TY - JOUR T1 - Occupational exposures to pesticides and other chemicals: a New Zealand motor neuron disease case–control study JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine JO - Occup Environ Med SP - 412 LP - 420 DO - 10.1136/oemed-2021-108056 VL - 79 IS - 6 AU - Grace Xia Chen AU - J Douwes AU - Leonard van den Berg AU - Neil Pearce AU - Hans Kromhout AU - Bill Glass AU - David J McLean AU - Andrea Martine 't Mannetje Y1 - 2022/06/01 UR - http://oem.bmj.com/content/79/6/412.abstract N2 - Objectives To assess associations between occupational exposures to pesticides and other chemicals and motor neuron disease (MND).Methods A population-based case–control study that included 319 MND cases (64% male/36% female) recruited through the New Zealand MND Association complemented with hospital discharge data, and 604 controls identified from the Electoral Roll. For each job held, a questionnaire collected information on 11 exposure categories (dust, fibres, tobacco smoke, fumes, gas, fumigants, oils/solvents, acids/alkalis, pesticides, other chemicals and animals/animal products). ORs were estimated using logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activities, head/spine injury and other occupational exposures.Results Two exposure categories were associated with increased MND risks: pesticides (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.48) and fumigants (OR 3.98, 95% CI 1.81 to 8.76), with risks increasing with longer exposure duration (p<0.01). Associations were also observed for: methyl bromide (OR 5.28, 95% CI 1.63 to 17.15), organochlorine insecticides (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.18 to 9.07), organophosphate insecticides (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.40 to 6.94), pyrethroid insecticides (OR 6.38, 95% CI 1.13 to 35.96), inorganic (copper) fungicides (OR 4.66, 95% CI 1.53 to 14.19), petrol/diesel fuel (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.93) and unspecified solvents (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.99). In women, exposure to textile fibres (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.13 to 5.50), disinfectants (OR 9.66, 95% CI 1.29 to 72.44) and cleaning products (OR 3.53, 95% CI 1.64 to 7.59) were also associated with MND; this was not observed in men (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.48; OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.84; OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.56, respectively).Conclusions This study adds to the evidence that pesticides, especially insecticides, fungicides, and fumigants, are risk factors for MND.All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplemental information. ER -