Italian research established that the partners of pesticide applicators working for Rome's Pest Control Centre ran a fourfold to sevenfold risk of spontaneous abortions compared to women whose partners worked in food retailing. Over the period of the study, the pesticide applicators' partners had 67 children and 26 spontaneous abortions compared to the food retailers' partners' 90 children and seven spontaneous abortions.

The researchers suggested that the wives were exposed to pesticide residues on their husbands' work clothes and that these pesticides then contaminated the womb. What appeared to be highly questionable work practices by the men's employer may have made the problem much worse. Not only would their clothes have been contaminated during the spraying, their job also involved preparing the pesticide mixes, which they carried out without wearing personal protective equipment.