Feasibility of Portable Fingerstick Cholinesterase Testing in Adolescents in South Texas

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of pesticide exposures, which can be assessed using surveys, environmental measurements, and biomonitoring. Biomonitoring of blood cholinesterase can be used to determine if an individual has been exposed to pesticides. A limitation of blood cholinesterase testing can be the use of a laboratory as well as time to receive results. In addition to laboratory tests, there are fingerstick cholinesterase (ChE) tests, which can eliminate the need for laboratory testing. Some populations, such as farmworkers, would benefit through fingerstick ChE tests. The objective of this pilot study is to determine the feasibility (eg, can the testing be used to assess ChE levels) of using fingerstick ChE testing in adolescent populations living along the Texas-Mexico border where adolescents who often engage in farm work live. A sub-objective was to explore differences in ChE levels by sex. The Model 400 Test-Mate ChE kit by EQM Research Inc (Cincinnati, OH) was used to assess for ChE inhibition in the participants, specifically acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which is 1 of the 2 ChE enzymes. During the postassessment, males had a mean AChE value of 3.75 U/mL (95% CI 3.51-3.98); whereas females had a mean AChE value of 2.86 U/mL (95% CI 2.64-3.08), which was statistically significant. Overall, the study supports the use of field ChE testing in adolescent populations with a small percentage (6.90%) refusing to complete ChE testing.