A Comprehensive Review on Pesticide Residues in Human Urine

Numerous studies worldwide have evaluated pesticide residues
detected
in urine. This review serves as a contribution to this field by presenting
an overview of scientific research studies published from 2001 to
2023, including details of study characteristics and research scope.
Encompassing 72 papers, the review further delves into addressing
key challenges in study design and method used such as sampling and
analytical approaches, results adjustments, risk assessment, estimations,
and results evaluation. The review explores urinary concentrations
and detection frequency of metabolites of organophosphates and pyrethroids,
as well as herbicides such as 2,4-D and glyphosate and their metabolites,
across various studies. The association of the results with demographic
and lifestyle variables were explored. While farmers generally have
higher pesticide exposure, adopting organic farming practices can
reduce the levels of pesticides detected in their urine. Residence
close to agricultural areas has shown high exposure in some cases.
Dietary exposure is especially high among people adopting a conventionally
grown plant-rich dietary pattern. A higher detection level and frequency
of detection are generally found in females and children compared
to males. The implications of transitioning to organic and sustainable
plant-rich diets for reducing pesticide exposure and potential health
benefits for both adults and children require further investigation.