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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06442969

Implementing an Intervention to Reduce Heat Stress and Chemical Exposures

The investigators are studying the dangers that farmworkers face while working in the fields and at home. The investigators goals are:

1. Measure how much heat and chemicals farmworkers in Imperial County are exposed to.

The investigators will ask the participants to wear a special belt under their clothes during work to measure heat. The investigators will also put two small temperature monitors in the participant's home for a day. The investigators will collect a urine sample to check hydration, and also measure the participants height, weight, blood pressure, and some blood markers for diseases using a simple finger-prick test.

To measure chemicals, the investigators will give the participants a wristband to wear for a week and hang another in the participants home. The investigators will also collect dust from each participant's home with a vacuum. Then, the investigators will analyze everything at San Diego State University.

After collecting samples, a trained community health worker will ask the participants a few questions about their work, lifestyle, health symptoms, and any hazards they face. The investigators will meet the participants twice at their homes to distribute the tools which will later be collected. Once the tools are collected, the investigators will have the chance to follow up with the participants if they have any questions. 2. Provide help to lower heat and chemical exposure with the help of community health workers. 3. Measure heat and chemicals again using the same methods to see if the project made a difference. 4. Talk to participants about what they liked and how the investigators can make future projects better.

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Key information

Conditions

Dehydration Heat Stress Heat Stress Disorders Metabolic Diseases Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Water-Electrolyte Imbalance Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Lideres Campesinas Imperial

El Centro, California, 92243, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Currently living in Imperial County, California, USA
  • Currently work in agriculture
  • Plan on living in Imperial Valley for the next 6 months

Exclusion criteria

  • Not currently living in Imperial County, California, USA
  • Not currently working in agriculture
  • Not planning to live in Imperial Valley for the next 6 months

Treatment and study plan

Education and resources provided by community health workers

Other

The intervention will consist of implementing existing tools provided by EPA's Design for the Environment program, CalOSHA and NIOSH sector-specific guidance for agricultural workers, the Imperial County Department of Public Health and materials from California Department of Toxics Substances Control. The investigators will utilize and adjust existing educational tools such as the Heat Illness Prevention plan developed by CalOSHA. In addition to the educational materials, the investigators will give each farmworker cooling working gear to be worn during their work-shift with (specialized clothes that has been used in other occupational settings). The investigators will provide all participants with a low-cost fan filter, known as Corsi-Rosenthal box built jointly by the community health/research team to reduce chemicals at home, and a small A/C unit to reduce heat stress.

Primary outcomes

  1. Individual heat stress

    Time frame: Assessment at baseline (pre-intervention) and again immediately (week) after the intervention

    Skin temperature in degrees Celsius derived from skin temperature monitor worn against the participant's skin.

  2. Participant household temperature

    Time frame: Assessment at baseline (pre-intervention) and again immediately (week) after the intervention

    Household temperature in degrees Celsius, derived from weather monitor placed in the participant's home.

  3. Participant hydration level

    Time frame: Assessment at baseline (pre-intervention) and again immediately (week) after the intervention

    Specific gravity of participant's urine

  4. Concentration of chemicals measured in silicon wristband worn by study participant

    Time frame: Assessment at baseline (pre-intervention) and again immediately (week) after the intervention

    Participants will be asked to wear a silicon wristbands twice; once at baseline and again after the intervention. The research team will collect the wristbands and transport them to San Diego State University for analysis of different classes of chemicals, including pesticides, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and legacy pollutants. The chemicals adhered to the wristbands will be extracted in ethyl acetate and then passed through a solid-phase extraction. Extracts will be analyzed using a two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry at San Diego State University. The final concentration of each chemical will be expressed as nanograms per gram of wristband.

  5. Concentration of chemicals measured in silicon wristbands hung in the participant's household.

    Time frame: Assessment at baseline (pre-intervention) and again immediately (week) after the intervention

    Silicon wristbands will be hung in participants' homes twice; once at baseline and again after the intervention. The research team will collect the wristbands and transport them to San Diego State University for analysis of different classes of chemicals, including pesticides, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and legacy pollutants. The chemicals adhered to the wristbands will be extracted in ethyl acetate and then passed through a solid-phase extraction. Extracts will be analyzed using a two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry at San Diego State University. The final concentration of each chemical will be expressed as nanograms per gram of wristband.

  6. Concentration of chemicals measured in participant's household dust collected with a vacuum

    Time frame: Assessment at baseline (pre-intervention) and again immediately (week) after the intervention

    The research team will visit the participant's home twice to collect the dust samples of the living area using a vacuum; once at baseline and again after the intervention. After collection, the research team will transport the dust samples to San Diego State University to measure the concentrations of different classes of chemicals, including pesticides, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and legacy pollutants. The chemicals in the dust will be extracted in ethyl acetate and then passed through a solid-phase extraction. Extracts will be analyzed using a two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry at San Diego State University. The final concentration of each chemical will be expressed as nanograms per gram of dust.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

San Diego State University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jun 5, 2024
Registry last updated
Apr 16, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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