Key Takeaways
Farm workers are at risk from kidney disease due to heat and chemical exposure
Workers on a grape farm had high levels of toxic metals in their blood
The metals were linked to signs of kidney injury, particularly in the summer heat
kAm%w&#$sp*[ ~4E] a[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — u2C> H@C<6CD 92G6 2 9:896C C:D< 7@C <:5?6J 5:D62D6[ >2:?=J 5F6 E@ 6IA@DFC6 E@ 9:89 962E 2?5 28C:4F=EFC2= 496>:42=D[ 2 ?6H D>2==\D42=6 DEF5J D2JD]k^Am
kAm(@C<6CD @? 2 8C2A6 72C> ?62C E96 pC:K@?2\$@?@C2 3@C56C 925 9:89 =6G6=D @7 2CD6?:4[ 425>:F> 2?5 49C@>:F> :? E96:C FC:?6[ 2?5 E9@D6 H6C6 =:?<65 E@ :?4C62D65 D:8?D @7 <:5?6J :?;FCJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 7:?5:?8D AF3=:D965 :? E96 }@G6>36C :DDF6 @7 E96 ;@FC?2= k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]D4:6?465:C64E]4@>^D4:6?46^2CE:4=6^23D^A::^$__`bhbd`ad_`fgdanG:2Tbs:9F3Qmt?G:C@?>6?E2= #6D62C49k^2mk^6>m]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 D66:?8 2? :?4C62D6 :? <:5?6J 5:D62D6 :? J@F?8 A6@A=6 H9@ =24< EJA:42= C:D< 724E@CD[ 6DA64:2==J :? 9@EE6C C68:@?D[” D2:5 =625 C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]=:?<65:?]4@>^:?^C:6EE2\H28@?6C^Qm#:6EE2 (28@?6Ck^2m[ 2 A@DE5@4E@C2= D49@=2C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 pC:K@?2]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 :D 6G:56?46 E92E 962E[ A6DE:4:56D 2?5 >6E2= 6IA@DFC6D 6249 A=2J 2 C@=6[ 2?5 6DA64:2==J E92E 962E :D >2<:?8 A@E6?E:2==J E@I:4 6IA@DFC6D H@CD6[” D96 D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6] “t249 :?5:G:5F2==J 92D 366? DEF5:65[ 3FE =:EE=6 C6D62C49 92D 6I2>:?65 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 724E@CD] %9:D DEF5J :D 2? 2EE6>AE E@ 2?DH6C BF6DE:@?D]Q k^Am
kAmu@C E96 DEF5J[ C6D62C496CD 7@==@H65 ff 72C> H@C<6CD H9@ EC2G6=65 D62D@?2==J 7C@> D@FE96C? |6I:4@ E@ H@C< E96 8C2A6 72C>] %96 H@C<6CD 2CC:G65 :? u63CF2CJ 2?5 |2C49[ 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 8C2A6 D62D@?[ 2?5 DE2J65 F?E:= E96 6?5 @7 DF>>6C]k^Am
kAm%96 E62> 4@==64E65 52:=J FC:?6 2?5 3=@@5 D2>A=6D 7C@> E96 H@C<6CD[ 2?5 >62DFC65 E96:C 962E DEC6DD EH:46 2 52J H:E9 :??6C 62C E6>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 962CE C2E6D]k^Am
kAm%96 H@C<6C’D <:5?6J 7F?4E:@? 86?6C2==J 564C62D65 5FC:?8 E96 D62D@?[ 32D65 @? 6DE:>2E6D 56C:G65 7C@> 3=@@5 2?5 FC:?6 D2>A=6D]k^Am
kAm%9:D 564=:?6 H2D =:?<65 E@ 496>:42=D 7@F?5 :? A6DE:4:56D 2?5 76CE:=:K6CD[ 2D H6== 2D E96 6I46DD:G6 DF>>6C 962E :? E96 $@?@C2? s6D6CE[ H96C6 2:C E6>A6C2EFC6D C2?865 FAH2C5D @7 `__ 568C66D u29C6?96:E[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(96? H6 =@@<65 2E 962E :? 4@>3:?2E:@? H:E9 >6E2=D 2?5 >6E2==@:5D[ H6 7@F?5 962E 6DA64:2==J 6I246C32E65 E96 67764ED @7 E96 >6E2=D 2CD6?:4 2?5 425>:F> @? E96 <:5?6J[” (28@?6C D2:5] “x? @E96C H@C5D[ E@86E96C[ E96 67764ED H6C6 H@CD6]”k^Am
kAm%9:D <:5?6J 52>286 42? 36 AC6G6?E65[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(6 C64@>>6?5 >2?52E@CJ A6C:@5:4 3C62<D 2?5 C6DE 3F:=E :?E@ E96 H@C<52J[” (28@?6C D2:5] “!C@G:56 H2E6C[ 6=64EC@=JE6 C6A=246>6?E 2?5 92G6 C6DEC@@>D ?62C3J] p=D@[ 2==@H E96 H@C<6CD E:>6 E@ 86E FD65 E@ E96 4@?5:E:@?D]”k^Am
kAmxE’D 2=D@ :>A@CE2?E E@ 86E E@ E96 D@FC46 @7 H@C<6CD’ 6IA@DFC6 E@ E96D6 E@I:4 >6E2=D[ D96 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 E92E H@C<6CD 5C:?< H6== H2E6C :? A=246D H96C6 FC2?:F> 2?5 2CD6?:4 2C6 7@F?5 :? E96 D@:=]k^Am
kAm“x7 H6 42? :>A=6>6?E AC6G6?E:@? >62DFC6D 62C=J @?[” (28@?6C D2:5[ “H6 42? AC6G6?E =@?86C E6C> :DDF6D]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 &]$] r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@? 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]454]8@G^?:@D9^28C:4F=EFC6^23@FE^:?56I]9E>=RiOiE6IElp8C:4F=EFC2=Ta_H@C<6CDTa_2C6Ta_2ETa_:?4C62D65Ta_C:D<Ta_7@CTa_@?\E96\;@3[:==?6DD6DTa_6IA6C:6?465Ta_3JTa_28C:4F=EFC2=Ta_H@C<6CDTa_2?5Ta_E96:CTa_72>:=:6D]Qm72C> H@C<6C D276EJ 2?5 962=E9k^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rt$i &?:G6CD:EJ @7 pC:K@?2[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ $6AE] ab[ a_adj k6>mt?G:C@?>6?E2= #6D62C49k^6>m[ }@G6>36C a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAmu2C> H@C<6CD D9@F=5 >2<6 DFC6 E@ E2<6 7C6BF6?E C6DE 3C62<D 5FC:?8 9@E 52JD 2?5 DE2J 9J5C2E65]k^Am
