (the “exposure” component) and to describe contamination levels in the general population (the “contamination” component), with the aim of improving recommendations to reduce dietary exposure. A total of 1,725 adults aged 16 and older (849 in Guadeloupe and 876 in Martinique) and 483 children aged 3 to 15 (257 in Guadeloupe and 226 in Martinique) participated in the “exposure” component of the Kannari study. Among them, 742 participants aged 18 and older were included in the "accumulation" component of the study (292 in Guadeloupe and 450 in Martinique). The results of the Kannari study show that exposure to chlordecone is persistent and widespread among the Caribbean population. However, exposure varies within the population, with certain subgroups being particularly exposed. Exposure to chlordecone is primarily associated with the consumption of fresh fish, eggs, and poultry, particularly when they come from informal channels in areas contaminated with chlordecone. These results confirm the importance of identifying the most exposed population subgroups in order to implement appropriate management measures.
Author(s): Dereumeaux Clémentine, Volatier Jean-Luc, Guldner Laurence, Saoudi Abdessattar, Pecheux Marie, Rivière Gilles, Fillol Clémence
Publishing year: 2020
Pages: 370-378
Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2020, n° 18-19, p. 370-378
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