Open AccessPesticide exposure and adverse health effects associated with farmwork in Northern Thailand
Author(s) -
Forté Chanese A.,
Colacino Justin,
Polemi Katelyn,
Guytingco Andrea,
Peraino Nicholas J.,
Jindaphong Siripond,
Kaviya Tharinya,
Westrick Judy,
Neitzel Richard,
Nambunmee Kowit
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of occupational health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 1348-9585
DOI - 10.1002/1348-9585.12222
Subject(s) - methomyl , medicine , pesticide , chlorpyrifos , urine , toxicology , creatinine , environmental health , physiology , biology , agronomy
Abstract Objectives To assess pesticide exposure and understand the resultant health effects of agricultural workers in Northern Thailand. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study. We quantified exposure to pesticides, including chlorpyrifos, methomyl, and metalaxyl, by air sampling and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. We estimated differences in self‐reported health outcomes, complete blood counts, cholinesterase activity, and serum/urine calcium and creatinine concentrations at baseline between farmworkers and comparison workers, and after pesticide spraying in farmworkers only. Results This study included 97 men between the ages of 22 and 76 years; 70 were conventional farmworkers; and 27 did not report any prior farmwork or pesticide spraying. None of the farmworkers wore standardized personal protective equipment (PPE) for the concentrated chemicals they were working with. Methomyl (8.4‐13 481.9 ng/m 3 ), ethyl chlorpyrifos (11.6‐67 759 ng/m 3 ), and metalaxyl (13.9‐41 191.3 ng/m 3 ) were detected via personal air sampling. When it came to reporting confidence in the ability to handle personal problems, only 43% of farmworkers reported feeling confident, which reflects higher stress levels in comparison to 78% of comparison workers ( P = .028). Farmworkers also had significantly lower monocyte counts ( P = .01), serum calcium ( P = .01), red blood count ( P = .01), white blood cell count ( P = .04), and butyrylcholinesterase activity ( P < .0001), relative to comparison workers. After adjusting for body mass index (BMI), age, and smoking, methomyl air concentrations were associated with a decrease in farmworker acetylcholinesterase activity (beta = −0.327, P = .016). Conclusions This population of farmworkers had significant alterations in stress measures and clinical biomarkers, including decreased blood cell counts and cholinesterase activity, relative to matched controls. These changes are potentially linked to occupational pesticide exposures. Improving PPE use presents a likely route for preventive intervention in this population.